Strange thing

goober · Post by **goober** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:38 pm

I have the basic RemStar series M CPAP machine the DME is charging my insurance company $110 / month to rent. (go figure). I was diagnosed a month ago with CSA but I know I have OSA too. The sleep lab titrated me at 12 cm/h2o. When I go to bed, the pressure is difficult to exhale against but after I settle down, it's tolerable. The really weird thing is when I wake up in the morning, it feels like there is very little pressure in my mask. Almost no backpressure when I exhale. It's almost like somebody pushed the ramp button. I feel all the way around the mask for leaks and find none. If I take the mask off for a couple of minutes and then put it back on, the pressure is back up.

Another thing I noticed is when I press the ramp button, the pressure is so low, (it's set for 4 cm/h2o) the pressure in the mask goes negative when I inhale. (I hear some kind of valve in the mask toggeling back and forth and I don't get enough air.

Is my machine working properly? Thanks!

rmcrob · Post by **rmcrob** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:43 pm

I have the same sensation of the pressure being very low when I wake up in the morning. I just figure it's because my whole system has equilibrated through the night and I'm just breathing better. I don't think it's a problem with the machine.

muld00n · Post by **muld00n** » Fri May 25, 2007 12:56 pm

goober wrote:I have the basic RemStar series M CPAP machine the DME is charging my insurance company $110 / month to rent. (go figure). I was diagnosed a month ago with CSA but I know I have OSA too. The sleep lab titrated me at 12 cm/h2o. When I go to bed, the pressure is difficult to exhale against but after I settle down, it's tolerable. The really weird thing is when I wake up in the morning, it feels like there is very little pressure in my mask. Almost no backpressure when I exhale. It's almost like somebody pushed the ramp button. I feel all the way around the mask for leaks and find none. If I take the mask off for a couple of minutes and then put it back on, the pressure is back up.

Another thing I noticed is when I press the ramp button, the pressure is so low, (it's set for 4 cm/h2o) the pressure in the mask goes negative when I inhale. (I hear some kind of valve in the mask toggeling back and forth and I don't get enough air.

Is my machine working properly? Thanks!

I think all CPAPers notice the same phenomenon with their machines. It's like it enters a new phase or something. But, if you pull your mask loose, you will find it blowing at full pressure. One of those enigmas I guess.

I think 4 is much too low to start your ramp. It needs to be adjusted. Since, your prescribed pressure is 12 cmH20, I would think 8 would be the minimum starting point for ramp in order to breathe comfortably.

Just my $.02
Good Luck.
Steve

jjposey · Post by **jjposey** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:38 pm

My pressure is set at 16 and I set me ramp to start at about 5.5

cpapernewbie · Post by **cpapernewbie** » Fri May 25, 2007 1:44 pm

jjposey

5.5 is much too low.

Mine is 9 and set off the ramp

jjposey · Post by **jjposey** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:29 pm

Thanks.
I'll adjust mine up a little more (and then a little more). I'm having some anxiety probs right now that make it difficult to adjust when I put my mask on each night. I've dropped from an ave of 7 hrs to just over 2.
Hoping this is temporary due to some recent stress (car accident, sick family members etc.)

cpapernewbie · Post by **cpapernewbie** » Fri May 25, 2007 2:36 pm

jjposey

my sympathy ...

Just more elaboration

My usual pressure is 9, so my RT setup the ramp at 6 for 45 minutes

I find that I can reduce my apneas (read AHI) just by increasing my rampt to 7, and then to 7.5 and then to 8, it is getting better and better

After testing this for days, I decided to just start at 8

and this look most optimal to me, my AHI now is ranging from 0.2-1.0

Before that, using the RT original setting, it was 1 to 40 (when using Hybrid and leaking all over)

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sat May 26, 2007 6:48 am

Long time user here just passed 11,000 hours. I am at an 11 and never used the ramp, can't seem to get enough air. After all this time my brain has adjusted and I can pop the mask on and feel like i am breathing at normal pressures.

I found that at the beginning I needed to hyper-extend my chest while inhaling so that the air in my lungs was slightly greater than the air coming in the mask. Exhaling is not a muscle event than and the exhaled air flows naturally.

The brain is an interesting computer and can be programed to do things that would normally not be the usual.

In short, yes you are getting used to it. Congratulations.

stanta · Post by **stanta** » Sat May 26, 2007 6:50 am

[quote="Anonymous"]Long time user here just passed 11,000 hours. I am at an 11 and never used the ramp, can't seem to get enough air. After all this time my brain has adjusted and I can pop the mask on and feel like i am breathing at normal pressures.

I found that at the beginning I needed to hyper-extend my chest while inhaling so that the air in my lungs was slightly greater than the air coming in the mask. Exhaling is not a muscle event than and the exhaled air flows naturally.

The brain is an interesting computer and can be programed to do things that would normally not be the usual.

In short, yes you are getting used to it. Congratulations.

abysmillard · Post by **abysmillard** » Sat May 26, 2007 10:40 am

Just a thought from someone who is pretty much a newbie.

That 5.5 might be contributing to your anxiety.

When I first got my machine it was set to ramp up from 6. At 6, I found that I was feeling extremely anxious and claustrophobic. I was hyperventilating, feeling like I just couldn't get enough air. When I turned the ramp off, and started the night at my set pressure, the anxiety decreased markedly; when I raised my set pressure 2 points, it went away entirely.

I guess the standard disclaimer is YMMV....

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Sat May 26, 2007 2:12 pm

I don't use ramp at all...

I find that at higher pressures, masks tend to leak more, so I like to know if I'm going to have a leak right when I start trying to go to sleep. If you relax and breathe with it a few minutes at full pressure, you'll be fine.

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