(03-23-2015, 03:11 PM)Terry Wrote: All you get in CPAP mode is a really nice printout of what would have been fixed if the machine was set to auto, which it wasn't. 8-)
As near as I can tell, setting an auto machine to manual is only useful if you happen to be a doctor or own a sleep lab and need more business. 8-)
Auto is much better, since you not only get to see the data, the machine will try to eliminate your apneas instead of just reporting them.
I must disagree. Auto is better for many, if not most, people. For some people, manual CPAP is better than auto.
The pressure changes may bother some people.
You may have apnea for a while before the machine adjusts the pressure upward.
The auto machine doesn't always find "THE" right pressure. Not everyone has apnea up to a certain pressure, at which apnea stops. The machine may end up hunting and never finding the sweet spot.
Some people may trade a slightly lower pressure for comfort, gas, etc. vs. the "right" pressure the APAP will find.
Sometimes, there are more subtle problems such as UARS or flow limitations that mean you need a higher pressure than the APAP wants to provide.
With a good manual machine, and with someone competent monitoring the data and adjusting pressure as needed, manual therapy will work better than Auto for some CPAP'ers.
I don't understand your comment about data. A good manual CPAP gives you a readout of the way your therapy is actually working for you.
I will agree everyone should get an APAP machine, since it can be set to manual or auto. I don't agree the machines should always be set to run in Auto mode.