Do you find ramp up useful?

About a week ago, I realized that when first putting on the cpap, I had to psych myself into slowing my breathing because I wasn't getting enough air. It felt like breathing through a straw or if you SCUBA and have emptied a tank you know the feeling. The first ten to fifteen minutes in bed was really tough to adjust, but I pushed through. I adjusted the ramp up from 20 minutes to stop thinking (incorrectly) that may be the problem, but the issue kept going. Yesterday, I changed my starting pressure from 5 to 6.5 (after reading a lot of stuff here) and it felt much better at the start of the night. In fact, it was probably my best night at relaxing and going to sleep quickly without the mental exercise of trying to slow myself down. Again, thank you to those who contribute useful information here.

I have not turn the ramp up back on. After now reading about what ramp up does, I'm not sure I really need it and was wondering how many people use the feature? Do you find using a ramp up beneficial?

[my machine is a DreamStation set on Auto CPAP with A-Flex, now set to 6.5 - 20. Been using it for 28 straight days now]

I find it a crutch, delaying full treatment. Never used it srarted treatment at 14.5 cm, if you need it use it. It's a brain thing, whatever your brain can accept is where you have to go. Jim

Guestzz wrote:About a week ago, I realized that when first putting on the cpap, I had to psych myself into slowing my breathing because I wasn't getting enough air. It felt like breathing through a straw or if you SCUBA and have emptied a tank you know the feeling. The first ten to fifteen minutes in bed was really tough to adjust, but I pushed through. I adjusted the ramp up from 20 minutes to stop thinking (incorrectly) that may be the problem, but the issue kept going. Yesterday, I changed my starting pressure from 5 to 6.5 (after reading a lot of stuff here) and it felt much better at the start of the night. In fact, it was probably my best night at relaxing and going to sleep quickly without the mental exercise of trying to slow myself down. Again, thank you to those who contribute useful information here.

I have not turn the ramp up back on. After now reading about what ramp up does, I'm not sure I really need it and was wondering how many people use the feature? Do you find using a ramp up beneficial?

[my machine is a DreamStation set on Auto CPAP with A-Flex, now set to 6.5 - 20. Been using it for 28 straight days now]

The ramp just keeps you at lower pressure for longer start. It's designed for people who have high starting pressures ... but nonetheless, the body adapts after a few weeks and I think it's an unnecessary feature.

Most people find it difficult to get enough air when the machine minimum pressure is set below 7 or 8.

Hey Jim!

What's that CPAP version of the Life Call commercial ... "I've fawlin' and I can't get up!"

"Help! My brain's suffocating and I can't get enough air!".

DreamStalker wrote:Hey Jim!

What's that CPAP version of the Life Call commercial ... "I've fawlin' and I can't get up!"

"Help! My brain's suffocating and I can't get enough air!".

Well Played! Jim

Notice: This time I didn't call it "Training Wheels"! Didn' want to wake up the P. C. Incorrect Liberals.

Yes, I think it's very useful for helping me get to sleep.

Goofproof wrote:This time I didn't call it "Training Wheels"! Didn' want to wake up the P. C. Incorrect Liberals.

So you think using "crutch" instead of training wheels will sneak past the P.C. Incorrect Liberals filters???? Might want to think again. They never sleep.

I find the ramp totally ...........................................useless and annoying. At my therapy pressure of 10-12, as soon as my machine gets up to pressure I am ready to sleep. MMMV. Past Performance is no guarantee of future results. This is my opinion based on my own results and may apply to no one else.

Did I miss any needed disclaimers?

I have never used Ramp and have never missed it. I like the full air pressure from the moment the machine starts.
After a period of time, I also found exhale relief to be unnecessary, too.

There's a time and place for ramp or exhale relief or whatever depending on each individual and their own personal needs.

If a person can't get comfortable for whatever reason then they are going to have problems getting to sleep and sleep is the name of the game.

If ramp or exhale relief or whatever helps them get comfortable and fall asleep there's not a damn thing wrong with using whatever.

Now if a person doesn't like ramp or exhale relief or whatever...that's their personal choice and they don't have to use it. It's purely optional.

Myself, I have never needed ramp because my starting pressures are so darn low they aren't a problem. So I haven't ever used it.
Might be a totally different story if my pressures were in the double digits...I don't know what would happen if that were the case but if I needed it or wanted it...I would definitely use it.

Yeah ... I suppose I've always wanted an ejection seat while driving my pick up ... just in case I ever need one.

But indeed I have gotten used to driving without one just fine.

Used it the first couple of weeks of my treatment. Didn't have any benefit for me, so I don't use it.

DreamStalker wrote:Yeah ... I suppose I've always wanted an ejection seat while driving my pick up ... just in case I ever need one.

But indeed I have gotten used to driving without one just fine.

BOND's came in handy, I wanted one to remove passengers the reached to change my truck radio. Jim

xxyzx wrote:

Guestzz wrote:About a week ago, I realized that when first putting on the cpap, I had to psych myself into slowing my breathing because I wasn't getting enough air. It felt like breathing through a straw or if you SCUBA and have emptied a tank you know the feeling. The first ten to fifteen minutes in bed was really tough to adjust, but I pushed through. I adjusted the ramp up from 20 minutes to stop thinking (incorrectly) that may be the problem, but the issue kept going. Yesterday, I changed my starting pressure from 5 to 6.5 (after reading a lot of stuff here) and it felt much better at the start of the night. In fact, it was probably my best night at relaxing and going to sleep quickly without the mental exercise of trying to slow myself down. Again, thank you to those who contribute useful information here.

I have not turn the ramp up back on. After now reading about what ramp up does, I'm not sure I really need it and was wondering how many people use the feature? Do you find using a ramp up beneficial?

[my machine is a DreamStation set on Auto CPAP with A-Flex, now set to 6.5 - 20. Been using it for 28 straight days now]

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some do some dont

if you have high pressures it can help to build up to them slowly

You didn't answer the question! Jim

I think it's something that should be left off by default. If your not aware of the "Mask Fit" function on some of the newer machines or if your trying to fit your mask at the low ramp pressure on an older machine it's got to drive some people utterly nuts not understanding why they can't get a good fit when they're never fitting the mask right in the first place.

With the lack of support and information coming from many doc's and dme's turning something like that on with out explaining it is in my opinion a recipe for disaster. It would be like setting people up to fail this whole process.

I start off each night right at 11. My ramp is turned off and it's something I never used from the start because a few days of ill fitting mask issues got me to change it real fast. When I first started with CPAP it took me ages to fall asleep - insomnia - so I was wide awake for the whole ramp process. I'd get my mask all nice and the way I wanted it and close my eyes and then the pressure would go up and my mask didn't fit any more. It was a major pain after a bit of fussing with that I just turned it off so it would start full pressure.

Rest well.

Gryphon