Airsense S10 CPAP proper settings

I have a week using the CPAP with mix results. Today I could check I slept 6 hours with AHI 4.6 but I was sleepy all day .

I have the following questions:

-Nose or oral-nose mask which is better?

-Proper Size of the mask

-Recommended Level of humidity

My pressure set is 12 . Could it will decrease? after how much time??

The AirSense 10 CPAP is a basic machine that does not save any detailed data and is fixed pressure only. If you have options to change machines without cost or at minimal cost, I would recommend upgrading to at very minimum the AirSense 10 Elite. It is still a fixed pressure machine, but it captures detailed data and can distinguish between central and obstructive events. The basic CPAP cannot. Ideally again if it is without cost I would recommend go to the automatic machine which is the AirSense 10 AutoSet or AutoSet For Her. I has much more capability.

Which mask is best is a very personal decision. I think there are advantages to a nasal pillow mask like the Swift FX, but not everyone can use it. Getting the proper size is best done by trying the mask. Alternately if you google the mask name and fitting guide, some have printable fitting scales that you can use to determine size. The nasal pillow types typically are sold as a "Fit Pack" which means they come with two or three insert sizes. You try each one and see which one works best.

On the humidifier setting, I believe the starting point is a setting of 4. You adjust it up or down based on how it feels. If you get water in the hose, then you have to turn it down.

Your pressure will not change on this machine. The standard way to get the pressure changed is to go back to the sleep clinic and have another titration test done. You could manually adjust pressure up and down, but with almost no data you would be guessing. It probably could be done, but it would be time consuming. It would be simply trial and error after making small changes.

Hope that helps some,

Some short answers to your questions:

-Nose or oral-nose mask which is better?

It's entirely down to personal taste. They both do the same job, so it's entirely down to which you prefer to use. If you can breathe through your nose fine then a smaller mask may be less hassle, but it's all down to your preference.

-Proper Size of the mask

The one that fits the size of your face. Without your face to measure against I can say no more. You can get sizing guides for some masks, but after so long fitting them I find my instincts more reliable (which I know is of no use to you). Being fitted by an experienced technician is the ideal.

-Recommended Level of humidity

Again, entirely personal taste. The humidifier is there to stop your mouth getting too dry and to prevent your nose from becoming congested. If these things are not an issue for you then the ideal humidifier setting is probably 0. Otherwise, set the humidifier in the middle of its range and then remember the rule: "if you're dry turn it up and if you're wet turn it down".

My pressure set is 12 . Could it will decrease? after how much time??

Your pressure will probably remain the same unless you lose weight, in which case it could probably come down.

There are some comfort settings you can make that may help in getting used to the machine and getting to sleep each night. To do it all, you have to go into the Clinical Menu. Here is link to a video that shows you how to do it. Scroll down to the Comfort section and make these settings:

• Ramp Time: Auto
• Start Pressure: 7 cm
• EPR: On
• EPR Type: Ramp Only
• EPR Level: 3

These settings should give you a comfortable breathing pressure while you are awake and going to sleep. If you feel short of air, you can increase the Start Pressure some. However, you cannot set it above your therapy pressure of 12 cm. 7-8 cm should feel comfortable for most. The machine will stay at this pressure until you fall asleep. Then it will ramp up to your 12 cm pressure and discontinue the EPR. The EPR is good to have on when you are awake, but it can compromise treatment so it is better to have it off when you are sleeping.

As a matter of interest, I have the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, with all the bells and whistles. However after 9 months of use I have found I can achieve better results in simple fixed pressure CPAP mode. That may not be true for everybody, but in my case with mixed central and obstructive apnea, the fixed mode seems to give better AHI and at a lower pressure. The only issue with your machine is that you cannot view the data to help optimize the results. About the only way, besides going back to the clinic for repeat titration sleep studies, is to just try it at a little lower pressure and then at a little higher to see what gives you the best AHI. If you do try that I would suggest a minimum of one week at each pressure your try (unless it is giving very bad results). AHI is always quite variable from night to night, so it can be very misleading to base any judgement on one or two nights results.