switched to Auto - exhausted today! help!

[adksleepygal]

Yesterday I took the machine in to the place I got it and they changed me to an Auto setting with a range of 5-20. I was on a setting of C-Pap @ 7. I was doing pretty well I thought - feeling a bit better and able to sleep better and having dreams which was all new. Last night I slept somewhat ok - no dream I can remember, woke up very tired and have been fighting it all day -I need a nap so bad right now. Each time I woke up I looked at the pressure and it never went above 6.1. Do you think it means I am not getting enough pressure or what? She also took that modem thing (big brother) off the machine as it was not working - she installed a card and gave me an envelope to mail it back in when they call me about it. Any advice? Or is this just a set-back day or what?
Thanks - I so want to feel better!

[CinnyAnn]

I started c-pap in June. On October 11th I had to use a auto-pap for 2 weeks. They just picked it up this past Monday. I too am not sleeping the way I thought I would. Even these past 2 weeks I would get awake annd look at the pressure and sometimes it would be 16. I have a set pressure of 13 on my regular machine. I guess I will have to wait and see what the outcome will be. Hopefully just a pressure adjustment. Sorry I do not have any advice for you. Just wanted to let you know you are not alone. Good Luck!!!

[Uncle_Bob]

Most people have better luck with a tighter range. In your case something like 7cm to 10cm.

You would be in much stronger position if you acquired the software yourself and find out how to change your machines settings.

[BlackSpinner]

Yesterday I took the machine in to the place I got it and they changed me to an Auto setting with a range of 5-20. I was on a setting of C-Pap @ 7. I was doing pretty well I thought - feeling a bit better and able to sleep better and having dreams which was all new. Last night I slept somewhat ok - no dream I can remember, woke up very tired and have been fighting it all day -I need a nap so bad right now. Each time I woke up I looked at the pressure and it never went above 6.1. Do you think it means I am not getting enough pressure or what? She also took that modem thing (big brother) off the machine as it was not working - she installed a card and gave me an envelope to mail it back in when they call me about it. Any advice? Or is this just a set-back day or what?
Thanks - I so want to feel better!

A wide open range like that can cause problems. It is usually better to have a tighter range close to your initial titration. Also you can set it as a cpap - some people don't like the changing pressure - it wakes them up.

[TerryB]

I have had a machine capable of APAP or CPAP operation from the get go and have found I don't do as well even on a tight range as I do on the proper steady state pressure. Now, I do from time to time switch to APAP and re-titrate myself so I began treatment at 12 cm and am now at 16 cm H2O. My personal recommendation would be to get or set the pressure to your titration level as minimum and allow five or so above that. But my experience over and over is that I am happier at a steady state pressure, even to the extent of NOT using exhalation relief.

Just my non medical $ .02.

TerryB

[chunkyfrog]

I've been on CPAP 6+ months, could probably use hubby's Autoset to check my titration;
he'd have to sleep with mine a couple nights--or whatever sounds like a good number.

[Hose_Head]

Yesterday I took the machine in to the place I got it and they changed me to an Auto setting with a range of 5-20. I was on a setting of C-Pap @ 7. I was doing pretty well I thought - feeling a bit better and able to sleep better and having dreams which was all new. Last night I slept somewhat ok - no dream I can remember, woke up very tired and have been fighting it all day -I need a nap so bad right now. Each time I woke up I looked at the pressure and it never went above 6.1. Do you think it means I am not getting enough pressure or what? She also took that modem thing (big brother) off the machine as it was not working - she installed a card and gave me an envelope to mail it back in when they call me about it. Any advice? Or is this just a set-back day or what?
Thanks - I so want to feel better!

First and foremost, you should not judge the therapy based on a single night's experience. All of us have bad nights, whether on cpap or not. Give it a chance to work for at least a three or four nights.

Having said the above, I would concur with those who suggested that your start pressure may be too low. APAPs need time to react to an event. This may allow you to stay in an event longer than is necessary, and the event could be over long before the apap has boosted pressure high enough to deal with it.

[robysue]

Any particular reason you were switched to a wide open range on the CPAP?

Two and a half weeks after I started straight CPAP at 9cm I was having so many issues that the PA in the doctor's office thought it would be a good idea to do a week's worth of autotitration with a wide open range to see if my original pressure setting was too high. Unlike you, I felt much, much better on the APAP running 4-20cm than I did on CPAP at 9cm. When I went in with the summary data of the week, it was clear that my pressure needed to be adjusted. Since I had felt so much better on APAP and since my machine is an S9 Auto, I requested that the new prescription be a reasonable APAP range. So I'm now using the S9 with a range of 4--9, but my pressure almost always stays below 8. And I'm finally beginning to have the CPAP fog lift and I'm having far fewer issues with excessive daytime sleepiness and no more stuffed goose dreams at night and painful eyes.

[Twentysix]

What draw my attention in your post is the mention that now you're dreaming, cause for me it is the exact opposite. I used to have nightmares every night, since I was a kid, and wake up repeatedly during dreams, heightened heart rythm and everything. The sleep study found that I have a massive amount of obstructive apneas during REM sleep specifically, so that clarified it. With the CPAP (or is it APAP?) I get deep sleep for the first time maybe ever, and now I think I don't dream, because I don't remember it in the morning.
With my limited 1 month experience, the auto works much better for me than the fixed pressure. They set my fixed pressure at 9 after 2 weeks with the auto, and I just could not sleep with it. I tried four times, got completely stressed out, and ended up sleeping without the machine. Next day back to auto and sleeping very well most of the time, i think the pressure is set between 4.7 and 10.

[bdp522]

The pressure settings sound ok to me. Try it for a week. It could be you need to stay on cpap mode. The constant changing of pressure with the auto setting could be what's disrupting your sleep. Quite a few here have found that they do better on one steady pressure.

Brenda

[adksleepygal]

Thanks everyone for your input and advice. Last night I slept a bit better as I am less exhausted this morning. The one time I did check the pressure it was up to 8 last night and that is higher than my original cpap setting of 7 so wondering if I was needing more pressure than they had started me at. How accurate is the titration number you receive from the sleep study? I do like the c-flex at 3 better now and its easier to breathe with - thinking I will give it a whole week and see how I do. I can tell its going to be a process for me but that is ok - I think I only took the mask off once last night so that part is improving. Now if hubby would just stop shaking me to see if I am alive or dead it would be very helpful ! If he cannot stop that I am going to get a whole new room!!

[Breathe Jimbo]

I rather liked the stuffed goose dream.