[Equipment] Settings/Getting Started REMStar 60 Series

[Stax63]

I am sure this is a recurring thread that pops up on this board on a regular basis. I bought my CPAP machine without doing any sleep studies. I have a very healthy distrust of an industry that is famous for ordering "needless" tests on a regular basis and the costs involved. So, my challenge is the clinical settings that I must set on my PR System One REMStar 60 Series Auto with Blue Tooth. I also purchased the heated tube humidifier and tube. So, it works...but I have the constant feeling that I am getting too much air pressure on the return that just never allows me to get fully comfortable or get to sleep. My girlfriend says that I have faded out for a 1/2 hour here and there and I do not have apnea events or snoring during those periods. Are there any experts out there who can give me some feedback on some basic "starter" settings and how to increase them as needed until I find the ones that work for me?

[OpalRose]

Ok, so you have no sleep study and no perscription.
You can auto titrate yourself with your machine.

In Clinicial menu, set machine to Auto mode, with is minimum setting of 6 and a maximum setting of 15.

You can also try a flex setting of 2. This will help you breath out against the pressure.

In the meantime, download the Sleepyhead software. Be sure you have an SD card in the APAP.
http://OSCAR Official Download Page ----> CLICK HERE ./

Once you get a few days of data, put the SD card in your computer and look for medium, and 90% pressure readings. This will also tell your your AHI numbers.

An ideal pressure range will be based on that 90% number, and what the breakdown of your AHI is.

From there, post those numbers back here and someone will look at it.

Clinicians manual here: http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

[Stax63]

Thank you Opal Rose, I intend to try that this evening. Initially I felt like I was drowning in air!

[trish6hundred]

Hi Stax63,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Much success to you with your CPAP therapy and hang in there for more responses to your post.

[Stax63]

I am afraid I have become a bit frustrated. I cannot find a comfortable setting to get started on the CPAP. I feel like i am drowning in air. Does that make sense?

[OpalRose]

You haven't said what pressure you set your machine at.

It takes some folk longer to adjust, and you haven't been at this very long.
The last thing you want to do is let yourself become frustrated.

Take some time every day and wear your mask hooked up to APAP while watching TV or reading, not laying down.
The time will go fast, and you'll find that you won't notice the pressure as much.

I'm not sure what you mean by "drowning" in air. If you set the min. Pressure at 6cm, try lowering it to 5, but most people feel like they starved for air with a setting that low.

Have you downloaded the Sleepyhead software yet? Do so, and let us know what your 90% pressure reading it, and your leak rate.

[robysue]

I am afraid I have become a bit frustrated. I cannot find a comfortable setting to get started on the CPAP. I feel like i am drowning in air. Does that make sense?

Yes, it makes sense. I remember that feeling very, very well.

In order to help you, we need to know the following things about your APAP's settings. You need to go into the clinical menu to check most of these settings.

Mode: CPAP or APAP?

If CPAP: What's the pressure setting?

If APAP:
Min Pressure =
Max Pressure =

Is Flex turned ON or OFF? If Flex is ON, what is it set to?

Are you using the RAMP? If so, how long is the ramp period and what is the beginning ramp pressure set at?

What setting(s) do you have the heated hose set to? There may be more than one hose setting depending on how you have the hose set up.

Finally, I'll offer this tip: Since you are having problems with too much air coming in to exhale comfortably, I would suggest setting the min pressure to 4cm.

There are a lot of people on these boards who claim that "nobody" can be comfortable at such a low pressure. What they forget is that when they were newbies, they felt air starved rather than drowning in air. When you feel starved for air, you can't inhale comfortably because it feels as though there's not enough air coming in through the mask. And increasing the pressure helps that problem.

But there are also some folks like you and me who find the pressure overwhelming and it does indeed feel like we're drowning to too much air. Increasing the min pressure makes that problem worse. Usually Flex can help. But since you are self titrating, you might as well start with setting the min pressure to 4cm and see if that makes it feel less overwhelming.