Altitude changes...adjustment needed?

[bluetrout]

I've gone from sea level where I started CPAP to here in Colorado at 7,000'. I read somewhere here that some machines can adjust with setting changes. I have not found such settings on my machine. Is some adjustment for altitude necessary and if so how to do it? Thanks.

[palerider]

I've gone from sea level where I started CPAP to here in Colorado at 7,000'. I read somewhere here that some machines can adjust with setting changes. I have not found such settings on my machine. Is some adjustment for altitude necessary and if so how to do it? Thanks.

it'd help if you'd put your machine in your profile so people could answer with something other that "beats the heck outta me".

though it's likely that you're reading stuff about ancient machines.

[IDontSnoreISwear]

It depends on your machine. If I were you I would call your sleep doc and/or your DME.

My husband's machine (an old brick) had to be set +2 to deal with a 7,000 foot increase in elevation.

[bluetrout]

Just added the machine.

[Pugsy]

Per your other thread where you posted your SleepyHead results you are using a Phillips Respironics PR System One 60 Series Auto CPAP machine. That would be model 560.
You may or may not be using the heated hose portion with your humidifier but you probably should correct your humidifier choice as the correct humidifier with the 560 model would be
PR System One 60 series heated tube humidifier with heated tube
It helps us a lot if we know exactly and correctly which equipment you are using.
The machine choice you may have made but that link is known to be broken and thus not showing up in your equipment profile.
This happens with the older discontinued equipment so when that happens we usually suggest that people add the machine to the comments section of your equipment profile.
Manually typing PR System One 60 Series APAP is sufficient or you could simply put PR S1 model 560.

All the newer Respironics machines will automatically adjust for altitude changes without you having to do anything.
If my memory serves me correctly these machines will adjust for altitude changes up to either 8500 or 9500 feet. I can't seem to get the product specs to load for this machine at cpap.com but if you go there and look up your machine it will tell you in the specs just how high.

[Pugsy]

Just added the machine.

Suggest that you replace "Remstar" with "PR S1" in your comments section to avoid confusion later.
The term Remstar is rather generic and has been used on all Respironics machines until they decided to use the name "DreamStation".

[palerider]

Just added the machine.

what you put is like saying "it's a chevy camero" but no indicaiton of which of the many they've made over the years.

what you put covers machines made for the last 10-15 years, and several different models, all different.

what's it's model or REF number.

and if it IS a 560, like Pugsy says, then just put that in the comments, we know what that means.

and if it is a 560, then the altitude adjustment is automatic.

[bluetrout]

Just made the changes suggested. Thanks. It is a 560P so it is adjusting automatically to altitude. I initially asked my DME that question but he didn't know what I was talking about at all concerning altitude. Now I know why. I certainly have much to learn. Guess I can't blame my AHI on altitude. Thanks once again palerider and thanks to Pugsy too. Pugsy, I've read so much good about you. I feel honored that you posted on this.
If I can blame my ignorance on something I'll choose that fact that I only had one visit with the doctor thus far and now I'm switching to another doc here in Colorado. But more pertinent to the issue is probably that my one and only visit with the DME was very hurried as I was leaving town in California the next day and he had to deliver the equipment at the end of his working day. Didn't really have time for an in-depth session and I didn't know enough to ask intelligent questions. So it goes. Thanks to this forum however, I am catching up.

[palerider]

If I can blame my ignorance on something I'll choose that fact that I only had one visit with the doctor thus far and now I'm switching to another doc here in Colorado. But more pertinent to the issue is probably that my one and only visit with the DME was very hurried as I was leaving town in California the next day and he had to deliver the equipment at the end of his working day. Didn't really have time for an in-depth session and I didn't know enough to ask intelligent questions. So it goes. Thanks to this forum however, I am catching up.

if you read through enough of the postings here, you'll find out that the brevity of your contact with doctors and DMEs probably doesn't have anything to do with it.

we get people that've been under doctors care for ages, and know no more than you do, because the doctors and DMEs are often ignorant or misinformed, or ... just plain lying in the case of DMEs (and, who knows, maybe some of the doctors)

[Pugsy]

I don't know if you have a copy of the provider manual for your machine. Some DMEs will leave it and some will remove it. If you haven't see it you might want to take the time to download and read up on what it says.
It usually offers more detailed information than the typical "user" manual.
You can find it here if you haven't seen it yet.
https://www.respshop.com/software/DS560 ... Manual.pdf

There is a considerable learning curve about all this stuff but with time and experience I think that what seems Greek to you now will soon be a piece of cake to understand. It's rare to find a doctor or DME who will take the time to cover all the bases in depth and most DMEs don't usually have to do much education anyway.
My DME told me that of all his patients me and one other guy are the only ones who have ever questioned anything about the machines or the data that is available. Most patients don't want to expend the effort needed to bother learning....so DMEs don't expend much energy educating....and some sadly couldn't educate anyone anyway. There are some good ones out there but the majority I think lack the skills or desires to impart their knowledge (assuming they have some ).

Be patient. Do as much reading as you can and with time and experience things will become much clearer for you and ask questions when you can't find an answer on your own. I would suggest using the forum search function but it's worse than trying to find out how to spell a word by using the dictionary where you need the correct spelling to find it and if you knew how to spell it you wouldn't need the dictionary.
The forum search function is not the best of search engines and even I have trouble with it often and I know more little tricks than most newbies would know about.

[palerider]

I would suggest using the forum search function but it's worse than trying to find out how to spell a word by using the dictionary where you need the correct spelling to find it and if you knew how to spell it you wouldn't need the dictionary.
The forum search function is not the best of search engines and even I have trouble with it often and I know more little tricks than most newbies would know about.

don't forget using google, or other search engines, just put

site:cpaptalk.com

in front of the query, then it'll just pull results from here... like:

site:cpaptalk.com battery camping

[bluetrout]

I did use the forum search: looking for altitude adjustment info, before I posted this question but didn't find an answer. The Google suggestion is a good one too as I have used Google to find answers to computer/ internet questions before. I learned there to ask simple questions, not to be too "expert"...just let Google take me where it wants to. It seems in the case of Google that dumb and simple is good. I have used it in the past in a manner similar to palerider's suggestion: set the site I want Google to search first then add the query. I can't remember exactly how I stumbled upon this site but I'm sure glad I did. You folks who are very knowledgeable and are taking the time to help us newbies are a godsend. Thanks.

[SewTired]

I can't read very well this morning, so maybe someone answered it, but the altitude information is in the manual. My brothers Respironics 60 Auto Bipap is good to 8,000 feet and my Resmed Airsense for Her is good to 8,500 feet. These are for the AUTO machines. My info came from the back of the clinical manuals.