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[CPAP] CPAP Pressures - Printable Version

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CPAP Pressures - Sweet Birdsong - 05-13-2015

Hi everyone,

I went to see my Respiratory Consultant and he is going to treat me with CPAP. He said my airways collapse during sleep. I am getting the machine tomorrow hopefully. I will use it for two weeks. It will have a card in it to record my breathing. He said i am to go back and see him in two weeks time, he will then decide what pressure to set it at.

He said i will need the CPAP long-term, and i should feel so much better once i start using it. It will be on automatic setting for two weeks, will it give me any pressure in those two weeks, or does it just record my breathing events? What would the usual pressure be for Mild Sleep Apnea?
My A+H is 26 (7.6)

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts please.

Best Wishes
Sweet Birdsong Smile


RE: CPAP Pressures - Crimson Nape - 05-13-2015

You can't base pressures on an AHI. Pressure settings are calculated based on your physical structure and sleeping position(s). By setting it on an automatic titration mode will allow the machine to raise or lower its pressure based off of your current sleeping conditions. After two weeks (assuming you used it every night at least 4 hours) the doctor should have enough data to further constrain the pressure settings to a pressure band that will provide you a more comprehensive therapy.

The data that is usually recorded on the SD card are: events(CA's, OA's, Hypo's and maybe RERA's), pressure settings, leaks, flow rates, respiration, tidal volume, and hours of use. (I'm sure I've missed one or two).

Just remember. don't be surprised at trying to breathe the first time you try the CPAP. It will probably feel like you just took a toke off of an air compressor.


RE: CPAP Pressures - Sweet Birdsong - 05-13-2015

(05-13-2015, 03:52 PM)sgearhart Wrote: You can't base pressures on an AHI. Pressure settings are calculated based on your physical structure and sleeping position(s). By setting it on an automatic titration mode will allow the machine to raise or lower its pressure based off of your current sleeping conditions. After two weeks (assuming you used it every night at least 4 hours) the doctor should have enough data to further constrain the pressure settings to a pressure band that will provide you a more comprehensive therapy.

The data that is usually recorded on the SD card are: events(CA's, OA's, Hypo's and maybe RERA's), pressure settings, leaks, flow rates, respiration, tidal volume, and hours of use. (I'm sure I've missed one or two).

Just remember. don't be surprised at trying to breathe the first time you try the CPAP. It will probably feel like you just took a toke off of an air compressor.

Hi there and thank you for your reply. Sorry this is all new to me so i know nothing about how they calculate the pressure, thanks for your explanation.

I've heard it can be difficult to get used to, why is that? My doc told me to persevere.

Sweet Birdsong Smile



RE: CPAP Pressures - DariaVader - 05-13-2015

Some people have very little adjusting and take to it like a duck to water... here's hoping you will be one!
  • some have issues with the air itself. gulping it down and causing stomach or intestinal distress
  • some have issues with mask leakage and mask fitting
  • some mouth breathe and struggle with learning not to
  • some have issues with sinus drainage and/or eye puffiness
but its mitigated by fewer (or no) trips to the loo at night, better rest, fewer headaches, and a better sense of well being that grows as you continue





RE: CPAP Pressures - wildboar - 05-13-2015

(05-13-2015, 04:15 PM)Sweet Birdsong Wrote: I've heard it can be difficult to get used to, why is that? My doc told me to persevere.

Just jump into it without any preconceived notions and think about the benefits. You no longer have to worry about choking in your sleep. It does require patience at first to get everything dialed in. This may take some time. Some people are golden from the first night. It took me a long time to get the right mask and settings in place but now everything is so good I don't want to take the mask off when I wake up. Ultimately you can end up with everything so comfortable that you don't even know you're wearing it when you wake up.




RE: CPAP Pressures - Sweet Birdsong - 05-13-2015

(05-13-2015, 04:21 PM)DariaVader Wrote: Some people have very little adjusting and take to it like a duck to water... here's hoping you will be one!
  • some have issues with the air itself. gulping it down and causing stomach or intestinal distress
  • some have issues with mask leakage and mask fitting
  • some mouth breathe and struggle with learning not to
  • some have issues with sinus drainage and/or eye puffiness
but its mitigated by fewer (or no) trips to the loo at night, better rest, fewer headaches, and a better sense of well being that grows as you continue

Hi there and thanks for your thoughts,

Will let you know if any of the above happens. I saw on your profile that you had your thyroid removed, am i right? I had mine removed in 2012,thankfully they spared the parathyroid glands. I had an adenoma on mine ,but because i was quite young when I got it, around 29, my doc said at the time that radioactive iodine was the best option to shrink it, i was overactive until 2012, now underactive, don't know which one's worse!

