What Pressure to Use

And from what I understand, you know a lot about dogs.

I, myself, found if I left the pressure at 15, I saw incidents occuring at 11 and an occasional 12, but never past that. But I get great results, never higher than 0.5, at a setting of either 10 CPAP or 10-10 APAP. So why mess with what works now that I've done so much experimenting? I have no problem at all breathing on 10, but the mouth puffs. Hopefully I have fixed that with the doubling up on the Tegaderm patches. Tonight will be the test on that since I am going to go back to 10 (or 10-10).

I feel kind of bad that I'm not taking advantage of the auto on my machine, or the Cflex. Why did I get a Remstar Auto with Cflex if I'm not using any of it? Never mind, I can answer that myself. I would never have been able to do all this investigative tweaking on a straight CPAP machine and one with no software. There is no replacement for that. And if I continue to use this machine for the next couple of years, I guess you never know how conditions and one's needs can change.

All right. Off to tape my mouth shut (my husband's favorite time of the night... ) and get some rejuvenation (ah...). Have a good night to you all.

I would never have been able to do all this investigative tweaking on a straight CPAP machine and one with no software. There is no replacement for that. And if I continue to use this machine for the next couple of years, I guess you never know how conditions and one's needs can change.

Exactly.

Okay. Great news is, my AHI was a 0.2 on 10-10 APAP, equating to one apnea and one hypop for 10 hours of sleep, and back to zero snoring. But even with my mouth fully taped and no mouth breathing, my leak rate rose from an 18-19 to a 32. What is that all about? I guess my mask was leaking last night.

I was using the Swift and I thought I kept having to push the tube that goes into the barrel more into the barrel last night, as I now recall. That must be leaking. I had put some paper tape on it to prevent leaking before I successfully taped my mouth, but maybe at higher pressures, it causes it to try to pop out of the barrel.

But, in any event, with an AHI or 0.2 and only two episodes in 10 hours of sleep, I will be sticking with my 10-10 APAP. Thanks to all who added their comments and advice. I am forever grateful to you all.

And thats the problem with lots of sleep docs. They don't look down the road when conditions may change. Instead of having to get a new machine, you can just reset the auto as needed. I sure wish the straight pressure machines would disappear and everyone got autos. Set it at straight pressure if thats required, but if 2 years down the road things change, reset to auto. I had to bypass my sleep doc and go to to my reg doc, who after explaining this, gladly wrote a rx.I think more ppl should go this route with their doc if they meet resistance from sleep doc.You just have to be well educated about the machines.

loonlvr,

I wrote this in another post but can remember where or I'd just copy it. I think what I originally thought was the worst thing turned out to be the best. I don't have a sleep doctor or a pulmonologist, etc. I went to my own primary care physician and asked HER for a sleep study after all my problems had been in full bloom for a couple of years. She agreed and I went. When the verdict was in, she left it basically up to the RT at the clinic, at first, and then the DME to tell me what I needed her to write a script for. She has always agreed to do whatever I tell her they told me and, as a result, I have gotten my great machine and whatever type of mask I wanted to use.

I guess this would not have worked for someone who is not as pro-active in their healthcare management as I am, as I did all the research and told my DME which machines it was between last month when my insurance said they'd buy me one. We discussed it and then I told him I was leaning towards my Remstar Auto with Cflex and he agreed. Told me to ask my doctor to write the script, she did and voila.

So I guess as long as you do the legwork and keep abreast of what is going on, as is the reason I am on this site so much, not to mention loving to talk with all you guys and trying to repay some of the debt I owe for all the help I've been given, you will do just fine without a knowitall doctor telling you what's best for you even when it's not.