How does CPAP work? Doesn't make sense

So you need to know how it works in order to accept it? But you haven't bothered to find out what your settings are? That makes no sense.

Are you using ramp? What are your settings. Your doctor hasn't used a cpap machine. She has no idea what you are feeling. You could be struggling due to pressure that is too low to be comfortable. Waking up could be caused by lots of things. Some apnea related. Some machine related. And some completely different reasons.

Work on solving these issues. If you need to understand the how's, then start checking your data and ask questions about that. You will learn more about breathing and sleeping well that way.

MRRPM wrote: She didn't read my data, said it wasn't enuf to mess with.
No idea what pressure I'm at, I can figure it out, but right now, I don't know.
My mask has "ResMed Mirage FX" on the bottom.

There should be some numbers on the display as you use it.

It may switch between two numbers as you inhale and exhale. I've never seen a PRS1 BiPAP in person, so I'm not really that familiar.

I agree with K Hauser - It may be 'unconscious', but it sure feels as is you're trying to find any excuse to not use the machine, hiding that under the 'I'm an engineer, etc...". We get it, you have a prof. interest and it's enigmatic for you. But the fact is that you need to use it whether or not you understand all the fine points for the moment... DO take it on faith until such time as you exhaust everything about it that 'proves' it's all a scam, etc. etc. Because in the end, YOU''re the one who's losing out on life and being treated with what medical science (forget testimonials if you so chose to) has shown to do the job. It's just AIR... being pumped in under a little pressure to help stabilize and widen your airway a little... Forget the tech stuff or leave it til next week, but concentrate on getting well with what you have at hand - and can always walk away from at some future time if you chose to tho' it would be a shame if you kept that at the back of your mind... kind of waiting til you can quit for good (I know what that feels like - waiting til 'quitting' is over so I can go back to smoking!).

SleepyBobR wrote:LOL! I kind of walked into that one didn't I? But really, my DME actually is staffed 100% with twenty something young women. I don't know why that is but I'm sure it's not the reason for any service deficiencies. Young men in the same job with the same minimal training would be no different.

Besides, I kind of like it. Maybe that's the plan...

You did but I understand.

49er

zoocrewphoto wrote:So you need to know how it works in order to accept it? But you haven't bothered to find out what your settings are? That makes no sense.

Are you using ramp? What are your settings. Your doctor hasn't used a cpap machine. She has no idea what you are feeling. You could be struggling due to pressure that is too low to be comfortable. Waking up could be caused by lots of things. Some apnea related. Some machine related. And some completely different reasons.

Work on solving these issues. If you need to understand the how's, then start checking your data and ask questions about that. You will learn more about breathing and sleeping well that way.

The principals are the same, no matter the pressures used. Kinda like a braking system on a car, it works, no matter the pressure, some are higher or lower, than others, so yes, it makes sense to go about it this way.

How would you know if my Dr has used a cpap machine or not?

I don't wakeup, unless I have the mask on, what else could it be?

Julie wrote:I agree with K Hauser - It may be 'unconscious', but it sure feels as is you're trying to find any excuse to not use the machine, hiding that under the 'I'm an engineer, etc...". We get it, you have a prof. interest and it's enigmatic for you. But the fact is that you need to use it whether or not you understand all the fine points for the moment... DO take it on faith until such time as you exhaust everything about it that 'proves' it's all a scam, etc. etc. Because in the end, YOU''re the one who's losing out on life and being treated with what medical science (forget testimonials if you so chose to) has shown to do the job. It's just AIR... being pumped in under a little pressure to help stabilize and widen your airway a little... Forget the tech stuff or leave it til next week, but concentrate on getting well with what you have at hand - and can always walk away from at some future time if you chose to tho' it would be a shame if you kept that at the back of your mind... kind of waiting til you can quit for good (I know what that feels like - waiting til 'quitting' is over so I can go back to smoking!).

