BiPap vs Cpap/Apap

[zoocrewphoto]

If you feel like you are sleeping well, then I wouldn't spend a lot of money just to try a different machine.

Now, if you don't have a backup, and you find a great deal on a bilevel machine, then go ahead and get it. Try it out, use your favorite as the nightly machine.

I've always used an EPR of 2, and I have been happy with it when using my pressure range of 11-17. My ahi, is usually under 1.5, rarely over 2. So, I have never been tempted to look at a more expensive machine.

[Mark55]

Yes,...if I didn't have a backup already, I would probably try and find a BiPap for a bargain price. I was able to purchase a brand new Airstart 10 CPAP from our sponsor for about 189 bucks during a special sale they had last year, so I have an unused backup machine in waiting. I know it's a brick, but my OSA is well controlled, and a constant pressure of 8cm works just fine on me also. Actually that was my original prescription.

I had a feeling that with my relatively low pressure requirements, a BiPap would not really make much of a difference. Now if they would go down to 0 to 2 for exhale,.....that's a whole different ballgame.

[SlackerInc]

As you say, they're nothing more than just *not breathing for a bit*... I've held my breath for a minute, my spo2 barely wavers... of course, that may be different for other people, but it's going to take a lot more than not breathing for 10 or 30 seconds here and there to cause an issue.

Centrals aren't disturbing, like obstructive breathing events are, they don't cause your body to go into fight or flight mode, they don't make your heart race, or bp spike, or any of the deleterious effects that fighting to get air cause... Like you said, if there's not so many that they cause desats, they're just basically something to ignore...

This is so interesting and really causes me to be even more certain that centrals are a big part of my apnea. My health care providers scoffed at this, even though I pointed out that I always sleep on my side and have never once woken up gasping for air. (I think they are stereotyping me because I am obese and have congestion and allergies.)

What I do notice every night is that when I get relaxed enough, I just feel very comfortable not breathing—like I’ve transformed into some other kind of creature that doesn’t require oxygen. It actually feels more relaxing to NOT breathe. And this seems to get my machine to stop sending the pressure (or at least stop alternating?) so when I do finally breathe, it only starts “moving with me” on the second breath.

[palerider]

As you say, they're nothing more than just *not breathing for a bit*... I've held my breath for a minute, my spo2 barely wavers... of course, that may be different for other people, but it's going to take a lot more than not breathing for 10 or 30 seconds here and there to cause an issue.

Centrals aren't disturbing, like obstructive breathing events are, they don't cause your body to go into fight or flight mode, they don't make your heart race, or bp spike, or any of the deleterious effects that fighting to get air cause... Like you said, if there's not so many that they cause desats, they're just basically something to ignore...

This is so interesting and really causes me to be even more certain that centrals are a big part of my apnea. My health care providers scoffed at this, even though I pointed out that I always sleep on my side and have never once woken up gasping for air. (I think they are stereotyping me because I am obese and have congestion and allergies.)

What I do notice every night is that when I get relaxed enough, I just feel very comfortable not breathing—like I’ve transformed into some other kind of creature that doesn’t require oxygen. It actually feels more relaxing to NOT breathe. And this seems to get my machine to stop sending the pressure (or at least stop alternating?) so when I do finally breathe, it only starts “moving with me” on the second breath.

Well, a few things... low oxygen doesn't make you want to breathe, too much carbon dioxide is what makes you want to breathe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUfF2MTnqAw

Second, your machine only switches to IPAP (higher pressure) when you inhale, it's purely driven by your own breathing, so you could hold your breath all night, and the machine wouldn't do anything.

I don't know, offhand, if the bipap pro even tries to differentiate between types of apnea.

[Pugsy]

I don't know, offhand, if the bipap pro even tries to differentiate between types of apnea.

It will flag everything the other full data machines flag with the exception of FLs.
It will distinguish between obstructive and clear airway and clearly identify them. It's not like the base model cpap that doesn't separate into categories. The BiPap Pro works like the regular Pro cpap model except there is no auto trial option available.

[palerider]

I don't know, offhand, if the bipap pro even tries to differentiate between types of apnea.

It will flag everything the other full data machines flag with the exception of FLs.
It will distinguish between obstructive and clear airway and clearly identify them. It's not like the base model cpap that doesn't separate into categories. The BiPap Pro works like the regular Pro cpap model except there is no auto trial option available.

Ok, I didn't know whether the pro models (regular or bipap) differentiated... since they don't do anything about either centrals or obstructives... good to know they do.