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Sometimes when this happens it's because the rubber strap is sitting too far forward on the head, which means it is travelling less distance and so it is shorter. You could try pulling it further back on your head and see if it stays put - this has worked for some of my patients. Also, you can get a version of the swift FX called the Bella, which hooks around your ears and doesn't go across your head at all. I would imagine this might get rather sore by the end of the night but, hey, could be worth a shot.
I've had a few patients make their own straps, which is an excellent idea. As long as you are happy with it then great! I for one won't be sorry if ResMed miss out on a few dollars. Unfortunately most people don't have the skills. And from ResMed's point of view it wouldn't hurt them to make a product that actually works properly without requiring you to do the work for them. I much prefer the DreamWear intranasal mask, and so do my patients.
Auto CPAP and APAP are just different ways of writing the same thing.
The simple answer is that it's not really about the brand of machine as it is about the settings. How well a machine will treat central apnoeas is down to it being set appropriately for you, and the brand name written on the outside is basically irrelevant. ASV is a specialised form of BiPAP which was invented to treat Cheyne-Stokes respiration in hypocapnic patients, something which normal BiPAP is not great at. Which machine is best for you depends entirely on your specific condition and what your requirements are. You need the one which treats your particular problem.
Why do you have BiPAP? Do you have something other than OSA? If not, and you were given BiPAP simply for comfort, then it may be CAUSING the central apnoeas.
What you describe is quite common. It's just your body adjusting to the airflow. It's still there, you just don't feel it because your brain often edits out constant background sensations. It's the same sort of thing that happens with persistent sounds or smells. People who live next to railway lines usually stop hearing the trains after a week or so. Your CPAP machine is designed so that the least amount of air it can deliver is 4 cmH2O, so it would never go down to 1 cmH2O. It is not a cause for concern.
You do not breathe in your exhaled air when using a CPAP mask. The air you exhale is blown out of the exhaust vent and you get fresh air from the machine. There is a constant flow of air through the mask to blow away exhaled air. They do a lot of engineering to make sure this works right.
The AirFit P10 is a bit useless because the strap will stretch within a few months and it won't fit properly. It may be good in other respects, but the the strap basically renders it useless. I would avoid it if I were you.
ResMed don't make the best full face masks at the moment (for most people any way). Have you considered a Fisher & Paykel Simplus or a Respironics Amara View?
CPAP pressure is measure in cmH2O no matter where in the world you are, and that is a metric measurement. It is used in the US too.
What kind of mask do you have? It sounds like many of you problems could be resolved with the correct mask. And, if you have OSA, why are you on BiPAP and not CPAP? Especially if the pressure fluctuation is uncomfortable, why is it even there when you don't need it?
