I'm having problem with Breeze SleepGear™ CPAP

rainman · Post by **rainman** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:50 pm

Hi all,
I'm new to CPAP in general. I started using CPAP about 2.5 months ago with a regualr nose mask, then I tried the Activa and now I have the Breeze SleepGear cpap. With previous masks, I was taking my mask off during the night after 1.5-3.5 hrs. Only 11 times I wear the mask for more than 4 hrs. So my doctor (not sleep study doctor) told me to try Breeze SleepGear before talking to my sleep study doc.
Here's the problem, the first 3 night I wear the Breeze SleepGear all night long with no problem. Although I was still tired, like I haven't slept all night, I was excited that I finally was able to wear the cpap all night. But then on the 4th and 5th night, I weak up in the middle of the night (like 2 hrs after sleep) with cold water dripping from my nose. I left the nasal mask off my face and look inside to find water in my mask (approx 1-2 tsp). Eventhough after the first time I dried the hose and mask with a cold hair drier, the process repeated the next day. Yesterday was day 6 and I didn't wear the mask, afraid of water will accumulate again.
I didn't find any info about this in the owner manual. Any of you have any idea what's happening? and why the same thing did not happen in the other masks?
FYI, I have REMstar Auto C-Flex CPAP with Heated Humidifier with setting at 11. I usually turn the heater on and rarly to use the c-flex gradual pressure.
thank you all,
Sam.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:01 pm

Sam,

What's happening is called rainout. In the colder weather as the moist warm air moves through your long hose to the Breeze it is cooled and because cooler air can't hold as much moisture the water condenses and drips out of the mask. I have noticed in my case that this seems to happen more using the Remstar humidifier than another that I have. The solution is to either turn up the heat in your bedroom or buy a heated hose. These are only available from a company in Australia. I'll provide a link below. Another quick fix you could try is to pull your hose under the covers with you to try to keep it warm. You could also see if you can do OK with the humidifier off, at least temporarily to stop the dripping.

Link: Heated Hose

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 3:13 pm

I solved the condensation problem by having a friend of mine sew a sleeve to go over the hose. She went to the fabric store and bought some Thinsulate insulation and some polar fleece. Somehow, she made a sleeve that has polar fleece on the outside and the Thinsulate on the inside. I just slide it over the hose and wrap a velcro tie around each end so that the sleeve does not extend past the end connectors. Voila! No more condensation, the blowing air is just slightly warm and, it weighs almost nothing.

Problem solved for about 5 bucks and the help of a friend.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 3:17 pm

"Will"

I have a similar sleeve (without the thinsulate) and it doesn't eliminate the rainout for me. Maybe you have built a better mouse trap! Congrats!

Hey rested gal, get out your sewing machine (I think you said you sew) and some thinsulate. I'd love to compare this to the results of the Aussie hose.

rainman · Post by **rainman** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 3:53 pm

Thank you all for the great advise. I'm going to try the sleeve solution first and I'll report back.
Will, you give us your friend's name, he/she might make some money making sleeves

rainman · Post by **rainman** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:04 pm

One more question for you:
beside using duct tape to tie your hand behind your back, any suggestion on keeping the cpap all night? I'm as tired as before and as sleepy as before starting this treatment. I'm still falling a sleep in meetings (all day), and being very tired while driving (only between 4-6 pm) and then I'm awake till 2 am.
I used to sleep 5-6 hrs a day & and the was plenty for me. now I'm sleeping the same time but not enough anymore, even 8-10 hrs sleep on the weekend is not enough.
(if there's any typo please forgive me. I'm typing this from my treo 650 phone)

Big Snore · Post by **Big Snore** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 2:14 am

Hello fellow michigander!! I use the snugglehose which you can purchase at cpap.com and it does a pretty good job of stopping the rain out. Hope that helps!!!

Corey

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 2:31 am

Hah, Wader - I don't sew. I'm lucky if I can thread a needle to put a button back on. You're thinking of someone else. But I am a big fan of the Aussie heated hose! Love mine.

RubyKat · Post by **RubyKat** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:23 am

rainman wrote:One more question for you:
beside using duct tape to tie your hand behind your back, any suggestion on keeping the cpap all night? I'm as tired as before and as sleepy as before starting this treatment. I'm still falling a sleep in meetings (all day), and being very tired while driving (only between 4-6 pm) and then I'm awake till 2 am.

That sounds to me like your sleeping pattern is disturbed if you can't get to sleep until 2am -- kind of like jetlag, one has to try to force oneself to stay awake in the day and then sleep at night. That probably isn't the whole of the problem, but it could be a contributing factor.

When I was first getting used to the CPAP, I was worried about not keeping my mouth closed, but my technician said not to bother with a chin strap, but if I was worried, I could tie a pair of stockings around my head -- which I did. They were enough to not strangle me but to help me to remember to keep my mouth shut. And after a week or so I didn't need it. Maybe you could tie your mask on in a similar way, just to remind you not to take it off.

Something else that helped me was having a CD player near my bed and playing soothing music as I went to bed -- y'know, something classical or the like. I still do it now because it's nice, even though I don't need it.

53now · Post by **53now** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 10:52 am

Hey Rainman
Try turning your humidifier down....sometimes that's all it takes.

rainman · Post by **rainman** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:26 am

Thank you Ruby Cat and 53now for the advise. I'll try those and let you guys know how things are.
Sam

MegansMum · Post by **MegansMum** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 5:51 pm

Hey Wil thanks for posting about the hose cover! I'm going to get my sewing machine out this weekend and make me one
I'll be happy to make one for anyone who wants one

I'm having problem with Breeze SleepGear™ CPAP

I'm having problem with Breeze SleepGear™ CPAP

Condensation