vest settings

[RoyalPrince]

i use the older model vest (model #103 i think)..anyway it has the 3 round dial settings (frequency control, pressure, and timer)... i set mine as follows... frequency control i vary between 12 and 15 (when i first got it a long long time ago they told me to start at 10 and increase every ten minutes to 12...but i felt this was a little slow and wasn't doing much)... pressure i usually leave on about 8 and my times vary usually 20 to 30 per session about once a day...

i stopped using mine for a while (mainly when i went to college) then started using it again once i graduated and wasn't living with anyone else except for my parent then alone. mine is so big and bulky i can't really take it with me anywhere and i really don't like to have it sitting out in the way in my apartment so it sits beside my bed and i usually use it at night while watching tv getting ready for bed. hate to keep it out cause if someone comes to visit who doesn't know about cf they would see it and ask... then i would have to get into the whole cf thing and i hate doing that...would just rather tell people on my own terms when i feel they should know...

just wanted to hear others thoughts and settings and how they felt it was working for them.

 

[RoyalPrince]

i use the older model vest (model #103 i think)..anyway it has the 3 round dial settings (frequency control, pressure, and timer)... i set mine as follows... frequency control i vary between 12 and 15 (when i first got it a long long time ago they told me to start at 10 and increase every ten minutes to 12...but i felt this was a little slow and wasn't doing much)... pressure i usually leave on about 8 and my times vary usually 20 to 30 per session about once a day...

i stopped using mine for a while (mainly when i went to college) then started using it again once i graduated and wasn't living with anyone else except for my parent then alone. mine is so big and bulky i can't really take it with me anywhere and i really don't like to have it sitting out in the way in my apartment so it sits beside my bed and i usually use it at night while watching tv getting ready for bed. hate to keep it out cause if someone comes to visit who doesn't know about cf they would see it and ask... then i would have to get into the whole cf thing and i hate doing that...would just rather tell people on my own terms when i feel they should know...

just wanted to hear others thoughts and settings and how they felt it was working for them.

 

[JazzysMom]

I just recently (well last year) sat down with the therapist from my CF clinic to make adjustments. My airways are really sensitive to bronchial spasm which can be caused by anything. We changed the settings on my vest. I cant go above 14 on the requency & pressure cant go above 6. Sometimes this can vary a bit depending on how I am feeling.To make up for it I do it a lot longer. Total of about 45 minutes give or take how much chatting I am doing to distract me!

 

[JazzysMom]

I just recently (well last year) sat down with the therapist from my CF clinic to make adjustments. My airways are really sensitive to bronchial spasm which can be caused by anything. We changed the settings on my vest. I cant go above 14 on the requency & pressure cant go above 6. Sometimes this can vary a bit depending on how I am feeling.To make up for it I do it a lot longer. Total of about 45 minutes give or take how much chatting I am doing to distract me!

 

[NoExcuses]

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[NoExcuses]

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[JustDucky]

I played around with my settings for a bit, if the frequency was too high, I would cough my lungs out and have to stop the session. So, my settings start at 10 for the frequency, pressure at 2 (my muscles are just to fragile in my back, any higher and it causes pain...I did start at 4 and had to go down) for 15 minutes, then I increase the frequency to 14 and go for 15 more minutes...when I am extra junky, I go longer. I suction myself in between setting changes, so I know it is working that's for sure! I get the most out in the am when I take the Pulmozyme, good stuff...draino for the lungs!! The nurses that come to my house know when I have done my treatments by listening to my chest, they are clear as a bell, at least for a little bit, after my morning session of pounding. I do the chest therapy at least twice a day, sometimes more especially when sick.
Hugs, Jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[JustDucky]

I played around with my settings for a bit, if the frequency was too high, I would cough my lungs out and have to stop the session. So, my settings start at 10 for the frequency, pressure at 2 (my muscles are just to fragile in my back, any higher and it causes pain...I did start at 4 and had to go down) for 15 minutes, then I increase the frequency to 14 and go for 15 more minutes...when I am extra junky, I go longer. I suction myself in between setting changes, so I know it is working that's for sure! I get the most out in the am when I take the Pulmozyme, good stuff...draino for the lungs!! The nurses that come to my house know when I have done my treatments by listening to my chest, they are clear as a bell, at least for a little bit, after my morning session of pounding. I do the chest therapy at least twice a day, sometimes more especially when sick.
Hugs, Jenn <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Faust]

I keep mine on the highest setting for pressure, and I do my first round at 10 frequency for 7 or 8 mins, then 15 frequency for 7 or 8, then 20 frequency for 7 or 8. After each frequency is done I turn it to 25 frequency and do deep breath huffs with the machine shakin me to hell.

