Why does my machine do this?

Hi,

I have a Respironics BiPAP Auto M machine running in BiPAP mode set at 13.5/20. The machine does something from time to time that I don't understand. Every once in a while, it will cut me off when I am taking a deep breath. Then, for the next 5 or 6 breaths, it will start pushing air on its own without me having to breathe first to get it started. After that, it will go back to its normal way of working where it gives the higher pressure only after I start to breathe in. This seems to happen at least once just after I go to bed but before I fall asleep. It almost seems like the machine didn't like something about the way I was breathing, so it goes into a mode where it tries to make me breathe the way it wants to. I don't see any corresponding events in the data. Anyone know what is going on and why the machine is doing this?

-john-

jweeks wrote:Hi,

I have a Respironics BiPAP Auto M machine running in BiPAP mode set at 13.5/20. The machine does something from time to time that I don't understand. Every once in a while, it will cut me off when I am taking a deep breath. Then, for the next 5 or 6 breaths, it will start pushing air on its own without me having to breathe first to get it started. After that, it will go back to its normal way of working where it gives the higher pressure only after I start to breathe in. This seems to happen at least once just after I go to bed but before I fall asleep. It almost seems like the machine didn't like something about the way I was breathing, so it goes into a mode where it tries to make me breathe the way it wants to. I don't see any corresponding events in the data. Anyone know what is going on and why the machine is doing this?

-john-

Do you have the "provider" manual for your machine?
Have you gone through (and written down) all of the settings in the setup menu?

I'm thinking your experience may have to do with the "Rise time" setting, but I'm not a Bi-PAP users so I'm not familiar with all the settings in that machine and how they "feel". Another thought is it may be doing "something" with your breathing patterns (BPM - Breaths Per Minute). There's also something in the manual called "Standby state".

If you could list all of your settings in a follow-up post, someone who uses a machine like yours could possibly comment on them.


Den