Posted by BC on July 25, 2011 at 08:18:16:In Reply to: Re: CPAP at altitude > what’s supported posted by D.H. on July 23, 2011 at 12:25:30:
I'm no expert at this, but I think the fact that the Everest is not tested for heights over 8,000 just means that (1) it does not know how to automatically just for higher altitudes, and/or (2) it is not capable of sufficiently raising the pressure to compensate. But it seems that you should be able to call the number listed to find out what air pressure would be equivalent to your settings for the required altitudes. As long as you are not pushing the Everest beyond its capacity (which seems unlikely), it seems that you should be fine. Based on the other post, the chances are that you don't need to increase the pressure very much. Also, keep in mind that your prescription setting is the optimal setting; that doesn't mean that nearby settings wouldn't work reasonably well.
I don't know how severe your apnea is. If it's life-threatening, then obviously you want to very careful. If it's a matter of not sleeping quite as well as you would like, then getting exactly the right setting shouldn't matter that much. Doctors don't aim at completely eliminating apnea events; they just try to reduce you to a number that is more reasonable. If that number increases slightly, the CPAP is still helping, but just not as much.
It's not that unusual for people to self-adjust their machines. Some doctors insist on making the changes themselves, but others tell their patients how to adjust them. If you consult with people at the help line, then you are still following a doctor's advice.
- Re: CPAP at altitude > what’s supported D.H. 06:48 8/11/11 (0)