UARS: AirCurve 10 VAUTO $500 vs Dreamstation APAP $400

[hombrecpap]

I hope so! My in-lab sleep study attached, it probably looks weird because I got a massive headache until 2am (rare for me) and I made a mistake of not taking ibuprofen because didn't want ibuprofen to mess up with results which it's known to make apnea worse I heard

                   

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charts

   

[slowriter]

Your study looks similar to mine: lots of RERAs, hardly any REM.

[hombrecpap]

ENT called me (I haven't seen my report yet) after seeing the report and told me I have no surgical options (no sleep apnea, no insurance coverage), and that we should cancel my sleep endoscopy (which I regret now not getting it though).

He told me I had two self funded options for UARS: 
- oral appliance (I have invisalign, retainers going on, can't probably try that)
- slumberBump to force me to sleep on my side (which I tried last week, pain in the rib lasting all day after using it). It seems from the study I barely slept on my back though.

He wasn't even going to bring up CPAP as an option because it's not covered by insurance...

[slowriter]

ENT called me (I haven't seen my report yet) after seeing the report and told me I have no surgical options (no sleep apnea, no insurance coverage), and that we should cancel my sleep endoscopy (which I regret now not getting it though).

He told me I had two self funded options for UARS: 
- oral appliance (I have invisalign, retainers going on, can't probably try that)
- slumberBump to force me to sleep on my side (which I tried last week, pain in the rib lasting all day after using it). It seems from the study I barely slept on my back though.

He wasn't even going to bring up CPAP as an option because it's not covered by insurance...

But you're covered on that now!

My bet is once you get dialed in on the vauto, and adjusted to it (will take some time, so be patient), you won't have a problem sleeping on your back. 

Indeed, tarah (see her thread) noted after getting her vauto she was able to sleep well on her back for first time in many years!

[hombrecpap]

Got AirCurve 10 yesterday. First decided to collect reference data with low fixed IPAP/EPAP.  "4" was suffocating, eventually I abandoned that idea and decided to go with recommended default settings (almost):

Ramp=Off
Mode=VAuto
Min EPAP=5
Max IPAP=13
PS=4
(I also ended up bumping Ti max from 2.0 to 2.5)

I was struggling to fall asleep for an hour, then waking up multiple times during the next hour, until I decided to continue sleeping without AirCurve at midnight (2 hours total) since I had an important day coming.  

When I woke up the device showed AHI 10, Central Apnea 10!
Not sure why! Maybe my mouth would open sometimes, strange. 

OSCAR Screenshots:



Zoomed to a fake or not fake CA event:

[ragtopcircus]

I’m not so sure that’s fake ... and you have Centrals in your sleep report. I’d suggest holding off until the experts have a chance to weigh in, or at least turn the pressure support down for now (2?).

Question for the experts: the Vauto Clinician Guide documents a fixed backup rate available in S mode only, but I don’t see it with either the 302 or 306 firmware. Is that an error, or am I missing something?

[jaswilliams]

There is no backup rate in the VAuto


I would suggest dropping the PS to 2 fir now you will prob get used to a higher ps over time and the CA’s drop

[Gideon]

Real events. Your machine is operating efficiently and it is washing out too much CO2 from your blood. Reducing PS should help this.

[hombrecpap]

Thanks!  I didn't see the comments last night when I decided to drop PS to 0 to start slow / simple.
I made a mistake the first night: incorrectly set a mask type within settings: nasal instead of pillows, 
maybe that changes the machine's behavior. 


Night #2
PS: 0
Pressure range: 7-12

I was able to last 5 hours with the machine waking up many times, then 3 hours  without.  Some neck pain/tension upon waking up.
(used paper medical tape for mouth-taping to avoid false CA events, was deciding to try cervical collar, but maybe next time)

Data seems to be looking better, AirCurve raises pressure in response to flow limitations, which there seems to be a lot.
I guess that's my UARS there.
Maybe I just need to hang in there on these settings for a few nights to get used to the whole experience?




Full Night (pressure jumps)

[slowriter]

I'm guessing you're going to need PS, and will just be a balance between that and CAs, and how your body/brain adjusts.

I wouldn't start at 0. Start at least at 2 (per recommendation above), and if OK, slowly raise over time.