Can an APAP "get stuck" at the upper level of pressure?

Can an APAP get stuck at the upper level of pressure? My pressure's not high (only 4-6) but I've been waking up at 6 and the machine doesn't go back down. I'm awake, I'm not congested, the hose isn't twisted but the pressure doesn't drop down again. My sleep doc said the machine should sense the new air pressure needs within 4-5 breaths, but it doesn't look like mine is, at least not that fast. I kept the machine on for five minutes, turned it off and on to reset it back to 4 which is where it stays while I'm awake.

Has anyone else seen this?

When I wake up to look at the machine, I also see the maximum pressure most of the time.

But, I have the software and when I load the detailed data onto my computer, I see that during the night, the pressure runs lower - closer to my sleep study titrated pressure.

The software is so important so you can see what is happening during the night.

Gail

(edited & dropped)

DSM

#2 Ozij has kindly pointed me to another thread detailing issues with the posters eardrum - explains the need for unusually low pressures.

D

talktobon wrote:Can an APAP get stuck at the upper level of pressure? <snip> Has anyone else seen this?

Rested Gal has just answered this one perfectly on another thread:

viewtopic.php?p=356516#p356516

rested gal wrote:Welcome to the message board, Greg!

Greg Hines wrote:Shouldn't it ramp back down fairly quickly when I wake up? I thought the whole point of auto CPAP was that it would go up when needed and back down again.

Nope. It's not supposed to change pressure quickly. The machine doesn't know whether you are asleep or awake. Fast pressure changes yo-yo'ing up and down could disturb sleep, so the changes either way are designed to be gradual ... to not be abrupt jumps. Autopaps are designed to change pressure slowly, up or down.

If you're even waked up during the night with the machine blowing "too hard", just reach out and press the Ramp button one time. Hitting "Ramp" will make the machine drop back down instantly to the lowest pressure set for your range whether you have "Ramp" enabled or not. That's a quicker way to "start over" with an autopap than to turn the machine all the way off and then back on again.

<snip>

dsm wrote:To be honest - I have *NEVER* heard of anyone buying an Auto & setting the range to 4-6. It seems to me someone bought a machine that serves no useful purpose ?.

A CPAP set at 6 would seem to be the better bet ? - if the Auto is going to 6 it is most likely because 6 is the pressure needed if not even higher.

Once again, I am somewhat amazed that someone would be sold an Auto to run at 4-6 ? - but I know anything is possible no matter how unusual.

DSM

Nah can't be the Respironics M series like the REMSTAR has pressure range from 4-20cm. I would certainly set it at from the lowest needed pressure to a max, or to the lowest of the highest pressure as evidenced from any reading that they get from Encore Pro or Viewer. I have never been to a max of 13 so if I set my max pressure to 15 that would be okay.

And like the post from Rested Gal, the ramp button is always there to drop the pressure immediately. I rarely use, but some nights....

talktobon had a ruptured eardrum - I think her pressure was set at the lowest possible pressure to guard her ears. You will find the details if you click on her profile and read her posts.

viewtopic.php?p=351798#p351798

viewtopic.php?p=352740#p352740

viewtopic.php?p=354775#p354775

O.

ozij wrote:talktobon had a ruptured eardrum - I think her pressure was set at the lowest possible pressure to guard her ears. You will find the details if you click on her profile and read her posts.

viewtopic.php?p=351798#p351798

viewtopic.php?p=352740#p352740

viewtopic.php?p=354775#p354775

O.

Thanks ozij, I once had a ruptured eardrum. My family doctor and my ENT told me to go of CPAP until it healed worse 10 days of my life!

I was told the air pressure would blow through the ruptured eardrum preventing healing.

Yes, I had a ruptured eardrum from the CPAP and needed to stay off of it for 2 weeks. Sleep doc said he's never seen anyone rupture an eardrum in his 15 years of practice, even at much higher pressures. I saw him on Friday and he turned my machine down because according to my data, I'm sleeping at 5-6 with AHI of 1.2. He was concerned that the machine might sense some congestion, blow the pressure up more than necessary and rupture my ear again.

He wants to see how I do staying at 6 and under, and I'm supposed to go back in 2 months so he can check to see if I'm still doing OK at that pressure. Thankfully I'm already at these low pressures. It's not a worthless prescription; I just have mildly moderate case of sleep apnea.

Thanks for the feedback! This forum is so helpful!

Good RT. Are you sure you didn't have an ear infection? ( I haven't read your other posts)

It is possible to have an infection and not feel anything. If you have a fullness feeling or the ear feels plugged and you can't hear as well. Sounds pretty obvious and please don't take offense. Some people are unfamiliar of those being a symptom of an ear infection. I am not a doc, but have had tons of infections and had tubes in my ears as an adult to allow fluid drainage from the inner ear.

Hey, Fredman. No offense taken. I've had an ear infection before and this was much different. I had an enormous blast of pain in my right ear after the therapist cranked up my pressure, followed by blood on the pillow and I felt like I had air going into my head through my ear. Primary doc and ENT confirmed it wasn't an ear infection--in fact they couldn't see anything so the symptoms indicated a micro-perforation. They gave me antibiotics to ward off infection.