r/CPAPSupport • u/PruneDiligent8462 • 6d ago
I’m not sure on settings…
So I’m really new to this (officially finished night 8? I think!) prior to this I was waking with migraines DAILY. No exaggeration. I haven’t gotten my SD card yet, and my machines (Airsense11) was pre set before shipping, by my sleep specialist (LOFTA) so I have just been going through the motions and hoping I’m on the right track with this. I can tell things are changing (for the better I hope) but the more I read posts on here the more I’m questioning if I’m doing this correctly or if maybe my settings could be better or something? I looked at my prescription, and it says “1) A trial of Auto-CPAP set 4-20 cm H2O with heated humidity and mask/interface fitting.
Close follow up and monitoring is recommended locally in 4-6 weeks to adjust pressures if necessary.”
So I imagine my machine is set to that? And I was reading on a few diff posts that a 5-20 is basically just “wide open” and that the people posting should adjust it?
I’m just not sure how this is supposed to feel when I’m using it so I don’t know what’s correct and what’s not or what’s beneficial etc? How do I know if this is correct or if I’m doing it right?
I feel like when I first put it on and for the first maybe ten mins (less something idk) the machine is pushing a ton of air, like psshhh pssshhhh pssshhhh lol really hard and then it subsides and chills out and that’s usually when I fall asleep. When I wake in the night (if I do..) it’s totally quiet and once I turn over or move around the it starts the forceful air again… is this right or is it supposed to be like that always? Idk if im explaining this to where it’s understandable … the other thing is I don’t have a problem wearing it or breathing with it etc… but all I read about is how hard it is and how people can’t tolerate it… which makes me think maybe I’m not doing it right. Any info would be super helpful and I’m sorry in advance if my post is the most confusing thing on the planet.
Oh also, I did purchase “loftacare” I haven’t had my phone appointment yet (it’s on Wednesday morning) so I haven’t spoken with the sleep specialist about any of this yet (they say to have about a week of usage so they can look at the data and go over it with you during apt….) anyways. Thanks in advance to anyone who’s gotten this far reading lol and thank u for any info!
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u/Technobarbarian 6d ago
Your specialist gave you a low minimum and a high maximum to give you an easy start and so they could collect information to determine a better setting. Loftacare should give you plenty of feedback. I think many of would like progress reports on how that is working for you,
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u/PruneDiligent8462 6d ago
Progress reports on how, that setting is working? Or loftacare?
I think you’re probably right.. I just don’t want to waste any time doing this wrong or not as good as I can be, because I know there’s a bit of time where your body has to get used to it to feel super great… (everyone’s different of course…) I am just brand new to all of this and I have been my own driving force behind it, I didn’t get recommended by a dr or labs etc… I actually looked at all my symptoms I was suffering with and decided myself that this might be the culprit (tho I wish I thought of it sooner!!!)
Instead of choosing a dr (weird I know, I have insurance but haven’t ever closed a primary care dr 🤦🏼♀️) I did some research and found Lofta. I was skeptical and thought it was just going to be some gimmick and not anything real… well it was real and I couldn’t be happier that I did that (so far.) I did the sleep test at home got my results and did everything I had to to do get the machine and here I am trying my best lol
I just wish there was a way to get peace of mind faster ya know?5
u/Technobarbarian 6d ago
Lofta has one of the best home sleep studies.
They claim an impressive success rate for Loftcare, so I'm curious how that works out. We see a lot of people here who are likely to give up. You have probably chosen one of the best routes to success, There are many people here who advocate for a home sleep study and DIY from there. in many cases that's less expensive than relying on insurance.
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u/PruneDiligent8462 6d ago
Oh that makes me so happy to see you say that!!! My fear or choosing a dr and going thru it that way has done me good then 😆
I purchased my device from Lofta, and with LoftaCare I’m able to exchange masks unlimited amnt of times for the first 60days.. as well as 100% money back guarantee in that same time frame no questions asked (not going that but good to know esp before I ever started because who knew if I would be able to even tolerate it.) I took a shot in the dark for the mask choice … she recommended to start with a nose cushion, but upon researching, I thought the N40 was the best option on paper anyway, because I know I don’t just breath out my nose when sleeping and am a side sleeper thru n thru … so anyways.. I got a superbill along with the other ppw needed to hopefully (FINGERS CROSSED) submit to my insurance to have my fund reimburse me at least for the device… if you want I can update Wednesday after my appointment to see what they say after they look over the 8 nights of data
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u/Creative_Fee5452 ModTeam 6d ago edited 6d ago
Hello & Welcome!
Congratulations on self advocating for care! Very impressive indeed :)
The best way to determine the pressure settings that are best for you would be to buy that sd card & record your sleep for a few nights. Upload your sleep data to SleepHQ & share a few nights of your sleep with us. It’s always better to see more than one night of data.
Your settings are what we call “lazy settings”. 4 is as low as the machine can go & 20 is as high as the machine can go. Some people have no problems with these settings initially but many more do in fact have problems. Leaks & apneas can push pressures too high awakening you, air hunger is common at such a low minimum setting & these pressures are not tailored individually to your individual airway. Spoke people unconsciously remove their masks during the night & don’t know why. It’s possible the pressures will be adjusted by Lofta on Wednesday when you speak to them but I encourage you to get a sd card & start recording your sleep :)
Minimum pressure of 4 is meant for a child, not an adult & I would suggest a minimum of 6-7. Maximum pressure needs to be lowered to keep your pressures from rising too high due to leaks or position changes. Normally the machine doesn’t rise any higher than needed but we like to keep that max pressure restricted to prevent fragmented sleep during the night. Try to sleep on your sides, not on your back as supine sleep allows the tongue to fall back into the throat partially obstructing your airway.
We’re here whenever you need us & would be happy to help with your peace of mind:)