Gettin ready to meet with Dr.

[boblong]

This site is like drinking from a fire hose!! So much info, wow!

I completed my sleep study last week and am scheduled for my Dr. followup a week from tomorrow. I'm convinced I want to get the best equipment possible so I can do the best possible with the treatments.

I have a question that confuses me about the equipment, tho. Does an APAP machine w/C-flex or A-flex allow both the ramp up of pressure and the exhale relief at the same time? I think I read where you get one or the other but not both. Both functions sound good to me as I'm a bit claustrophobic and during the sleep study at the higher pressures I got a little bit paniced when i tried to exhale agaist the pressure.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Bob

[Sleeprider]

I have the M-Series Auto and both the Ramp pressures and time, as well as C-Flex setting (1, 2, 3) are adjustable. Unit can be run in CPAP or APAP mode and the minimum and maximum pressures in APAP can be adjusted. Full data really helps to zoom in on what settings are most effective, or where problems seem to occur that raise AHI.

Good luck, and be prepared to specify exactly what you want and why you want it. Most docs are not familiar with patients that track data and certainly aren't big on them making adjustments that are outside of the titrated pressures of the sleep study. In my case, I didn't sleep long enough for a titration to occur and an APAP was prescribed due to my intolerance of the sleep clinic environment.

[SharkBait]

This site is like drinking from a fire hose!! So much info, wow!

I completed my sleep study last week and am scheduled for my Dr. followup a week from tomorrow. I'm convinced I want to get the best equipment possible so I can do the best possible with the treatments.

I have a question that confuses me about the equipment, tho. Does an APAP machine w/C-flex or A-flex allow both the ramp up of pressure and the exhale relief at the same time? I think I read where you get one or the other but not both. Both functions sound good to me as I'm a bit claustrophobic and during the sleep study at the higher pressures I got a little bit paniced when i tried to exhale agaist the pressure.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Bob

I believe the exhale relief is in effect during the ramp period.

C-Flex / A-Flex was so AWESOME that I found absolutely NO need for ramp time. I've even worked my way back to a C-Flex of 1 (started out with 2 three weeks ago), but I still have a bit of trouble with no C-Flex at all. I'm convinced that my machine is allowing me more than -1 in pressure because it's like it's turning the pressure back to near zero, but I can't prove that...

[rested gal]

Wecome to the message board, Bob.

Does an APAP machine w/C-flex or A-flex allow both the ramp up of pressure and the exhale relief at the same time? I think I read where you get one or the other but not both.

Both these autopaps allow using the "ramp" feature and an exhalation relief feature (one of the flexes) and auto-titrating mode -- all at the same time.
Respironics REMstar Auto M series (has C-Flex)
Respironics REMstar Auto with A-Flex M series (has both A-Flex and C-Flex in it)

Probably what you've read about not being able to use both "ramp" and auto mode at the same time was in regard to the older Respironics autopaps...the pre-M machines (also referred to on the message board as the "tank" or "legacy" model.) Ramp could be used only in "cpap" mode with those older autopaps; ramp couldn't be set if the older machine was set for auto mode.

[boblong]

Thanks for the quick replies. I think I understand better. I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions...

Bob