Rough Night - Ramp Situation Reviewed

[Madalot]

I don't do New Year's celebrations, so last night was just like any other night. In truth, I didn't drink anything at all. The only thing I had was a bowl of ice cream.

For some reason, I was waking up at least once every hour. And I mean FULLY waking up. I turned over and went back to sleep, but I usually don't wake up that often. It was very annoying.

I think around 4am, I must have had some kind of major issue because I woke up to the ventilator pushing pressure fairly high. I run into this sometimes...I wake up to the ventilator pushing high pressure and I fully wake up and start breathing fine on my own, but it takes forever for the ventilator to back down to the regular inhale pressure. It goes down by 2 tenths at a time, so if it's pushing the maximum of 23, it goes down on every breath 22.8, 22.6, 22.4, 22.2, 22.0, 19.8, etc. It takes a long time to get back down to my minimum of 14. Once I'm awake and breathing on my own, the higher pressure is very hard for me to handle.

Oh well....I suppose I should count my blessings that the ventilator responded to whatever happened and I'm alive and well to gripe about it this morning. Right?

I hope everyone had a safe New Year's Eve and has a Happy 2011.

[robysue]

So sorry your New Year got off to such a rough start.

Is there a reason you that when you are fully awake you can't just turn the machine off and then back on again? Wouldn't that make it restart at the lower inhale pressure?

[Madalot]

So sorry your New Year got off to such a rough start.

Is there a reason you that when you are fully awake you can't just turn the machine off and then back on again? Wouldn't that make it restart at the lower inhale pressure?

I was thinking about this myself and am considering doing just that. I don't know how doing that would affect the data???

I think this happens probably more frequently than I realize, but I don't always wake up or if I do, the pressure isn't high enough to cause me any distress.

I think I'll ask my DME and/or doctor about this and ask if I CAN just turn it off and back on.

Good thinking, Robysue!

[snnnark]

I take it there's no equivalent of the ramp button?

[Madalot]

I take it there's no equivalent of the ramp button?

Oh yes, the ventilator has a ramp, but we don't use it. The minimum IPAP of 14 is fine for me. I can easily handle up to about 16 or 17 as well. It's when the pressure is up to the allowed maximum of 23 that it's difficult for me to take it.

I'm not positive, but I believe the ramp on the ventilator works the same as on cpap/bipaps -- it would start lower than the 14. I can't breathe below 14.

[snuginarug]

I'm sorry you had a crummy night.

[sister]

Sorry you had such a bad night.Maybe you were just getting the bad stuff out of the way and you'll be fine the rest of the year. Let's hope so.
May you have a restful night tonight and all the rest of the year!
MAY GOD BLESS YOU!!

[Madalot]

I'm sorry you had a crummy night.

Thanks, snug. It happens sometimes. Goes with the territory I'm afraid.

Sorry you had such a bad night.Maybe you were just getting the bad stuff out of the way and you'll be fine the rest of the year. Let's hope so.
May you have a restful night tonight and all the rest of the year!
MAY GOD BLESS YOU!!

Thanks, Sister. Unfortunately, it's not realistic for me to expect good stuff from now on as my situation is progressive and ever changing. But I greatly appreciate the thoughts!!

[robysue]

Is there a reason you that when you are fully awake you can't just turn the machine off and then back on again? Wouldn't that make it restart at the lower inhale pressure?

I was thinking about this myself and am considering doing just that. I don't know how doing that would affect the data???

I think this happens probably more frequently than I realize, but I don't always wake up or if I do, the pressure isn't high enough to cause me any distress.

I think I'll ask my DME and/or doctor about this and ask if I CAN just turn it off and back on.

Good thinking, Robysue!

On the ResMed S9 AutoSet and the PR SystemOne BiPAP Auto, all the data for a given 24 hour period from "noon to noon"---regardless of the the number of times the machine is turned on and off is included in the software's data for the purposes of computing AHIs. And all the data is there for leak, pressure, etc. I know you're using a more sophisticated machine, but I can't see how turning the machine on and off would affect the how the data is recorded. AHI is still computed as (number of events)/(time machine is run).

