C-Flex question

Does anyone on here disable the C-Flex on their machine? I have it disabled on my M-Series because I don't feel like I really need it. Anyway, I've also heard that you get better therapy by having it turned off. I'm wondering how many people actually use C-Flex and who doesn't. Also, will I be compromising my therapy by turning it off?

ejdischer wrote:Does anyone on here disable the C-Flex on their machine? I have it disabled on my M-Series because I don't feel like I really need it. Anyway, I've also heard that you get better therapy by having it turned off. I'm wondering how many people actually use C-Flex and who doesn't. Also, will I be compromising my therapy by turning it off?

I have never heard that CFLEX would give you poorer therapy that straight CPAP. I use mine set at 2, but could probably go to 1 since I have a full face mask. I just don't like the idea of having to "push" during exhale.

Jeff in TN

I use Cflex. No, you will not be compromising your therapy by turning it off, unless you stop using your CPAP due to the comfort issues that CPAP addresses (and, of course, you being a person with some amount of common sense, will more than likely just turn it back off again if this occurs. )

However, it absolutely does NOT compromise your treatment. It is specifically designed to kick back in your higher pressure BEFORE you begin inhaling again, which is when the vast majority of apneas occur.

My data support this - it's hard to beat a 0.0 AHI (and my Cflex is set to 2.5, which is almost the highest setting).

Personally, I have mine turned off. I know of others who don't use it also. It probably depends on how high/low your pressure is. Mine is only 7 and I can't tell the difference with it on or off.

I don't believe that you would be compromising your therapy to turn it off. After all, it's only been available in the last few years, other than Bi-pap.

My pressure on my Apap is normally 12-17. So it's pretty high. That's why I'm wondering. I'm afraid if I turn it on again, because the pressure will be shooting down so low when I exhale, it could create an issue. But I'll give it a shot and turn it on medium for a few nights.

EJD

C-flex is a comfort setting. If you're more comfortable with it...use it. If you're more comfortable without it...don't use it.
I keep mine on 3, the highest setting. I find I breathe more naturally that way. I have an AHI of 0.5 or under, with several 0.0 weekly. I tried not using c-flex, my #s stayed the same but I didn't feel as comfortable.

Brenda

ejdischer, you have asked if others on this forum have disabled C-FLEX. The answer is "yes."

You have also commented that you have heard that one gets better therapy with C-FLEX turned off. The answer is that some do, and others don't. Each person's response to C-FLEX is completely subjective. Lots of people love C-FLEX and others hate it.

You have asked if you will compromise your therapy by turning C-FLEX off. You will only know that if you try therapy without C-FLEX and find that your quality of sleep, or compliance with treatment goes down.

CollegeGirl wrote:

However, it absolutely does NOT compromise your treatment.

Well, here we go again. To say that C-FLEX "absolutely does NOT compromise your treatment" is misleading. For many people, and likely most people, C-FLEX is a blessing. However, for SOME people, C-FLEX can compromise their treatment if they are among the group of users that finds that C-FLEX triggers breath-stacking.

I'm not sure where CollegeGirl got the data that allows her to state, regarding C-FLEX:

However, it absolutely does NOT compromise your treatment

but the statement is misleading.

C-FLEX was designed to make therapy more comfortable by providing a user-selected amount of pressure relief (1 being least relief and 3 being most relief, take note that 3 does NOT mean 3 points on a manometer) for a VERY brief period. As CollegeGirl noted, the pressure kicks back in before the user begins inhaling. For many, many people, it works great. For some, it does NOT make therapy more comfortable and in fact, for some, it compromises their treatment.

Why some users on this forum seem to think that their personal experience, or the experience of multiple users, somehow makes it safe to make defacto, all inclusive statements ("...it does NOT compromise your treatment" is beyond me.

I'd sure hate to be the cpap user who is waking up repeatedly during the night, struggling with aerophagia and/or panting/gasping for breath from breath-stacking, looking to this forum for help, but does NOT question the use of C-FLEX because someone on this forum has assured them that C-FLEX "absolutely does NOT compromise your treatment."

I have mine set on 1, which is the least "relief". Having used straight CPAP for several years, the C-flex felt like I was not getting pressure to me. I understand it is all in my head, but I have to live with my head...

