New to this, need help setting up machine for UARS

Hi i need help setting up my resmed aircurve 10 vauto for UARS. I have no idea where to even begin. The machine I previously was working with was a remstar Auto m series. I got it for free. I tried falling asleep on it and failed miserably. I had it on 9 ipap/6 epap fixed setting. The problem is i have really bad chronic insomnia and its already hard enough to fall asleep in the perfect conditions without a mask on and air blowing into me. Another issue i have is not knowing the data. That downs my confidence as even if i fall asleep on it i wont know the OSCAR data to mess around with it. I found a good deal on the aircurve and now im waiting for it to come in the mail.

Whats the next step on figuring out my aircurve settings?

Thx!

The next step is to just use the machine and try to get some sleep so you can see how you feel and what the machine is doing.
There is no one size fits all pressure setting for anyone/everyone when it comes to treating OSA or UARS.

If you want a generic starting point then start with something relatively modest that should be comfortable to you so you can actually get some sleep. Without sleep it's impossible to measure anything.

hearthstone25 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:30 am

Hi i need help setting up my resmed aircurve 10 vauto for UARS. I have no idea where to even begin. The machine I previously was working with was a remstar Auto m series. I got it for free. I tried falling asleep on it and failed miserably. I had it on 9 ipap/6 epap fixed setting. The problem is i have really bad chronic insomnia and its already hard enough to fall asleep in the perfect conditions without a mask on and air blowing into me. Another issue i have is not knowing the data. That downs my confidence as even if i fall asleep on it i wont know the OSCAR data to mess around with it. I found a good deal on the aircurve and now im waiting for it to come in the mail.

Whats the next step on figuring out my aircurve settings?

Thx!

Welcome hearthstone25!

Glad you have ordered a new machine that may help you. Usually, the machine is set by your DME according to your doctor's prescription, but that doesn't always happen correctly. When it comes it, you'll want to check that your machine has your doctor's prescription set. If you don't know it, call your doctor's office and ask for the prescription settings. They're yours. Don't let them fool you into thinking you're not allowed to have them. It's like telling someone they can't know how much insulin they're taking. Hogwash. Once you have the prescribed settings and you've confirmed that your machine is properly set, that's usually a good place to start. The next thing to do is check your large leak with the mask fit option on your machine. This will also help you get comfortable with any new mask that may be coming with the machine.

Then, as Pugsy suggests, you'll need to try to get some hours of sleep. Don't worry or fret if it seems difficult at first. You shouldn't feel guilty for not being comfortable or not being able to sleep. Step by step. At this point, if you have difficulty falling a sleep, just wear it while drowsing to TV or radio or listen to an audiobook. Try to get used to wearing the mask and breathing with the new machine and it's new algorithm. It's possible that since this machine has more advanced settings, you'll get some sleep in sooner than later. Either way, we can only help you figure out how you can self-titrate using data. So that means sleep and maybe a couple of nights of that. You're already familiar with CPAP, so that's an advantage.

I hope you'll keep us in the loop by posting your thoughts and progress in this thread!

Chris

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2020 7:04 am

The next step is to just use the machine and try to get some sleep so you can see how you feel and what the machine is doing.
There is no one size fits all pressure setting for anyone/everyone when it comes to treating OSA or UARS.

If you want a generic starting point then start with something relatively modest that should be comfortable to you so you can actually get some sleep. Without sleep it's impossible to measure anything.

Should i start on the default AUTO settings or a certain fixed serting? Then check the OSCAR after a couple nights and change it according to what the OSCAR says? Thats what OSCAR is for right? To figure out what settings are perfect?

DreamDiver wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2020 8:35 am

hearthstone25 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:30 am

Hi i need help setting up my resmed aircurve 10 vauto for UARS. I have no idea where to even begin. The machine I previously was working with was a remstar Auto m series. I got it for free. I tried falling asleep on it and failed miserably. I had it on 9 ipap/6 epap fixed setting. The problem is i have really bad chronic insomnia and its already hard enough to fall asleep in the perfect conditions without a mask on and air blowing into me. Another issue i have is not knowing the data. That downs my confidence as even if i fall asleep on it i wont know the OSCAR data to mess around with it. I found a good deal on the aircurve and now im waiting for it to come in the mail.

