Newbie - Is my pressure too high?

Hi folks. New guy here, on CPAP for 3 nights now, using a Resmed S9 auto with humidifier, Respironics pillows. Untreated I was at AHI 6, Overall RDI 23, diagnosed with moderate positional OSA.

From my first night, I noticed a few times that the pressure would hit really high levels (or what feels high to me right now while still getting used to this whole deal). Like I'd be fine and about 15-20 minutes into falling asleep, then within a few minutes the pressure would get really intense. I've looked at the machine and it reads around 14 when this happens. I've tried to push through it but it's just too much for me. I have to hit the power button and restart.

I've messed with the ramp settings, tried longer ramp times, shorter, doesn't seem to help with this particular issue. Eventually I still hit these periods where the pressure just gets too high for me.

I went into the clinician settings (probably shouldn't be doing that, I know) just to see what the max pressure setting is, and it's 15.

I'm just wondering if this is too much for me. Obviously it's uncomfortable. And I'm not sure why this only seems to happen while I'm still falling asleep. Once I'm out, I can easily stay asleep for 5 hours straight. No pressure-induced awakenings.

Please add your equipment to your profile so we know what your machine is.

Is your machine an auto adjusting machine or is the increase you are talking about in reference to using ramp and it working its way up to 15 cm?

Hi Mike, welcome

Is the Ramp feature on, and if so for how long?
Is your machine an S9 Autoset or an S9 Auto Escape?

p.s. we won't tell the cpap police that you've "looked" at the clinical menu

My machine is the S9 auto.

I've tried the ramp at 15 minutes, 30 minutes, off, doesn't seem to matter. I don't think it's hitting 14 while I'm asleep. I'm just getting this weird period of high pressure during that first 20 minutes or so of trying to fall asleep.

I should say, I don't think the pressure gets that high while I'm sleeping. It's just while I'm dozing, the pressure goes really high (for me) and I have to restart.

If it's the S9 AutoSet then there is software available so you can see what the pressure is doing and it also shows during ramp..
So check out the links in my signature line for information on software.

If you are awake and using a range of pressures with a minimum and maximum...the ramp should just bring you up to the minimum pressure and it should stay at the minimum pressure until you go to sleep and the events start driving the pressure up.

You need to confirm which mode of operation you are using and if auto mode then what the minimum and maximum is along with ramp starting point and ramp time.

So...cpap mode or Auto mode
If cpap mode...what pressure setting
If apap mode..what minimum and maximum
Ramp starting pressure and time for ramp to be used.

Will using that software do anything to the data on my card? I'm still in that initial usage period where I need to send the card in to the equipment supplier to verify with my insurance company that I'm using the machine.

Nope, won't hurt a thing to use the software as there is nothing in the software that changes anything anywhere.

All the stuff the DME wants is stored on the machine anyway and even if you lost the SD card you could buy a new one and put it in the S9 and the machine would write the hours of use (that's what the DME wants) back to the SD card.

To be on the safe side though just in case your computer might do something to the SD card you can slide the write protect lock so it is in read only setting...that way nothing can change on the SD card. Just make sure to unlock it before putting it back in the machine.

Oh...while the summary hours of use and overall AHI average is stored on the machine the detailed data graphs aren't...so be sure the SD card is inserted in the S9 each night so none of the detailed data gets lost.

Good to see you on this forum Mike....I found it myself after getting my machine.

I pulled the data from my card and here's what I got:



It doesn't seem like a lot of data. I was hoping for AHI and average pressure data, which seems to be missing. Is it because I haven't been on the machine long? Or could it be my machine isn't set to record this data?

But it does show that my machine is set for pressure from 5 to 16. The times I've felt like it was too much pressure was around 14, so I'm guessing that 10-12 is probably the max I can tolerate right now.

You might want to consider bumping up your minimum pressure to 8 or 9 and see what the results look like.
And, if you want to limit it to 12 on the maximum end, see what happens there, too.

An Escape Auto? You're not going to get much info out of that thing.


Den

.

Escape Auto...all it will ever give you is

Hours of use
average pressure used
overall AHI

That's it. There are no additional details available.

Doesn't show leaks...doesn't show anything else that might be needed.

Your profile says "Autoset" and your report says "Escape Auto". If the software you're using automatically detects which exact machine you're using, then you need to change your profile.

The Escape Auto is in the upper end of "brick" status.


Den

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SleepyHead does detect which model machine...so you don't have the S9 AutoSet..you have the S9 Escape Auto.
The data that the S9 Escape Auto isn't nearly as comprehensive as the data that you see on the other AutoSet reports that people post.

You are seeing all that your machine will show you. No graphs at all.

And, if you first started using it on March 18, 2014, you may still be able to get them to exchange it for the "Autoset".
Otherwise, you're just going to be "guessing" as to how your therapy is working.
If being "nice" doesn't initially work (exchanging it), you may need to be more "assertive" (nasty). But, if your insurance is paying for it, they don't care which model it is. The DME is trying to screw you......it's that simple.


Den

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+1

You should contact your DME today and request that they replace your brick with a Resmed S9 Autoset immediatly.
If they say anything other than bring it back and we will exchange it, you need to get more assertive. If I were you there is NO WAY I would keep that machine.