Remstar Auto Question

[RHinNC]

If the c-flex technology lowers the pressure when I exhale how does it keep my airway open?

Without cpap when I lie down my airway collapses, with the Remstar there does not seem to be enough pressure to keep the airway open.

Last night I went back to using my old Fisher&Paykel unit and noticed when I exhale my airway does not collapse. Is this normal?

Just trying to figure this stuff out.

Thanks

[Goofproof]

When you exhale the pressure in your lungs opens the pipe. Cflex is a comfort option only. You are talking like your throat closes all the time if it does you need a ventalator, not XPAP.

What Remstar do you use and at what pressure and what mask???
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): cflex

[NightHawkeye]

If the c-flex technology lowers the pressure when I exhale how does it keep my airway open?

Good question. There is actually a very simple answer. C-flex does not lower pressure until the machine senses that you are breathing out. Obviously, if you're breathing out then your airway is open. Simple, yes? Hence, C-flex only functions when your airway is already open, and is in response to air coming through the airway.

Without cpap when I lie down my airway collapses, with the Remstar there does not seem to be enough pressure to keep the airway open.

Last night I went back to using my old Fisher&Paykel unit and noticed when I exhale my airway does not collapse. Is this normal?

Excellent observation of your own therapy, RHinNC. It may be that the F&P is supplying a slightly higher pressure. Somebody pointed out here in the past few days that there could easily be 2 cm difference in pressure between machines which are "set" to the same pressure, simply because of the inexactness of each machine's calibration.

I expect that your observations are correct. The good news is that it doesn't have anything to do with C-flex, and you should be able to get the Respironics machine on par with the F&P simply by raising the pressure by 1 or 2 cm. Once that correction is made, then you should be able to make a judgement about how well you like C-flex.

Regards,
Bill

[SelfSeeker]

RHinNC, you can tell when your airway collapses, interesting?


I thought CFlex, uses a random in and out timing.

[Snoredog]

Go here, click on the links and you can see how it works:

http://cflex.respironics.com/How.asp


It works great by the way, very comfortable to use unless you select the wrong setting.

[RHinNC]

Yes it is very easy for me to detect.

I can do it at will, not knowing the physiological terms it is as if upon exhalation the soft tissue in the back of my throat gets pushed up against whatever lets the air go out your nose. It does it much more when I lie down than in a sitting position.


[quote="SelfSeeker"]RHinNC, you can tell when your airway collapses, interesting?


I thought CFlex, uses a random in and out timing.

[dsm]

cflex is a 'momentary' reduction in the pressure when the machine senses the user is breathing out.

AS Bill has already pointed out, you can't have a collapsed airway and be breathing out at the same time.

Interesting...

DSM

[RHinNC]

Using a Remstar Auto with C-Flex Model 1017476

Set to 7 initial and 20 max (initially was set to 4 but had to increase) F&P CPAP set to 7

Using a F&P 431 FF mask.

[quote="Goofproof"]When you exhale the pressure in your lungs opens the pipe. Cflex is a comfort option only. You are talking like your throat closes all the time if it does you need a ventalator, not XPAP.

What Remstar do you use and at what pressure and what mask???

[RHinNC]

Bingo. I am not breathing out when it collapses. So would the pressure going in keep it from collapsing?

Just trying to understand this stuff.

Perhaps I have something going on with my airway or tissue in the back of my mouth?

[quote="dsm"]cflex is a 'momentary' reduction in the pressure when the machine senses the user is breathing out.

AS Bill has already pointed out, you can't have a collapsed airway and be breathing out at the same time.

Interesting...

DSM

[NightHawkeye]

Just trying to understand this stuff.

Perhaps I have something going on with my airway or tissue in the back of my mouth?

Don't jump to a complex solution before trying out a simple solution. I'd be really surprised if raising the pressure on your Respironics machine didn't put its performance on par with the F&P machine.

It's a real easy thing to try, even if you have to get your doc to provide the DME an order to raise the pressure.

Regards,
Bill

[RHinNC]

I did raise it from 4 to 7 and could tell a difference.

Last night was a good case in point. Went to bed at 11:00PM and wide awake at 12:45AM.

When I wake up it is as if something is waking me up, just don't know why.

I do not have a reader for the smartcard (the Remstar was provided for the sole purpose of recording for a couple of weeks) if I can get my immediate issue resolved I will ask to keep the Remstar and will purchase a card reader and give the F&P back. But the way my insurance works the F&P is now mine and I just have to get the Doctor to recommend the Remstar. I do like the C-Flex!

Thanks for your assistance.

Just trying to understand this stuff.

Perhaps I have something going on with my airway or tissue in the back of my mouth?

Don't jump to a complex solution before trying out a simple solution. I'd be really surprised if raising the pressure on your Respironics machine didn't put its performance on par with the F&P machine.

It's a real easy thing to try, even if you have to get your doc to provide the DME an order to raise the pressure.

Regards,
Bill

[NightHawkeye]

Sounds like you're making progress, RHinNC.

Last night was a good case in point. Went to bed at 11:00PM and wide awake at 12:45AM.

When I wake up it is as if something is waking me up, just don't know why.

It seems like a lot of us have that problem, at least until we get the therapy set where we need it. For me, it's almost always desaturations that wake me up, as I tend to mouth breathe a little. (About once a week though, it's my wife who wakes me up instead because my mouth breathing wakes her up.)

Since you plan on getting the Remstar, anyway, you might consider investing in the software and reader. That would probably help you understand what's going on faster.

Best of luck with your therapy.

Bill