How many board members use BiPAP?

[jilliansue]

I am on Bipap, since September 2010.

[MsBea]

I'm on bipap since 12/15/10.

[cflame1]

I'm on bipap auto... have been for awhile now.

[JeffH]

Add me to your list. Was on straight CPAP for a little over 12 years and Sleep Doc put me on Bipap about two weeks ago. Still getting used to it, but I am sleeping longer for sure. I still feel like I get awakened alot though.


JeffH

[jnk]

. . . the way a bilevel machine drops the pressure at the start of breathing out and keeps it down forevvvver, until I start to breathe in... I like that. Feels even nicer than the way EPR takes it down, which feels a little resistant (to me) at the beginning of exhalation, compared to the almost instantaneous complete drop in pressure EPAP in a bilevel gives . . .

How much nicer, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm trying to figure out whether my next machine should still be a bilevel or if an AutoSet with EPR would be good enough. I realize everyone is different as far as how EPR feels to them, but I am curious how significant the comfort difference between bilevel and EPR feels to you.

[Madalot]

. . . the way a bilevel machine drops the pressure at the start of breathing out and keeps it down forevvvver, until I start to breathe in... I like that. Feels even nicer than the way EPR takes it down, which feels a little resistant (to me) at the beginning of exhalation, compared to the almost instantaneous complete drop in pressure EPAP in a bilevel gives . . .

How much nicer, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm trying to figure out whether my next machine should still be a bilevel or if an AutoSet with EPR would be good enough. I realize everyone is different as far as how EPR feels to them, but I am curious how significant the comfort difference between bilevel and EPR feels to you.

I hope you don't mind my chiming in here. I started out on cpap using C-Flex. For me, I couldn't feel much of a difference, probably because the flex can only lower the pressure a certain amount. Once I went to bipap, the pressure difference (14/6) was like night and day. I remember telling my DME, after one night, that it was so much more comfortable to breathe. As rested gal put it -- it was more "natural" breathing. Even C-Flex at its maximum setting couldn't give me that level of comfort.

[jnk]

. . . the way a bilevel machine drops the pressure at the start of breathing out and keeps it down forevvvver, until I start to breathe in... I like that. Feels even nicer than the way EPR takes it down, which feels a little resistant (to me) at the beginning of exhalation, compared to the almost instantaneous complete drop in pressure EPAP in a bilevel gives . . .

How much nicer, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm trying to figure out whether my next machine should still be a bilevel or if an AutoSet with EPR would be good enough. I realize everyone is different as far as how EPR feels to them, but I am curious how significant the comfort difference between bilevel and EPR feels to you.

I hope you don't mind my chiming in here. I started out on cpap using C-Flex. For me, I couldn't feel much of a difference, probably because the flex can only lower the pressure a certain amount. Once I went to bipap, the pressure difference (14/6) was like night and day. I remember telling my DME, after one night, that it was so much more comfortable to breathe. As rested gal put it -- it was more "natural" breathing. Even C-Flex at its maximum setting couldn't give me that level of comfort.

Don't mind a bit! Never do. Never will.

I have used C-Flex, so I have an idea how that feels. That feels VERY different to me when compared to bilevel, since C-Flex doesn't lower the pressure throughout exhale. (A good thing, perhaps, for therapy effectiveness but not as comfortable to me as bilevel.)

ResMed's EPR, on the other hand, is much closer to actual bilevel, as I understand it. The pressure stays low throughout the exhale. (More comfortable to some, but can effect the therapy by allowing more events for some people, I hear.)

I'm pretty sure I'll stick with ResMed. I just can't figure out whether I want to stick with a true bilevel if I would be comfortable enough with 3 cm of EPR. I run my bilevel with a 3cmH2O differential now, so I know that amount of relief feels fine. I'm just wondering how different ResMed's EPR might feel to me in comparison to my ResMed bilevel.

[jbn3boys]

I'm pretty sure I'll stick with ResMed. I just can't figure out whether I want to stick with a true bilevel if I would be comfortable enough with 3 cm of EPR. I run my bilevel with a 3cmH2O differential now, so I know that amount of relief feels fine. I'm just wondering how different ResMed's EPR might feel to me in comparison to my ResMed bilevel.

