shortness of breath w/aircurve10 vauto

i'm finding it a bit tough lately to breath when using my CPAP. I breathe in and almost immediately breathe out.

which settings control this?

thanks!

So what's going on with you and your machine?
Is your breathing OK when you lie down - awake - without the CPAP?

When did you last have your heart and lungs examined?

I'd say "get thee to a doctor, my friend", fiddle around with your APAP after you get a clean bill of health.

First I want to say that I agree with what ozij says. And I reiterate her question: Is your breathing OK when you lie down - awake - without the CPAP?

zonker wrote: ↑

Mon Sep 30, 2024 9:36 pm

i'm finding it a bit tough lately to breath when using my CPAP. I breathe in and almost immediately breathe out.

which settings control this?

Worth noting: No settings on an AirCurve VAuto Bilevel control your inhalations and exhalations. And AirCurve VAuto BiLevel machine not a ventilator and it can't force you to inhale or exhale.

But sometimes the AirCurve VAuto can seem "out of sync" with your breathing pattern---in other words, the AirCurve VAuto might switch between IPAP and EPAP pressures at a time that just "seems wrong" in terms of your own subjective feeling about your breathing pattern.

So if your problem is just that your AirCurve VAuto machine seems to be changing the IPAP and EPAP in a way that is out of sync with your own inhalations and exhalations, the settings you are looking for could be any of the following:

Ti_Min
Ti_Max
Trigger
Cycle

But suggestions on what you might need for those settings would really depend on more specific information about what's going on and whether it is limited to only the times you are using the CPAP. And of course, we'd need to know what those settings are on your machine. (It might also be useful to tell us the usual Min EPAP, Max IPAP, and PS settings just for completeness.)

So I'll also ask this in an effort to tease out what might be going on: Does your problem seem to be caused by the AirCurve dropping the pressure to EPAP before you feel like you are done with your inhalation? Does it feel like the machine is trying to encourage you to exhale before you are ready to exhale? And what are all of your settings?

ozij wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2024 5:00 am

So what's going on with you and your machine?
Is your breathing OK when you lie down - awake - without the CPAP?

fine when laying down without CPAP. if I get up for a bathroom break, I find it better to "get my breath" for a minute or two before slipping my nasal pillows back on.

ozij wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2024 5:00 am

When did you last have your heart and lungs examined?

um I believe that would be never.

ozij wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2024 5:00 am

I'd say "get thee to a doctor, my friend", fiddle around with your APAP after you get a clean bill of health.

oh. that may be a good idea actually. i'm 70 years old and haven't had much interaction with the doc. i'm not saying i'm one of those stubborn old coots who brags of never needing to go. it just takes a bit to get me going.

i'm getting some slight pressure at my temples which can turn into a headache every now and then. and i'm getting more tired as I age out.

thank you for the concern. looks like I best be getting over to my primary care provider!

robysue1 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2024 11:33 am

But sometimes the AirCurve VAuto can seem "out of sync" with your breathing pattern---in other words, the AirCurve VAuto might switch between IPAP and EPAP pressures at a time that just "seems wrong" in terms of your own subjective feeling about your breathing pattern.

yes this more accurately describes what's going on.

robysue1 wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2024 11:33 am

I'll also ask this in an effort to tease out what might be going on: Does your problem seem to be caused by the AirCurve dropping the pressure to EPAP before you feel like you are done with your inhalation? Does it feel like the machine is trying to encourage you to exhale before you are ready to exhale? And what are all of your settings?

no, there seems to be a more "rushed" sensation after I exhale, as though I must inhale AT ONCE!

here are the settings-
Max Ipap 25
Min Epap 10.8
PS 4.0
Ti Max 2.0
Ti Min 0.3
Trigger Very High
Cycle Med

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Oct 01, 2024 8:43 pm

no, there seems to be a more "rushed" sensation after I exhale, as though I must inhale AT ONCE!

here are the settings-
Max Ipap 25
Min Epap 10.8
PS 4.0
Ti Max 2.0
Ti Min 0.3
Trigger Very High
Cycle Med

Trigger controls when the change from EPAP to IPAP occurs. Given what you describe as the problem, I would ordinarily say that you should increase the Trigger setting, but you've already got that on its maximum setting of Very High. (Setting Trigger to Very High delays the change from EPAP to IPAP as long as possible.)

Cycle controls when the change from IPAP to EPAP occurs. You could change Cycle to High or Very High. That would cause the machine to drop to EPAP a bit earlier, and that would effectively increase the time the machine is at EPAP. That might help with your feeling that the machine is "rushing" you to inhale NOW!

robysue1 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 02, 2024 6:48 am

Cycle controls when the change from IPAP to EPAP occurs. You could change Cycle to High or Very High.

I just got out of my comfy chair and changed cycle to Very High.

will report back tomorrow with the results.

thank you.

zonker wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 02, 2024 11:36 am

robysue1 wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 02, 2024 6:48 am

Cycle controls when the change from IPAP to EPAP occurs. You could change Cycle to High or Very High.

I just got out of my comfy chair and changed cycle to Very High.

will report back tomorrow with the results.

thank you.

nothing changed with that settings change.

however, I just had a thought and decided to rush in here before it died of loneliness. the short breath has nothing to do with the machine settings. it's my lungs reacting to the water in the tube! I just remembered that in all this rain out to-do, I seldom had actual water up my nose. instead, I'd wake up due to my shortened breathing. THEN I noticed the water.

if I can keep working on the rain out issues and get it reduced enough, I feel confident my breathing on CPAP will return to normal.

does that make sense?