CFLEX setting

Less than a week into CPAP I decided to enable the FLEX setting. The machine had CFLEX+ on the screen but the FLEX setting was not enabled when set up. I enabled the FLEX and set the CFLEX+ to 2 - middle setting. When I went to bed I could not believe the difference. Amazing. I could barely tell the machine was on. Could breathe normally. I actually would feel the exhaust to make sure the air was blowing. I am set at 8 for pressureI could hear the machine ramp up and down.
I had what I would consider the best night sleep since starting. By that I mean I didn't knowingly awake more than a couple times. Not quite as chippy this morning compared to last few days. Once, shortly after 3 AM, I awoke from a leak most likely caused from turning on my side. My results where a little disappointing. I know, I know just one night. My AHI was 10.3. I had my typical awake CA flags plus a few others. My leaks were good. Line was stable and low compared to all the previous night. What really concerns me was all the hypopneas throughout the night. Any chance this is from the CFLEX setting?
I'll give it a try again tonight. Thoughts?

The amount of reduction in pressure with any of the various Flex setting options is really very minimal in the grand scheme of things. Instead the relief is due more to a timing of the reduction instead of the reduction itself.
Though it wouldn't be totally impossible.....but you need more than one night of data for confirmation.

Given your reports....have you thought about using apap mode but setting minimum to equal maximum pressure (this will mimic cpap mode fixed pressure) so that we get Flow limitation flags? Right now in cpap mode FLs are turned off.
Flow limitation flags are only available in apap mode.
With your hyponeas and what looks like not so great sleep....I would be curious if FLs were present.

I have been a little leary of changing anything being so new to this. Didn't want to do something and have insurance say I am not follow my script and say I am not in compliance. Probably doesn't work like that but being new I just don't know. I am hooked to a modem but not sure anyone is even looking at my data. I never met my sleep doctor and I can be quite sure my PCP is not looking as she was not really up to speed on any equipment or this process.

So what you are saying is go to APAP and set min pressure to 8 and also max pressure to 8. Correct?.
I will probably try a few more nights on CFLEX to see how it goes then try the APAP setting to get the needed flags.

kcellwood wrote: So what you are saying is go to APAP and set min pressure to 8 and also max pressure to 8. Correct?.

Correct. You aren't really changing the pressure that is being delivered as the end result is still 8 cm pressure that is fixed.
It's a little trick we Respironics users have been doing for many years so that we can get flow limitation data for those people who didn't like variable pressures.
I understand that newbies don't always feel comfortable making changes to pressures and I don't ever advocate someone doing something that they aren't comfortable doing or don't understand.

Also..in apap mode you get a chance to try AFlex instead of CFlex....from my own personal experience...if you think you like CFlex...just wait till you try AFlex.
Of course YMMV but I found AFlex hugely more comfortable and natural feeling than CFlex.

99.9% of the time if anyone is even bothering with the data from the modem it is only to check for hours of usage. That's really all the DME cares about so that he gets paid.

I don't know where the heck I would be without help from you and this board. I have basically been left to swim along when it comes to this. Got diagnosed, got issue good equipment (thanks to this board and a DME change) and here you go.....I may give it a try tonight. I will say the DME was great. DME Tech was a sleep tech and a 2 year CPAPer himself so it was niced to talk to someone that has been there.

Just to let you know that in a small proportion of people, switching on the CFLEX or having too high a setting can cause an increase in central or open airway apneas and hypopneas. I believe this is due to relative hyperventilation. It may be necessary to decrease the setting to 1 or 0 to reduce your AHI. You may wish to experiment with different levels and see the effect. This makes a large difference for me with my 'complex sleep apnea' and frequent central events.