MASK ARRAYED

Welcome Laurie. I’m glad you find it helpful.

A CPAP like the Pro blows at a constant pressure all the time (not counting the ramping feature and flex (exhalation pressure relief). So if your doctor prescribes 10 cm of pressure, it will blow at 10 cm all night long.

An auto adjusts automatically within a range of pressures. If you’re having little or no airway obstruction, it will blow at the lowest set pressure, but as your obstructions increase, the pressure will go up to prevent apneas. The settings may be anywhere from 4 to 20, but ideally should be in a narrow range of about 5 or 6 cm. So mine, for instance, is set 9 to 15. When I start out the night, it starts at 9 cm, but in REM sleep when I typically experience a lot of obstruction, the pressure will increase up to 15 to eliminate my apneas. Many people do well on a single, fixed pressure all night and don’t need an automatic machine. Some of us absolutely need an auto adjusting machine because our pressure needs vary during the night.

If you get an auto machine, it can still be run in a fixed pressure just like a CPAP. So the auto machine is superior, because it can be run in either mode. The beauty of this is that if you are having a problem, you can use the auto mode to see what pressures might work better to keep your apneas under control by setting a wider pressure range and “autotitrating”. If you only have a fixed machine, this is not easily done, most of the time you’d have to go through the expense and inconvenience of a new sleep study. (It can be done on a CPAP machine, but with much more trial and error). If you are in the process of losing weight, for example, your pressure needs may change. What a pain to have to go through a new sleep study every 30 lbs or so! That’s why, IMHO, an auto is better than a CPAP.

Terry,

There is a steep learning curve with a new diagnosis of sleep apnea. Right now the most important thing to know is that whatever else happens you MUST get a machine with full EFFICACY data that tells the number and kind of events you have each hour (Apnea Hypopnea Index or AHI) AND leak data. This information is essential, NOT OPTIONAL, to ensure you the best possible therapy. You will not get full EFFICACY data on any of the following machines that DME’s usually provide:
Any ResMed with Escape in the name (Escape or Escape Auto)
The Philips Respironics System One (Remstar) Plus.

DO NOT let them give you one of the above! Other models in those brands are OK (I don’t think the Philips Respironics (Remstar) System One Auto IQ is a good idea either, but much better than the Plus machine, because at least it has data.

Do not meet with your DME or let them tell you what machine they will give you until YOU call your insurance company and ask the following questions:
1). Do you have to use a network provider? If so, where is a list of network providers in your area?
2) Does the insurance company cover ANY E0601 machine?

Knowing those two pieces of information are CRUCIAL. Then if a DME tries to give you any of the above machines, you can tell them that you will not accept those machines. If necessary you can go to another DME who will give you an efficacy data machine. If they try to tell you that those are the only machines your insurance will cover you will know better, because you checked yourself.

As for the anxiety, I will tell you that it’s very hard to get used to the CPAP at first and anxiety may worsen initially. I had a lot of claustrophobia with the mask. However, one reason you probably have so much anxiety is that you spend most of each night bathed in stress hormones because your body is starving for oxygen and struggling to get you to breathe! Once you get a good CPAP therapy established, that stressor will be gone from your life, and it’s quite amazing how much less anxiety you will have. So you may have to put up with a little more before you can get some relief.

Yes, I have a suggestion, look up some deep breathing exercises on the net (i.e. “Square breathing” is one such technique) and practice, practice, practice during the day. It really does help! And when you feel like ripping that mask off because you feel like you can’t breathe, promise to do some slow, deep breathing for 10 breaths first. Really commit to it. That helped me a lot to stop from ripping the mask off–it gives you time to realize you CAN breathe and calms you down a lot.

Settings they put on CPAP machines to “help” newbies often work against you. So if you’re having issues, go to cpaptalk.com and ask for help (be sure to register and list your equipment). There’s great help there.