I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
I've been on my CPAP machine for two years at my prescribed strength of 9. I do love it. I was told the S9 Escape Auto "Auto Adjusts", but after I learned how to enter the clinician menu, I saw that it was set to CPAP @9. No adjustment what so ever.
So after reading out here, I have switched it over the APAP and I've left the default setting of 4 min and 20 max. Should I narrow that down by say 8-10? Or just leave it?
Is this going to be a huge adjustment? Or will I barely notice?
The S9 Escape Auto only has summary data, so I'll go by what I have. My oximeter comes in today, so I'll have that on as well.
I am led by my frustration with Excessive Daytime Sleepiness. I switched to a new Neurologist/Sleep Doctor who gave me a AirFit P10 to try to help me to keep from waking and to make my sleep better.
Sadly, my CPAP machine doesn't offer the detailed feedback I need. I am investigating getting a new one. Even if I have to purchase outright.
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
Hi givemesleep,
You might want to narrow your range, 4/20 might be a bit wide. What you could do is to set your minimum pressure to 7 and your maximum pressure to 12 and see if that helps you.
Hang in there for other ideas and much success to you as you fine tune your CPAP therapy.
trish6hundred
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
I would leave the max number set where it is at 20. It will not bring you anywhere close to that unless you really need that pressure to treat an obstruction. The bottom number is really just where you feel most comfortable falling asleep. If you are used to starting at 9, you will probably have an issue with starting at 4. This is just my opinion but if you can fall asleep easily at 9, I'd set it at 9-20 and let the Autoset take over from there. My prescribed pressure was 11 after my sleep study and my doctor prescribed 6-20 for my Autoset. I found 6 to be too low to fall asleep so I changed it myself to 7-20 and have no issues now. Most insurance companies will give you a new machine if yours is at least 5 years old...that's what my supplier told me anyway. An analysis of your sleep on ResScan software would be able to tell you where your pressures are going nightly and give you a better idea. Good luck.
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
A mod should probably merge these two duplicate threads...
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
The only problem with fiddling with the max number is what if an obstruction is experienced that requires a greater pressure than 12 to correctly treat? If you leave it at 20, the Autoset will automatically determine the appropriate pressure to treat that specific event.
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
With no monitoring capability, going directly to 20 as a max, if the machine kept bumping the pressure in response to perceived flow limitations, could introduce pressure induced centrals where there were none before, with no way to know.
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
I thought the newer machines were designed to identify flow limitations and differentiate between OSA and CSA events? I'm pretty sure mine does.
04-16-2015, 10:41 AM
(This post was last modified: 04-16-2015, 10:42 AM by justMongo.)
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
Start it just below your old CPAP pressure, like 8. At 4, you will be uncomfortable; and the machine will have to increase pressure more increments to treat your OSA. Give it more upper end room to work. I wish it had full data capability so you could see your pressure stats. I'd not open up as far as 20. So, we'll have to SWAG it. Try 16 cm-H2O as your upper limit. If you AHI goes up on auto, you may have some pressure induced centrals that are getting into then AHI. But, we cannot tell that without full data. So, you may have to tweak the max pressure to obtain optimum (minimum) AHI.
The advantage of going auto is to permit the machine some room to adjust for the variations that occur from night to night; and even as the years pass and we change. As for me: fatter, older, balder... you get the picture.
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
(04-16-2015, 10:40 AM)signal13 Wrote: I thought the newer machines were designed to identify flow limitations and differentiate between OSA and CSA events? I'm pretty sure mine does.
I believe you are right; however, the escape auto is a brick.
RE: I changed my CPAP to APAP - what to expect
Good input guys - thank you so much.
Looking forward to seeing what the limited data I have looks like tomorrow morning.