Changing sleep pressure

[newarcher]

It has been many many moons since my last sleep study. I want to say 1999.....and I started and stayed on a 7 setting since then. I've gained a little weight since then and while most nights my settings work okay I sometimes end up snoring through the mask. It's worse if I take something to help me sleep (very rarely), work hard that day, or have a stuffy nose.

I've decided to change my setting myself to an 8. I am using an S9 machine and just made the change very easily.

I just want to make sure I am not somehow going to off myself accidentally by changing my settings. I am sure that I am long overdue for a setting change but with insurance the way it is I will NOT go through another.

Any thoughts?

New

[Lizistired]

viewtopic/t70516/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=54 ... 38#p513338

[newarcher]

Thanks Liz, I actually found that one.

I guess I am the worrywort personality that I just want someone to verify that I am not going to test the coverage limits of my life insurance policy by doing this. From what I understand 7 is low and a change to an 8 probably won't be noticeable.

Just want a little reassurance.

Thanks,
New

[DoriC]

So tell us a little more,how are you feeling with the small increase in pressure, has the snoring stopped? What mask are you using? Keep us posted.

[Lizistired]

You have a data capable machine so this shouldn't have to be guess work.

[Mary Z]

Hi, certainly a change from 7 to 8 is minor and should not result in your demise. Are you checking your numbers? Your AHI would help give a clue to whether 8 is enough of a change.
I don't understand your conceerns about insurance? Is it another sleep study you don't want to have?
Keep us posted. Good luck, hope the change works.

[DoriC]

I was under the impression you don't have a data-capable machine, do you? Do you have data, AHI, Leaks,etc.?

[pap4life]

I don;t think that the insurance company will be sending wifey a big check anytime soon because you changed your pressure 1cm. You probably won;t even feel it yourself for over two breaths, if you have been using CPAP for a lengthy period of time.

[ameriken]

No, you should be fine. Just increase it by one at a time and see how you feel with it. Watch your software and data to verify that it is working for you by lowering your AHI's.

[Ticman]

I'm not sure which S9 you have but I have an S8 autoset. I was titrated at a 6 and it didn't feel like I was getting enough air. I spoke to my then sleep Doc he said I could go up to 8. I didn't have any data then (S8 Escape) but I did bump it up to 7.6 and did much better.

Fast forward over 5 years and I was not sleeping good at all and having headaches. Luckily my S8 Escape died and had to get a new one. I got a S8 Autoset. I set the pressure the first few nights at 6 min and 10 max. Well my machine was staying on 10 95% of the time. I moved the range up to 8 and 12 and found I was right at 11 95% of the time. I have since moved to 10 min and 13 max. My average AHI for the last week or so is less than 3. AI usually .1 or .2 HI is less than 2. Leak is .02 to 0.00 most nights. I'm feeling much better now and getting better every day.

If you have an APAP it will tell you where you need to be. If you have a CPAP move up slowly and watch the data. (Assuming you have a data capable machine you should be fine)

[Gaga58]

New...I started out at 7 as well, but have slowly brought it up to 9.5 at present. I have straight Cpap, so I've been raising in .5 increments at about 1 week intervals, while watching the data!! Still here!! Good luck to you!!

[Mary Z]

When I was using my S8 in AUTO mode it kept raising the pressure and my AHI kept getting worse. When I changed back to CPAP at a lower pressure my AHI has improved. Unfortunately an AUTO was not the answer to titration for me.

[Janknitz]

Be careful!!!! Don't drop your CPAP machine on your head. That's about the only way you can hurt yourself with a CPAP machine (unless you have a severe lung condition)--and your life insurance will surely be invalidated if you drop it on your head on purpose.

But changing the pressure, don't worry. My HMO routinely titrates people at home on an automatic machine set wide open 4 to 20. Obviously nobody has died from too much pressure.

[Ineedanap]

When my titration was done I was pretty sure that they raised the pressure slowly during the first half of the night to 13, then forgot about me and it stayed at 13 for the second half of the night. The nurse practitioner tried to keep the surprise out of her voice but failed. My results had also been good at lower numbers and hadn't improved much by raising them so I decided to do the unthinkable and changed it from 13 to 11 last night. Yep jumped two whole points. My motives were to be able to loosen my mask to reduce the mask marks in my face while still controlling the leaks. The dents in my face were lasting for hours. I still had dents this am but they weren't as bad and the mask was more comfortable looser and allowed to properly inflate. I actually got used to it jammed into my face so that was just a bonus.

Surprise! Lowest leaks and lowest AHI EVER! I will check the data again tomorrow morning to see if it was a fluke but my AHI and AHA went from 1.+ to less than 1. (OK not huge but still) The green leak graph was all under the line instead of just part of it. I was not expecting better data this am even though I felt like I slept really well. One thing that may be possible, and again we will see, it seemed like the events lasted a bit longer than normal, 13-16 seconds instead of 11-15 like before.

[RTF]

My perscription pressure was actually written as 8 - 10. They started be out at 8 and gradually moved me up to 10 over several months time. 10 is what the doctor said was the best pressure for me based on the sleep study.