High CPAP Pressure

[Deano]

[Hawthorne]

Most people with a pressure above 20 cm would need to switch to a Bipap machine. Sometimes people with a pressure of 18 cm do better on Bipap.

Do you have software for your machine so that you can see how you are doing on a pressure of 18 cm?

[Julie]

Usually a high pressure like that really needs e.g. a full face mask as something like the FX gets blown off. Is yours working with no problem and no leaks?

[jweeks]

Any high CPAP pressure user's in here? I'm at 18 cm which is close of max'ing out my capabilities of my machine. Is there any users that need pressures above 20 cm?

Deano,

BiPAP machines typically go to 25, and ST/ASV machines typically go to 30. I am on BiPAP at 13/20. After a few months, I no longer even noticed the pressure. While in my 2nd sleep study, where I failed on CPAP, the sleep tech ran the pressure all the way up to 29. That was like breathing into an air compressor. That is when I learned about positional apnea from my doctor. No amount of pressure can help me if I lay on my back, but I am very treatable if I am on my side.

CPAP users above 14 are often considered for BiPAP machines since BiPAP can often be more comfortable. The theory is that you need the pressure on inhale, where you don't notice it as much, and you don't need as much pressure on exhale, which is where you feel the pressure the most.

-john-

[Deano]

[o2sleep]

Hi, I am new to cpap and my pressure is 20, I wear a full mask but I am having lots of leaks, and basically everytime I exhale I either feel like my face is going to explode or the mask blows a big leak, in a couple of weeks I go back for another sleep study and they are going to see if a bipap is better, I can't imagine it won't be. I told the DME that cpap on 20 is basically barbaric. I have my c-flex set at the highest setting too.

[GumbyCT]

Any high CPAP pressure user's in here? I'm at 18 cm which is close of max'ing out my capabilities of my machine. Is there any users that need pressures above 20 cm?

I use nasal pillows at 18/15 with no troubles and far fewer leaks than with a full face mask.

[rhuszar]

Hi Deano,

I'm defiantly above 20. I'm on a BiPAP ST at 26/18/8(BPM). The ST machines are the only ones that go high enough for my needs. I have both central and obstructive apnea. I had a problem with my machine last month as had to use a standard BiPAP with a maximum pressure of 25 until they got a replacement for my machine and I was back to waking up numerous times a night on the loaner. Once back to the correct settings and I sleep through the night again. It took a few weeks and trails of a few different masks and mask types before I found what worked best for me. No I have no problem with the high pressure.

I started with full face masks but they caused sever lower jaw pain from having to be so tight and still had leak problems. I then tried a nasal mask and it's been great. No leak problems and no more jaw pains.

Ron