Whats the next step on figuring out my aircurve settings?

Thx!

Welcome hearthstone25!

Glad you have ordered a new machine that may help you. Usually, the machine is set by your DME according to your doctor's prescription, but that doesn't always happen correctly. When it comes it, you'll want to check that your machine has your doctor's prescription set. If you don't know it, call your doctor's office and ask for the prescription settings. They're yours. Don't let them fool you into thinking you're not allowed to have them. It's like telling someone they can't know how much insulin they're taking. Hogwash. Once you have the prescribed settings and you've confirmed that your machine is properly set, that's usually a good place to start. The next thing to do is check your large leak with the mask fit option on your machine. This will also help you get comfortable with any new mask that may be coming with the machine.

Then, as Pugsy suggests, you'll need to try to get some hours of sleep. Don't worry or fret if it seems difficult at first. You shouldn't feel guilty for not being comfortable or not being able to sleep. Step by step. At this point, if you have difficulty falling a sleep, just wear it while drowsing to TV or radio or listen to an audiobook. Try to get used to wearing the mask and breathing with the new machine and it's new algorithm. It's possible that since this machine has more advanced settings, you'll get some sleep in sooner than later. Either way, we can only help you figure out how you can self-titrate using data. So that means sleep and maybe a couple of nights of that. You're already familiar with CPAP, so that's an advantage.

I hope you'll keep us in the loop by posting your thoughts and progress in this thread!

Chris

Hi thank you.. but i dont have a prescription. I bought this off craigslist. So idk what are the best settings to start out with. Should i start it on AUTO on the default settings then study the OSCAR data to figure out what to change? Or should i start it out at a certain nonauto fixed settings like 9 ipap and 6 epap or something before i check the OSCAR data to adjust it. Any help with that kind of stuff would be great.

OSCAR and the data on your machine isn't going to be of any huge help in helping you figure out what pressure settings you need.
Your AHI is already low so the machine isn't going to respond all that much for UARS stuff. The machine wasn't designed for UARS needs.

You are going to have to rely more on your own sleep quality and how you feel than what OSCAR shows you.

If it were me I would start with something simple and fairly easy to use and normally comfortable.
Maybe auto mode...minimum EPAP 6....PS 3 or 4 (whichever simply feels the best to you) and max IPAP 20. See what the machine wants to do and what might show up in terms of data and be prepared to really monitor how you feel and sleep.

Keep a diary of every little thing you can think of so you can go back and compare things.

Use this setting for a least a week unless you run into trouble. Then we can evaluate both the data and how you feel.
In the past people with only UARS typically had to use more pressure than was needed to just get good AHI numbers
What they did was just systematically increase the pressure until they were using something where they noticed an improvement in how they felt.
Remember the machine is really designed to treat OSA...not UARS which is much more subtle changes in the airway.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 26, 2020 9:42 pm

OSCAR and the data on your machine isn't going to be of any huge help in helping you figure out what pressure settings you need.
Your AHI is already low so the machine isn't going to respond all that much for UARS stuff. The machine wasn't designed for UARS needs.

You are going to have to rely more on your own sleep quality and how you feel than what OSCAR shows you.

If it were me I would start with something simple and fairly easy to use and normally comfortable.
Maybe auto mode...minimum EPAP 6....PS 3 or 4 (whichever simply feels the best to you) and max IPAP 20. See what the machine wants to do and what might show up in terms of data and be prepared to really monitor how you feel and sleep.

Keep a diary of every little thing you can think of so you can go back and compare things.

Use this setting for a least a week unless you run into trouble. Then we can evaluate both the data and how you feel.
In the past people with only UARS typically had to use more pressure than was needed to just get good AHI numbers
What they did was just systematically increase the pressure until they were using something where they noticed an improvement in how they felt.
Remember the machine is really designed to treat OSA...not UARS which is much more subtle changes in the airway.

