Is my auto cpap varying pressure? How to test?

Hi folks,

New CPAP user here, so I hope you'll forgive me for a basic question.

I've been getting used to my CPAP mask by wearing it during the daytime with the machine on. It's set on auto with the min. pressure at 5 and max pressure at 15. I've noticed that it never seems to increase pressure, even if I hold my breath to simulate an apnea event. I know the machines use an algorithm to detect when and apnea event is about to happen, so maybe it's just not possible to test the auto feature, but I thought I'd ask here.

Is there any way to test that the auto pressure adjust feature is working while awake?

Thanks!

There's no way to test auto adjusting pressures while awake.
The machine needs to sense some sort of obstruction to the airway before it will increase the pressure and you can't make your airway tissues collapse at will while awake.

When you hold your breath and there is no air flow that would be like a central apnea where the airway is open but there is no air moving. APAP machines by design won't/can't increase the pressure for centrals/

But you can use the software and see what the pressure did while asleep. Links in my signature with information on software.
Unless you have some off brand machine your machine most likely has software available.

Hopefully you didn't get the S9 Escape Auto which is an APAP machine but the data it gathers sucks.

Thanks for the helpful info – my machine is the Phillips REMstar auto a-flex.

That's probably the PR System One 60 Series Auto CPAP model 560 (model number on the bottom of the blower).
It's a full data machine (actually a great machine) and SleepyHead will work just fine with it.
There's data available on the machine but you may have to turn on that feature in the setup menu to get it.
Check out the links in my signature line for where to get and how to use SleepyHead which works great with your machine.

I suggest that you request a copy of the clinical setup manual for your machine from here
http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual
it contains a lot of helpful information including how to get to the ultra secret clinical setup menu

and the short version with a video on the features of your machine here
http://www.apneaboard.com/pr-system-one ... structions

To test the auto function for increased pressure, you could use a manometer that measures the pressure in the hose.
With the mask disconnected, just plug the hose to stop the air flow and watch the manometer for pressure changes.
I think, although my memory may not be perfect in this matter, that our hosts do sell one that is not too expensive.
A search for CPAP manometer will lead to sources.

As pugsy suggested, getting the proper software, either SleepyHead or Encore will give you the answer along with useful information about your therapy - and the cost is really low

JDS74 wrote:To test the auto function for increased pressure, you could use a manometer that measures the pressure in the hose.
With the mask disconnected, just plug the hose to stop the air flow and watch the manometer for pressure changes.

uh, no.

JDS74 wrote:To test the auto function for increased pressure, you could use a manometer that measures the pressure in the hose.
With the mask disconnected, just plug the hose to stop the air flow and watch the manometer for pressure changes.
I think, although my memory may not be perfect in this matter, that our hosts do sell one that is not too expensive.
A search for CPAP manometer will lead to sources.

As pugsy suggested, getting the proper software, either SleepyHead or Encore will give you the answer along with useful information about your therapy - and the cost is really low

Nope!
An APAP will not change pressure with just a manometer attached to it. It has to detect precursor events like Snores or Flow Limitations to cause it to increase pressure.

You need to look at the software reports to see if it's changing pressures......and WHY it is or isn't doing so.


Den

.

What an amazing piece of software sleepyhead is-- thanks for pointing me to it!!

(And my auto-adjust is working.)