But do ask your DME, madalot. You really SHOULD be able to turn the machine off when you are WIDE awake in the middle of the night and it's blowing at full force and then turn it back on in order to reset it back down to your minimum EPAP/IPAP pressures. There is no need to suffer the hurricane when you are AWAKE and CONSCIOUSLY BREATING on your own.

[Madalot]

But do ask your DME, madalot. You really SHOULD be able to turn the machine off when you are WIDE awake in the middle of the night and it's blowing at full force and then turn it back on in order to reset it back down to your minimum EPAP/IPAP pressures. There is no need to suffer the hurricane when you are AWAKE and CONSCIOUSLY BREATING on your own.

I agree with you. As long as the data isn't effected, it would be a good solution. I don't like having to do it because it IS hard for me to reach over and turn it off and back on. I have a very hard time turning over in bed. But if I'm awake enough to have hit it once to turn off the screen saver, I guess I can manage to get it off and back on to stop the high pressure.

I'll contact my DME on Monday and ask the question.

[brazospearl]

Madalot, sorry you had a rough night. Like you, I don't do much celebrating on New Year's Eve. Also like you I woke up many times last night, largely because my neighbors tend to celebrate a LOT on New Year's Eve. I went to bed around 9 last night and woke up at least once every hour until 4 or so, when they finally turned off their thumpy-thumpy music. They're nice neighbors, over all, but they do tend to get a bit carried away when they party. Anyway, I wish you many fewer rough nights, and many more good ones!

[Madalot]

Madalot, sorry you had a rough night. Like you, I don't do much celebrating on New Year's Eve. Also like you I woke up many times last night, largely because my neighbors tend to celebrate a LOT on New Year's Eve. I went to bed around 9 last night and woke up at least once every hour until 4 or so, when they finally turned off their thumpy-thumpy music. They're nice neighbors, over all, but they do tend to get a bit carried away when they party. Anyway, I wish you many fewer rough nights, and many more good ones!

Thanks brazospearl! I'm sorry your neighbors kept you up last night. I wish I could say it was neighbors for me, but it was just good, old fashioned, awakening! But I share the wish for both of us (all of us) to have less rough nights in the future!

[cflame1]

I take it there's no equivalent of the ramp button?

Oh yes, the ventilator has a ramp, but we don't use it. The minimum IPAP of 14 is fine for me. I can easily handle up to about 16 or 17 as well. It's when the pressure is up to the allowed maximum of 23 that it's difficult for me to take it.

I'm not positive, but I believe the ramp on the ventilator works the same as on cpap/bipaps -- it would start lower than the 14. I can't breathe below 14.

Check and see if the ramp can't be set to 14... that way all you'd have to do is to push the ramp button.

[Madalot]

I take it there's no equivalent of the ramp button?

Oh yes, the ventilator has a ramp, but we don't use it. The minimum IPAP of 14 is fine for me. I can easily handle up to about 16 or 17 as well. It's when the pressure is up to the allowed maximum of 23 that it's difficult for me to take it.

I'm not positive, but I believe the ramp on the ventilator works the same as on cpap/bipaps -- it would start lower than the 14. I can't breathe below 14.

Check and see if the ramp can't be set to 14... that way all you'd have to do is to push the ramp button.

That's another good thought. I'll have to check that out and see how it works on the ventilator. There isn't a "ramp" button, but I'm guessing if I enable the ramp, something will show up to use it.

As a matter of fact, I'm very curious now! I have 25 minutes before I need to start dinner, I think I'll go check that out right now.

Very interesting...thank you.

[Madalot]

The Ramp was a great idea to try, but it won't work. It won't let me set it higher than 6.0, which is out of the question for me.

I really appreciate the ideas that have been suggested. I was pretty hopeful about the Ramp, but alas, it was not meant to be.