New CSA diagnosis

I've been recently diagnosed with CSA and am using a Air Curve 10 ASV machine. I am having 2 issues. One when I first fall asleep a go into almost a dream sequence right before I fall asleep. At this point the machine will blow some air even during the ramping phase and wake me up. I am thinking that I either stop breathing for a moment or I am opening up my mouth and letting air in. It's a big problem either way. Also is there a way to reset the ramp phase for when I go to the bathroom? I am feeling less rested now then if I did before I ever used the machine.

drneil1971 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 10, 2020 12:05 pm

I've been recently diagnosed with CSA and am using a Air Curve 10 ASV machine. I am having 2 issues. One when I first fall asleep a go into almost a dream sequence right before I fall asleep. At this point the machine will blow some air even during the ramping phase and wake me up. I am thinking that I either stop breathing for a moment or I am opening up my mouth and letting air in. It's a big problem either way. Also is there a way to reset the ramp phase for when I go to the bathroom? I am feeling less rested now then if I did before I ever used the machine.

welcome to the zoo! someone brighter than me will be along with other info. but i was wondering if you would just turn off the ramp, if it's bothering you?

I did not mean to imply that the ramp was bothering me. When I first put the mask on, I like the ramping up effect but when I fall asleep I feel like the machine notices a difference in my breathing either bc I open I stop breathing for a moment or I might be opening my mouth and taking in air. Also I would like the ramping phase to begin again if I get up to go to the bathroom but it seems to be blowing full pressure at that point.

Go into the clinical setup menu area and see exactly what the settings for ramp are set to.
Post them here.

Ramp....look to see if it is set to on/off/auto
Look to see how many minutes it is set for if it is set to "on".... The max time you can have is 45 minutes. If it is set to "on"...lengthen the time if you can.

Auto setting for ramp is by default 30 minutes max or if the machine is thinking you are asleep. If it is set to Auto....change it to just "on".

Look to see if SmartStart is off or on....If it is off turn it on and see if the machine will turn itself off when you get up to go to the bathroom and then start again once you put the mask on...and it should then also be in ramp mode.
Ramp only begins again when the machine has been off for at least a brief time.

Go here and request the clinical/provider manual for your machine...it will tell you how to get to the clinical setup menu area where you can see all these available settings.
Get the manual...it's got a lot of good information in it that isn't in the user manual.

https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual

It is set to on and 35 minutes. I had set that myself to give me a little longer in the ramp phase. I do not remember seeing the SmartSet but will look for it. While I do not have the clinical manual I do know how to access the "advanced" setup and have tinkered with the settings a little.

I have a feeling that I am opening my mouth during the getting to sleep phase which is waking me up. It has been very aggravating.

I strongly urge everyone to get the clinical/provider manuals for their machines because there's a lot more in those manuals than just how to do the secret handshake to get into the clinical setup menu area.

If you get up to go to the bathroom....just turn the machine off. When you come back to bed and restart the machine then the ramp time will start again.

SmartStart being on just lets the machine turn itself on or off based on your own breathing and eliminates the need for button pushing.
It's explained in that manual.

Often as we fall asleep we have what are called sleep onset centrals and the machine doesn't know that this is a normal central in the sense it isn't a big deal but instead it senses a central apnea and does what it is designed to do when central apneas happen. You get that burst of air that you weren't expecting and it further disturbs your sleep. Obviously you want to try to be fully asleep before the end of the ramp time because during the ramp time the machine won't give you that burst of air.

Do what you can to try to be sound asleep before the end of the ramp period. If you are at the beginning of the night and it looks like you are going to not be fully asleep before the end of the ramp time....reach over and turn the machine off and then right back on again...doing this will give you another full ramp time period so more time to hopefully fall asleep.

In time you will get more used to the way the machine responds and it won't be so annoying and less likely to disturb sleep but in the meantime it's sort of part of the adjusting to the machine that simply takes some time.

drneil1971 wrote: ↑

Mon Feb 10, 2020 2:57 pm

I have a feeling that I am opening my mouth during the getting to sleep phase which is waking me up. It has been very aggravating.

to help keep your chin up, i would recommend a firm foam cervical collar. these can be found at cvs or walgreens or rite aid. i'm sure at other drugstores, but i'm listing the stores where i have purchased them.

look in the home health section, where the canes and bed p-ans etc are kept. you know, where there is stuff for us old fogies. should run you about 12 bucks or so.

this has helped with my mouth opening and it may help with yours.

Thank you both. I have emailed for the clinician's manual and will look for a cervical collar tonight!

When you feel the machine blowing at you just before you go to sleep now back at it hard and the algorithm will reset fir 3 minutes and follow your breathing