Humidifier question and first night on the APAP

Last night was my first night on the pap and between that and a nap today I am feeling fantastic!
My AHI was 3 down from an average of 34 events an hour during my sleep study.

I didn't find any of it to be awful. My nose pillows were very comfortable and I used a FFM during my nap today. My question is both times I got a lot of condensation. With the nasal pillows at night my humidity was at 10. I turned it down to 8 for my nap, and it was a little better. I'm in Florida where there is a lot of humidity normally but this weekend it's cooler. Should I lower the humidity again or is some rainout to be expected?

You can turn it completely off if you don't need it... it's not part of 'therapy', just facilitates Cpap, so it's entirely up to you. And rainout shouldn't be 'expected', especially if you have the machine at a lower level than your head.

rachelp wrote:Last night was my first night on the pap and between that and a nap today I am feeling fantastic!
My AHI was 3 down from an average of 34 events an hour during my sleep study.

I didn't find any of it to be awful. My nose pillows were very comfortable and I used a FFM during my nap today. My question is both times I got a lot of condensation. With the nasal pillows at night my humidity was at 10. I turned it down to 8 for my nap, and it was a little better. I'm in Florida where there is a lot of humidity normally but this weekend it's cooler. Should I lower the humidity again or is some rainout to be expected?

Rainout should not be a normal part of this therapy. Humidifier settings are customizable for the user's comfort.

Personally, I turned my heated humidifier off after the first couple of nights (over 10 years ago) and have used cool "passover" humidity ever since.......water in the tank but no heat. The dry mountain air where I live picks up some humidity as it "passes over" the water in the tank and it's just about the right amount for me all year round. The cool air keeps my nasal passages open for good breathing. As they say......your mileage may vary.


Den

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Wulfman... wrote:I turned my heated humidifier off after the first couple of nights (over 10 years ago) and have used cool "passover" humidity ever since.......water in the tank but no heat. The dry mountain air where I live picks up some humidity as it "passes over" the water in the tank and it's just about the right amount for me all year round. The cool air keeps my nasal passages open for good breathing.

Wulfman,

Can you tell me how to do this? I've read the user's manual for my machine (PR Auto C-pap with A-flex) and for my humidifier and can't find what I'm looking for. Ideally, I'd like maximum humidity with lowest possible heat temperature. If that's an option!

Thanks for any insight you can provide!

RubySnooze wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:I turned my heated humidifier off after the first couple of nights (over 10 years ago) and have used cool "passover" humidity ever since.......water in the tank but no heat. The dry mountain air where I live picks up some humidity as it "passes over" the water in the tank and it's just about the right amount for me all year round. The cool air keeps my nasal passages open for good breathing.

Wulfman,

Can you tell me how to do this? I've read the user's manual for my machine (PR Auto C-pap with A-flex) and for my humidifier and can't find what I'm looking for. Ideally, I'd like maximum humidity with lowest possible heat temperature. If that's an option!

Thanks for any insight you can provide!

To get true "passover" humidity, you turn your HH setting to 0 (zero) or "off". If using a heated hose, you would have to turn that off, too.

Some of it also depends on the relative humidity in your area (and your dwelling), too. If you live in a high humidity area, it won't pick up as much moisture as a dry environment will. Keep in mind that from a physics standpoint, "warm" air will hold more moisture than cold air will. And, another part of this depends on what your nasal passages will either tolerate or "need" for comfort purposes.

Back when I started therapy (and before), many XPAP machines were dispensed without humidifier units UNLESS they were prescribed by the doctor. About the time I started, HH units were becoming more accepted as being desirable for good therapy and better compliance by the user.

Some of the newer machines have internal settings to self-adjust for the relative humidity or temperatures or to use a "classic mode" where the humidifier settings can be set using numbers. Some have external dials to set the HH setting, too. It all depends on the machine designs.

Any further questions, feel free to ask.


Den

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If you don't have the "Provider" manual, that might help, too. More information to settings in it.
There are many sources around here pointing to where it can be obtained.
Here's an excerpt from the humidification section:

• Heated Tube humidification - This setting will only display if you are using the heated tube. You can enable or disable this feature.
• SYSTEM ONE humidification - System One humidity control maintains a consistent mask humidity by monitoring and adjusting for changes in room temperature and room humidity. You can enable or disable this feature. If the System One humidity control has been disabled, the classic style of basic temperature controlled heated humidification will be used. This will only display if the humidifier is attached.
• Humidifier - This setting allows you to choose the desired humidity setting: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. If the System One humidity control has been disabled, the classic style of basic temperature controlled heated humidification will be used and the display will show: 0, C1, C2, C3, C4 or C5 for these settings. This will only display if the humidifier is attached. Please refer to the humidifier manual if using a humidifier.
Note: When not using Heated Tubing, the control wheel can also be used to change this setting.
• Humidity level - This setting will only display if you are using the heated tube. This setting allows you to choose the desired humidity setting for the humidifier: 1, 2 or 3. This setting can only be changed from the Setup screen.
• Tube temperature - This setting will only display if you are using the heated tube. This setting allows you to choose the desired temperature for the heated tube: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. If you choose zero (0), this will turn off both the humidifier and the heated tube.
Note: When using Heated Tubing, the control wheel can also be used to change this setting.


