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Autopap malfunctioning?

Posted by chrisdixon on July 09, 2007 at 07:55:53:

Friends,

I have been on Autopap for almost 3 years now. Up until recently, it has worked great, with only a slight hiccup last summer after going on a prescription stimulant. In hindsight, I think the stimulant messed with the quality of my sleep. But at the time, I checked the average in the machine, saw it was at a low 7 (which was far lower than my initial titration), and assumed it was apnea related. So I switched it to cpap mode with a 13 pressure. The fatigue did not improve. I started showing signs of bradycardia. My cardiologist assumed the problem was apnea related all along and that I just needed time for the medicine to leave my system. So after reading some posts here about how too much pressure could actually CAUSE apneas, I switched back to Auto mode and the situation resolved itself.

Lately, however, I have been feeling exhausted again. Coincidentally, these symptoms presented themselves AGAIN after going on a prescription stimulant, which I went off of 5 days later after the negative side effects. But it has been at least 2 months since I've been off of it now - which should be MORE than enough time for it to leave my system. And the fatigue symptoms have not gotten any better. I'm dragging. I'm putting on weight. It's not AS bad as pre-pap treatment. But I'm not me anymore.

I am currently scheduling visits with specialists to determine if there are non-apnea causes to this.

But I did notice something the other night that has caused me some concern.

Usually, when I go to bed and put on my mask, I am out within minutes.

But the two of the past three nights, I have NOT fallen asleep before the 10 minute settling period on the machine. And in turn, I have felt the pressure increase to uncomfortably high levels. I checked it last night and it was pushing out at a 19, which is WAY too high for me - especially still being AWAKE! I actually had to turn it off and back on again to start the settling period again so I could fall asleep, because the pressure was so uncomfortably high.

I was under the impression that autopap started at a low pressure and upped it every time an apnea event occurred until the apneas stopped.

But if my machine is revving up to 18 or 19 before I am even asleep (and 18-19 seems REALLY excessive for me, who started out on a CPAP 11 ccm and I've since lost 30 lbs), is this normal? Does autopap work in such a fashion that it applies max pressure and then it goes DOWN until an apnea event occurs? Or vice versa.

In other words, I am trying to determine whether my machine is working improperly. Because I know that if too much pressure exists, that can actually cause apneas as well. And I am desperate to go back to having energy again.

If it makes any difference, I have a ResMed Autospirit. It has been used for about 2850 hours. It says the first service is to be conducted at around 4500 or so.

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

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  • Sleep Deprivation due to Sleep Apnea and insufficient sleep are common and can present as insomnia, narcolepsy, or idiopathic hypersomnia. In infants and children sleep problems commonly present themselves as ADD or ADHD.


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