Did i buy the wrong machine? should i just stick to my old remstar auto m series bibap that got from for free from a family member. It has 15.000 hours on it but it seems to work fine still. It doesnt have the OSCAR data but if UARS is more about how you feel then i dont need a machine with OSCAR and i could just resell the new machine?

hearthstone25 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:29 am

Did i buy the wrong machine? should i just stick to my old remstar auto m series bibap that got from for free from a family member. It has 15.000 hours on it but it seems to work fine still. It doesnt have the OSCAR data but if UARS is more about how you feel then i dont need a machine with OSCAR and i could just resell the new machine?

You really don't want to sell the new machine. It's light-years better than your old machine. Learning to use it with OSCAR may give you some tools to discover for yourself how best to tweak the machine for your needs. Plus, at 15000 hours, you're getting to the edge of motor life expectancy. Best to use the new machine, eh?

Chris

I wouldn't sell that new machine. Like DreamDiver said..it's light years better than the M series machine and while the AHI data is unlikely to be of much help in figuring out pressure needs it does collect some other data that might shed a light on your sleep quality and might give some ideas as to what could be maybe tried to help you out.

Also the way it can be set up with more PS than the M series can deliver might be of benefit in helping you feel better.
UARS patients seem to do better with more pressure support (difference between inhale and exhale).

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2020 7:15 am

I wouldn't sell that new machine. Like DreamDiver said..it's light years better than the M series machine and while the AHI data is unlikely to be of much help in figuring out pressure needs it does collect some other data that might shed a light on your sleep quality and might give some ideas as to what could be maybe tried to help you out.

Also the way it can be set up with more PS than the M series can deliver might be of benefit in helping you feel better.
UARS patients seem to do better with more pressure support (difference between inhale and exhale).

I just got the new machine. Aircurve 10 Vauto.. im not sure what settings to start out with. Should i do AUTO or fixed setting? Whats a good setting to start out with? Also do i have to turn on OSCAR? Or is it always taking in data when the machine is running?

If you look at my past comment from last night I gave you a decent starting point for pressure settings.


OSCAR doesn't work at all without the SD card in your computer. It doesn't communicate with your machine.
But you do need a SD card to be in your AirCurve 10 machine to get the data.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2020 10:17 am

If you look at my past comment from last night I gave you a decent starting point for pressure settings.


OSCAR doesn't work at all without the SD card in your computer. It doesn't communicate with your machine.
But you do need a SD card to be in your AirCurve 10 machine to get the data.

DreamDiver wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:46 am

hearthstone25 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 27, 2020 5:29 am

Did i buy the wrong machine? should i just stick to my old remstar auto m series bibap that got from for free from a family member. It has 15.000 hours on it but it seems to work fine still. It doesnt have the OSCAR data but if UARS is more about how you feel then i dont need a machine with OSCAR and i could just resell the new machine?

You really don't want to sell the new machine. It's light-years better than your old machine. Learning to use it with OSCAR may give you some tools to discover for yourself how best to tweak the machine for your needs. Plus, at 15000 hours, you're getting to the edge of motor life expectancy. Best to use the new machine, eh?

Chris

Okie dokie. Heres an updated one that i did this morning. I slept a few hours on with a 11 ipap6/6 epap auto setting. I feel same hungover feeling like i had no sleep at all. Its very discouraging. it only shows 1 hypoapnea, 1 obstructive, 1 clear airway(whats a clear airway?) also why would i have a large leak for 8 minutes then another one for basically a hour but no leaks the rest of the time? Another question is the fact that it shows a hypoapnea and obstructive what does that mean? Can a person with UARS shows those? does that mean i have OSA and UARS?

Im scared I dont even have sleep apnea(ive had sleep studied before but didnt sleep regular in them. I didnt even dream so i dont trust their results plus they didnt measures reras) and that its just like a mental issue like anxiety or im breathing black mold or something and that the bibap isnt going to fix anything. Like does these OSCAR results tell me anything in terms of that its fixing anything that is sleep apnea?

hearthstone25 wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 10:24 am

Okie dokie. Heres an updated one that i did this morning. I slept a few hours on with a 11 ipap6/6 epap auto setting. I feel same hungover feeling like i had no sleep at all. Its very discouraging. it only shows 1 hypoapnea, 1 obstructive, 1 clear airway(whats a clear airway?) also why would i have a large leak for 8 minutes then another one for basically a hour but no leaks the rest of the time? Another question is the fact that it shows a hypoapnea and obstructive what does that mean? Can a person with UARS shows those? does that mean i have OSA and UARS?