 

[Faust]

I keep mine on the highest setting for pressure, and I do my first round at 10 frequency for 7 or 8 mins, then 15 frequency for 7 or 8, then 20 frequency for 7 or 8. After each frequency is done I turn it to 25 frequency and do deep breath huffs with the machine shakin me to hell.

 

[CowTown]

Okay......I have a question about this! I'm so frustrated.

I'm doing 17 Hz and 8 for pressure (for 60 minutes). I can tolerate more than that *BUUUUUT* the darn tubes pop off if I go higher than either one of those numbers!!!!! How do you all get yours to stay in place? Also, if I turn the numbers higher the side velcro flaps pop off too!!! It won't let me go higher. The velcro sides are perfectly clean too, there's not stuff stuck in them to make them not stick. I tried tying the two side flaps hoops together with a carabiner but they still pop off. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0">

Ohhh, any help on this would make my day!

 

[CowTown]

Okay......I have a question about this! I'm so frustrated.

I'm doing 17 Hz and 8 for pressure (for 60 minutes). I can tolerate more than that *BUUUUUT* the darn tubes pop off if I go higher than either one of those numbers!!!!! How do you all get yours to stay in place? Also, if I turn the numbers higher the side velcro flaps pop off too!!! It won't let me go higher. The velcro sides are perfectly clean too, there's not stuff stuck in them to make them not stick. I tried tying the two side flaps hoops together with a carabiner but they still pop off. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0">

Ohhh, any help on this would make my day!

 

[Faust]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>MyNewfy</b></i><br>Okay......I have a question about this! I'm so frustrated.



I'm doing 17 Hz and 8 for pressure (for 60 minutes). I can tolerate more than that *BUUUUUT* the darn tubes pop off if I go higher than either one of those numbers!!!!! How do you all get yours to stay in place? Also, if I turn the numbers higher the side velcro flaps pop off too!!! It won't let me go higher. The velcro sides are perfectly clean too, there's not stuff stuck in them to make them not stick. I tried tying the two side flaps hoops together with a carabiner but they still pop off. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0">



Ohhh, any help on this would make my day!<hr></blockquote>


Your vest is either the wrong size or not properly adjusted. Also you need new tubes.

You need to adjust your vest so it's puffy enough when inflated all around, but no way constricted or way too lose.

 

[Faust]

<blockquote>Quote<br><hr><i>Originally posted by: <b>MyNewfy</b></i><br>Okay......I have a question about this! I'm so frustrated.



I'm doing 17 Hz and 8 for pressure (for 60 minutes). I can tolerate more than that *BUUUUUT* the darn tubes pop off if I go higher than either one of those numbers!!!!! How do you all get yours to stay in place? Also, if I turn the numbers higher the side velcro flaps pop off too!!! It won't let me go higher. The velcro sides are perfectly clean too, there's not stuff stuck in them to make them not stick. I tried tying the two side flaps hoops together with a carabiner but they still pop off. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0"> <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif" border="0">



Ohhh, any help on this would make my day!<hr></blockquote>


Your vest is either the wrong size or not properly adjusted. Also you need new tubes.

You need to adjust your vest so it's puffy enough when inflated all around, but no way constricted or way too lose.

 

[CowTown]

<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote><i>Originally posted by: <b>amy</b></i>

I do 8Hz for 10 minutes, 14Hz for 10 minutes, and 18 Hz for 10 minutes. If I'm feeling gunky, I'll do 18Hz for 20 minutes. I do this twice a day.

Pressure at 5.

.</end quote></div>



Hi Amy, I know I keep asking you questions today, but I have another.

What is your reasoning behind using the pressure at 5? Why not go up to pressure 10 and 20 hz? I know on that show we just saw you on, you explained the different speeds and why you need to vary them. So I'm curious. Thanks!

 

[CowTown]

By the way....I got my vest to stay on finally while using higher numbers. I just had to adjust the vest so that it hardly attaches on the sides. I suppose it's a little too small, but I'm making it work. <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">

 

[NoExcuses]

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[JazzysMom]

I cant go higher than 6 on the pressure. I am usually around a 5. For me its not my boobs, but the overall feeling. Although when I have my period & boobs are sore it is a problem. If I stress out while doing the vest than my airways close up & the whole thing is a waste of time. The same thing with the frequency. I just learned this last year as I sat with the therapist at my doctors office playing to find what works for ME. I am very sensitive to bronchialspasm & airway closures when it is "muscle" related.

 

[CowTown]

Well, I wish that I had that problem. Maybe there is a plus side to not having big boobs....I can go up to *10*!!!! <img src="i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif" border="0">