Absolutely! Who actually wants to be hooked to anything while they sleep?? If I (or anyone) can fix my problem without any machine, what could be wrong with that? I'll bet the first guy that thought, "Hmmm, I wonder if hooking a pipe up to my mouth, & blowing air in, would make me sleep better?" was met with all kindsa ridicule. Everyone prolly said, "just accept it, you can't help people quit breathing while they sleep."

Amazing that people have such a problem when people ask questions. I have never ran down this tech at all, all I have done is ask questions, & people get defensive, & think I wanna disprove this tech. If it is good, it will stand up to scrutiny, if it is junk, it will not.

Yes, but do it now anyhow while you are researching! It's not torture, and who cares what you look like when you're asleep? So many excuses!

MRRPM, no one knows what's waking you up but my guess is that your mask bothers you and is waking you up. Like I said before, many new users have trouble sleeping when starting this therapy. What else is new? This is hardly breaking news. You have to work at this, night after night, until you get used to it. Learn what the various settings are on your machine and how to read and understand the information it provides so you can start asking questions that actually have answers. Get some software to help analyze the data. We can help you with those things. Geez man, get with the program. You aren't doing this for us you know.

Bingo,

zoocrewphoto wrote:So you need to know how it works in order to accept it? But you haven't bothered to find out what your settings are? That makes no sense.

Are you using ramp? What are your settings. Your doctor hasn't used a cpap machine. She has no idea what you are feeling. You could be struggling due to pressure that is too low to be comfortable. Waking up could be caused by lots of things. Some apnea related. Some machine related. And some completely different reasons.

Work on solving these issues. If you need to understand the how's, then start checking your data and ask questions about that. You will learn more about breathing and sleeping well that way.

this quote by Mr RPM, Eng. proves that after the first explanation or two he knew exactly how the principles behind CPAP work.

".......Also, asking questions of people that should know, and stumping them, should not be grounds for them to simply say use or lose it. These things are tested by people that know, etc, etc. I make things for a living, & part of what I do, is make things people will buy, whether they work or not is not up to me. I do make things that will work, and work well for years,......."

Prior to this admission he was just arguing semantics for arguments sake, maybe now that he's wised us up, he/we can get to the root cause of the problem he's having tolerating CPAP therapy and work out a satisfactory disposition.

And he wanders off to work muttering about Engineers under his breath.

yeah, right, he's engineer. He's so busy engineering he can't be bothered to see what his pressure is, or to look at his data.

Dude, no one likes this therapy. To be honest, it's kind of medieval, but that's what we have. You can't honestly think after the countless patients that use/have used this, all the doctors that prescribe it, all the companies that make it, all the people that have researched it, you all of the sudden come along, being an engineer and all, and figure out 'it doesn't make sense'!!??

Hate to be rude in my first post but this conversation reminds me of my grandmother's quote: "There's a fine line between a genius and an idiot!"

MRRPM wrote:
Who actually wants to be hooked to anything while they sleep??

I do!

Without CPAP I am a very unhealthy person. I take special efforts to be hooked up to that machine every night.

Especially when traveling it is a big inconvenience. But I make it a priority because I "actually want to be hooked to CPAP while I sleep".

It's past time for the little boy to grow up.

MRRPM wrote:

DoriC wrote: Did she read your data, make any adjustments to your pressure settings, suggest another mask,etc.? Sounds like you're having some of the usual problems that occur at the beginning. Can you post your pressure settings,Aflex/Cflex settings, name of mask,titration RX? Sometimes the right bed pillow or a hose management system can solve a lot of problems. Good luck and keep us posted.

She didn't read my data, said it wasn't enuf to mess with.
No idea what pressure I'm at, I can figure it out, but right now, I don't know.
My mask has "ResMed Mirage FX" on the bottom.

So if you didn't ask the basic questions or get any basic recommendations from your Dr for making this therapy work, knowing how these machines are engineered isn't going to help you one bit. I hope you're doing a lot of reading here and that you'll start by asking the right questions and following the suggestions given. We're here to help you succeed.

MRRPM.......You are one very lucky guy!!!!! As all who have responded to you have the patience of Job......... Much more than I do!

This jerk is a TROLL! He keeps contradicting himself. You need to resist the urge to respond to his posts.