Im scared I dont even have sleep apnea and that its just like a mental issue like anxiety or im breathing black mold or something and that the bibap isnt going to fix anything.

Okay, first the good news. You're not imagining things, so you can breathe easy. Many people who start off similarly have anxiety and hangover-style headaches. Your body is learning a new way to sleep. And that's okay.

At the current settings, in the area where you're not having large leaks, your therapy appears to be working well. The places where your single apnea, hypopnea and central show up are in places that are without large leak are somewhat relevant. It's entirely possible the central was from a slight waking while you turned over. We would have to look closer at the flow rate graph but for just a single central, it may lose some relevance in the grander picture of your nightly graph. That said, the amount of events is really low. That's a good thing. Your therapy is working.

A lot of times, headaches happen because of large leaks. When you're large leaking, you're not getting therapy. This is a great point at which to look at sleep hygiene, including your mask fit. There is a mask fit option on your machine that should allow you to try the mask during the day at a comfortable pressure just to check for leaks. Mask up. Turn on the mask-fit feature in the patient menu on your machine. Arrange yourself on your bed the way you would while you're asleep. Then try to relax all the muscles in your face and skull. Try flexing the muscles around your nose and cheeks to see if you can make air escape around the edges of your mask. Smile widely and relax the face again. Simulate a yawn. Notice where there may be leaks. Reseat the mask as necessary and cinch any straps that may be too loose or too tight. Try moving your head around like you might as if you were actually sleep. Just play. The idea isn't to go to sleep. This is just an easy way to check your mask fit in various sleep positions, while turning over, etc. The time spent on the mask fit feature will not show up in your data. Once you've got your mask straps set and you have some idea of what will work best to keep the mask from large-leaking (mask burps/farts/whines/hissing from around the side of a cushion, etc.) then remember how you seated your mask for the next night's sleep therapy.

Looking forward to some more nightly graphs!

Although some of your equipment may not be on the equipment list in the profile, there is a place in the equipment list to note what your machine is. Also if you can put your mask in your profile that would help us help you.

Pugsy may have suggestions for changes to your settings or OSCAR setup.

You are making progress. Maybe large leaks could be your next progress point. I hope this helps!

Chris

Anyone can have an occasional OA, hyponea, central apnea...even people without the full grown sleep apnea diagnosis.
The fact that you had and occasional anything event doesn't mean much.

From what I have read about people who do have UARS...often they need more pressure than the machine might want to be giving because remember the machine responds to real OSA stuff....it won't/can't respond to UARS stuff. The auto adjusting algorithm simply isn't designed for UARS.
Also most UARS patients find it can take much, much longer to feel or notice improvement.

You can't rely on the data from the machine to give you any sort of clear guidelines for settings for UARS treatment. You have to go more on how you feel....and that's hard for people to do.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Wed May 13, 2020 11:12 am

Anyone can have an occasional OA, hyponea, central apnea...even people without the full grown sleep apnea diagnosis.
The fact that you had and occasional anything event doesn't mean much.

From what I have read about people who do have UARS...often they need more pressure than the machine might want to be giving because remember the machine responds to real OSA stuff....it won't/can't respond to UARS stuff. The auto adjusting algorithm simply isn't designed for UARS.
Also most UARS patients find it can take much, much longer to feel or notice improvement.

You can't rely on the data from the machine to give you any sort of clear guidelines for settings for UARS treatment. You have to go more on how you feel....and that's hard for people to do

So i could have nothing wrong with me sleep apnea wise? Like these results dont tell me anything about if it helping me at all and my results without the machine could be the same?

Should i just keep the settings the same and wear it every night for awhile on the same settings and see what happens? If it doesnt make me feel any better my fatigue issues are prob not sleep apnea?

I figured 11 ipap was high enough minimum pressure to help with UARS

I wake up constantly snorting gasping for air and mg ex gf said i snored like crazy. Could something else cause those problems?