Can a BIPAP be made to behave like a CPAP?

[jpek]

Good evening, folks. I am trying to navigate the complicated world of Medicare requirements for keeping a CPAP or BIPAP machine. I'll spare you the details, but I need to make a decision about whether to fight for my CPAP or to give it up when they take it away from me and get my doctor to prescribe the BIPAP. If lose the CPAP they won't give it back to me. I'd have to buy it out of pocket, which I can't afford.

Based on the little bit I've read, it sounds like the BIPAP is actually easier to use for a lot of people, but I'm wondering what will happen if I decide the CPAP was better after all. So, my question is, can an BIPAP be set so that the "in" pressure and the "out" pressure are the same, thus simulating a CPAP? That would eliminate the risk factor of not liking a BIPAP but being stuck with it for me.

[borgready]

Go with the Bipap. It is much easier to breath with. If you want to go back to cpap, all you do is change the machine settings to cpap. If you ask me they should sell only bipaps and let people choose whether they want to use bipap or cpap settings. But nooooo, they don't do that. Its a money scam. They make you buy a cpap when your are new and clueless of how things work. When you have difficulties with cpap, and most newbies do, then they make you take another sleep study and sell you another machine which is more expensive than the first one. They could just sell one machine that has many settings to accommodate the patients needs.

[RandyJ]

I am fairly sure all Bipap machines have a "cpap" setting. At least the 2 I have do.

[SuddenlyWornOut45]

Both the Resmed VPAPs (Resmeds bipap machines) and Phillips and Respironics System One Bipaps (what most people who get a bipap in the USA end up on if they get a bipap), both can be switched over to straight CPAP mode. At least the auto BIPAP versions can be. I cant speak for the non auto-bipaps, but my guess is they have the option of choosing either a set bipap pressure or switching over to CPAP mode. Ive used both the P & R System One auto Bipap and the Resmed auto VPAP and both have a "straight CPAP" option in the clinical menu/computer. Its easy as hell to switch it, I tried it the other night playing around with my menu.

If you get the bipap and you find it sucks and that you like the CPAP better, you can just be sneaky and switch it over to CPAP mode if you have to yourself. Also, you say you cannot afford a CPAP machine, but boy, there are some SERIOUSLY inexpensive CPAP machines around for sale. Brand new. I look at the prices of Resmed and P & R straight CPAP machines and compare the prices of straight CPAPs to APAPs and Bipaps. Wow, I have to admit I am jealous of people who do well with straight CPAP machines, life is so much simpler for them.

Eric

[DoriC]

Definitely push for the bipap/vpap, they can be changed to cpap. My husband doesn't really need bipap but sleeps better with it. Lucky you!

[jpek]

Thanks, everyone. I've just recently actually started being able to fall asleep with the CPAP. Still waking up after 2-3.5 hours with an achy nose, a very stiff neck and kind of fed up with it, but I guess there's a trend toward using it more. If I start using it an average of 4 hours a night and keep it up for at least 17 days between January 7th and February 7th (does it have to be that complicated?) they will let/make me keep the CPAP. If I fail, they will take the CPAP away but the doc can do another sleep study and try the BIPAP. Since I'm right on the border right now, I'm not sure what will happen. I can try to actually minimize my use of the CPAP and HOPE they take it away, or try to force myself to sleep with it longer to try to keep it.

Now that you all have told me the BIPAP is better, I'm thinking I should skip a few nights with the CPAP in that critical period, to make sure I don't average the 4 per night.

[archangle]

Philips Respironics has trademarked "BiPAP." ResMed has trademarked "VPAP." Both basically mean "bilevel," the generic term.

As far as I know, all current Philips Respironics and ResMed BiPAP/VPAP/bilevel machines can do normal CPAP, but they can't do regular Auto CPAP, even if it's an auto bilevel machine.

[jpek]

As far as I know, all current Philips Respironics and ResMed BiPAP/VPAP/bilevel machines can do normal CPAP, but they can't do regular Auto CPAP, even if it's an auto bilevel machine.

Woe, archangle. You lost me there. What's the difference between auto and normal?

[mellabella]

As far as I know, all current Philips Respironics and ResMed BiPAP/VPAP/bilevel machines can do normal CPAP, but they can't do regular Auto CPAP, even if it's an auto bilevel machine.

I'm not so sure about that, unless I'm missing something, being new to auto machines (and I'm sure someone will jump in to correct me if I am).

On my very nice, new Auto BiPap (see below for details) I can go into the Auto Bipap mode, and then set both max and min pressure support spread to 0. If I set max IPAP at the top pressure I want and min EPAP at the lowest under those conditions, will increased IPAP or EPAP pressure auto-triggered by breathing events drag the EPAP up in lock-step under these conditions?

[jpek]

Mellabella wrote:

I'm not so sure about that, unless I'm missing something, being new to auto machines (and I'm sure someone will jump in to correct me if I am).

On my very nice, new Auto BiPap (see below for details) I can go into the Auto Bipap mode, and then set both max and min pressure support spread to 0. If I set max IPAP at the top pressure I want and min EPAP at the lowest under those conditions, will increased IPAP or EPAP pressure auto-triggered by breathing events drag the EPAP up in lock-step under these conditions?

Sorry, but I'm a real novice with CPAPs and I have no idea what these acronyms mean. All I got from that was that the automatic BIPap machines do something automatically but the normal ones don't, but I still don't know what and I don't know if CPAPs also come in normal and auto.... Could you parse in standard English please?