I'm running my "M" on a setting of 9-12 cm....with C-Flex set at 3. I'm happy.......and my AHI pretty well stays below 1.0 every night. My biggest problem is mouth leaks......and I'm continually experimenting with ways to conquer that difficulty.

Gerald

When I say "treatment," Will, I mean "treatment," not "comfort." I was addressing the issue of Cflex usage impacting the number of apneas a person has. That is how I interpret treatment. If I interpreted "treatment" in the way you seem to, I would absolutely qualify it and say, as I did before - most users love it, a very few don't. And yes, I am going by two years of anecdotal evidence from these boards, and two years of my own experiences - just as you are working off of your own experience.

If you've read my posts at all, you'd know that - while I'm not perfect, because I'm human after all - 99% of the time I do not, in fact, make blanket statements claiming something is worthwhile or isn't just because I've had good experiences. I make it a point to say "this worked for me," or "I've heard other users who have had a problem identical to yours say that this worked." Here on this board, we have mostly our own experiences and advice that has been given to us by others to draw from. But personally, I think the user perspective, and the anecdotal evidence that you seem to decry, is what truly makes this board a truly valuable resource.

C-Flex works great for over 95% of the users that have it, the other 5%, can't get their head into not listening to yourself breath and letting your body control your breathing, and a very small % of those 5% may have a dormant Resmed Gene turned on. Jim

It really doesn't matter. that's why they had the off button installed, so the ones that can't enjoy C-Flex, wouldn't have to go all the way back to the Caves.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): resmed, C-FLEX

CollegeGirl:

Me-thinks you are missing the point.

User perspective and anecdotal evidence are fine. Statements of opinion, delivered as fact

"However, it absolutely does NOT compromise your treatment"

are not.

The reality here is that you DON'T know that C-FLEX "absolutely does NOT compromise your treatment" and you should not be making this sort of blanket, all-encompasing statement. Your statement is as misleading as it would be if someone were to say that 'C-FLEX absolutely DOES compromise your treatment."

The issue is not about the helpfullness of C-FLEX -we know that for many, it is helpful. Further, we also know that for some, it is not helpful. That it might be helpful for 99% of users and unhelpful for 1% of users is irrelevant. The issue is that none of us should be making statements on treatment, like you did, as an absolute. When you make this sort of statement, you provide misinformation to those people who might be looking for guidance (from your very helpful posts) regarding treatment/compliance/whatever.

Statements like that work for the 99% of normal people, and the odd's are for that last 1% nothing will work, because they won't let it work. Jim

There are always exceptions to everything, nothing is 100%, if it was everything would have a answer.

ejdischer, Last summer I tried a number of different configurations on my straight CPAP to find "sweet spots" for each of my masks. This included changing sets of Cflex, humidity, pressures (within reason), pillows, tape/no tape, etc. I kept a record of food types, whether alcohol was consumed and when, exercise, and so on. Each combination was used for at least five - seven days unless it was real obvious it was not a correct direction. I kept my notes on Encore daily sheets that I printed once a week. All this was real tough on me as I am not real good with compulsive order and regimen.

I found, depending on the combination that, for me, nights with Cflex were less restful. For example, I did better with the Cflex turned off when I taped. Perhaps I tended to fight the regularity. I also found that Cflex was less irritating with one mask (Activa) than another (Swift).

On the other hand, perhaps due to recent inactivity from surgery leading to some weight gain, I've had to kick my pressure up a notch to maintain my AHI under 1. I have found Cflex at the lowest setting is now a little more restful. However, I do just fine with my travel CPAP that doesn't have exhale relief.

The moral of this too-long story is everybody is different and nobody is static. I don't suggest that you try my testing method - it did get me in touch with my OSA and helped me feel in control - but I think reasonable and regular experimentation/fine-tuning (with close monitoring) is not a bad thing. (Obviously, "reasonable" doesn’t include stuff like wild derivations from prescribed titration or trying to go without treatment.)

Good Luck

Chris

I have my cflex set at 2 and I really enjoy using it. I was on straight 20 for over a year before I got a remstar pro 2 with clex. I feel that it's great.