Hi,

My Respironics M Series Pro CPAP Machine offers 3 different C-flex settings.  C-flex is intended to improve comfort by reducing the exhalation effort.
My unit is set to 2.

Has anyone out there any experience at different C-flex levels?  Was there any noticeable difference?

I don't care for C-Flex myself, and had it turned off for a long time.  I found it distracting to have the machine back off the pressure on my exhale, I would rather have steady pressure.

But my pressure settings were adjusted upward by my doc, and I began experiencing fairly severe aerophagia (swallowing air).  Changing my body position plus adding C-Flex back in (at setting 3) pretty much eliminated the aerophagia for me, so now I use it.

This is really just a personal preference issue, if you have aerophagia or have difficulty exhaling against the pressure, try the three settings and see if any are helpful.  If not, don't use it.  Generally speaking it does not have a significant impact on your therapy one way or the other.

Blessings,
--pseudonym

pseudonym wrote:

I don't care for C-Flex myself, and had it turned off for a long time.  I found it distracting to have the machine back off the pressure on my exhale, I would rather have steady pressure.

But my pressure settings were adjusted upward by my doc, and I began experiencing fairly severe aerophagia (swallowing air).  Changing my body position plus adding C-Flex back in (at setting 3) pretty much eliminated the aerophagia for me, so now I use it.

This is really just a personal preference issue, if you have aerophagia or have difficulty exhaling against the pressure, try the three settings and see if any are helpful.  If not, don't use it.  Generally speaking it does not have a significant impact on your therapy one way or the other.

Blessings,
--pseudonym

Thanks for sharing!  Now that my CPAP pressure has been increased from 12 to 15 cm of H20, I've noticed on occasion problems with swallowing air.  I'll try a higher setting and see what happens.

Search this board for 'aerophagia' it's a common problem and there isn't always an easy answer.  C-Flex helps greatly, but it generally also takes changing the relationship between your head and neck, usually getting them flat and in alignment.  (Aerophagia is a physiology problem, you must change the angle of your airway to your esophagus to minimize or eliminate the air going in the 'wrong pipe'.)

I've written detailed answers to folk as have others, on ways you can try to change your position.  Search the board and you'll find lots of ideas, should just upping the C-Flex setting not be enough for you.

Blessings,
--pseudonym