AHI Way Too High - Pressure Help!

Unless your low pressure setting is raised meaningfully, there is no point at all in using the ramp. None whatsoever.

Ramp is a comfort feature. If you value comfort use ramp. It comfort is not important, don't use it.

At lower pressures i.e. below 10 cm H2O the magnitude of the comfort is minimal and most people are OK by forgoing the comfort provided by ramp and simply don't use it.

I happen to think that if I am subjected to having something hanging on my face all night I am all for any comfort features that are available. I don't require higher pressures but use a 10 minute ramp and find that helps me tolerate xPAP therapy with some comfort.

Julie wrote:Unless your low pressure setting is raised meaningfully, there is no point at all in using the ramp. None whatsoever.

Thank you! I am going to try it without the ramp tonight. Should I be concerned by the fact that with the higher pressure I was waking up consciously several times throughout the night, almost feeling "shocked" by the pressure? I normally don't *consciously* wake up during the night whatsoever. Could that be indicative of anything?


On that note - do your doctors make themselves available for questions? I get told by his staff every time that I have to make an appointment to ask a question. It's hard for me to get off work every time I need to ask something! Maybe time to investigate another doctor. I was just encouraged that I could get my initial appointment with him so fast due to a cancellation - everyone else had a two-three month wait time near me.

Thanks everyone for all of your help. I hope I figure this out.

You may be sensitive to the pressure changes... the ones where your pressure (when asleep) rises to prevent or disrupt an apnea, but it's not the same thing as using the ramp when falling asleep to accustom you to your low pressure setting, which is where the machine auto starts whenever you put the mask on. If the pressure changes waken you, then maybe you need to use straight Cpap (one pressure setting only) rather than autopap, but I think it's too early to tell that yet without seeing your results with software, eg Sleepyhead, which you can download free (see 1st Announcement top of the page - lots of info on it). That will tell you what your pressure's doing and if changes waken you, and what to do about it (and many other factors reported with SH).

SleepyHead is NOT yet compatible with the new Respironics DreamStation models...so downloading SH won't help right now. Unknown time frame for Mark to get Sleepyhead updated to work with the DreamStation machines.

Right now the only software that is compatible is the most recent version of Encore Pro 2.17.xxx (or 2.18 for short). Windows only software. No Mac version available but it will run on a Mac if a person puts virtual Windows on the Mac.

EncoreGuide link this will show you examples of what you will see. For a different machine than yours but the basics are the same.
http://www.healthcare.philips.com/pwc_h ... _Guide.pdf

Send me a private message if you want more information on Encore Pro.

About ramp...Respironics machines WILL respond to apnea event precursors or warning signs during ramp when set in auto (apap) mode. So the statements about ineffective therapy when using ramp aren't correct when someone is using a Respironics machine in apap mode.
Though I do agree that going from 4 to 5 over 30 minutes is a bit of overkill in the ramping department.
Now if you were going from 4 to 8 or 9 cm then it might be a different story.


Without seeing exactly what is going on with your AHI and pressures it's difficult to hazard a guess as to what is going on and what might be done about it but in general if the bulk of the AHI is either OAs or hyponeas then you probably just need a little more minimum pressure than the 5 cm is offering.
If the bulk of the AHI is ClearAirway/Centrals then more pressure is unlikely to help and potentially could make things worse.

My suggestion is to get the software and see exactly what is going on and then if you need our input post a couple of typical detailed reports so we can see what you are seeing.
How to post images of your reports is explained here
https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur

And we need the detailed nightly report page (don't need all the summary graphs) from Encore.
Example of the daily report page is shown in the above link in the Encore Guide document.

Last night's data on EncorePro...can anyone help explain what this means to me? Thanks

I have a dreammapper machinge . I have been on cpap for almost 8 years. My pressure was set at 9 but I think I need to go up to at least 11. How cna I get insturctions on changing my pressure

dirtroads wrote:I have a dreammapper machinge . I have been on cpap for almost 8 years. My pressure was set at 9 but I think I need to go up to at least 11. How cna I get insturctions on changing my pressure

You can find the instructions here.
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

You can also request the provider manual which explains how to make changes.