This machine is not doing anything for me. I'm getting a low influx of air, its good, clean air but its low volume. The fan next to me blows much more air and I'm breathing that too. The air from the BPAP seems to expect me to lead the way but I'm confused: shouldn't I be following the air coming in rather than having to do a lot of breathing work while I'm sleeping?

I had pictured that enough air would blow in to me so that it would push the flap back. But it seems that IF I COULD get enough air then it would be up to me, in my sleep, to generate the right amount of air and breathe hard enough to push the flap away if it starts to loosen and fall. I don't think I can be doing that kind of work.

Instead after two and half or three hours of use, I wake up to not inhaling nor exhaling the air around me and thinking that this is the natural way to sleep.

I realize other things in the other three times I woke up, I don't remember those other things but I know that I realized them each other night I awakened and realized that something isn't right about the set-up of this machine.

I close the machine by firmly pushing the middle button, then turning the surge protector that it is connected to off............Is this ok?

 
Used machine (Respironics M Series BPAP automachine) again, tried to sleep. Screen showed pressure of only 4.0 which went up briefly to 6.0 when I exhaled and quickly back to 4.0. Slept briefly (a few minutes) on side, very light sleep stage, no change in pressure (I would be aware if air pressure increased)............Back up in half an hour.

My original pulmonary doctor (a lady) said she wasn't able to read my card when I saw her yesterday-June 13. She told me to make an appointment with the doctor (the one who did my titration) who I don't get along with.

So I still don't know if the machine is stopping the apneas.

Here's what happened: I called the DME? ( the supplier who delivered the machine last Tuesday). They said they'd call me Monday and come over to see if I have the machine on right. See, the machine was set for a low of 4 and a high of 20 by the DME? or tech? who delivered the machine and there's one button on the left that is supposed to start me off low and build the pressure as I fall asleep but I don't know if I'm using it, if I pushed the button to build the pressure or if it was already set for that and that I ruin it when I pushed it again.

The DME? said he'd contact the male doctor (my regular or official doctor) before coming here on Monday.

Here's the problem though: I contacted my official doctor's office today and got two different messages from his staffmember. First message was that the machine/mask orders were messed up and that the doctor had actually ordered a different (I guess better) machine for me and a better mask and that he was going to make the switch on Monday................Second message was that he is going to stay with the present machine (and I guess mask although this mask isn't so good) and also that he had wanted (as the deliverer had said to me on Tuesday) to set me with a high of 19 and a low of 17 (but the deliverer set it from 20 to 4 instead) EVEN THOUGH MY TITRATION RATE WAS 12!

I mentioned about the 19/17 setting to the female doctor who I saw today. She (she treats apnea) said that doctors usually set by the titration number and that she didn't understand why my official doctor wanted to set it 19/17 so she told me she'd ask him............He never called me back but he called her and she told me to do it the way he wanted, that sometimes doctors think that there's need for more air despite the titration number..............

I don't know what's going on.

Hi Buck, please see my post to you in your other thread:
  http://www.apneasupport.org/viewtopic.php?t=17074

Blessings,
--pseudonym

Hmmmm. I would have thought if your titrated pressure was 12 cms that a trial on autoPAP would have been w/a pressure range of 10 cms to 20 cms or better yet 10 cms to 15 cms.

And if a bi-level auto that the set pressure would be 12 cms, the EPAP at 12 cms and the IPAP at 17 cms.

But then we do NOT know all the ins and outs of what data your sleep evaluation and titration provided. There could well be clues in that data to just why your sleep doctor has ordered the equipment and pressures that he has.

I'd be inclined to request copies of both my sleep evaluation and titration study full data summary reports w/condensed graphs (5+ pages each) and the doctor's dictated results (1-2 pages each) as well as my equipment orders and provide them to this lady doctors who also treats OSA and ask for her opinion. You certainly have a right to seek a second opinion.

You, obviously, would also do well to ask your local DME supplier to help you out by going over the proper procedure and use of your xPAP again as well. It sounds like the explanation of its use was gone thru too fast and too briefly for you to retain it all which is way too common. How they expect us to grasp and remember everything in just a few short minutes of demonstration when we are so tired and brain fogged is beyond me. It takes TIME for things to sink in when we are so sleep deprived. They should show us THEN make us show them that we know what we are doing and go thru the entire process ourselves w/them watching to coach us when we're unsure if we are doing it right.


_________________
Some people are like Slinkies... Not really good for anything, but they still bring a smile to your face when you push them down a flight of stairs.
Resmed VPAP Auto. Humidaire 3i, Simplicity & Micro masks, ResScan 3.4, S8 ResLink, Embla oximeter.

Thank you both for answering me, pseudonym I read your reply in the other section. I don't know what doctor to get, the one I have now (the male one) is very respected around here and i don't know who would contradict him. In other words, he is supposed to "know his stuff" but he acts very much "too good" to return my calls although he'll return the call of an equal or a professional............I don't like this doctor, I totally dislike his manner. He may have to have the manner he has otherwise he'd probably be burdened down with calls 24/7/365 from his patients or at least I guess that's his reasoning.

Crohnie, twice I ordered the copy of the titration study but haven't received it yet. The doctor had only seen the preliminary titration results when he told me my number was 12.

Anyway I work evenings, got home around 2 AM, tired to sleep but only slept 3 fitful hours with machine set on 4 when I inhale and 6 when I exhale:

I got up around 8 AM. I called the emergency, guy who called me back sounded angry and loud but I guess it didn't matter because he step by step on the phone giuded me to how to get the 19-high---17-low---pressure that the doctor wants and guided me as to how to reset the BPAP (away from being an AUTO PAP) and other things so that the machine would be able to take the new setting.

Its now a simple machine which blows air and I slept another 3 and a half hours on it but it was solid sleep this time (even though I had to use a sleeping pill at 9 AM and had used a sleeping pill at 3 AM).

My AHI had been 17.5, I saw that and I saw other bad numbers. One was a very high mask leak. The guy on the phone was VEHEMENT that the leaks only meant either that I had walked away from the mask while it was on (I didn't do much of that) and that the mask had been loose (which was true and still is a bit loose when I woke up) but the emergency guy showed me how to turn off the function which shows mask leak and I did so just because the voice was so angry and I just wanted to get some real sleep and have everything be alright.