Newbie looking for guidance...

[Gideon]

How much pressure are we talking about here? I want you to get a tall glass of water and a straw. Fill the glass to at least 8 inches, then commence performing the difficult task of blowing thru the straw. The amount of pressure it took to perform that task is the Maximum pressure that your machine is capable of producing. It astounds me that so little pressure, assuming the max of 20 it takes to manage obstructive apnea. That is far, far less than it takes to blow up a balloon.

[Insopita]

Reporting on a very challenging night!  Pressure 7-10, EPR 3. 

Felt like I could not get enough air... makes no sense to me.  Struggled for an hour trying to talk myself into comfort.  Somewhere along the way I thought maybe if I made EPR 2 it would feel better.  Didn't help.  Gave up finally.  Tried it again this morning.  Was a little better but didn't sleep.

This morning it felt like occasional bubbles of air formed in my esophagus or somewhere in there, then I could hear/feel them moving south.  Now, an hour or more after arising, I'm still burping air.  Why would air go into my digestive system?

One thing different, I had soba noodles for supper and see they are 70% wheat.  I  haven't been eating wheat ... maybe it did something to my air passages.

Another thought:  If the Flow Limitations are anything like Apneas, wouldn't the Flow Limitations chart flatten out when I'm awake?


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[Gideon]

OK, Your flow limitations are driving your pressure up, therefore we cannot let you roam free in auto mode. Also doing this is apparently causing you to suffer from some aerophagia (air in the stomach) so we need to manage your max pressure carefully.

Set your Max Pressure to 7 and EPR to 3. This is essentially fixed pressure at 7 with EPR of 3 providing EPAP of 4 and IPAP of 7. This should also provide relief from the aerophagia

Please keep the notes on how you are feeling coming.

[Insopita]

Oh dear, no auto freedom!  So now I'm assuming that not everyone goes directly to the top of the range and stays there...

Okay, max of 7 sounds good.  Minimum of 6 maybe?

[Gideon]

Please EPR 3 and Min and max of 7

[Dormeo]

I think Bonjour is suggesting that you set both IPAP and EPAP to 7. With the EPR at 3, your actual EPAP will be 4. This is an experiment, and to assess it, he will need not just your data but your reports of your experiences, e.g., aerophagia, wake-ups, rested or unrested  feelings during the day.  I hope tonight will be better for you!

About flow limitations while you are awake: I have them all the time. For me this is because of nasal congestion (I think). Is that an issue for you?

[Insopita]

Thank you, Bonjour and Dormeo.  Okay, max and min at 7, epr 3, leaving it on Autoset.

No, nasal congestion doesn't seem to be an issue.  Except maybe last night after eating a fair-sized serving of noodles I thought were buckwheat but were 70% wheat.  I'm really wondering if that was part of my problem.  

My feelings today are super tired!

[Insopita]

Oh my goodness!  Did you see my chart???  Longest sleep I've had in ages.  After I removed the mask, fell asleep again till almost 9:00.  I feel kind of sleep-logged this morning.  Slow, heavy.  Hard time getting moving.  Going to be late for church.  But oh so much better! 

Other than the first hour, I was asleep most of the time.  Fell asleep quicker than normal after the two awakenings. 


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[Dormeo]

Fantastic! Seems like things are headed in the right direction.

Now let’s see how it goes. You may have better and worse nights; it’s the general trend that really matters.

[Gideon]

This was never about your numbers, but about your comfort.

I'll suggest leaving your settings alone for a week, then evaluate your feelings and make adjustments as needed.