EPR with pressure of 6?

[jaymp]

Hi,

I have UARS along with sleep apnea, and often feel like i just cant get a full deep breath. This can become even more uncomfortable when on a cpap (my pressure is a 6). Could the EPR setting effect this? When I bump the pressure up to 10 using the "mask fit" feature it sometimes feels better. thanks

[GumbyCT]

The answer is YES - it WILL. Esp. since 6 is not enuff for most of us. Then add the EPR and you may be dipping down to at least 4, since I don't think it will go to 3 cm.

My sleep doc said everyone who has OSA has UARS.

[bdp522]

I think many of us would feel as though we were suffocating with a pressure as low as 6. Did you have a titration done that showed that 6 was your best pressure? Do you use the EPR? What setting do you have it on?
I have c-flex which isn't quite the same, but I have found that when I turn the machine on, if I take 2 deep slow breaths it's easier for me to have the machine breathe with me instead of me trying to breathe with the machine.
You might try the lowest setting of EPR to see if that's better for you. Some do better with no EPR at all.

Brenda

[jaymp]

I have had 2 sleep studies. The second was done at the Mayo Clinic and I slept a few hours of the study using a cpap, so I imagine they did a titration; the prescription says that the pressure I should use is a 6. I have been using CPAP for about 3 weeks and the EPR was set at 2. I just now thought to turn it off to see if it was easier to breathe

[bdp522]

Give it a shot without EPR and let us know how you make out!

Brenda

[GumbyCT]

the prescription says that the pressure I should use is a 6.

Does the prescription say anything about EPR?

Talk to Slinky about what she thinks of the Mayo Sleep Center. Or do a search.

[jaymp]

prescription did not say anything about EPR. Mayo Clinic is ranked the 2nd best hospital in the US, and people come from all over the world to get treatment there.

[dsm]

The answer is YES - it WILL. Esp. since 6 is not enuff for most of us. Then add the EPR and you may be dipping down to at least 4, since I don't think it will go to 3 cm.

My sleep doc said everyone who has OSA has UARS.

I am pretty sure EPR will not kick in below 6 CMs.



DSM

[GumbyCT]

I am pretty sure EPR will not kick in below 6 CMs.
DSM

I was wondering about that AND it prob couldn't/shouldn't.

[Debjax]

People may come from all over to get treatment from Mayo but probably not for sleep disorders. Which Mayo? Pressure of 6 isn't much. If you did not get much sleep at titration could be artificially low. Not getting enough air sensation is probably body trying to tell you something. Hubbys pressure was raised on that complaint alone. Turn CFlx off. You don't need it at that pressure and if you are using ramp - don't. Sorry for typos and terseness on iPhone typing

[slacker361]

this is what i have found with epr, and i think it was mentioned on the board before. I have a theraputic pressure of 9. If i use epr of 1, I change my theraputic pressure to 10. If i use an epr of 2 , I change my theraputic pressure to 11. This way I still get the theraputic pressure of 9. Did I say that right? anyways this is what i have done and seem to work great.

With out changing the theraputic pressure, I first put my epr to 3 and I was only averaging a theraputic pressure of 6 and had a horrible time of it.

[GumbyCT]

prescription did not say anything about EPR. Mayo Clinic is ranked the 2nd best hospital in the US, and people come from all over the world to get treatment there.

So who is #1?

All I said was talk to Slinky or do a search. Which one offended you?

OSA does cause irritability and mood swings.

[mellabella]

How do you feel? Is the treatment working?

I have UARS and was stuck with a titration of 7 (doc refused to retitrate for TWO YEARS even though I didn't feel any better)-- then the new doc titrated for flow limitations instead of just apneas, and now I'm at 12-13! (And finally getting some benefit from the therapy.)

If 6 has been working for you, great-- but if EPR is kicking in at all I can imagine why you feel suffocated.

[dsm]

this is what i have found with epr, and i think it was mentioned on the board before. I have a theraputic pressure of 9. If i use epr of 1, I change my theraputic pressure to 10. If i use an epr of 2 , I change my theraputic pressure to 11. This way I still get the theraputic pressure of 9. Did I say that right? anyways this is what i have done and seem to work great.

With out changing the theraputic pressure, I first put my epr to 3 and I was only averaging a theraputic pressure of 6 and had a horrible time of it.

Could be a confusion in terminology (am not clear what you are meaning when you write 'theraputic pressure', but if your titration pressure and thus your recommended cpap pressure is 9 CMs & you activate EPR=1, when you breathe out the machine pressure will DROP to to 8 from 9. If EPR=2 when you breathe out pressure will DROP to 7 from 9 with EPR=3 on breatheout pressure drops to 6 from 9. (just confirming too, that EPR doesn't go below 6 - this is built into to the machine).

EPR is a feature that drops the current pressure during exhale by 1, 2 or 3 CMs.

Cheers DSM

[jnk]

...I have UARS along with sleep apnea, ...

Without putting too fine a point on it, I believe that if a doctor is attempting to address UARS, he/she would likely want to see the results of a bilevel titration. There are other clinics better known for treating UARS, but Mayo should have no trouble understanding the principles of dealing with the arousals that can occur from flow limitations. Here is some info from one doc who has posted on this forum about UARS:

http://sleepdynamictherapy.com/category ... -syndrome/