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Can a CPAP machine treat central apneas?
Sleep Health | Last Active: Jul 9, 2023 | Replies (30)Comment receiving replies
Carol, at my other forum where we deal with all things CPAP, and often undoing damage that 'experts' have done, we routinely counsel people to consider adjusting their minimum pressure up into the 6-7 range. A low limit of 4 leaves you no room for the EPR setting of 1, 2, or 3 for a conventional (non ASV) delivery. I couldn't begin to tell you how many newbies come to our forum, desperate for help because their RT or sleep doctor has begun to shrug their shoulders and say to keep trying. Trying what?!?!? The same wrong therapy?!? The same therapy that I'm still complaining about after all these weeks and months?!? We find that their experts have set a lower limit of 4 for expiration pressure, pressure relief in the 2-3 range, which causes CSAs, and an upper limit that blows their mask off their faces near zero dark thirty in the morning. That's not therapy, that's hell. When still alive. The ResMed machines have the best algorithm in the business, and their machines, the Autoset Air Curve and similar machines, are self-titrating and will soon tell the patient what range he/she needs. But we find that the lowest setting is never below about 5.5-6, and most of us like 6-7.
BTW, in my case, in Canada, it's only one month of the same requirement for 'compliance', as the industry calls it. A minimum of four hours for 21 days of the trail month of 30 days. I do hope you have no trouble doing it for the peace of mind you'll get.
Replies to "Carol, at my other forum where we deal with all things CPAP, and often undoing damage..."
For Obstructive Sleep Apnea I have been using an AutoPap for 24 years. My preference is not to use any ramping, but set the range for 8-16. Then when I sleep the machine will adjust accordingly to need. I’m 100% compliant and use my wonderful quiet, odorless old appliance for the complete sleep duration. Sweet dreams!
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I have very mild sleep apnea. I don't even sleep with the cpap on. I use it for 4 hours BEFORE I go to sleep. I know it is successful because I sleep between 5-7 hours, which is normal for me anyway, but I am dreaming a lot more than before. You have to be in REM sleep to dream and people with sleep apnea wake too often to get to the REM sleep. I am in Florida and I trust my neurologist. Like I said, he has a doctorate in sleep study as well as all he needs to know about the neurological system of one's body. I will continue to do as he says because it's working for me. I have just the nasal cpap, not the full face one. We did this to see if we could find out where the internal vibrations are coming from. I mean no offense by this but I think I trust someone who actually specializes in the field rather than someone who does not. What works for one person does not necessarily work for another. I don't think someone without the medical knowledge should be giving specific medical advice to people. Having a forum doesn't mean you are qualified to give the advice. As I said, no offense at all, that's just how I feel. My machine is the ResMed and its the newer machine. I'm not complaining about my therapy because it's working for me. It's only when we talk about internal vibrations I bring up the cpap because it helps with those. Don't ask me how but that is something I intend to talk to the doctor about next month. My doctor also doesn't shrug his shoulders and say keep trying. He is very good at his job. 🙂