Understanding all the settings on my Respironics DS950HS

[racprops]

Question for today.

I would really like to fully understand all the settings on my Respironics DS950HS and what the function and actions changing these settings will do.

IE: I was told that the Pressure Support Min when set to “0” made the machine work more like a plan old CPAP and kind of stopped it from being its automatic multi-level self. (Which if correct, means I was using a costly machine inplace of a cheaper one…and that my Doctor messed up…)

Rich

[Tom W]

It is true that if PS Min = 0 the machine is functioning like a straight CPAP machine but only UNTIL you need correction. Then this machine quickly raises the IPAP to correct your problems.

NOW if PS Min and PS Max are both set to 0 then yes you pretty much have a CPAP or APAP depending upon how EPAP Min and EPAP Max are set.

If the Doc/DME is familiar with ResMed sometimes the script doesn't get translated correctly as the ResMed has different settings.

[racprops]

Thanks..

I seem to have way more Clear Way apneas and as I get the complex apneas from having pressure, which is WHY I have to pay for a second sleep study and had to buy a ASV machine, so I believe I want my basic all the time pressure low and only jump for inhaling and of course events…

My OA are under 5 per night where my OA are running from a onetime low of 8.38 to 39.64.

And I get a lot of Hypopnea as well running from 3.78 to 15.79.

Ad of course one setting helps one problem and raises another…

I really need to know more about this machine…

Rich

[racprops]

Here is the thing:

I had to get the ASV as I have Complex Central Apneas..BROUGHT ON BY THE PRESSURE OF A NORMAL CPAP machine.


In fact it seems I was reacting to around 5 to 10CM, as the first sleep study said I stopped shoring at 5cm, I would believe my airway was opened at that pressure as snoring is part of OAs right??

So setting my machine at a start and running pressure of 10CM seem to CAUSE my Centrals...

And for the first 6 days the only time I got good numbers and lower Centrals was the two days I have set for 7 and 6.5 EPAP.

Although the last couple of days I cannot still say that.

Also my OA are almost not happening.

Rich

[Tom W]

Did you have an ASV titration?

What are the recommended settings?

If you're going right from CPAP to ASV there can be some adjustment to the Bi-PAP portion of the ASV machine that can cause CA's but in the end it should/will cure them.

What machine settings (all 6) are you using now?

[racprops]

Well things are changing.

Last night talking things over with Jackie, she said as all my efforts was not getting anywhere, I might as well try the Doctor's settings, so I did after trying my last settings, lower pressure which did not work.

So around three I reset to 10cm EPAP.

I got for the first time a low readout of all problems.

It looks like if I had ran these settings I would have had even better readings as most of the apneas happened in the first part of the night.

The graphs are unlike any I have recorded…during the last part of the night.

Also when I woke up I first thought the machine had shut down..there was so little pressure/air.

AND I took my blood pressure: normally waking gives me the highest readings this morning I got 118/over 78…Great.

It was slow waking..

Here is the readout:



Note the graphs from just before 5 am.

Those patterns have not happened before, there has been a couple of hints…

Tonight will be interesting.

Rich

[racprops]

History repeats:

Please tell me what all this means and if I am seeing what I think is a major improvement:




Thanks.

Rich

[tomma]

What do you have Breaths per Minute set at?

[racprops]

Auto.

Settings:

Min EPAP: 10.5
Max EPAP: 15.0
Min Pressure Support: 0.0
Max Pressure Support: 10.0
Max Pressure: 18.0
Flex Setting: 3
Backup Rate: Auto
Ramp st Pressure 5.0
Ram time 45 minutes (this starts low and slow works up to the full running pressure, a big help falling asleep.)