The thing is with me is the TSH, it's always very low. Thyroxine 175mcg at the moment and doing ok on that. For all the years that i was overactive i used to have biopsies yearly, and sometimes twice a year. Although it was a benign adenoma, it started to grow a bit again, so they decided instead of getting biopsy after biopsy, just take it out. So no more of them!

Best Wishes
Sweet Birdsong






RE: CPAP Pressures - Sweet Birdsong - 05-13-2015

(05-13-2015, 04:27 PM)wildboar Wrote:
(05-13-2015, 04:15 PM)Sweet Birdsong Wrote: I've heard it can be difficult to get used to, why is that? My doc told me to persevere.

Just jump into it without any preconceived notions and think about the benefits. You no longer have to worry about choking in your sleep. It does require patience at first to get everything dialed in. This may take some time. Some people are golden from the first night. It took me a long time to get the right mask and settings in place but now everything is so good I don't want to take the mask off when I wake up. Ultimately you can end up with everything so comfortable that you don't even know you're wearing it when you wake up.


Hi there and thanks for your thoughts,

You're so right! The benefits will far outweigh the tricky bits. The main thing is as you say i won't have to worry about choking in my sleep. I could be very lucky and adjust like a duck to water!:grin:

I'm glad yours is working out for you, you must feel a lot better because you are sleeping better. Long may it last Sleep-well

Best Wishes
Sweet Birdsong



RE: CPAP Pressures - DariaVader - 05-13-2015

(05-13-2015, 06:26 PM)Sweet Birdsong Wrote: Hi there and thanks for your thoughts,

Will let you know if any of the above happens. I saw on your profile that you had your thyroid removed, am i right? I had mine removed in 2012,thankfully they spared the parathyroid glands. I had an adenoma on mine ,but because i was quite young when I got it, around 29, my doc said at the time that radioactive iodine was the best option to shrink it, i was overactive until 2012, now underactive, don't know which one's worse!

The thing is with me is the TSH, it's always very low. Thyroxine 175mcg at the moment and doing ok on that. For all the years that i was overactive i used to have biopsies yearly, and sometimes twice a year. Although it was a benign adenoma, it started to grow a bit again, so they decided instead of getting biopsy after biopsy, just take it out. So no more of them!

Best Wishes
Sweet Birdsong

yes, my poor thyroid is history. I had multinodular goiter. In my 30s the right side began to enlarge, but the left was only slightly enlarged so just after turning 40 I had the right side removed - I was making enough thyroxine so I didnt want them to take it all. Didn't want to be dependent on thyroid hormone pills Sad they wanted to take it all and I shoulda let them! the right side was 34 grams (shoulda been ~6) in 2010 I had the left removed as well, because it did what they said it would.... this time 94 grams removed! I think before I had that out my apnea was much worse, and I hoped it would go away... I sure tried to ignore it Big Grin As it turns out, for me the synthetic hormone works better than the stuff my gland used to make! I'd had symptoms of both hyper and hypo, but labs that came out fine, and a gland that was anything but fine. at 175 mcg, your TSH would be low alright. I was on 134mcg and dropped it recently to 112. Post Menopausal women need less, and I started having hyper symptoms again. Hyper can make you extremely tired, btw... they say it is supposed to make you hyper like on speed, but it makes you over tired and wears out your heart. I would encourage you to see a good endocrinologist (hard to find!) thyroid may be causing some of your symptoms and also contributing to the apnea.



RE: CPAP Pressures - trish6hundred - 05-13-2015

Hi Sweet Birdsong,
Good luck to you as you use the machine to figure out where your pressure will be.
When you get it, to help your body get used to this new way of sleeping, wear the mask and use the machine while you watch tv or read during the evening.
Hang in there for more responses to your post, much success to you.


RE: CPAP Pressures - truetopath - 05-14-2015

Welcome to the board! The thing about cpap therapy and adjusting is it is highly subjective. Some get it right away, and some it takes some time. Don't be afraid to ask to try different masks to optimize your comfort and therapy.