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for those of you who tinker with your pap settings:is that wise or does your dr help you?

Is it wise to expect your doctor to help you?
Is your doctor more knowledgeable than you?
Is your doctor wiser than you?
What data does the docotor use when he makes suggestions about setting up your machine for you to sleep with at home?

tony,
Yes, it's wise. No, my dr. doesn't help me. I know LOTS more about what's happening when I sleep than he does. The difference in a pressure of 10 and one of 11 is academic to him, but it's vital to me. This is why having a fully data capable machine is so important. If I've got the data to analyze I can tweak the therapy, and I can inform my doc what's transpired (if I choose to. Or not.) If there isn't any data, my guess is as good as his. The forum members on this board know so much more about fixes, helps, and adjustments than any doctor does.

Yes the machines have changed dramatically in the last 14 years.

The APAP machines with features such as EPR make the treatment much easier to accomodate even if theoretically you only need a CPAP. This is something some doctors seem to not understand.

For the stuffy nose if it is sinusitis it can often be treated without surgery. Check out http://www.sinuses.com/

Regarding the individual concerned about making adjustments without doctors approval. There are some treatments that need to be tightly controlled in order to prevent major harm. CPAP therapy is not one of them. If there is some rare condition that makes the above statement false then I would suggest that you woule already be aware of it and you would check with your doctor for guidance before making adjustments.

While the AHI and other numbers can be helpful the ultimate goal is for you to feel good after sleeping. In this reapect you know a lot more than your doctor about what works and what does not. Listen to your doctor but also listen to your body.

I have found that sleeping on my back with my back elevated at a moderate angle has improved my sleep. My head is not elevated at the same angle as my body. This is much better than sleeping on my side.

Talk about compliance! Those machines back then were brutal. No wonder I put it in storage! If anyone wants to complain about the modern machines I will send them my old one (Clinton era, Lewinsky period) to try out. If I remember correctly I paid about $1500 for it and all it did was blow air.

I have a lot more going on than sinusitis. Really, my GI Dr. did try to thread a catheter and was totally blown away that he could not do it. He was mid-50's and he said he had never run into a problem like that before. When I take a deep breath through my nose, it kind of puckers up like I am an alien in a sci-fi movie.