CPAPtalk.com

ANDYWT - You said that you have your machine set in C-Flex not A-Flex.

Do you also have it set in cpap mode rather than auto mode or is your machine a Pro model rather than auto?

In cpap mode or with a Pro machine, you would not get a pressure range so that chart would not be needed. You would be at the same pressure all night.

Hawthorne wrote:I would not lower the upper pressure unless you want to. It will probably make no difference in the data. You were not getting up very much above 11 cm even before.

I agree with Hawthorne.

Since you have a nice normal leak rate, there's no real reason to lower the maximum pressure in the auto-titrating range. It's the minimum pressure that is the more important pressure, imho.

Here's why I think that way -- about the importance of where a person sets the minimum pressure:

Results: 1st night with Auto A-Flex (topic started by TSSleepy)
Two nights graphs posted using pressure range 4 - 20 and 10 - 20
viewtopic.php?p=348963#p348963

November 2008 Just got an APAP (topic started by turbosnore)
viewtopic.php?p=319619#p319619

October 2008 Turning off Aflex and Cflex (topic started by DoriC)
viewtopic.php?p=307265#p307265

September 2008 New Guy - Need Help w/Settings (topic started by alanhj13)
viewtopic.php?p=294319#p294319

Wulfman, DreamStalker, and ozij explain why autopaps make changes slowly.
December 2008 Why adjust APAP. Isn't it auto? (topic started by oxygenium65)
viewtopic.php?p=323218#p323218

jonquiljo wrote:Well, I have raised my lower pressure to an apparent optimum of 8.5. I then lowered my upper pressure and have seen so far an optimum of 12

If you had not lowered the upper pressure, I think you'd still have gotten good results -- simply by virtue of having raised that all important minimum pressure.

rested gal wrote: If you had not lowered the upper pressure, I think you'd still have gotten good results -- simply by virtue of having raised that all important minimum pressure.

Believe it or not, it seems to work best when I have lowered my minimum pressure a bit. I think when I get an occasional leak the thing blows hard to compensate and overdoes it and finally wakes me up. I am guessing that the little blips in pressure do not wake me up - but the big ones do. When I set it to CPAP - or rather APAP 10 low - 10 high (to get flow limitation measurements) - it did not work as well for me.

I think I get different nights needing different pressure. I get bad allergies and congestion beyond a point they cannot be managed. In APAP mode I get changes in pressure to compensate depending on the day. The pressure jumps do not seem to bother me as long as I limit them - i.e. the limit of 12.

I had the similar problem on the lower limit. Any lower limit over 8.5 makes me mouth breathe like you wouldn't believe. That's why I am interested in Flex settings. I am guessing that perhaps more flex will let me take more pressure before I start to really mouth breathe.

I tried FF masks, etc. - but they didn't work as well for me. So I decided to stay with the Softgel Nasal mask but optimize what makes me mouth breathe. I roll onto my stomach a lot anyway so a FF mask is a problem. The sharp differential in mouth breathing between 8.5 and 9 is crazy - so all I am left with is Flex. Beyond a point it isn't important as long as I am not waking up - as my AHI is always low now. But without a device to measure awakenings I am left to guess. That's what I mean when I call it "CPAP-nea". I still can't get a handle on that one.

I feel better with the APAP but know I could feel even better than that. If I am going to sleep with all this stuff, I want to get it right.