Very happy with APAP

[rottyjohn]

Hello All,

I have been using APAP for last month. My AHI numbers have went way down from straight CPAP set at 13cm... Feel good and sleeping 6 or 7 hrs a night. Right now I average an AHI of 4 or less. Been tracking pressures used vs AHI. Currently have machine (PRS1) set at 12-20. The average pressure recorded is 13cm, 90% is close to 15cm and max is 16.5 cm. The flux is still quite high each evening 12cm first 3 of hrs and then goes up second half of night 3 or 4 hrs of sleep. 1 or 2 nights pressure went 18 cm but usually not more than 16 or 17cm. It seems overall average pressures are decreasing as I get used to it. Maybe? I was going to lower the ceiling but inclined to leave well enough alone for right now. Seems some nights I actually may need it? It's all about sleeping position with me. Side is way better than on back! It also seems REM sleep factors in too.

Thanks,
John

[hades161]

Grats on your success !

Lowing the ceiling might not be a bad idea but if its working for you great ! If you do decide to lower it just do it 1cm H20 at a time and try it for a week or 2 and see how it goes. The pressures decreasing are most likely do to you settling in with treatment and good leak control. =)

[rottyjohn]

Thanks hades161... Sounds like a good idea. I suppose as long as I am not going above a certain rate at some point it would make sense to lock machine at a maximum just above highest used pressure predicted? I suspect the reverse would be true too if rate never went above the lower setting to drop minimum? Guess that's logical? I do recall reading some posts that describe "runway pressure" associated with APAPs. That doesn't seem to be the case with me so far.

Thanks,
John

[hades161]

Pretty much, A rough rule of thumb is 2 above and 2 below. IE if your target pressure is 13cmH20 then something like 11cmH20 - 15cmH20 but like all things it's fairly an individual thing that need confirmation by good numbers and how you feel. Also take into account any breath relief settings you may be using. If 12 is working great for you keep it and just lower the ceiling. Remember to give any change you do a week or 2 on data monitoring to make sure something doesn't go screwy. One or two nights of data is not a big enough data sample. If you never hit or rarely hit 18 then lowering it to that is minor risk and you most likely can just drop it there, but if you wish to get tighter in your ranges a few months of pressure by pressure fine tuning are in order.

Yes there use to be apap machines that would get caught into a "Pressure Run Away" situation were they would try to compensate with higher and higher pressures and possibly max out the Apap pressure settings. I do not know if this happens any more with the newer Apaps. Maybe someone else will chime in on it. For me and my pressure of 16cm H20 I set the Apap to 14 - 18 cmH20 as I rarely climbed above or even hit 18cmH20.

Good Luck !