High pressure, empty tank every night, dry eyes

I've used CPAP for 20+ years but had very little help from professionals addressing my issues despite seemingly obvious simple modifications to equipment that would probably help. So I'm seeking advice from the community, because .

I have laryngospasms. My vocal cords continuously involuntarily twitch in a random pattern, on average 2Hz. Sometimes briefly closing my airway, sometimes for several seconds. I've seen the video, it is weird. Some times I can feel it happen, sometimes not. This condition is separate from severe obstructive sleep apnea which I also have. At least I think it is. ENT handles laryngospasms and says nothing can be done, sleep clinic handles OSA and they won't talk to each other or explain the difference to me. Sleep clinic doesn't even know what laryngospasms are and wont look it up.

I need a minimum pressure of 14cm H20 with no ramp. Auto usually brings it up between 15 and 18. I have a full beard to cover surgical scars. Use AirFit N30 (nasal cradle) or Mirage swift II (nasal pillows) mask. Machine is a Phillips Respironics DreamStationAutoCPAP Recertified recall replacement for my SystemOne series 60.

Large amounts of mask leakage are simply unavoidable at that pressure. Over the years, that constant leakage airflow around my eyes has caused severe dry eyes. When I sleep, my eyelids only partially close. It makes me farsighted, everything is blurry up close. But the amount of correction I need varies each day based on how much air hit my eyes the night before. Prescription glasses have been a waste. I have 6 different strengths of reading glasses that I select from each day. They work up close, but I cant navigate with them on.
I'd like to at least move the exhalation port of the mask further away from my eyes. Perhaps something like the AirsenseMini version of the AirFit N30 which puts an HME and the exhalation port a few inches down the hose. We have a huge case of barrel style HMEs for trach use, left over from my son's trach days. He is better now. But there is some material to fabricoble something together.

In the middle of every single friggin night the tank runs dry and I am awakened with sore throat and the awful smell.
Have to get up, difficult because I am disabled with spinal injury,
remove mask, because I cannot breath through it without pressure or it triggers increased laryngospasms,
turn on light, which requires standing up, quite painful for me,
open tank with one hand, couldn't use ResMed Airsense 10 which insurance provided because I couldn't open it one handed,
put on glasses so I can see the fill level,
pour from the jug of distilled water that was already sitting right there next to the machine.

Why cant I just have a small pump transfer water from the jug into the humidifier when it drops below a certain level, and have it stop at the fill line?
Pumps, water level sensors, and tubing are all well understood in industry and easy to source. The control system is trivial. Why has no CPAP manufacturer ever offered this?

Can anyone think of a reason that would be bad?

Why can't you just run a small room humidifier in your bedroom? Many people do it when they need more humidity.

slomobile wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 17, 2024 9:39 am

Why cant I just have a small pump transfer water from the jug into the humidifier when it drops below a certain level, and have it stop at the fill line?
Pumps, water level sensors, and tubing are all well understood in industry and easy to source. The control system is trivial. Why has no CPAP manufacturer ever offered this?

Can anyone think of a reason that would be bad?

i tried briefly to look up a diy situation on the forum here, but had no real luck. saw something for resmed as a hack.

maybe you have more time and desire than me, so try searching the forum. best bet is to use google. search terms would be "cpaptalk.com <insert search terms>" and see how it goes. i know that there are diy solutions here on the forum addressing this, i just can't find 'em.

good luck!

I think you are a candidate for the Bleep Eclipse system... it is a nasal pillows-type mask but uses magnets and tape-on metal washers to *absolutely eliminate* leaks. It is not expensive at first, but the ongoing costs are more than a regular mask, what with the single-use tape-on magnetic pieces. The magnets are tiny compared to the magnets in the ResMed frame-headgear, so not really a concern, watch the videos below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GTbB0cO5P4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICrsck-sHaw

I tried it and decided I'm not into it for two reasons... I find anything restricting the air causes claustrophobia, so I'm not going to like a pillow mask anyway... and my nostrils meet at angles that put stress on the pieces after taping them in place and applying the magnetic mask. I've moved from using a Zest nasal to a Simplus full-face myself... shaved off the mutton chop mustache to cure leak problems too. Right now I'm using 15-20 APAP no EPR, humidity and hose temp maxed out.

