Another ASV - CPAP Question...

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
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mossytreesprite
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Another ASV - CPAP Question...

Post by mossytreesprite » Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:14 pm

It just occurred to me - since I will be waiting a month or so to get the ASV, should I possibly, in the meantime, switch my CPAP settings to Auto? I have had it (ResMed S9) set on 9 with a 40 minute ramp up. My original Rx was 11, but I switched it (with my doc's approval), mostly because I was having pretty severe and uncomfortable aerophagia. Would using the auto setting possibly start preparing me for what life may be like on the ASV? I did try the autoPAP for part of one night, but as soon as the pressure really turned up in the night, I promptly switched it back. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to get used to it, so maybe this is a good place to start?
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Pugsy
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Re: Another ASV - CPAP Question...

Post by Pugsy » Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:37 pm

Actually I wouldn't advise APAP mode.
It can't possibly mimic the rapid and large increases that ASV will do to help you breathe when the centrals pop up and need to be addressed and the increases it would do to deal with the obstructive apneas will likely create more centrals...maybe a lot more.

Sustained higher pressures will likely make aerophagia issues worse...short bursts less likely.
The APAP mode won't try to treat the centrals but if you have any sort of obstructive event going on anywhere near the central it will increase the pressure and possibly make the situation worse if your centrals are a response to cpap pressure.

APAP mode is not usually advised for people with Complex Sleep Apnea unless in a tiny range. It can make things a lot worse in terms of centrals.

If you want to sort of get used to bilevel...cpap mode with exhale relief set to maximum so you can experience the dramatic (as dramatic as it can be anyway) drop between inhale and exhale.

Have you tried EPR yet? If not..maybe try that original 11 (or maybe 10) and set EPR to 3 so you get the 3 cm drop which makes it feel like a bilevel will feel (or like it would feel with PS of 3).
Using EPR (if you didn't before) might enable you to use a little more pressure without aerophagia being so bad.

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Re: Another ASV - CPAP Question...

Post by Guest » Tue Oct 28, 2014 6:38 pm

mossytreesprite wrote: I did try the autoPAP for part of one night, but as soon as the pressure really turned up in the night, I promptly switched it back
There is your answer...
mossytreesprite wrote:I have had it (ResMed S9) set on 9 with a 40 minute ramp up. My original Rx was 11,
You don't say ramp up from where? I would say try it at straight 9 or start the ramp higher (7or8) going up to 9cm.

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grayghost4
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Re: Another ASV - CPAP Question...

Post by grayghost4 » Tue Oct 28, 2014 9:00 pm

why would anybody listen to advice from a "Guest" ... that does not have the guts to at least signin as a user

Why don't you go play in the "also posted as" thread !
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mossytreesprite
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Re: Another ASV - CPAP Question...

Post by mossytreesprite » Wed Oct 29, 2014 12:31 pm

Great advice Pugsy - I have not tried EPR yet. It doesn't seem like I have much to lose at this point, so I will give that a go. I think the changes in pressure were what upset me so much during my sleep test, so it sounds like that could be a gentler way to start getting used to the pressure changes. When I had the pressure at 11, it did do a better job of resolving the obstructive apneas, but my centrals went way up. Perhaps with the exhale pressure lower, I could tolerate the higher pressure better. I got a good-quality wedge pillow to help with the aerophagia, but it exacerbated my degenerative disc disease problems in my neck and caused me to feel painfully frozen. Sometimes I feel like I'm damned if I do, and damned if I don't. I sure wish answers in life were a bit simpler sometimes...

Thanks again -
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.