Struggling

Thatgirl wrote:Here's the pressure graphs. I'll try with the ramp down to 5 minutes tonight and see how that goes.

Your images are not showing up the way you've formatted them.

However, the above image is here: http://postimg.org/image/l7pg9ktg3/full/

Actually it looks like Ramp time is way less than 45 minutes, and as I suspected your first wakeup is when your pressure hit 11 cm. There are no events (apneas, hypopneas) during the hour you were using the machine, but it looks like flow limitations were pushing the pressure up (flow limitation graph is here: http://postimg.org/image/6s0v6317j/full/ ) Snores may have been contributing too.

Thatgirl, it's best to upload your images to a site like imgur or Photobucket (both are free) -- then copy the image code you get and paste the code directly into your post here. Click Preview to make sure the image appears and then you know we'll also be able to see the image in your post.

Going to bed now. Upping the min to 6 and changing the ramp to auto. I'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully I can sleep!

Follow PR's suggestions, he's right on........I am also using the AutoSet and I might also add that if 6cm feels comfortable to you, you might try the "Auto Ramp" feature that is not supposed to ramp up until the machine senses that you have fallen asleep, might be worth a try. Also it is simply the default setting that has your ramp start pressure at 4cm, a lot of new users don't realize that you can start your ramp pressure anywhere you want it, for example you could have auto ramp on and set it to start off at 6cm instead of 4cm. Most people get that suffocating feeling at 4cm, and that sounds like your issue as well. So maybe try the auto ramp at 6cm and then raise your lower therapy setting to 8cm like PR suggested and see if that helps you.

Also if you are new to the machine, you can get into the clinicians menu by pushing and holding both the round button and the home button simultaneously for about three seconds, then you'll notice your screen change with a little unlocked padlock symbol and you can then get into the clinicians menu if need be to adjust your ramp start pressure and such, also while you are in that settings menu look for "Essentials" and select that, make sure it is set to "Plus" instead of just "On" .......this will give you more information on the screen for your sleep report and also give you as the patient more control over some features.

If you would like a PDF copy of the clinicians manual shoot me a Private Message with an email address and I'll shoot over the PDF file.

So last night I set the minimum to 6. The ramp was already on auto- not sure where I got the 45 minutes from. I was exhausted and fell asleep fairly easily and actually managed to stay asleep for over two hours!

Here's some screenshots. Are the leaks concerning?

Not sure why the screenshots are being cut off. Here's the straight URL's:

http://i.imgur.com/Chbl8nW.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/sS2G0oh.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/mb0R2FM.jpg

Here are the straight URL's to yesterday's screenshots, for anyone that was having trouble seeing those and/or is still interested.

http://s29.postimg.org/gltc187x2/pressure.jpg

http://s11.postimg.org/872fut2ap/screenshot.jpg

Thatgirl, when you look at the pressure graph alongside the respiratory rate graphs, it is obvious you are struggling for the first 28 minutes before the pressure starts to increase. Once the pressure reaches 6 cmH2O your respiratory volume becomes much more settled. The pressure continues to increase to near 11.0 within one hour 15 minutes when you discontinue treatment. I think the shorter ramp time will greatly help you, but set the minimum pressure and minimum ramp to 6.0 or more. These are pretty clearly minimum flow rates for you to have a normal breathing pattern.

I think tonight I'll just turn the ramp off and let it start at 6 and titrate from there. So weird to me how I can breath normally, which is clearly less than 6 of pressure just fine but struggle once the mask is on.

Thatgirl wrote: Are the leaks concerning?

no.

also, *please* use f12 or view/take screenshot for the screenshots, it turns off the space wasting calendar and right sidebar automatically for the screenshot.

and if you'll re-arrange the charts on the right so you have event flags, flow, pressure, leaks, snore and flow limits (you can drag and resize them) you'll have everything on one page and won't need to post multiples.