TESTING TESTING

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:06 am

I have been wondering why on my A/flex, my AHI's are all over the place. So last night I set the machine to straight CPAP with my dx number of 10.
To my surprise or maybe not so, my AHI was the lowest ever 1.9!!! My mask leak was a little high, but still... I feel so much better today!!!!! Maybe there is something to be said for straight CPAP.

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:13 am

Hi,
Have you tried C-flex? maybe a lower setting of A-flex?
I have the same isue and don't know what to do about it...

the A-flex is on loan and it is much more expensive where I live (about 600 US more) and I don't know how to decide...

would love to get some advice from you people

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 8:16 am

Yes, I did use the C/Flex on the setting of 2.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 9:23 am

Brooke,

Congratulations!
You've found out (early enough) what many of us have known and have been saying for a long time. The Auto is a versatile machine, but running it in a range of pressures isn't for everyone. In fact, single pressure or a very narrow range works better for the vast majority than a wider range.

The changing pressures can disturb a person's sleep. In addition, if the bottom pressure is too low, when an event occurs that triggers a pressure increase, it takes too long to get there and will result in higher AHI numbers. So, by zeroing in on the optimum single-pressure, it'll take care of the vast majority of the events.

Too many people get caught up in the "I have an Auto, so consequently I have to use it in a range of pressures". A person needs to experiment and then decide for themselves just what works best for them.
I think you'd be surprised at how many Autos that are showing in the members' profiles......are actually running in CPAP mode.

Best wishes,

Den

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:04 am

so....
why spend the cash?
I get it you need a machine that gives you data...
why an auto?
do you say it's a ... gadget?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 10:43 am

Kip wrote:so....
why spend the cash?
I get it you need a machine that gives you data...
why an auto?
do you say it's a ... gadget?

Kip,

My first recommendation as far as selecting a machine when starting out is what I have bolded above......and the software to interpret the data.

I started out with the REMstar Pro 2 (pictured in my profile) and the Encore Pro software (all of which I ordered from CPAP.COM). My sleep doctor had prescribed a pressure of 18. I had my doubts as to whether he knew his a$$ from a hole-in-the-ground.....so I wanted to monitor my therapy. I tried the pressure of 18 for less than an hour. I decided that I was going to need to start at a lower pressure......18 was a lot to start out with. I gave it some thought and reset my machine to 10 cm.......and that's where it stayed for a year before I finally started tweaking it upward......and ended up at 12.

One of the reasons I decided to start with the Pro 2 (even though I could have afforded the Auto) is that I had read about some of the characteristics of the Auto on this forum. For one thing, the Auto responds to snores by increasing pressure. I knew that I was a "healthy" snorer.....so that was one of the reasons. Another factor was that I wanted to see how I was going to adapt to this new way of sleeping before I got all the "bells & whistles". I figured that at some point, I'd want to get a backup machine and that one might be an Auto.
Well, after about a year of therapy, I had the opportunity to purchase a lightly used Auto from another forum member (who had switched to an S8 Auto). Since I had started out at 10 and was at that time using 12, I did a one-week test of the Auto in a range of 10 - 15. I found out that the pressure changes disturbed my sleep, I had a higher AHI and only hit the limit of 15 for 1 1/2 minutes on one night......part of my reasoning was to finally disprove my sleep doctor's pressure setting of 18.

I actually got about the same AHI numbers with either 10, 11 or 12, but the setting of 12 controlled my snoring the best. Could I decrease my numbers even more?......maybe......but I sleep real good with these present settings and my (average) AHI is usually around 0.7.

Is it a "gadget"? I'd rather think of it as another "tool" in the drawer. It's there to be used.....if you want.

It's been my interpretation of the history of the Autos is that they were developed to be used in situations where a person could not get a proper titration in a sleep lab.......to determine a single pressure.......NOT (necessarily) to be used EVERY night (forever after) in a pressure range.

Den

Kip · Post by **Kip** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:08 am

Thank you for that answer, you managed to set things right in my head.
I tried out a cpap and it was better than any auto I've tried (3 up to now).
I thought about buying a cpap but felt that I was maybe.... robing my self of good treatment for some cash....
now I feel that I was right and I'm getting the feel for this matter.

any sugestions for a streight cpap, data capable of course?
can I readily change presure on a cpap as with the autos?

Thanks...

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Sun Mar 30, 2008 11:52 am

Kip wrote:Thank you for that answer, you managed to set things right in my head.
I tried out a cpap and it was better than any auto I've tried (3 up to now).
I thought about buying a cpap but felt that I was maybe.... robing my self of good treatment for some cash....
now I feel that I was right and I'm getting the feel for this matter.

any sugestions for a streight cpap, data capable of course?
can I readily change presure on a cpap as with the autos?

Thanks...

If you're going to get a "new", straight-pressure CPAP machine, these are the main ones that have data capabilities and software availability.
The PB machines don't have exhale relief (like C-Flex or EPR), but should be an excellent buy if your pressure isn't too high.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-bundle ... undle.html

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-bundle ... undle.html

https://www.cpap.com/productpage-bundle ... ifier.html

With the extra money you save, you can get some extra masks, hoses, filters, etc.

Den