Ramp time? Why do YOU use it? And how much ramp time?

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 10:04 pm

We have ramp time. To prepare us for higher pressures...right? Wrong?

How much ramp time do YOU use?

I am asking because my wife was titrated at 5/13 but said she felt like it was too much pressure on her chest. I bumped it down to 5/12 and she says she cannot tell any difference. Sooo I bumped it down to 5/11 and she says it is some better.

Her rise is 3....Ramp is :30 and Ramp Start is 4.0

Any ideas or suggestions? Up her ramp pressure to .....5.5 and see if it is any easier on her? She, in theory, could jump from a 4.0 now to an 11 -- based on her 90% IPAP last night. Maybe go even a 7.0 on the ramp?

Can we set up two ramps? Like...ten minutes at 6 and ten minutes at 7???

She has mentioned this pressure thing to me more than once and her machine is set full auto as far as I know. Thanks

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 1:38 am

This is not my strong point, but were you saying her ramp pressure is 4 for 30 minutes? I may have misunderstood, but if my ramp was set at 4, my chest would hurt from struggling to get air. This is just me, but I have to use a ramp (settling) pressure of 6 just to feel like I'm not suffocating, and I'm thinking of moving it up to 7. IF that's the issue, and she sees how long it then takes her to fall asleep, that'll give an idea how long to set the ramp time for. Some people choose not to use the ramp at all. It was explained to me that if the ramp time is set for longer than it takes to fall asleep, any apneas during that remaining ramp time will not be treated. Good luck with treatment for her.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:15 am

Hi Dave,

I am on 10 / 13 Bilevel & don't woory about ramp.

I used it when I 1st started cpap (15 cms). But once going to a BiLevel machine have never felt the need for ramp again.

It would be fair to say that if I have tried ramp since, it seems there isn't enough air.

Cheers

DSM

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:19 am

4 does seem low, I too would be struggling for air. I think ramping is more for newbies to adjust to the pressure and let the pressure on their ears stabilize. I quit using my ramp feasture at all after the first month being on cpap. try turning it off and see what happens

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:40 am

Thank you, I will turn it off for both of us, I had not paid any attention to mine, but I will also take a look at the info from Encore Pro...it may give me a clue.

Her original titration was REALLY low. A 6...so they probably thought a 4 would be fine. Of course, with double that pressure approx. 90% of the time the 4 might be starving her system. Mine too. Hmmmm.

Thanks again......I wonder how many of us have ignored the ramp times?

Then again DSM, MY Auto BiPAP BiLevel machine is set to full auto also...I have never, ever seen a 4 on my info. I looked at my data again...my EPAP is at 6.

Sooooooooo Doug, you are pretty smart on these things, if we are on full auto, will the ramp time even "apply"....is ramping even used on full auto if the person using the machine needs a much higher amount? I thought...maybe I misunderstood, but I thought Full Auto meant you get what it takes to put the air into your lungs. Do ramp settings become irrelevent on FULL AUTO??

KimberlyinMN · Post by **KimberlyinMN** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:33 am

I started out using the Ramp feature with the setting at 7. My normal pressure is at an 11. This really helped me to overcome the claustrophobia of wearing a mask. For no reason, I just started skipping pushing the ramp button and I just start out at the 11.

Kimberly

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:54 am

I don't really have a "ramp button" Kimberly, just a "setting" that I can adjust.

DSM intrigued me with his comment about full auto. That might be an overriding factor with these machines.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:16 am

I'm with most of the others. I used the ramp feature for about 2 weeks while getting used to pressure. After that I just turned it off entirely and I'm much more comfortable now.

Daffney_Gillfin · Post by **Daffney_Gillfin** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:12 am

dllfo wrote:We have ramp time. To prepare us for higher pressures...right? Wrong?

How much ramp time do YOU use?

I'll add one more "me too" to the others who have turned off the ramp feature. I've been using my CPAP for a little over a month, and it too was set to start at 4.0. I liked it in the beginning, but gradually started shortening the time until now I just do without it. I turned it back on the other night, but then ended up feeling smothered and turned it back off.

DG

Nitro Dan · Post by **Nitro Dan** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:41 am

My first machine didn't have the ramp feature, so I have always been used to just starting up at full pressure...

TXKajun · Post by **TXKajun** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 12:48 pm

My 420E and I have had a wonderful relationship for about 19 months now and I still use the ramp. It's great starting out the night at 7 cm for 20 minutes and getting to sleep before it ramps up to my usual 11-15 cm range. Also, if I wake up and I'm at the higher end of my range, I find reaching over and hitting the ramp and taking the pressure down to 7 for a bit lets me get back to sleep without feeling like I'm trying to inflate a balloon that's trying to inflate me.

Kajun

This therapy WORKS!!!

dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 2:00 pm

OK, I have a ramp button. DUH!! I always ran it on full auto, never paid any attention to it.

I have checked my wife's numbers on Encore Pro, then a summary on MyEncore. She has never had a 4 reading that I can find. Maybe putting the Respironics Auto BiPAP on full auto overrides the Ramp function?

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:41 pm

Guess I'm the odd one out.
It's over a year and a half and if my ramp button were to break, I would scream.

But, my bipap numbers are 18/14. I ramp for about 30 minutes, sometimes I wish I could ramp throughout the entire night but I guess that would defeat the purpose.

My ramp starts at 4 and that is too low, I think. But it's fine for me and the pressures gradually ramp up. It's a great night if I manage to sleep through when it reaches peak lift off. But sometimes I wake up and gingerly hit that ramp button (I don't want to break it, I NEED it).

Linda

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 4:46 pm

The DME set the ramp at 45 mins for me. I used it once. Forgot all about it for the second and third nights. I didn't have any trouble falling asleep so never used it again.

Brenda

Marie · Post by **Marie** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:00 pm

Hi, y'all
I use my ramp set at 4, I think it's for 20 minutes, I still use it every night. I could probably do without it and start at 11, but I'm used to using it, so I do. Been over 2 years now, and I still use the mask I started out with and I can sleep on my stomach, and either side,and my back if I wanted to, but that's not my favorite position to sleep. I use a ComfortLite
by Respironics. I seem to be one of the only people who have not had trouble with this mask.

Ramp time? Why do YOU use it? And how much ramp time?

Ramp time? Why do YOU use it? And how much ramp time?

Ramp

Re: Ramp time? Why do YOU use it? And how much ramp time?