Help Newbie Can't get used to CPAP

[Pugsy]

EPR level: Off

Right now EPR is off....no reduction during exhale.

EPR: Fulltime

If it was on it would be on all night. That is what fulltime means. There are other time frames available.

EPR Inhale: Med

This has to do with the speed or rhythm of the breathing pattern. I think Medium is default setting.
How quickly it goes between inhale and exhale.

EPR is not going to do anything when you start the ramp out at 4 cm. 4 cm is as low as the machine will go.
It can't ever go below 4 cm. Now if you had your starting pressure at 6 cm with EPR of 2 you would have 6 cm inhale and 4 cm exhale.

Ramp time of 45 minutes is a rather long time and it is going to take quite a while to go from 4 cm to 9 cm which is the set pressure. Many people find that low pressure seems like they are suffocating. If you fall asleep before the end of ramp time and you need 9 cm to take care of any events that are forming the machine won't be able to do its job.
Might be more comfortable to have a little higher starting pressure with the ramp or turn it off and just use EPR.
All depends on your comfort level and how quickly you go to sleep. Might want to shorten the ramp time.

[lorraineg57]

EPR level: Off

Right now EPR is off....no reduction during exhale.

EPR: Fulltime

If it was on it would be on all night. That is what fulltime means. There are other time frames available.

EPR Inhale: Med

This has to do with the speed or rhythm of the breathing pattern. I think Medium is default setting.
How quickly it goes between inhale and exhale.

EPR is not going to do anything when you start the ramp out at 4 cm. 4 cm is as low as the machine will go.
It can't ever go below 4 cm. Now if you had your starting pressure at 6 cm with EPR of 2 you would have 6 cm inhale and 4 cm exhale.

Ramp time of 45 minutes is a rather long time and it is going to take quite a while to go from 4 cm to 9 cm which is the set pressure. Many people find that low pressure seems like they are suffocating. If you fall asleep before the end of ramp time and you need 9 cm to take care of any events that are forming the machine won't be able to do its job.
Might be more comfortable to have a little higher starting pressure with the ramp or turn it off and just use EPR.
All depends on your comfort level and how quickly you go to sleep. Might want to shorten the ramp time.

I don't necessarily feel like I'm suffocating but exhaling actually seems to get easier for me as the pressure goes up, either that or I've just adjusted to it by that point. That's definitely an annoyance when I first put it on at night. I'm going to try the nasal pillows as soon as they arrive so I'm probably going to up the starting pressure at that point because I definitely felt like I was suffocating at 4 during titration with the nasal pillows. I also ordered a medium, a small was used at titration. I did change the ramp time to 15 minutes. I don't know if I should mess with the epr or not, guess it couldn't hurt to turn it on....

[Daisy004]

omg lorraine..turn your EPR on hun..it will make it easier for you to breath otherwise you could get sore chest muscles ( like me before I discovered it!!)

[lorraineg57]

omg lorraine..turn your EPR on hun..it will make it easier for you to breath otherwise you could get sore chest muscles ( like me before I discovered it!!)

And I thought it was gas from swallowing air....
Well, I think I have that too.....
Have to go play with my machine...

[chunkyfrog]

If they have a cow because you changed the settings, just play dumb.
Say you were babysitting and the little one must have done it.

[komomai]

Aloha All,
Love this site, my issue was that after an hour of use I would rip my mask off, because I felt like I had no air. The wonderful people here on this site, suggested after looking at my model that my pressure might be set too low. After adjusting the clinical menu(again with the help of some great links), I set the pressure to 5 ramping to 12. I also set the A-Flex to a setting of "3", was set to "2". And lo and behold I can leave the mask on for longer periods now and get some sleep. What I have also done is move my machine for my afternoon old man naps in my recliner, I'm trying to keep the mask on for longer periods so I can get used to it. A Big Mahalo to all for listening and helping out a newbie get through this most diffcult period.

Here is my settings as of today.
CPAP Statistics as of Saturday, October 06, 2012
10 days of CPAP Data, between 9/25/2012 and 10/6/2012
Details Most Recent Last 7 Days Last 30 Days Last 6 months Last Year
AHI 1.87 3.58 3.64 3.64 3.64
RERA Index 3.89 3.30 3.18 3.18 3.18
Flow Limit Index 0.00 0.36 0.40 0.40 0.40
Hours per Night 06:25 04:11 03:42 03:42 03:42
Average Pressure 6.92 6.52 6.48 6.48 6.48
95% Pressure 10.50 9.50 10.50 10.50 10.50
Average Total Leaks 21.27 21.50 22.36 22.36 22.36
95% Total Leaks 37.00 35.00 38.00 38.00 38.00

Changes to Prescription Settings
First Last Days AHI Machine Mode Pr. Rel. Min Pres. Max Pres.
10/5/2012 10/6/2012 2 1.90 PRS1 Auto A-Flex x3 5.00 12.00
10/4/2012 10/4/2012 1 3.65 PRS1 Auto A-Flex x2 4.50 12.00
10/3/2012 10/3/2012 1 4.48 PRS1 Auto A-Flex x2 4.50 15.00
10/2/2012 10/2/2012 1 4.72 PRS1 Auto A-Flex x2 5.00 15.00
9/27/2012 10/1/2012 3 4.34 PRS1 Auto A-Flex x2 4.50 15.00
9/25/2012 9/26/2012 2 5.53 PRS1 Auto A-Flex x2 4.00 15.00