If you lived near me I'd give you mine... most of the pieces are unused. Both Nick and Jason have videos on it, check them out. Once you get the pieces applied correctly the system absolutely stops leaking... plan on wasting a few until you get it right. Since you're currently using nasal pillows this is probably for you.

slomobile wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 17, 2024 9:39 am

(snip)
Why cant I just have a small pump transfer water from the jug into the humidifier when it drops below a certain level, and have it stop at the fill line?
Pumps, water level sensors, and tubing are all well understood in industry and easy to source. The control system is trivial. Why has no CPAP manufacturer ever offered this?

Can anyone think of a reason that would be bad?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFwPfBvaQyU

It's available now... 260USD.

https://cspring.store/products/cspring% ... 6868002036

The masks you use don't vent upwards so no air should be going from the vent holes to your eyes.
But they could be causing the vented air to bounce back off something (like your arm or bed covers) and hitting your eyes that way.

How about some sort of eye mask to keep that air from bouncing back into your eyes???

LSAT wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 17, 2024 10:28 am

Why can't you just run a small room humidifier in your bedroom? Many people do it when they need more humidity.

Its Memphis swampy lowland, prone to mold and poorly insulated. I don't want more humidity in the room. I have run a room humidifier, doesn't help much and makes it feel much colder in winter, muggy in summer. Just another thing to fill, clean, and watch for mold. I need heat in the tube because that much leakage blowing across my face is cold and wakes me up. And that much hot air really dries out sinuses. But no worries. The other replies look to have the issues covered with products I had not seen before.

vandownbytheriver wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 17, 2024 4:41 pm

It's available now... 260USD.
https://cspring.store/products/cspring% ... 6868002036

Awesome! Thank you. Now that I see it proven I think I could DIY it. I already have silicone tubing, CPC (Colder) valved quick disconnects, and I'd prefer it draw directly through the cap of a disposable distilled water jug so I don't have yet another water container to clean. But buying this ready made just makes more sense with the water level sensors already figured out.

vandownbytheriver wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 17, 2024 4:35 pm

I think you are a candidate for the Bleep Eclipse system...

Absolutely correct! I won't know it works for me till I try it, but looks promising.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 17, 2024 5:34 pm

The masks you use don't vent upwards so no air should be going from the vent holes to your eyes.
But they could be causing the vented air to bounce back off something (like your arm or bed covers) and hitting your eyes that way.
How about some sort of eye mask to keep that air from bouncing back into your eyes???

High velocity air blowing directly away from your face (out the exhalation port) tends to drag the air of the boundary layer along with it. That makes the air around your eyes a low pressure area that draws moisture out of skin and eyes as dry cold room air replaces the layer of warm moist air heated by your skin.
My eyes actually feel a lot better if I pull a blanket over my head and let the warm moist air circulate around my head. I feel warmer and get better sleep overall that way and do it as often as I can. I often fall asleep watching TV, so don't get a chance to pull the covers up.
I have eye masks. They all ride up within a couple hours and tend to poke me in the partially open eye. Not comfortable.

Great leads. Now I need to figure out how to use Oscar so I can check before/after results and maybe I'll be able to lower the pressure with a better seal.

I tried to do a DYI version of several different things. All resulted in large puddles of water. So, make sure whatever you do is in something to catch the water.

Things I learned the hard way -

1. you need a sealed container with airspace at the top
2. you need tubes to connect both to the water and to the airspace.
3. the air is under pressure of course and if you don't have the sealed container it will cause all the water in the cpap chamber to blow out, through the cpap which is bad.
4. the pressure inside the water chamber is more than you might think - 14cm of water is a lot


The best method I found was to get a nalgen or other bottle. Drill the chamber above and below the water line. drill the lid of the nalgen bottle with a hole in the center and a hole near the edge. I used threaded 1/4 Push fit tubing ... 1 piece to connect to the air in the center and 1 piece to connect below the waterline.

Figure out how much water to put into the nalgen so when it is laying on its side and propped so it won't roll it has the same water level as the humidifier chamber.

Now you have doubled your volume.


What worked for me initally is - just fill 2 tanks every night and leave one sitting on the night stand next to the machine. If you wake at any time in the night swap them.

For me it turned out to be to much trouble in the end and I just worked on my leaks. With them gone I don't run the tank dry nightly.

If you haven't tried it the F&P Evora mask works pretty well even with facial hair. I started with the resmed F30 then the F30i, but the medium size pinched my nose and the "wide" was way way to big. F&P has a large size which is just the medium scaled up slightly. The correct size seals under the nose like pillows and around the lower lip. If you use a mask liner it seals well enough to work and it has vents on the chin area so no issue with your eyes. I do trim just below the lower lip for a better fit.

I regularly hit 16cm at night with the ASV machine and it keeps a good seal.