Question for C.PAP Veterans

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 9:16 pm

Okay, now that I got your attention, I have a question and I'm looking for some input from some of the experienced bunch here.

I was originally t.itrated at 7cm, and I've been feeling better than ever since being on C.PAP. I sleep on my side, and was t.itrated while sleeping on my side. Recently I've had a bit of back pain, and it was helpful to sleep on my back instead of my side. Out of a week or so of this, I noticed that I snored briefly and "lightly"- according to my wife.

I called my sleep center and asked if it posed a problem to sleep on my back, if it caused slight snoring, the sleep Doc said if I'm going to do that (sleep on back) , they needed to raise my therapy to 10cm!
I suggested maybe I should try an a.uto machine for a few nights and see what's going on, because a 3cm jump seemed like a lot, but they said that the A.uto pap's really aren't the answer (of course),so they had an RT raise the pressure on my machine, and I could not even stand it, so I yanked off the mask and went without it last night.

Okay, you know the rest...I feel like crap today, and for tonight I already lowered my pressure back down myself. Furthermore, I don't even intend on sleeping on my back with regularity.
Now, I realize that those of you who are accustomed to high pressures may not have much sympathy in this regard, but do any of ya'lls have a suggestion as to how to proceed from here?

My guess would be either get them to write me an order to try an a.uto for a couple weeks, or just bring up the pressure gradually over time.
Funny thing is, I was feeling great until this came up.

*This is my umpteenth attempt at this posting.
This time I tried getting around the debug glitch with the breakup of key words as suggested by poster, LikwidFlux

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:08 pm

Vader,

If you have an A.uto, problem solved. If not then try to get one.

The main issue in c.pap t.herapy is to feel good for yourself not for the R.T or D.octor, however, their advice should always be considered as best we can do so.

The A.uto will naturally adjust its p.ressure based on the side or back-s.leeping requirements. My best advice though is to keep the low setting to the highest c.ms you feel comfortable with (8 ?) and the high setting to no more than 3-4 c.ms above the low setting.

As has been well discussed here many times, A.utos are quite different among each other and just as m.asks can change the results so can your choice of A.uto. The R.emstar A.uto w c.fl.ex appears to be a surefire winner if you want a recommendation (worked well for me when I used it - very quiet). I also liked the R.esmed S.pirit A.uto but found the whine a bit of a problem for my wife.

Doctors do have their reasons for being against A.utos. My Sleep Dr, on Monday, gave me a just published French report from August edition of the US published CHEST Journal challenging the consistency of A.utos in coping with flow limitations & he put that forward as one of his reasons he is against them. His qualifications are M.B.B.S (HONS), PhD, FRACP (whatever they mean) and I am not so silly as to try to tell him his job (he sees 100s of R.espiratory patients a year) but his advice is not enough to stop me using an A.uto or a B.iLevel provided I am happy with the results & confident I understand what is going on (always debatable) & confident I am learning enough to keep moving forward. I sure will not be complaining to him that I am not doing well.

But there is an aspect of the blind leading the blind at times in the way we (well some of us) are playing with our machines & discussing them here, but, I come back to the point that the person we need to satisfy more than anyone else is ourself.

DSM

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:16 pm

just switch the m ode to a fle and/or if a Pro mac hine go to 8.0cm. Set the r amp from 6.0cm for 30 minutes. R.mp won't work unless you push the r.mp button, but if you want it it is there.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:39 pm

My guess would be either get them to write me an order to try an a.uto for a couple weeks, or just bring up the pressure gradually over time.

Both are good ideas. If you can't convince them to to the first, try the second.
I am presently at 6.5 to 7.5, and got there by raising the pressure gracdually from a minimum of 4. When I started, I could sense every change in the pressure, and found 6 almost unbearable....

O.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:51 am

'Apap is the answer, except for the question, doc if I do this it hurts, than don''t do that! You might try B-100 Vitamins, one a day, it helps me, and isn''t $$$. Jim

Nitro Dan · Post by **Nitro Dan** » Wed Oct 11, 2006 12:57 pm

I would have bumped it up just 1 cm. at a time....

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:19 pm

Hey, thanks ya'll, for all your comments.

I kicked the pressure down myself, and all is well again.
I haven't had any more snoring incidents, but next time I do I will probably gradually up the pressure in small increments of no more than 1cm(or less) at a time.
The sleep center really disappointed me on this, because they were not very eager to address the problem. Luckily, I took control of my own care here, and the issue is solved. Looks like I may have to get an APAP in the near future.

But I did learn in this case that "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", and that sleep center sure HATED hearing any talk of using an APAP.
I'm sure many of you know just why.

Mask

Mask