BILEVEL HELL!!!!!!!!

I got my bipap machine yesterday and strapped it on for the first time last night. Not only was it loud (kept me and my boyfriend awake), but I felt like I had to fight for every breath. I've gone from a pressure of 8cm to the bilevel at 20cm/16cm.

At various times in my martial arts career, I've fought up to 16 or 17 rounds straight with various other black belts pounding on me. That was a walk in the park compared to what I went through last night.

I'm on my way back to my house to get my straight pressure cpap. I figure a little treatment is better than none at all.

I'll call my doctor on Monday and get a prescription for an autopap.

Jeanne

The problem is not so much the Bi-PAP as the high pressure. A pressure of 20 is always going to be a lot louder and harder to get used to than a pressure of 8. But I agree that an autopap sounds like a good idea for you, since there's a good chance that you don't need a pressure of 20 all the time.


Louise

I have a BiPAP and it works great. No gripes. But my pressures are 9 and 5.
A big difference from yours.
Good luck.

I'm using a bipap at 20/18 myself. I'm actually "supposed" to be at 23/23, but I couldn't keep the mask on my face at that pressure - litterally blows the air cushion seals if the mask is moved in any way unless the straps are so tight that the hard plastic is mashing into my face.

Questions: do you know how to set the pressures yourself? If so, try starting at a lower pressure till you get used to it - say 12/10 - and then moe up a notch every few days.

If you were given a Respironics Bipap Pro 2, then you can control their 'Biflex' settings, which , instead if going abruptly from low to high to low pressure, ramps them up and down.

you can also control the starting pressure and how long it takes to reach full pressure.

I have been waking up the last few nights and breathing with no effort at all - had to check the readout to make sure it was delivering the correct pressure.

All that said, I still intend to press my Dr. for an APAP machine - for a trail at least.