?-for bipap---and auto aflex users

sleepie40 · Post by **sleepie40** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 3:18 am

i currently use m auto with aflex--i use it in auto cfex mode-was titrated at 11-i have it-set at 12-13.5,,my ahi has been .7 for 6 months average --my question is---i have a remstar bipap pro-2 with biflex also---these machines cost about 500 more than my aflex---should i use the more expensive machine?-thinking that the more expensive machine would give better theraphy?-would my ahi go down further with proper settings?---would it be more comfortable to sleep with the bipap?-how would i set it up pressure wise if this would be better for me?-any help or thoughts would be appriciated thanks --pat

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 5:52 am

It won't give you better therapy just because it costs more. The BiPAP will possibly make your therapy more comfortable, but most people I've talked to with AFlex say they feel about the same.

My take is try the other one for a week or so. Whichever one you find more comfortable, go with it.

Oh, and 0.7 AHI is great! You have nothing to worry about there.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:00 am

Exactly what blarg said.

Personally, I've come to prefer the Auto with A-flex over my BiPAP Auto with Bi-Flex. I've used a BiPAP Pro 2. Found it to be as comfortable as the Auto/A-flex and the BiPAP Auto.

I have my auto set for 10 - 20, with A-flex at 3. It stays on 10 most nights. Occasionally I'll have a night when it goes up some, but not often.

With the BiPAP Auto set for min EPAP 10, max IPAP 20, Bi-flex at 3, PS at 8, the machine used EPAP 10 almost all the time. IPAP ranged up and down often, sometimes to as much as 16 briefly.

I get the same low AHI with either machine. Usually below 1.0. Same with the BiPAP Pro 2 when I used it at settings of EPAP 8, IPAP 11 and EPAP 9, IPAP 12.

Since the autopap is doing the same job for me, and A-flex is giving me essentially the same feeling of comfort exhaling that I had with the BiPAP Auto, I use the Auto with A-flex all the time now.

If a person needed considerably higher pressure than I do, perhaps there'd be more noticeable comfort with the BiPAP Auto, or the BiPAP Pro 2. Or maybe, as happened for me, they'd find that with the Auto with A-flex the machine didn't even need to use the higher pressures that the BiPAP Auto's IPAP often went to.

Very interesting the way those two machines feel so much alike but operate so differently in what pressures they think I need.

With any machine that allows a minimum pressure setting, the key to setting them effectively (imho) is to set the minimum pressure with the Auto, or the EPAP pressure with the BiPAP Auto (or in your case, Pat, EPAP in the BiPAP Pro 2) high enough to prevent most apneas right from the get-go.

xyz · Post by **xyz** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 7:40 pm

> min EPAP 10, max IPAP 20, Bi-flex at 3, PS at 8

What is PS?

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:28 pm

xyz wrote:> min EPAP 10, max IPAP 20, Bi-flex at 3, PS at 8

What is PS?

That setting is called "Max Press Sup" in the setup menu of the M series BiPAP Auto. It's called "PS" in the setup menu of the older non-M series BiPAP Auto.

viewtopic.php?t=22099
Jul 14, 2007 subject: What is 'Max Press Sup'

viewtopic.php?t=15666
Dec 08, 2006 subject: Question for BiPap users - UPDATED 12/14/2006

wabmorgan · Post by **wabmorgan** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:28 pm

I think I would try it in the A-flex mode.

For me A-flex IS BETTER than C-flex.

Just my $.02

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:49 am

rg, thanks for the link. That was very useful. And on that page there is another useful linkfor understanding the auto bipap settings.

Mask