Is the goal to ultimately be on fixed pressure?

[RES9372]

Is the ultimate goal to get onto a fixed pressure? Or is there any issue with being on an APAP range permanently? I seem to have better numbers on an APAP range instead of a fixed pressure.

[Pugsy]

It depends on who you are talking to.
Some people believe fixed pressures are the best and some don't and instead believe that allowing the machine to auto adjust is the optimal way of doing things.
There are valid reasons to do it either way. Each person is an individual and what works great for one person may be a disaster for the next person.

My own personal opinion as to my own goals....sleep good, feel good and get optimal therapy no matter what pressure is being used. Without sleep none of this stuff really matters much. Sleep has always been my number one goal.

[LSAT]

My opinion......When you are on a fixed pressure, it's like an average. Sometimes it's too low and sometimes it's too high. If you are on a fixed pressure of 10, the pressure you need is somewhere between 8 and 12. Why not set it that way? There are many people that are very happy with fixed pressures and that's fine. You should probably try both. The goal is to sleep better with a low AHI. There is no specific benefit to being on a fixed pressure.

[chunkyfrog]

Some providers tend to set single pressure machines on the high side, not average.
For me, this caused excess air in my stomach, interfering with sleep.
My sleep improved vastly when I started with auto.
No more tummy pain.
Some people complain about being disturbed by changing pressure.
Fortunately, every APAP can be set either way.
Find what works for YOU.

[palerider]

Is the ultimate goal to get onto a fixed pressure? Or is there any issue with being on an APAP range permanently? I seem to have better numbers on an APAP range instead of a fixed pressure.

No, though there are some people out there that have convinced themselves that is the case.

No, there's no issue being on APAP continuously.

The only way a fixed pressure will ever work 'properly' is if you crank the pressure up high enough to take care of any possible sleep condition you have (like, on your back in REM) and even then, you need to monitor the data regularly, because *YOU* change over time.

I started out with a fixed pressure machine, cuz well, that's what I had, and I noticed I was feeling worse and worse over time, I (finally) looked at my data, and my AHI had been going up for a month! that's when I decided it would be smart to get an APAP, so that the machine could respond to my needs.

Never looked back.

[Wulfman...]

Is the ultimate goal to get onto a fixed pressure? Or is there any issue with being on an APAP range permanently? I seem to have better numbers on an APAP range instead of a fixed pressure.

In my opinion, the goal is to get the best therapy and the best sleep.
As has been said, an APAP machine can be set in either a straight pressure or ranges.
Try both and study your reports.

I started out with a straight pressure, data-capable machine. About a year into my therapy, I had an opportunity to acquire a lightly-used APAP from a forum member so I did.
The first week I tried it in a range of pressures. I had been using a straight pressure of 10 cm for my first year (I had actually been prescribed a pressure of 18 cm but found that a little too much to start off with so I reset it myself). So, for my first week trial I set the APAP to a range of 10 - 15 cm. I also need to mention that in the preceding months before getting my APAP I had experimented with increasing my pressure to 11 and then 12 cm.
Well, after a week on a range of pressures I found out several things.
I found that I really didn't have the types of breathing "triggers" that increased pressures (flow Limitations and Snores)
I found that my optimal pressure was 12 cm. And, I found that what few pressure changes there were had a tendency to disturb my sleep. And, I only hit a pressure of 15 cm for only one and a half minutes on only ONE night. So, I went back to my fixed pressure machine at 12 cm and that's where I stayed for about another six or seven years before cranking it up another cm or two. Somewhere in between I turned off the C-Flex exhale relief. For a few years, I would experiment with APAP during a nap but never used it again in pressure ranges for regular nightly use.

I know what I need and that's what I use.

Den

.

[Millstone50]

The goal is for a restful, productive sleep