It might be worth renting one for a month to find out. A one month rental would probably be cheaper than the difference in price between a cpap and a bilevel. Then you would know for sure.

My understanding, and I do not know ResMed machines, is that part of the difference between true bilevel and Flex/erp is the timing of when the pressure is reduced. That might be a bigger difference. But like I said, I don't know ResMed machines.

[Bright Choice]

I'm not...yet. I think I will be within the next month. I'd be curious to also see the reasons why members are on bipap.

The Resmed web site, in talking about their new S9 vpap series, states increased compliance as one of the pluses for vpap. I thought that was interesting.

If things go the way I think, I will be on one of the new units for UARS.

Do you think bipap is the "wave of the future" and that it will, over time, replace cpap?

[jnk]

It might be worth renting one for a month to find out.

Good point.

Actually, that gives me an idea. I have a good friend (a fellow self-titrator) who uses an S8 II, and he and his wife occasionally visit us overnight. I should see if he is willing to trade machines for a night or two next time.

[Madalot]

. . . the way a bilevel machine drops the pressure at the start of breathing out and keeps it down forevvvver, until I start to breathe in... I like that. Feels even nicer than the way EPR takes it down, which feels a little resistant (to me) at the beginning of exhalation, compared to the almost instantaneous complete drop in pressure EPAP in a bilevel gives . . .

How much nicer, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm trying to figure out whether my next machine should still be a bilevel or if an AutoSet with EPR would be good enough. I realize everyone is different as far as how EPR feels to them, but I am curious how significant the comfort difference between bilevel and EPR feels to you.

I hope you don't mind my chiming in here. I started out on cpap using C-Flex. For me, I couldn't feel much of a difference, probably because the flex can only lower the pressure a certain amount. Once I went to bipap, the pressure difference (14/6) was like night and day. I remember telling my DME, after one night, that it was so much more comfortable to breathe. As rested gal put it -- it was more "natural" breathing. Even C-Flex at its maximum setting couldn't give me that level of comfort.

Don't mind a bit! Never do. Never will.

I have used C-Flex, so I have an idea how that feels. That feels VERY different to me when compared to bilevel, since C-Flex doesn't lower the pressure throughout exhale. (A good thing, perhaps, for therapy effectiveness but not as comfortable to me as bilevel.)

ResMed's EPR, on the other hand, is much closer to actual bilevel, as I understand it. The pressure stays low throughout the exhale. (More comfortable to some, but can effect the therapy by allowing more events for some people, I hear.)

I'm pretty sure I'll stick with ResMed. I just can't figure out whether I want to stick with a true bilevel if I would be comfortable enough with 3 cm of EPR. I run my bilevel with a 3cmH2O differential now, so I know that amount of relief feels fine. I'm just wondering how different ResMed's EPR might feel to me in comparison to my ResMed bilevel.

Cool. I didn't fully understand what you were looking for. Thanks for explaining that to me - and being nice about it.

[jnk]

Cool. I didn't fully understand what you were looking for.

Well, to tell you the truth, I'm actually not completely sure what I'm looking for myself.

In fact, now that I think about it, I HAVEN'T used C-Flex. What I used for several weeks was a Respironics BiPAP, so I must have been using Bi-Flex--not C-Flex.

Sometimes all the ins and outs and angles and different names for things just make my head hurt.

All contributions help me walk myself through this stuff in my head, though. So, thanks, Madalot.

[Dannzzigg]

I'm on BiPAP for just a few weeks so far. The lower pressures of my old CPAP weren't getting it done for me. 18/14 is doing it so far. Feeling much better and loving the BiPAP. Of course, I'm sure that "love" is just because I was SOOOOOO miserable when my therapy began to become insufficient and I didn't realize it until I was experiencing all of the typical OSA symptoms again.

[MsBea]

I'm not...yet. I think I will be within the next month. I'd be curious to also see the reasons why members are on bipap.

The Resmed web site, in talking about their new S9 vpap series, states increased compliance as one of the pluses for vpap. I thought that was interesting.

If things go the way I think, I will be on one of the new units for UARS.

Do you think bipap is the "wave of the future" and that it will, over time, replace cpap?

the reason I'm on bipap is because I "failed" at cpap during my sleep study titration.