Problem with my CPAP machine.

So I am new to CPAP, my doctor gave me this airbase CPAP machine which he say's is automatic, The problem with the machine is, it has min and max pressure settings upto 4 - 20, and whatever the max pressure is set it reaches that pressure within 10 -15 minutes, yesterday I set the max pressure on 20 and kept the mask on and I was watching TV while I was just sitting on my sofa and the pressure reached 20 within 15 min, does the auto CPAP machine works like this.

I don't recognize the name "airbase". If your machine was a ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet that is properly set up (in my opinion) it would have the following settings. This is based on your other posts saying you can achieve an AHI of 1.0 with the maximum pressure set at 15 cm.

Minimum Pressure: 12 cm

Maximum Pressure: 15 cm

Ramp type: Auto

Ramp Start (pressure): 8 cm

EPR: 3 cm

EPR mode: Ramp only

Smart Start: On

When set like that it would behave like this:

When you put the mask on and start to breathe the machine would start automatically. The pressure would ramp up quite quickly to the Ramp Start pressure of 8 cm when you inhale, and on each breath it would cut back to 5 cm due to the EPR setting of 3 cm. Most people find this a very comfortable pressure range to go to sleep with. Although it is called a Ramp it really is a hold, because this pressure does not change until the machine detects you are asleep (or 30 minutes goes by, and the machine gives up on you). When you go to sleep the machine then ramps up quite quickly from the 8 cm to the Minimum set pressure, which in this example is 12 cm. The EPR feature is turned off at this point so the inhale and exhale pressure becomes the same. It holds there until it detects apnea, snoring, or flow limitations. Each event causes the pressure to bump up some. If you hit the maximum pressure of 15 cm it just stops there and cannot go higher. If you go some time without any events it will slowly start to ramp down to the minimum pressure. That is the way it operates in auto all night. When you disconnect the mask from the machine the Smart Start feature will automatically shut it off.

Hope that helps some,

Yes...that is how the auto CPAP works.

You will be benefitted by getting the free application "Sleepyhead" online, so that you can see your own sleep data. Make sure your CPAP machine has an SD card. If it doesn't, you will need to get one...and an SD card reader. I got both inexpensively from cpapXchange.com. It came in the mail quickly after ordering.

Install the SD card into your machine. With "Sleepyhead" on your computer (just follow Sleepyhead instructions to get there), and once the data has had a night of your CPAP sleeping to record what you did in your sleep, take the SD card out of your computer. Move the little lever to the downward position to "lock" it. Then, insert the card into your reader and the reader into the port provided on your computer. Once the Sleepyhead window is on your screen, click on the import button and a query will pop up asking if you want to direct the import from such and such drive. Click "yes". Then click on the appropriate Sleepyhead box to get your sleep data. It should all be there. Enjoy and learn.

When you are done with viewing, remove your SD card from the SD card reader, flip the little lever back into the up position to "unlock" it and reinsert the SD card back into your CPAP machine. You are now ready for another night of sleep data. Now you'll actually be able to see what you are doing at night when you are sleeping. It's like opening a present in the morning. The data will become useful in your interactions with your doctor when you notice something that might need some professional attention.

I wish you well. Hang in there.

If there is any chance you are located in India, I see on a Google search that ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet machines are being sold for about 32,000 rupee. That is about $600 Canadian or $465 US and looks like a pretty good price. Not sure if that gets you a new machine or a used one though...

ResMed on OXL