VPAP Auto Trial

Thanks to a very kind and generous forum member, I had the opportunity for a machine experiment which had my doctor's blessing. I was able to try a ResMed S9 VPAP Auto for two weeks, starting with naps and then for a few overnight sessions. The hope was that the S9 might let me sleep with less awakenings than I'd had with the Trilogy I've been using for almost two years.

The S9 is a wonderful machine and so quiet! I found that it transitioned from inhale to exhale very smoothly.

With the S9 & oxygen, my O2 level stayed above 90%, and the AHI was very low, but the hope for less wakeups and improvement in daytime energy levels didn't happen. Obviously, more than just increasing pressure from the vent is causing these awakenings.

I still feel fatigued and overwhelmed with daytime sleepiness after using either machine -- no worse, but no better either way. The S9 & oxygen maintained my oxygen levels slightly lower than the Trilogy (low 90's compared to mid 90's). Still acceptable, but a bit lower.

Based on these results, I am going to continue using my own machine (Trilogy Vent, in S/T Mode with AVAPS). I am very grateful for the chance to try the VPAP Auto.

Did you get a chance to try it with an increased PS?

Easy-Breathe is great, for example, but doesn't move quite as much air as a vent's more squared waveform, I don't think. So in some instances, increasing the PS in an OSA-treatment blower providing bilevel can help reduce work of breathing and increase oxygenation, as I understand it.

That said, if the ResMed doesn't solve the problem of sensing your breathing better, then it doesn't, plain and simple. The mask can make a difference sometimes with that.

I would like to personally thank you for being willing to give that trial a shot.

And my hat is off to whomever showed you the generosity of arranging for you to try it. Just knowing one way or the other (about whether another brand might help) can make all the difference for us sometimes.

And thanks for continuing to keep at it and continuing to keep us all informed.

The S9 is a nice machine but it's such a same you didn't get to sleep with less awakenings as you were hoping for.
But at least you were able to give it a try due to the kindness of another forum member.

jnk wrote:Did you get a chance to try it with an increased PS?

Not yet. Other "issues" have forced me to table the experiment for the moment. However, the forum member is allowing me to keep the S9 a bit longer and if I can get my other issues handled/resolved, I may give the S9 another run, including trying increased PS.

jnk wrote:if the ResMed doesn't solve the problem of sensing your breathing better, then it doesn't, plain and simple.

I wanted the Resmed machine to be able to sense MY breathing consistently (and it WAS a little better than the PR System One), unfortunately, it had a problem as well, especially when I first woke up and for several minutes after.

jnk wrote:And my hat is off to whomever showed you the generosity of arranging for you to try it. Just knowing one way or the other (about whether another brand might help) can make all the difference for us sometimes.

And thanks for continuing to keep at it and continuing to keep us all informed.

Uncle_Bob wrote:The S9 is a nice machine but it's such a same you didn't get to sleep with less awakenings as you were hoping for.
But at least you were able to give it a try due to the kindness of another forum member.

I will always be grateful to this forum member. Their generosity (and kindness) is overwhelming. I feel so lucky that they did this for me.

Ah, the life of a lab rat... Isn't it grand...?

Congratulations, you now have an answer to one of your questions. It wasn't the answer you wanted, but having an answer moves you forward.

HoseCrusher wrote:It wasn't the answer you wanted, but having an answer moves you forward.

How does the answer move her forward?

Nothing ever improves for her. In what way is her life better than it was 10 months ago? Every suggestion she tries results in a report that the suggestion didn't work.

Guest wrote:

HoseCrusher wrote:It wasn't the answer you wanted, but having an answer moves you forward.

How does the answer move her forward?

Nothing ever improves for her. In what way is her life better than it was 10 months ago? Every suggestion she tries results in a report that the suggestion didn't work.

Especially in this case, it gives is a few definitive answers. There has been a question, for a long time, whether a Resmed machine might be able to better sense my breathing pattern. This test allowed us to determine that for certain -- and MY breathing is apparently too shallow even for the Resmed algorithm.

Whatever disease is plaguing me (and IS the main cause of my night time breathing issues) can be extremely variable from day to day (night to night). I'm sure it is frustrating to those reading that nothing seems to improve, but you ought to try living it.

A couple nights ago, I got sleepy fairly early and masked up and went to sleep. I fell asleep within a few minutes and the next thing I knew, it was over 4 hours later. I had slept straight through, without moving. What woke me was extreme pain (from not moving I guess). But I slept, uninterrupted, for over 4 hours.

The next night, I again fell asleep quickly, but was awakened shortly after, so abruptly, almost like I had been slapped. I was like WTF??? I looked around to see if SOMETHING had woken me up. Hubby was sleeping quietly and peacefully beside me, no unusual noises, no cats, nothing. I then realized that my mask seemed to be pulsing on my face, so I checked the vent. Pressure 18+. Fine. Went back to sleep (after the vent backed the pressure down). A few minutes later -- WHAM. Like I had been slapped again. Did the same checking of outside issues - nothing. Vent was up over 19. Back to sleep for 5-10 minutes, then WHAM again. This went on almost all night long.

There was NOTHING different that I did between the two nights.

The two nights are the extremes - one I sleep fairly well, another almost no sleep. Most nights fall somewhere in between.