To Ramp or Not To Ramp? Is that the question?

[PaulaO2]

With your pressure being "just" 7, you are better off with it turned off.

Ramp starts at the lowest pressure, which is 4, then increases to the treatment pressure (or minimum pressure if auto). So for you, it's not really doing much as far as slowly introducing you to the pressure as it is designed to do.

Sit up during the day and try it first. Turn off the ramp, put on the mask, and turn on the machine. You should be doing this anyway just to get used to the whole experience. Wear it for half an hour or so while you read or watch TV. If you need to, lift the mask off your face so you can breathe (psychology thing) then put it back on. It really only takes a day/night or two to get used to it.

[DeepBreathing]

My pressures are pretty high and I can't get to sleep once they kick in, so the ramp is a godsend for me. I have it set to 10 minutes, which is usually enough for me to drop off.

[archangle]

Don't use the ramp unless you have to.

If you need it at the beginning, try to wean yourself off of it.

You'll usually find the pressure doesn't bother you after you get used to sleeping with it. It also helps adjust the mask to avoid leaks. With ramp, you may get leaks once the pressure ramps up.

However, if you need it long term, use it.

[Sleeprider]

Been using APAP since 2008 and used the ramp for the first week or so, then shut it off. It's not a problem for me to start at therapeutic pressure, and that is my preference. I found ramp to be a bit suffocating.

[zonk]

Good question, thanks for asking
There is no right or wrong answer or brownie points for that matter, do what you have to do

I don't use Ramp but don't dislike it either
I feel comfortable start at 9 and let the AutoSet do its own thing
It would been different story had my pressure been 15 or higher, then I would definitely appreciate Ramp starting a bit lower (not much lower) than set pressure for 15 or 20 minutes

Edit: oops, forget to vote
voted for the 3rd option, but .... never say never

[AshSF]

I started on an APAP with wide open 4-20 range. So for me, there was no ramp. But after a few weeks, I raised the minimum to 5. Then to 6 in two weeks. And then to 7 after two weeks. And I do feel relieved to be breathing ample air at 7 vs. the feeling of labored breathing at 4. But I went up slowly otherwise I don't think I could handle 7 on first day.

So in this way, its a sort of a ramp but I tried each starting pressure for at least 2 weeks to get comfortable.

A strategy you can take is (if the A10 Elite) allows it, is to have the ramp start pressure go up 1 notch every 10-14 days. This way, you will soon eliminate the need for a ramp to 7 as you will start off at 7. So do the ramp from 4-7 for 10 days, then do ramp from 5-7 for 10 days. Then 6-7 and then finally no ramp needed at 7.

YMMV.

[cant_sleep_in_nj]

never saw the need so never used the ramp

[JimZZZ]

I don't use the ramp because I when I put my mask on, I like to wiggle it around to eliminate any tendency to leak. That's easier to do if the pressure is at least at the minimum of my auto range.

[Amie87]

I noticed that some people dislike the ramp feature because they like to check for mask leaks which makes sense. I however, think that they way my mask fits its very hard to get leaks. I've actually played around with it, pulling it out from my face, laying on my side with it pushing in the pillow and what have you and actually found it was difficult to make it leak. I guess I'm lucky the way my face and mask love each other


After seeing a lot of people dislike ramp or prefer not to use it, I shut it off last night. My therapy pressure (for now) is 7 and it wasn't uncomfortable. It was actually nice to practice breathing with that pressure, and after awhile I was able to relax and doze off. I only woke up two or three times last night, which was a lot less then my first night, and I attribute a lot of that to turning off ramp. I think the ramp was startling me awake because I wasn't use to the higher pressure.


For now, I think I will go without ramp, but I've just started therapy and my actual number may be higher then 7. If it gets much higher, I may find the ramp better, but starting it at the 4 I think doesn't make sense for me personally.


Thanks for all your input

[PaytonA]

It is good that you can use the CPAP without ramp. At your therapeutic pressure there really is not much ramp anyway. There are some whose therapeutic pressure is much higher and utilizing the ramp is nice. It is nice for the ramp feature to not be a necessity. Way to go.

Best Regards,

PaytonA