Debkarm - Therapy Thread

[SaldusMiegas]

Oh, re: step by step procedure

In my case that was to set the auto settings wide open. Lowest and highest. And let the machine figure it out.

After a while you will notice what pressures are being used the most. Share some data and people will make helpful suggestions of what to do next.  

Then you can bump up from minimum to just below the most frequent low. This will help you avoid the incidents each night that cause the machine to initially bump up the pressure, and will improve your ahi by eliminating the ‘startup’ period each night.

Along the way you will learn what other settings make it more comfy for you. Things like back off pressure when you exhale. Temperature, humidity. How quickly or slowly to ramp up from zero to working pressure.  Auto on-off or rely on you pushing buttons.  

If someone has codified this into a step by step written procedure I am not aware of it. Great idea. 

Saldus Miegas

[SarcasticDave94]

There's a near zero benefit from having a sleep clinic control your CPAP settings for a fee. You can download OSCAR reporting, and with the SD card to collect data and comments here free with an attached OSCAR, you can set the machine yourself completely free.

The person using the CPAP has the greatest idea about how well the settings are working, effectively or not. The clinic won't know that, and will frequently get it wrong. Just read a few threads here for proof.

As for machine and supplies, check what your insurance allows. If you're able to buy yourself, then it'll most likely end up cheaper, probably much cheaper.

[Deborah K.]

Yep. Dump the clinic.

[mlmollenkamp]

I've had 7 machines over 20 years.  I got 3 of them through insurance and purchased the others either on line or via Craigslist.  I use OSCAR software regularly.  My last lab titration was about 7 years ago.  My feeling is that one night in a sleep lab 7 years ago isn't very meaningful now.  With lots of help from this and another apnea site I've had great results.  My experience here has been that once your AHI is below 5 they say you are good to go and it takes a lot of complaining to get anything else.   

In my case I have complex apnea.  They got my AHI to 4.5 and called it a day with an APAP.  I got it a bit lower with their machine (S10) but I wasn't happy.  A couple months ago I bought an AirCurve ASV for $700 on craigslist and I'll never look back. It took me about a week to get it tuned, but my AHI is now below 1 most nights rather than the 3 to 5 I had before.  I go to my doctor once a year so I can get supplies through Medicare.  

If you are comfortable with software you can do better than they do.  If you aren't comfortable with this sort of thing you might be better off with the clinic, at least initially.

[Deborah K.]

Even if you are not comfortable with software, we can help you get the settings and advice you need. Dump the clinic.

[Debkarm]

Hello everyone,
I recently started using a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet machine on a one-month trial loaner from a sleep clinic in Canada, following a sleep study. Since I began, I’ve been experiencing headaches. I asked the clinicians about it, and they suggested adjusting the headgear, but that hasn’t helped much.
The clinic offers ongoing support—like making setting changes and reviewing sleep data on their computer—but I haven’t found them to be very helpful overall. Their machines are also more expensive than buying online, which makes me question whether it’s worth continuing with them. I'm now thinking of buying a machine online and relying on this community for help with settings and support.
I’m also getting an SD card today so I can use the OSCAR software to monitor things myself with the help of this forum. 
Before I make any decisions, I’d love to know: are there other machines you’d recommend, or should I stick with the ResMed 10 autoset?
I’ve attached the report from the clinic, and I’d really appreciate any insight or suggested tweaks—especially anything that might help with the headaches I’ve been experiencing.
Thank you so much!

[Nightynite]

Don’t tighten your mask down thinking it’s the best way to prevent leaks. These mask are designed to flex and complete the seal. It’s all about experimenting and finding what works. Being in the sleeping position is when you do your mask adjusting.

[Old Steve]

Welcome to the forum...

The ResMed 10 is a very good machine, I use it and I would recommend you stick with it.

As to your settings when you have OSCAR and an SD card post some charts and either I or someone else on the forum can offer some advice on your settings.  In the meantime raise your low pressure setting to 7cm, 6cm is to low of pressure for an adult.  Also, you need at least 7cm of pressure for the EPR setting 3 to work properly. 

[Debkarm]

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Hello everyone,
I'm currently using a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet on a one-month loaner from a clinic in Canada. I’ve been using it consistently and sleeping around 7 hours a night, but I still feel very tired during the day and not refreshed.
I've attached my sleep study report and compliance report from the clinic, and I’m hoping someone can take a look and let me know if there are any settings or adjustments I should consider that might help improve how I feel.
Any feedback or suggestions would be really appreciated. Thanks in advance!

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[Deborah K.]

I think the Moderators will probably combine this with your other thread, as people will be better able to follow and help you that way.  We're not ignoring you, just waiting for the combined thread.