slipperyslope
01-15-2008, 08:01 PM
I have my CPAP set at 8 which is pretty low, and hubby tells me I am snoring but only while I am on my back and its not a heavy snore,very light, but he can hear it, I don't snore at all when I am on my side which is how I sleep most of the night but I do like to sleep on my back too. I am thinking I need to increase my pressure. my machine has an adjustment so I CAN raise it but how many points should I raise it, should I start with 1 or 2 bumps up how do you go about figuring this out? If I have to go back to the sleep center it will cost me 1,700.00 as my insurance won't pay for this, so I REALLY don't want to have to do that. I was thinking of calling my sleep Dr and going in to see him to see if he can suggest anything without repeating the test I just took 2 months ago. Maybe he has a divice I can take home that would be cheaper, I hate to skimp on my health but 1,700.00 is a lot of dough and I dread repeating that test again, it was not fun at all.
Thanks, SS
Thanks, SS
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mkgbrook
01-15-2008, 08:16 PM
Every time my son grows we have to adjust his machine with out a titration. He is 5 so if we had a titration every time he gained weight or grew.. it would be many times a year.
Well we were told to be human computers. The sleep studies jump you in .5 increments every time a minimum of five events in time x are detected... so when my son shows signs of sleep deprivation which in children one bad night is evident... we bump him .5 on his machine. We hold this for a 1-2 weeks. If sleep deprivation/snoring in your case continues bump it another .5 and hold.. etc. As an adult you should be able to tell or your husband should be able to tell you if it is working. When your pressure is right, snoring will cease.
Not sure if this will help.. but it is our method for adjustment. I have to operate at 11 when my sleep study told me I only needed 7. However at 7 I still have 5 events an hour and feel like &*%@ SO.. I stay at 11.
MG
Well we were told to be human computers. The sleep studies jump you in .5 increments every time a minimum of five events in time x are detected... so when my son shows signs of sleep deprivation which in children one bad night is evident... we bump him .5 on his machine. We hold this for a 1-2 weeks. If sleep deprivation/snoring in your case continues bump it another .5 and hold.. etc. As an adult you should be able to tell or your husband should be able to tell you if it is working. When your pressure is right, snoring will cease.
Not sure if this will help.. but it is our method for adjustment. I have to operate at 11 when my sleep study told me I only needed 7. However at 7 I still have 5 events an hour and feel like &*%@ SO.. I stay at 11.
MG
bethsheba
01-15-2008, 09:19 PM
It was my understanding that the pressures should be adjusted under the guidance of the physician because increasing them too much could cause damage to the lungs.
My machine has been set so I can't change the pressures but it has a smart card so my physician knows if my pressures are ok simply by downloading my card onto his computer.
He then reviews the data, and sets the pressures accordingly.
Not all cpap/bipaps are like this, but you may have something similar.
Bethsheba
My machine has been set so I can't change the pressures but it has a smart card so my physician knows if my pressures are ok simply by downloading my card onto his computer.
He then reviews the data, and sets the pressures accordingly.
Not all cpap/bipaps are like this, but you may have something similar.
Bethsheba
mkgbrook
01-16-2008, 10:16 AM
My pulmonologist- sleep specialist encourages us to self adjust during times of illness and allergies. With children as young as my son (5). Every growth spurt can and often does increase demands. As a result he has to have sleep studies at least 2 times a year and we have to adjust in small steps in between. So far we have not been off. The other thing to note is that the computer that sets your sleep study doesn't continue to up the pressure til events are gone.. only til events are 5 or less and hour. If you have 5 bad events an hour you will still feel horrible despite using a CPAP. As a result or MD advises the 2 week adjustment phases of .5 on the CPAP until you wake rested.
In his experience most feel and function better after sleeping on a CPAP at pressures 2-4 times higher than computationally determined. They manually overrided the computer last time i had a study and sure enough it was 10.8 before all my events went away. 9 or less and I woke once an hour. But YES do not just raise your CPAP with out first calling and talking with your MD. Boosting your self a point or two gradually over time shouldn't damage your lungs a bit. However you should get your MD/his respiratory nurses opinion on this...
My son is due his next titration in a month. He has went up 2 points since his last 1. I will let you all know what the next study says. ;) He is already beginning to show irritation, frustration, and mood volatility coming back after his last bump three days ago. We have to let it ride and see how well he adjusts.
Sleeping on ones side is preferred less weigh on the lungs and no risk of tongue collapse and obstruction. You can train yourself to stay on your side with pillows and as a last resort a balls sewn into pockets on the back of your PJs. You most likely only need a 1-2 point total increase. I doubt that your MD will have a problem with a point or to bump up. Mine is fine with me holding at 11.
MG
In his experience most feel and function better after sleeping on a CPAP at pressures 2-4 times higher than computationally determined. They manually overrided the computer last time i had a study and sure enough it was 10.8 before all my events went away. 9 or less and I woke once an hour. But YES do not just raise your CPAP with out first calling and talking with your MD. Boosting your self a point or two gradually over time shouldn't damage your lungs a bit. However you should get your MD/his respiratory nurses opinion on this...
My son is due his next titration in a month. He has went up 2 points since his last 1. I will let you all know what the next study says. ;) He is already beginning to show irritation, frustration, and mood volatility coming back after his last bump three days ago. We have to let it ride and see how well he adjusts.
Sleeping on ones side is preferred less weigh on the lungs and no risk of tongue collapse and obstruction. You can train yourself to stay on your side with pillows and as a last resort a balls sewn into pockets on the back of your PJs. You most likely only need a 1-2 point total increase. I doubt that your MD will have a problem with a point or to bump up. Mine is fine with me holding at 11.
MG
bethsheba
01-16-2008, 04:35 PM
My pulmonologist- sleep specialist encourages us to self adjust during times of illness and allergies....
MG, this is what I meant by under the guidance of a physician...your pulmonologist has given you info/instructions as to adjusting the pressures...not all docs will do this and I would suspect it has to do with the individual case...
...The other thing to note is that the computer that sets your sleep study doesn't continue to up the pressure til events are gone.. only til events are 5 or less and hour.... Mg, I'm not sure I'm understanding you here...do you mean the computer at the sleep lab? Or the computer in the cpap?
Bethsheba
MG, this is what I meant by under the guidance of a physician...your pulmonologist has given you info/instructions as to adjusting the pressures...not all docs will do this and I would suspect it has to do with the individual case...
...The other thing to note is that the computer that sets your sleep study doesn't continue to up the pressure til events are gone.. only til events are 5 or less and hour.... Mg, I'm not sure I'm understanding you here...do you mean the computer at the sleep lab? Or the computer in the cpap?
Bethsheba
mkgbrook
01-16-2008, 11:04 PM
Sleep lab software in their diagnostic computer. Got that infor out of the systems analyst last round of studies we had done.
The computers in a standard CPAP are not smart enough to manage you in that way. The just record blow pressure and durations. They also note stoppages in flow. They do not adjust themselves.
I got you. I also understand that there are those out there that wouldn't want to even begin adjusting their machines. I do it only after calling and discussing the sleep logs of my son with his MD. I consider it a special case since he is so young.
MG
The computers in a standard CPAP are not smart enough to manage you in that way. The just record blow pressure and durations. They also note stoppages in flow. They do not adjust themselves.
I got you. I also understand that there are those out there that wouldn't want to even begin adjusting their machines. I do it only after calling and discussing the sleep logs of my son with his MD. I consider it a special case since he is so young.
MG