Is my 5 year old machine still working well?

[Jononline]

I purchased a Remstar Pro CFlex machine from Respironics via CPAP.com back in 2005 or 2006.

It changed my life. My blood pressure went down, I stopped being tired and I lost weight without any other efforts.

Recently my blood pressure has been a bit higher and my weight has started to go up again.

I noticed that with my machine set on Auto CPAP with CFlex the maximum pressure that the APAP takes me up to each night is 12. When I look at my old records from 2006 I occasionally found myself up at almost 18.

That tells me that either years of using a CPAP machine has actually reduced my general sleep apnea problem, or that for some reason the machine is no longer able to go up to the higher setting!

Does anyone have any experience with this sort of thing? Do the machines get old in only 4 or 5 years and stop working as effectively?

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[cflame1]

It tells me that your weightloss... impacted the pressure that you need.

And that you have an APAP running as an APAP... not sure what it's set to.

[Jononline]

It tells me that your weightloss... impacted the pressure that you need.

This is the problem, I am now almost back up to the same weight I was when I first got the machine. Yet the APAP function is still maxing out at 12 instead of the 18 that it used to when it was new. (data obtained via Encore's software and MyEncore).

[cflame1]

and what's your AHI running at that level?

[Jononline]

and what's your AHI running at that level?

I am learning to use the program just by looking in order to answer your question. I see that at pressure 5 the AHI is about 11 (for example).

At pressure 12 the AHI is zero.

If I understand those numbers right, they confirm that the machine is doing the right thing by only going up to 12, because at 12 the goal of zero AHI is being achieved.

Am I getting it right? I haven't used MyEncore much. Some of the numbers are confusing but I think your question helped me understand the Pressure vs. AHI chart.

What would you say is the general life span of a CPAP machine?

[roster]

What is the pressure range you are using?

[Jononline]

What is the pressure range you are using?

4 as the low and 20 as the high.

[bdp522]

Some get many years from a machine some get just a few. If you are worried that your machine isn't working you can ask your DME to test it to be sure the machine is working properly. It sounds to me like the machine is working fine, but to know for sure you need to test it. There are instructions on the forum somewhere to make your own manometer, or you can purchase one from cpap.com.

Brenda

[Jononline]

If you are worried that your machine isn't working you can ask your DME to test it to be sure the machine is working properly.

Thanks Brenda!

What is a DME? Is that a Doctor?

I don't have insurance and do most things myself with occasional conversations with my Doctor.

[cflame1]

technically a DME stands for "Durable Medical Equipment" supplier... it's where you got your APAP from.

Which because that was cpap.com... they would be your DME.

[bdp522]

If you can't afford to purchase a manometer, you can build your own(I did). There are instructions here(search homemade manometer) or you can google it for more info.

Brenda

[roster]

4 as the low and 20 as the high.

That is a range that typically controls apnea poorly. Can you post one or more of the "Daily Details" reports for us to see how well it is working for you?

[OutaSync]

I would move the bottom pressure to the lowest pressure I needed to get zero apneas. So, if I was getting 11 at a pressure of 5 and zero at a pressure of 12, I would raise my lower setting from 4 to 10 or 11 and leave the upper setting at 20. That way I would avoid all the apneas that occur in the lower range. I would try that for a week and see how I felt.