Some basics on accessing the Setup menus:

Accessing the Provider Mode Screens
Accessing provider mode unlocks settings that cannot be modified by the user. To access provider mode:
1. Supply power to the device. First, plug the socket end of the AC power cord into the power supply. Then plug the pronged end of the AC power cord into an electrical outlet that is not controlled by a wall switch. Finally, plug the power supply cord’s connector into the power inlet on the back of the device.
2. Once the device is powered, the Home screen appears, shown below. Turn the control wheel to toggle between the four options and highlight “Setup”.
TherapyInfoFlexSetup
Home Screen
Note: “Flex” shown above will display as the current Flex mode.
3. Once “Setup” is highlighted, press and hold both the control wheel and the Ramp button on the device for at least 5 seconds.
4. You will hear a quick double beep and the Provider mode screen will appear, shown below. You are now in provider mode.
EXITInfoReminderSetup
Provider Screen
- 2 -
Navigating the Provider Mode Screens
To navigate these display screens:
Turn the control wheel to toggle between options and settings on the screen. Press the control wheel to choose an option or setting that is highlighted. If you choose “Back” on any screen, it will take you back to the previous screen.
Note: Choosing “EXIT” from the Provider screen will exit provider mode and the device will return to the Home screen in the patient mode.
Note: Provider mode will time out after 1 minute of inactivity and automatically exit the provider mode and return to the Home screen in the patient mode.
Provider Mode Screen Descriptions
The following sections will describe the options available under the 3 choices from the Provider screen (Reminder, Setup, and Info).
Reminder Screen
From the Provider screen, highlight “Reminder” and press the control wheel. The following Reminder screen will appear.
BackReminder off 30 90 180 270 365Reminder
Reminder Screen
• Reminder - You can set a reminder on this screen that will let patients know when it is time to perform a certain task, such as replacing the mask. You can select one of the following settings: Off (no reminder is set), or you can set the device to display a reminder after 90, 180, 270, or 365 days.
Note: You can set a specific patient reminder message using the EncorePro software, and put this message on the SD card or send it to the patient’s device via a modem.
Setup Screen
From the Provider screen, highlight “Setup” and press the control wheel. The following Setup screen will appear.
BackMode Auto CPAPAuto max (auto min) - 20.0Auto min 4.0 - (auto max)CPAP pres 4.0 - 20.0Flex type C-Flex (C-Flex+)or(A-Flex) NoneFlex 1 2 3Ramp time 0:00 - 0:45Ramp start 4.0 - (auto min)or(CPAP pres)Tubing type lock on offTubing type 15 22 15HSYSTEM ONE resistance 0 X1 X2 X3 X4 X5Lock SYSTEM ONE on offHeated Tube humidification on offSYSTEM ONE humidification on offHumidifier 0 1 2 3 4 5Humidity level 1 2 3Tube temperature 0 1 2 3 4 5Auto on on offAuto off on offMask alert on offMask fit check on offHumidifier LED Backlight on offShow AHI/leak/PB on offSplit night on offSplit night startSilent mode on offLanguage EN ESBackSetup
Setup Screen
Note: The screen will only show a few lines at a time. As you rotate the control wheel to toggle over different options the screen will slide up and down accordingly. If the text is too long to completely fit on the screen, it will scroll horizontally across the screen when highlighted.- 3 -
• Mode - This screen displays the therapy mode setting. You can select CPAP therapy or Auto-CPAP therapy. CPAP therapy provides one level of output pressure for both the inspiratory and expiratory breathing phases. Auto-CPAP therapy provides CPAP therapy while automatically adjusting the pressure level when apnea, hypopnea, flow limitation, or snoring events are detected.
Note: The menu options will vary between CPAP mode and Auto-CPAP mode.


Den

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rachelp wrote:Should I lower the humidity again or is some rainout to be expected?

I don't use the humidifier at all. It seems to be very individualized - some need little to no humidity and others need a lot.

In Florida you might not need any. Make sure you don't have an A/C outlet blowing on the machine.

RubySnooze wrote:Ideally, I'd like maximum humidity with lowest possible heat temperature. If that's an option!

I just don't hook the humidifier to the blower

Thanks for the replies! I may just turn it off tonight and see how that works!

Here's another brief set of instructions:

PR System One:

1 Plug the CPAP machine into a wall outlet. Once the unit has power, the "Home" screen will appear on the LCD display.

2 Turn the control wheel until the portion of the screen marked "Setup" is highlighted. Push the wheel to bring up the Setup menu.

3 Turn the wheel to select the "Flex" menu. This determines how much pressure relief the CPAP machine will allow when you exhale. You can select from the 1, 2 or 3 settings by pressing the control wheel.

4 Turn the wheel to select the "Humidifier" option. You can manually set a humidity level from 0 to 5.

5 Turn the wheel to select the "Ramp Start" option. This determines how much pressure the machine will deliver when you first start it by inhaling in the mask. You can raise or lower the ramp starting pressure in increments of 0.5 cm H2O.

6 Turn the wheel to select the "System One Resistance" option. This controls the relief pressure that the CPAP delivers based on the "System One" rating of your Respironics mask.

7 Turn the wheel to select the "Auto On" feature. You can enable this feature so that the machine starts automatically when you inhale in the mask, or disable it.

8 Turn the wheel to select the "Auto Off" option. The machine will automatically stop when it senses you have removed the mask, but you can disable that feature here.

9 Turn the wheel to select the "Mask Alert" option. The machine will sound an audible alarm when it detects too much leakage at the mask. You can disable that alarm with this menu option.

10 Turn the wheel to select the LED backlight option. This allows you to enable or disable the backlighting of the LED display.

11 Push the wheel again to return the unit to the "Home" screen.


Den

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An update, Last night I turned the humidity down to 3 and it was perfect! No rainout and I slept like a champ for 8 full hours with the mask on and an AHI of 1.83.

Congratulations!


Den

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Thanks for the input, Wulfman and Palerider!

And fascinating experiment, Rachelp. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you more good sleep and low AHIs!