New guy here...

Greetings every one. I'm new to the site, but I've been a BI-PAP user for about 5 years now. I've been doing well on it, my pulmonologist is a good doctor and a very pleasant person. He's interested in my well being and communicative... in the exam room that is.
Recently I had my fourth sleep study in five years. As usual, it was not fun and I think I got very little useful sleep. However, during the follow up visit, he upped my pressure from a comfortable 12 over 6 (that I thought I was doing well on) to 16 over 12. The first night was terrible, I did not sleep at all. I could not exhale powerfully enough to respire, just little puffs got out. I could not exhale while laying on my side at all, my preferred position. The ramp helped a little, but I was soon back into trouble.
I thought the trouble may have been with my spring allergy. I think it is tree pollen, my nasal passage was swollen, but dry. The next night was better because it had rained all day. Flonase was of little help last night though.
The first day I had called his office to ask if he could fax over to Wright and Fillipis a temporary reduction, just to help me transition. The receptionist relayed my request. I got no reply that day or again the next two days after repeated calls. I've had maybe six hours total sleep in the last three days.
It's important to me to use the machine every night as I am prone to waking up with paroxysmal atrial fibrolation, heart rate up to 160 BPM sometimes... scary.
I found a video on youtube to reprogram the unit, but the model was not exactly the same (it was a Remstar). It looked the same, but, you know how that goes sometimes.
I want to be compliant with my doctors orders, but I need relief now. I also don't know what my Insurance providers policy is about patients interfering with the device.
A little feed back will help me decide what to do next. Thanks

well, the first step would be to tell us what brand, and model machine you have.

take the water tank out and turn it over, (if it's a respironics) and look for a 'REF" number on the bottom. (why they don't just call it 'model number' I have no idea, but both respironics and resmed list their model numbers as "REF".

Just took a look. Mines a Respironics M series Heated Humidifier Model-1051158, a Bi-pap auto with bi-flex. This one actually does say, Model #.

P.S. I did set up the equipment profile to display equipment but only the heater and mask are shown. Have to work on that.

Bull Dozer wrote: P.S. I did set up the equipment profile to display equipment but only the heater and mask are shown. Have to work on that.

Put it in the notes. The images come from our host and discontinued products don't show.

ETA REMSTAR and resperonics are now the same company

BlackSpinner wrote:

Bull Dozer wrote: P.S. I did set up the equipment profile to display equipment but only the heater and mask are shown. Have to work on that.

Put it in the notes. The images come from our host and discontinued products don't show.

ETA REMSTAR and resperonics are now the same company

Will do. Thanks

He didn't tell you specifically why he was raising your pressures? That's a big jump not to have come with an explanation as to why he did it, not to mention a warning that you would feel a significant difference in therapy. And it's a really big jump to take unless your numbers were terrible in his view and he felt like he needed to take a drastic step, but it seems like he would have told you about it.

Do you have any idea what your numbers might have been like before the change when you thought you were doing well?

I have A-Flutter myself, which I guess is akin to A-Fib and it is indeed scary.

old dude wrote:He didn't tell you specifically why he was raising your pressures? That's a big jump not to have come with an explanation as to why he did it, not to mention a warning that you would feel a significant difference in therapy. And it's a really big jump to take unless your numbers were terrible in his view and he felt like he needed to take a drastic step, but it seems like he would have told you about it.

Do you have any idea what your numbers might have been like before the change when you thought you were doing well?

I have A-Flutter myself, which I guess is akin to A-Fib and it is indeed scary.

He actually didn't say what the new setting would be at the time, he just faxed them over. I didn't ask, so, much of this is on me. I did call the tech who did the set-up. He said the same thing... a big jump. I was at 12 0ver 6 now it's 16 over 12. My at rest exhalation pressure is now what my inhalation setting used to be. I was just wondering if he confused me with another patient when he did it.

Bull Dozer wrote:

old dude wrote:He didn't tell you specifically why he was raising your pressures? That's a big jump not to have come with an explanation as to why he did it, not to mention a warning that you would feel a significant difference in therapy. And it's a really big jump to take unless your numbers were terrible in his view and he felt like he needed to take a drastic step, but it seems like he would have told you about it.

Do you have any idea what your numbers might have been like before the change when you thought you were doing well?

I have A-Flutter myself, which I guess is akin to A-Fib and it is indeed scary.

He actually didn't say what the new setting would be at the time, he just faxed them over. I didn't ask, so, much of this is on me. I did call the tech who did the set-up. He said the same thing... a big jump. I was at 12 0ver 6 now it's 16 over 12. My at rest exhalation pressure is now what my inhalation setting used to be. I was just wondering if he confused me with another patient when he did it.

I hadn't thought of that but given that he didn't discuss any of this with you that certainly makes sense as a possibility.