Which type to get? Auto Cpap, BiPap? Not sure

Hello distinguished forum friends, well rested and otherwise. It looks like I'm going to have to buy my own machine to get well. My insurance will not pay, and if I fight them, it might take more than a month or more to get a machine that will work for me.

My situation is that I currently have a Resmed S7 with Heated Humidification, no data capabilities and a Mirage Quatro FFM. My sleep study a month ago showed I needed my pressure raised from 8 to 16, and I let the DME change the setting, and I can't tolerate it. I can't exhale and I can't get used to it. I'm able to fall asleep during ramping, but I wake up with a torrent of air blowing into my wide open mouth and air leaking out of everywhere. Even with the mask tightened way down enought to cause a buise on the bridge of my nose, I can't get it to stop leaking. My sleep study showed that I need to be at at least 16cm H2o when supine, but on my side, there were no (0) apnea events at all. So I'm thinking that I need a self titrating machine that will lower the pressure when on my side, and raise it while on my back, and give me pressure relief to exhale.

Knowing that I need to accomplish those things, and that I'm willing to buy a slightly used machine and necessary parts and software, what machine would you recommend? I need to get this right the 1st time (well, actually the 2nd). I've got to get well, being sleep deprived is costing much more than the cost of a machine. It's not that I can afford it, but I can't afford to be working 2 jobs and raising a family half awake with my brain and memory tied behind my back!

Please help. I'm not clear about the differce between a self titrating machine, auto, vpap, bipap flex and cpap flex. Also, I've read here that CPAP.com is a good place to get slightly used equipment with support, is that the best source?

Thank you. BTW, where should I post my sleep study in case someone wants to check it to make a recommendation. It's too long to post here.

Thanks,
Jeff

Other people on the forum can give better advice on the equipment, so I'll leave that to them. As for posting your sleep study, I like box.net. You can store up to 1 gig free, share the links and it accepts pdf format.

You have had a lot of advice so far, but seem hesitant to take some of it... such as the suggestion to get a machine with cflex for exhalation relief (it's just an on/off feature on a lot of M series Respironics machines), but it's hard I guess to sort through it all. Have you really read articles in the yellow lightbulb at the top of the forum? We all have to make ourselves aware of some things, sleepy as we might be , and in doing so, a lot of it does soak in eventually if you take one step at a time in a straight line. BTW, tightening the straps that much can actually lead to leaks as not only does your face suffer, but one side of the mask may puff out too much trying to compensate for the other's tightness. Really, though, there is an acceptable leak rate for most masks, and a tiny bit might help alleviate your exhalation problems as well. Have you considered trying to trade your machine on the Cpap auction here for one with features that you'll like? I know this all sounds like a terrible lecture, but I still think you're letting your anxiety get the best of you and it's keeping you from proceeding to good therapy. We can help you along the way, but it's hard to hold hands on this forum . At this point it's important to get some treatment, if not the ideal set-up, and fussing over details is becoming counterproductive. I bet you do know by now that Apap is just Cpap that is not set at one number, but allows for a range, which it instinctively roams up and down according to your breathing pattern when asleep. Bipaps are more expensive, but not necessarily needed unless your MD has specifically explained to you why you need one, and there's a fourth type of machine just for people definitively diagnosed as having the majority of their events be centrals, which I don't remember your having said was the case, so why not look for an Apap with cflex, that you can set up something like 12-16 and see if you feel better, providing you also take it easy on the mask straps, though if it's really a bad fit, you'll need to find a better one/mask. Without trying something you won't discover what works for you consistently (one night is never enough) and what doesn't. It is a shame that your MD, and/or DME aren't helping out more, but you're not alone by a long shot, and there are answers to most of your problems.

you might want to look at this - ozij had posted it on another thread

http://sleepapnea.respironics.com/clini ... 5B1%5D.pdf

Yep, you might or might not need a BiPAP--can't answer that, but the document ozij posted a link to might help you figure that out. It does sound like C-FLEX or A-FLEX would help relieve some of the discomfort associated with your higher pressure setting. I use A-FLEX, cannot imagine using my machine without it. Good luck!

A,

16 does seem like a lot of pressure, but you CAN get used to it. Aflex, Cflex, EPR or Easybreath will help you. When they first strapped on the CPAP mask during my sleep study and I tried to breath out against 5cm it felt like I would never be able to get used to it. Now I am at 12 and don't even feel it.

This is just my two cents worth, but from the reading I have done on the site it seems like the most beloved machine out there is the Respronics M Series with A-flex Auto. The Resmed Autoset II seems comparable. The newer Resmeds have easier access to data from the LED screen, and I am absolutely addicted to mine. Most people only need a CPAP, but you can use an APAP as a CPAP but not vice versa, so it might be nice to have the option. Bipaps are for those with very high pressures and centrals. Good luck.