Bi-Pap Avaps setting help

I bought a used Bi-pap A-vaps C series sleep machine, Philips Respironics. I wiped the settings off it by mistake. My old machine was a c-pap Respironics, but it had quit working and I had no settings for that one. I have no previous knowledge about setting this or any machine. I can't get in for a sleep study for another 3 weeks I am wondering if any one could help me with some basic settings until I can have the sleep study done. My husband goes in for surgery next week and I am suppose to drive but I am falling asleep all over the place.

are you using the machine to treat garden variety sleep apnea? bipap avaps seems overkill. we need more info.

raisedfist wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 24, 2018 3:53 pm

are you using the machine to treat garden variety sleep apnea? bipap avaps seems overkill. we need more info.

True, but overkill is better than nothing, sometimes

I started out on a Cpap around 2001 then they switched me to a Bi pap 2010 I lost weight and seemed to be okay started having problems in 2011 and had a sleep evaluation done because I was snoring every where and having these episodes where I would feel my face starting tofeel tight my lips start turning purple and feel numb and I have pain in both arms down to my elbows if I am driving I have to pull over and I immediately fall asleep for about 15 to 20 min. When I wake up Iam fine. Now Iam waking up every 2 hrs to go to the bathroom and Ive started getting edema in both legs. I fall asleep typing but its weird because sometimes Iam in the middle of a conversation with someone and I go to take a bite of food and I feel myself waking up.other times I can feel myself starting to speak and I 'll come out of it. Now I feel tired just fall asleep everywhere. Even when I sleep i still am tired

Do you have a medical diagnosis by chance? I am guessing if you are truly on a machine with AVAPS, you have some type of hypoventilation syndrome that is neurological in cause, not respiratory, since you didn't mention any respiratory illness and that seems like a big ah-duh thing to do. What's scary is someone being placed on said machine with seemingly zero guidance. It honestly sounds the way you describe as this, although it's incredibly rare so probably not: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_h ... n_syndrome

I don't think anyone placed her on this machine but herself.

4charity wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 24, 2018 12:02 pm

My old machine was a c-pap Respironics, but it had quit working and I had no settings for that one. I have no previous knowledge about setting this or any machine.

So it quit and she found a used AVAPS model and was hoping to figure out how to make it work like her old CPAP but we can't if no one knows what that machine's settings were. We can't even get close.

4charity wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 24, 2018 12:02 pm

I bought a used Bi-pap A-vaps C series sleep machine, Philips Respironics. I wiped the settings off it by mistake

I don't remember if this model has cpap mode or not...I think it does.
You can go here and request the provider manual that explains the various modes and how to change modes.
https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual

If you had a plain cpap to start with but don't know the pressures it's next to impossible to know what settings to advise because we have zero idea what machine you had or in what mode...but if plain fixed cpap...you can maybe try 10 cm pressure and Flex exhale relief of your choice. 10 cm is the peak of the bell curve for what the largest number of people on cpap will use. It's a guess though.
No way would I recommend giving the various other modes which are really designed for people with other issues besides plain OSA.
Too many of them to know where to start. Too complicated. Plain fixed cpap mode and a set pressure...fairly simple to set up.

I bought this machine off Craigslist, they said it was a Bi-pap machine I didn't realize that Avaps meant something other then the name. I am petty sure that the pressure was either a 9 or a 10, I went on line and found a short guide that helped a little with getting into the settings and yes it has a mode for c-pap. but I didn't know if the other modes were still in play or if they were all separate.

Each mode is separate and does some things a little differently with different setting choices available for different problems a person might have.

Just use cpap mode...it's the simplest and what you were using anyway.

I've never heard of someone turning purple because of sleep apnea. But yeah plain CPAP mode, and a moderate pressure of 8-10 or so should do the trick. See what the results are and tweak from there. Should make you feel better while you wait for your sleep study.

Thank you so much for your input, I was wondering how I could tell if the previous owner had software installed? or if that's a possibility is there some way I can tell what is happening at night when using the machine or is it all software related?

If it's a PR system one based model, I believe those work with the newest SleepyHead software. Otherwise for the bipap avaps I *think* it would be encore pro or directview, the former which you can find on apnea board, and the latter which is really for respiratory patients who use bi-level modes and is not really findable online. I am not 100% sure, but I think what you can see on the screen of the actual machine is much more limited, but I believe in the menu systems you can choose which data will show on the tiny screen after a night of therapy. I think you unlock the menu system by holding down the little dial knob and the ramp button at the same time for a few seconds.

It might work with SleepyHead. You could give it a try and see. Some of those high end specialty models don't work so great with SleepyHead though. SleepyHead works fine with the regular cpap/apap and regular BiPap System One models but not so great with the rather rare specialty bilevel machines. Worth trying because the other option is Encore Pro which is a PITA to install and use.
https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

There is some data on the machine's LCD screen.

Get the provider manual from here and it explains how to get to the setup menu area where you can change the setting called "Show AHI" and then you can see the data that it does show on the machine's screen.
https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual

The data is limited but it might be enough to get you by for the short term until you get with your doctor and get another machine.
It shows a one day and 30 day average for AHI and total leaks numbers. If your AHI is nice and low then there may not be any urgent need to get the software up and running.

I can't promise that it will work well with SleepyHead...I know of too many System One users with those upper end BiPaps that aren't compatible with SH. One of our forum members here right now is in that same boat with his System One machine which is very similar to yours. He gets only one brief session reported instead of all night. I have even tried to make it work on my SH just in case it was maybe user error and I couldn't get it to work fully...only very limited partially.

4charity wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:38 pm

I was wondering how I could tell if the previous owner had software installed? d?

The software (sleepyhead or Encore) is installed on your PC... not on the avaps machine.