New member needs help with new machine.

[alphawaves]

For the last three weeks I've been using a Phillips Respironics system one with humidifier along with a resmed swift nasal pad. The pressure set was 9 cm/h20 and I've been feeling much better than what I was before cpap therapy (no doubts). After much personal research I decided to buy a APAP machine since I decided to "take matters into my own hands" meaning the details concerning actual results. Most of you are pretty well identified with the intellipap devilbiss auto-adjust apap I assume and this is the reason the brought me here in the first place.
Guys I need your help!
The machine came already set to 4-15 pressure and I know first hand that this is just a 'default setting' from a seller who avoiding any sort of 'personal responsibility' decided to leave to the machine the impossible task. Let me explain: While I was using the respironic system one cpap I could begin the therapy without ramp at all. It means that any initial air pressure lower than 8=9 would make me feel that I was not getting enough air. Higher than 10 made me feel uneasy too. I'm not an expert but I was thinking that a range between 8-10 could be a place to start.
Anyone has an idea of how to reset a mistake using logic?
WAITING for your suggestions....

Thanks in advance and HELLO to the entire member community.

[STL Mark]

I'm not sure I understand all of your questions but I believe also that your 8/10 suggestion is a good starting place.

[martinsr00]

I'm unclear about the question, so a little guess is in order.

I have been using my Respironics DS760TS (Bipap, System One, Series 60) for a bit over 3 months now.

First of all, get the clnicians manual, and you can set the machine as you like. Unlocking involves pressing the selector wheel and the ramp button together and holding them down for some number of seconds. The machine will beep, and you can then set things how you like.

My pressures (Bipap) are 20/25. So, I figured I could set it on Auto (4-20 with pressure support of 5) and the machine would select the proper pressure. That failed miserably. The machine responds slowly to changes. I eventually had to set the floor to 16, and then things worked OK. My conclusion is, for the lower limit, you have to give it an "in the ballpark" guess. That's my experience.

Get a copy of Sleepyhead so you can see what the machine is doing.

[alphawaves]

I'm unclear about the question, so a little guess is in order.

I have been using my Respironics DS760TS (Bipap, System One, Series 60) for a bit over 3 months now.

First of all, get the clnicians manual, and you can set the machine as you like. Unlocking involves pressing the selector wheel and the ramp button together and holding them down for some number of seconds. The machine will beep, and you can then set things how you like.

My pressures (Bipap) are 20/25. So, I figured I could set it on Auto (4-20 with pressure support of 5) and the machine would select the proper pressure. That failed miserably. The machine responds slowly to changes. I eventually had to set the floor to 16, and then things worked OK. My conclusion is, for the lower limit, you have to give it an "in the ballpark" guess. That's my experience.

Get a copy of Sleepyhead so you can see what the machine is doing.

Thanks for the tip. You're absolutely correct and I have "discovered" that myself as I became the new user of positive airway pressure therapy in the few weeks. Any starting pressure lower than 8-8.5 makes me feel claustrophobic and highly anxious. To sell a machine set from 4-15 to someone with this [let's name it: psychological pre-conditions] is ABSURD. No wonder DOCTORS are having a pretty hard time trying to get a higher number of people using cpap therapy more often and if possible every night the entire night.

thanks to all for your comments.

[alphawaves]

I'm not sure I understand all of your questions but I believe also that your 8/10 suggestion is a good starting place.

Thanks Mark. It make sense to me and the sellers of these machines should at least consider the possibility that this assumption weights a lot of logic... Don't you think too?

[robysue]

alphawaves,

Since your titrated pressure is 9cm and you can get to sleep on straight CPAP without the ramp, then it's perfectly reasonable to set the min pressure setting on the APAP to 8 or 9 cm. Max pressure setting? You could set it very narrow (max of 10 or 11cm) or, if pressure doesn't bother your stomach, you could leave the top pressure at 20 and see where the pressures tend to top out for a week or so.

Next question: Do you need the clinician's manual so that you can get into the clinician's menu and change the pressure setting? There is a site you can request clinician's manuals from, but I don't have its url in front of me. But if you put "Need clinicians manual" in the Subject of the post pugsy or others who do have the url handy will respond.

[alphawaves]

alphawaves,

Since your titrated pressure is 9cm and you can get to sleep on straight CPAP without the ramp, then it's perfectly reasonable to set the min pressure setting on the APAP to 8 or 9 cm. Max pressure setting? You could set it very narrow (max of 10 or 11cm) or, if pressure doesn't bother your stomach, you could leave the top pressure at 20 and see where the pressures tend to top out for a week or so.

Next question: Do you need the clinician's manual so that you can get into the clinician's menu and change the pressure setting? There is a site you can request clinician's manuals from, but I don't have its url in front of me. But if you put "Need clinicians manual" in the Subject of the post pugsy or others who do have the url handy will respond.

Thanks to you for having the time to make a suggestion. I agree with you on both pressure tips especially the one concerning high pressure limits. However, sinnce apaps are supouse to be "smart" enough to make small changes whe needed... the top limit set of 10 sounds about right. Apaps like intellipap auto-adjust claim to introduce pressure changes up to .05 cm/H2O the moment a possible apnea event presents itself during sleep. If in case the initial adjustment was insuficient then another small increase follows every minute. Once the event is resolved, the machine lowers the final change down to .06 cm/H2O and the process continues for 6 minutes period per event.

Thanks and until our next encounter... good night and pleasant dreams.
.

[alphawaves]

I already got the clinicians manual from someone so I appreciate you help too.

[alphawaves]

Short note: I did contacted the 'people' I purchased the new machine from... I told them what my problem was and the scripted response didn't take too long to make its introduction... "We follow the prescription's instructions from you physician."
Now how ironically absurd could it be?!!! since the all mighty piece of paper refers to a fixed pressure on a fixed positive airway pressure machine... where the 'these people' got the range of 4-15? Oh! I got it! A divine inspiration! How could IT dared to ask?