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No flaming, please!!!! I was on the ResMed BiPap machine, but was showing centrals ever since I began taking prescription pain medicine. (I was diagnosed with a chronic condition which causes chronic pain, so the meds will most likely be an ongoing thing, since they allow me a somewhat normal life--at least during the day. )

My sleep dr. had me do another sleep study to measure the centrals, but I had difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep during the test--so it was somewhat inconclusive.

But seeing (on my BiPap machine's report) that I have centrals, she moved me to the ResMed Adapt SV unit. I tried it for awhile, but was getting 0 sleep!! Every time I began to doze off, I'd be awakened by the machine blowing air at me. OK, I get it, I was going into a Central--but that machine was like a Central Apnea Alarm Clock to me--have a central, machine blows air like crazy, patient awakens.

I think I was advised that the Respironics machine had more adjustments (in comparison to ResMed's unchangeable algorithm), but (perhaps due to extreme lack of sleep!) I decided to go back to my ResMed Bipap machine, since I was getting some relief from that, as well as some sleep. (Sleep doc reluctantly agreed to that decision.)

The Bipap machine was once again reporting tons of centrals, and just a few obstructive apneas. I got fed up, and gave up using PAP therapy for about a year. I did feel more comfortable without wearing a mask to bed, but also became increasing tired during the day. So now I've re-entered the PAP world!

Used the BiPap machine the last two nights, but I've been waking up from that as well. I'm hoping it's just the re-adjustment phase. (I have issues with air blowing at or around me. I even have difficulty sleeping in the summer with the celing fan on.) No surprise, but the machine is recording mainly centrals--approx. 40 centrals, 10 obstructives in a 7.5 hour sleep cycle.

Wondering how to proceed with things?? Should I try a different Auto SV unit that has the capability of additional adjustments (frequency of breaths as well as the force of air)?

(When discussing this problem in the past, a poster suggested that I upload some data from my card. I plan to use it a few more nights before I do this, because I only have 2 nights' worth of current data.)

Thanks,
All in Knots

Sounds like we need to have a thread of your own so that ASV users will know to stop by and particpate.
Your problems are likely going to get lost in this thread.
If you put "ASV" somewhere in the title/subject line it will get their attention.

40 centrals in 7.5 hours...roughly 5 per hour...not horribly horrible...when you get a chance post your report..the ASV users here will want to see them.

JohnBFisher has experience with both brands of ASV units...he can maybe offer some insight as to whether a different brand might be more tolerable for you.

So maybe copy this post here that you have made and put it in a new thread solely devoted to you....it would help with responses. Many people don't bother reading old threads.

allinknots wrote:... No flaming, please!!!! ...

No flames. But I will present some facts that you won't want to hear. But hear them you must if you are going to get all sorted out.

First, Your sleep doctor had you on the right course. ASV therapy is the best thing to try to tackle the pain killer induced central apneas.

Second, unlike any other therapy the ASV therapy has REALLY wild pressure changes. You had a really hard time adjusting to the ASV therapy because of that. That's actually pretty normal. However, at this point you may be so tired that you will be more willing to try to work through the adjustment period. Some things to try .. Get used to wearing the ASV unit while listening to an audio book. Sure, you might doze off and the pressure will increase and it will awaken you. That's actually good. Let that happen. You will awaken and listen some more. And you can fall asleep again. Pressure will increase and you will awaken.

You won't even need to sleep with the ASV machine at this point. Just use the ASV unit for listening to an audiobook before you go to sleep. By doing this you can use this as a way to train your body to adjust to the ASV unit. You will eventually just fall asleep and not notice the increase in pressure.

And don't be in a big hurry. It can take several MONTHS to fully adjust to ASV therapy. It might only take a week or so before you can sleep with the ASV unit. But it will awaken you for quite a while. I *KNOW* how hard it can be to adjust to the therapy. But hang in there.

Thanks, Pugsy & John. I'll post a new thread with my prob in a few more days/when I have some data to share.

I appreciate the responses!

Warmly,
All in Knots

do the manual settings on the phillips work like bpm 8 ti 1.0? I keep demasking and I have to remember to tape the tubing, anyways thanks for the advice on here, but I still am suffering
it's pretty bad my apneas are getting worse and I am getting more severe fog and exhaustion. it's hard to read and study whereas before I could study at 4am.

sickwithapnea17 wrote:do the manual settings on the phillips work like bpm 8 ti 1.0? I keep demasking and I have to remember to tape the tubing, anyways thanks for the advice on here, but I still am suffering
it's pretty bad my apneas are getting worse and I am getting more severe fog and exhaustion. it's hard to read and study whereas before I could study at 4am.

SWA17... some new good advice for you to take... go back and read your first posts on this forum, you received MANY good ideas on what to do......
TAKE THE ADVICE YOU WERE GIVEN AND YOU WILL BE BETTER.

sickwithapnea17 wrote:do the manual settings on the phillips work like bpm 8 ti 1.0? I keep demasking and I have to remember to tape the tubing, anyways thanks for the advice on here, but I still am suffering
it's pretty bad my apneas are getting worse and I am getting more severe fog and exhaustion. it's hard to read and study whereas before I could study at 4am.

I've told you all this before SWA. But once again: I think you should stop playing around with the manual BPM settings on the PR autoSV and set it back to 'Auto' mode. Most everyone has a different respiratory rate while sleeping and while being awake. In my case, my RR goes up about 50% from 8-10 (awake) to 11-14 (asleep), but that's just me - for some people their RR apparently slows down when sound asleep. Consequently, If I set my Phillips autoSV to, say, a constant 10 BPM rate then I'd be starving for air when I actually would fall asleep, ie. not a good thing and I'd be bound to complain like you often do about 'not enough air'. Having explained all this a second time, I recommend you let your PR's 'Auto' feature learn how you breathe on a minute to minute basis (using it's 4 minute sliding window algorithm). In other words, stop trying to out-think your PR autoSV.

JohnBFisher wrote:Ditto! The Resmed ASV algorithm is a lot more insistent on you breathing in a regular pattern. But that's been true since the S7 version of the ASV units. Respironics allows you to breathe on your own more. I describe the feeling as a sports car vs. luxury car steering. Both get the job done. I like both. But there are times when I wish the Respironics ASV unit was a bit more insistent on my breathing.

Hi JohnBFisher, and others who may be able to offer advice.
I was looking to move from an S9 AutoSet to S9 AdaptSV, to treat UARS.
The reasoning being that I either
a) cannot fall asleep with the APAP (it seems like too much effort to breathe with the machine (EPR on and off), and I just want to fall asleep);
b) remove the mask within 60-90 minutes of falling asleep, for the same reason as above, and promptly return to sleep.

Reading your post above, I get the feeling that with the Resmed S9 AdaptSV I'm likely to experience the same feeling. Would you suggest perhaps that I would be better off trying the Respironics System One ASV? The Respironics is $150 more than the Resmed.

Thanks for any input!
Xsara