How many do WITHOUT exhale relief?

hobbs · Post by **hobbs** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:28 am

I have been as high as 13 on straight CPAP without exhale relief with no problems. Am I weird, as my wife and sister always tell me, or do others also do without exhale relief?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:42 am

You and two others, the rest of us have better options. Jim

bap40 · Post by **bap40** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:51 am

I did without with my first months treatment with no problems. I now have the A/flex and only use the the smallest relief setting on my machine. For some odd reason, I prefer to feel the pressure upon exhale...weird am I.

Pineapple · Post by **Pineapple** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 11:57 am

I started "lowering" (my DME started me a 3) in March and discovered I had less wakings during the night - last week I turned it off completely with no problems.

BarryKaraoke · Post by **BarryKaraoke** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:18 pm

hobbs wrote:I have been as high as 13 on straight CPAP without exhale relief with no problems. Am I weird, as my wife and sister always tell me, or do others also do without exhale relief?

I have it on my machine, but have found I don't need it either...and I am at 14.

DaveKeith · Post by **DaveKeith** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:35 pm

When I started with CPAP it was not an option, so I've never used it. I just upgraded my machine to an S8 w/o that feature. I'm at 12 and even quit using the ramping after my first week. One thing reading this forum has helped me realize is that I was very fortunate as to how easily I adapted to the therapy. I never had any eye irritation or mouth leaking problems.

Dave

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 3:59 pm

I have no problem exhaling against pressures up to 12 or 13. Higher than that does start feeling slightly like "work" to me.

Even though I don't "need" exhalation pressure relief at the pressures I usually use (9, 10, 11, 12) I do like the feel of less pressure when exhaling.

So...even though I can do fine using straight cpap with no exhalation relief, I choose to use machines that do give pressure relief.

The machines that feel the smoothest and most like natural breathing to me are the Auto with A-Flex, and the BiPAP (or BiPAP Auto) with Bi-Flex.

6PtStar · Post by **6PtStar** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:00 pm

After a year and a half I think I could stand to go without it. When I first started if I had not had it I'm not sure I would still be using cpap. Good chance i would have been one of those 50%ers that gave up. I still like it because it makes breathing more natural. I have cut it down from 3 to 2. I might even consider a PB without it if mine goes out. Did I really say that? Yep!

Jerry

yorkiemum01 · Post by **yorkiemum01** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 4:40 pm

Wow..feel like a little fish in a big pond, as I couldnt adapt to CPAP due to the expiratory relief. In my experience, it made me hyperventilate in some sense, and each breath felt like it required my attention, and the effort didnt allow me to fall asleep, even with Ambien. Thankfully, I had a physician who understood and made improvements to allow me to remain 100% compliant with my therapy.

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:06 pm

I have no problem exhailing against my 10.5. I do use the c-flex(on 2) because it just feels nicer.

Brenda

zorrro13 · Post by **zorrro13** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 2:12 am

Goofproof wrote:You and two others, the rest of us have better options. Jim

For me the right mask was only half the battle. My pressure is around 11 and that was to much for me so I struggled big time. Didn't like ramp, it made me feel like I had to sleep or time up. EPR felt like it was forcing me to breath and felt unnatural. Bought resmeds version of aflex and luvin it

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 3:37 am

I started with cflex and my Auto Remstar machine in cpap mode and thought it was very helpful. (did the cpap thing rather than Auto, as part of a clinical group study of new cpappers being done by Mayo clinic in Australia).

Then over time I began to associate cflex of 2 & 3 with 'mouth pops' & aerophagia & eventually turned it off but later tried it again at the lowest setting (1).

Then I decided to go to the ultimate exhalation relief, a bilevel. That did away with any need for ramp and exhalation relief & haven't used it since.
I believ most of us benefit from 'Exhalation relief' to start but after a while it is more hinderance than help. I think the label 'training wheels' fits well.

But when I travel I use an S8 Vantage set to cpap & EPR=3 but I regard that as a simplified bilevel & not as 'exhalation relief' . It behaves similarly to the BP330 Knightstar Bilevel Venitlator I used to use up until last week.

Exhalation relief I take to mean any feature that provides a non measurable pressure adjustment for a short period at the start of the breathing cycle.

DSM

mellabella · Post by **mellabella** » Thu Apr 24, 2008 6:42 am

I don't, and now that my pressure has increased I really, really wish I did.

My pressure was recently adjusted from 7 to 13 (!!) after I FINALLY got a doc to order a retitration--so now I wake up calmer from finally not having "I'm suffocating" adrenaline spikes all night....but exhausted still from waking up 5-6 times a night with stomach/gas pain, the need for extended belching, etc. Trying to lower the pressure more than 12.5 eliminates the more rested feeling in the morning but NOT the airswallowing/gas pain.

I'm on straight CPAP because, with a UARS diagnosis, I have to pay out of pocket for hardware and it was what I could afford; the UARS means that I also don't think an APAP would be appropriate or useful for the problem (my titration is calibrated for arousals and flow limitations, not apneas since I only have a couple of those per night, but RERAs 40+/hour when not treated). I'm very frustrated at how expensive BiPAPs are, and hope they will start to come down in price soon! (Like other forms of technology: phones, cameras, computers....)

How many do WITHOUT exhale relief?

How many do WITHOUT exhale relief?

Re: How many do WITHOUT exhale relief?