CPAP over Auto??

[Bigron452]

I've been trying my machine in AutoIQ mode for the past couple of nights and I must say I'm more comfortable with a constant flow. I've been using a constant flow for 8 yrs and never had an option, but I find it harder to breathe, and I'm just not as relaxed. I turned on AutoIQ to find out if my pressure should be lowered .. I'm at 14(based on sleep study from '04) but sleepyhead is saying that's about right. AHI is all over the place with Auto .. but is consistenlty below 1 with CPAP. I think I'm going to go back to CPAP at 13 or 12 for a night or two and see how that feels. Am I on the right track? Here are the numbers (I'm not completely sure how to fully read them yet) .. on CPAP first then Auto ..

With CPAP



with Auto

[avi123]

Sorry Ron, your machine seems to be some kind of a mongrel.

Check here:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/3634

[Bigron452]

Avi,

Here's the snore with CPAP and with Auto. Maybe it's the fact that I had a CPAP machine for so many years with constant pressure that I've adapted to it .. Auto for some reason is just not as comfortable. I'm not sure how to read this but I'm assuming that I get more snoring on Auto. Min is set to 7 and max is 14 in Auto mode .. Is there any reason Auto would be better than CPAP??

Snore with CPAP



Snore on Auto

[DreamStalker]

Decrease your range between min and max pressure settings. Your max should be close to your optimal CPAP pressure and your min should only be a couple below.

APAP is really only an advantage for self titration (initial or periodic). Some may have issues with aerophagia (stomach gas) and for them APAP may also be a benefit. Once you zero in your optimal titration, CPAP mode will do just fine ... until something changes like weight loss/gain, new mask, new meds, new diet, etc.

[Pugsy]

Your minimum APAP pressure is too low..it simply can't get to where it needs to go quickly enough.
If you only needed 9 or 10 cm pressure overall.. it would be fine but you need more pressure.
Give it a bit more of a head start and it should work as well as cpap mode.
I would say 9 cm probably 10 cm minimum would do a pretty good job for you.
Or just go back to cpap mode.

[chunkyfrog]

Do you have exhale relief on? It sounds like you may not need to use that.
I had been using 3 cm EPR (yours is C-flex or A-flex--I'm not familiar) for 2 years, and dropped it to 2
in my quest for zero leak on the élan. I've left it there and may drop it more--I may not need it any more.

[Sir NoddinOff]

If your machine profile is correct, and you have the PR System One REMStar Pro CPAP Machine with Auto IQ, I think everybody needs to read this description and especially the caveat at the top, which I cut and pasted from Cpap.com: NOT EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT AUTO IQ IS

PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with AutoIQ

Please note: This is not an Auto CPAP Machine. It functions as an Auto CPAP during Auto-Trial Phases and switches to CPAP mode during Auto-Check Phase. AutoIQ technology takes the PR System One REMstar Pro CPAP Machine with C-Flex Plus to a smarter level. This feature offers up to 30 nights of auto adjusting capability, during which time the system works as an Auto CPAP delivering an adaptive pressure on a breath by breath basis. An Auto-Trial phase must be a minimum of 3 nights in length. After an initial Auto-Trial period as set the system switches to Auto-Check Phase and functions as a CPAP delivering the pressure that the patient was at or below 90% of the time. The Auto-Check Phase continuously verifies pressure requirements and makes adjustments after every 30 hours of use providing the user with more effective pressure levels over time.

[Bigron452]

Hi All ..

Tied up at work. Yes, I'm aware that this is a trial period .. I plan on raising the pressure setting range from 10-14 and check tomorrow to see how the numbers look. I was really in this to see if my pressure should be lowered since I lost a lot of weight, but looks like I'm still in the same range .. I'm fine with CPAP .. I have a feeling I'll end up with a final setting of around 12.

[-tim]

The medical literature says cpap works best for sleep apnea but there are other conditions such as glaucoma that might be more at risk from cpap than apap. There are also some blood pressure related issues that might be better with apap than cpap but for now there isn't enough data one way or the other unless your family has a history of problems. Apap tends to be better for new users but that isn't a problem for you. Find out if your machine is doing exhale relief (I expect its not). Set your minimum pressure higher. 9 to 10 is a good start but 12 isn't bad either. If your machine is doing exhale relief of 3, your already in a range of 11->14 or 12.5->15.5 but not the same way that apap works.

[cflame1]

If your machine is doing exhale relief of 3, your already in a range of 11->14 or 12.5->15.5 but not the same way that apap works.

Please note that Respironics relief (CFLEX, AFLEX, BiFLEX) does not work the same way that Resmed's EPR does. CFLEX of 3 does not equal a 3cm drop. For Respironics... it just means a maximum drop.

So the statement above... is un-true.