trying hard but confused

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
wahooker
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Joined: Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:24 am

Post by wahooker » Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:30 am

cflex and apap are quite different.

cflex allows you to exhale easier, but the pressure during inhalation stays constant.

apap measures your need for more pressure due to an apnea event, and then gradually increases the pressure as needed over the course of the night.


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Goofproof
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Location: Central Indiana, USA

Post by Goofproof » Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:23 pm

APAP is a type of machine (XPAP), C-Flex is a feature of RemstarXPAPs, it makes it easier to breath out against XPAP pressure. Jim

Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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Goofproof
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Post by Goofproof » Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:26 pm

C-Flex decreases exhale pressure a little at the start of exhale, depending on the force of your exhale. (Flow Based) Jim

Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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Goofproof
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Post by Goofproof » Tue Sep 05, 2006 1:36 pm

The machine you have now will do the job nicely, providing it's set up correctly. A Remstar APAP with C-Flex, would too, at a lower cost, with less knowledge required to set up. I don't use the Bi-APAP unit, but others that do can show you how to set it.

The Software and reader are $170 at cpap.com, it would be nice to have it handy, I don't like the hassle of depending on someone else, that never seems to work out. Jim

Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

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Moogy
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Post by Moogy » Tue Sep 05, 2006 3:48 pm

The first setting I would change would be the BiFlex setting. Bump it to 2 and see if that improves things.

Another poster said a ramp is not necessary with an Auto BIPAP. That might be true for some users, but personally I use a five minute ramp, starting at about 4cm under my usual exhale pressure.

On the Auto BIPAP, there is another important setting, called "pressure support". This is the MAXIMUM difference the machine will allow between the inhale pressure and the exhale pressure. Can you scroll through the clinical menu and see what this setting is?

Moogy

Moogy
started bipap therapy 3/8/2006
pre-treatment AHI 102.5;
Now on my third auto bipap machine, pressures 16-20.5

ltd123
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Joined: Mon Sep 04, 2006 5:34 pm
Location: southern Indiana

Post by ltd123 » Tue Sep 05, 2006 5:06 pm

Moogy - I will try the change you suggested.
I will look for the other support pressure info you mentioned. I don't think I have ever seen that on my little screen but I bet it is what they changed on my machine after the first week that made it so much better for me.

The crazy thing to me is that the "experts" supplying this product at tremendous cost told me nothing could be changed on my bipap - that it was all automatic and no settings could be changed. I took it to my next doctor-office visit and the nurse practitioner listened to my story and took the machine to a tech next door to their office. That woman made some kind of changes that made a significant difference. Then I discover on this forum that there are many changes that can be made on my machine. How sad that some of the people paid to make this therapy work don't seem to know what they are doing. I guess that is why all of you who have figured out your machines are so generous with your help to those of us having trouble!