New Machine:New Feature??

[bworthey]

I just had another study done - hadn't had one since my original one about 7 years ago ang have lost about 70 pounds so I needed my pressure adjusted. I dropped from a 19 to a 12. I was pretty shocked. Anyway I picked up m new machine last night, the resprionics remstar auto a-flex, and it has this feature that is supposed to mimic breathing I guess. I thought they'd set me up on a bipap machine. That's what it feels like. I can feel the pressure drop out when I breathe out. Think it's gonna take some getting used to. Any one else have this machine? Can you disable that feature? I don't know if I can swap machines or do all machines have this feature now?

[Pugsy]

AFlex is Resprionics exhale relief. It can be turned off in the clinical menu setup area or reduced depending on what setting you are using.
Most people like it but some people who have been using older machines that did not have any exhale relief find that the adjustment can be difficult. If you don't need it or want it turn it off.
All the new machines offers some sort of exhale relief but they can be turned off if not needed or wanted in most of the brands.

You can go here to find a provider/clinical manual or your machine and see how to turn it off if you wish. It's easy to do.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual
Just make sure you request the right manual for your machine...AFlex means likely a PR System One Auto CPAP machine...will be either model 550 or if it is a 560 it is a 60 series machine with heated hose option. Model numbers are on the bottom of the blower unit.

[bworthey]

Thanks so much for the info. The lady that set it up for me didmt tell me about this feature. I had no clue! It's fine once I'm asleep but trying to go to sleep was a bit difficult last night. At times it almost felt like a vacuum effect when I would exhale - very weird. I was used to the pressure of 19, so dropping to 12 has been nothing - I changed it on my old machine but then I got the new machine with this new feature! Didn't need something else messing with my sleep when I was just getting back on track! Thanks again!

[Pugsy]

http://aflex.respironics.com/
This above explains how it works.
Past experience seems to show that people have more trouble with the rhythm or speed of the relief that is offered because the actual drop in pressure is really quite small. The amount of reduction is based on the force of your own respiration.
I found that the setting of 3 made me feel like I was hyperventilating a bit...like the machine wanted me to breathe too fast.
A setting of 1 seemed a big draggy but I took to a setting of 2 like a duck to water.
Everyone is different though...we don't all breathe the same and for years you didn't have this feature so it for sure is going to feel a bit weird.

You can play with the settings if you want to or turn it off.

Oh..CFlex is also available on your new machine...I didn't like it at all...if you are using a fixed pressure that may be what is being offered.
AFlex is only offered in APAP mode. So even though the machine says AFlex on the machine itself...AFlex is only available in auto adjusting (APAP) mode and if using a single fixed pressure (CPAP mode) you would be using CFlex...and I personally thought it was useless. But as with anything regarding any cpap therapy stuff....YMMV.

[robysue]

http://aflex.respironics.com/
Oh..CFlex is also available on your new machine...I didn't like it at all...if you are using a fixed pressure that may be what is being offered.

Hubby's brand new System One Auto has both C-Flex and C-Flex+ available when the machine is set to CPAP mode. And C-Flex+ pretty much the same as A-Flex, unlike C-Flex.

[Pugsy]

Hubby's brand new System One Auto has both C-Flex and C-Flex+ available when the machine is set to CPAP mode. And C-Flex+ pretty much the same as A-Flex, unlike C-Flex.

Thanks for the heads up on that. My very first APAP machine only had CFlex even in Auto mode...they added AFlex to later models and I got one of those about 3 months into therapy.
I don't remember if it was CFlex plain or CFlex +....that was nearly 5 years ago so I have forgotten and I found it useless whatever it was.
But I fell in love with AFlex immediately.
Maybe it had the first generation CFlex plain that I had in auto mode. I never used cpap mode at all on that machine.

[bworthey]

Thanks for all the info. I'm gonna have to go do some reading because I don't know what c-flex is. I saw that on the menu, but again that wasn't explained to me either. All I knew on my last machine was constant pressure! And I was used to that! Ha.