Need help ASAP! My cpap has gone crazy!

MissAmethyst2U · Post by **MissAmethyst2U** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 1:45 am

Ok, so I go out for once in my young life and get in at 2am. Can't wait to crawl in bed and all. I turn on my humidifier and finish getting ready for bed then get in bed and put onmy CC and turn on my machine. My machine seems to go CRAZY! The pressure was sooooo intense and high yet it was reading like it normally should. I jerked the cc off to see if maybe it jsut needed a min to get straight or something and like the pressure just seems to go sooooo high I put my hand over it and the highest the reading jumped to was 10 my pressure is only set to 9. Its blowing way harder than 9 or even 10! The cc wont even make a seal. Not even putting it up to my hand it wont seal. I have unplugged everything and tried all sorts of things even used the cpap without the humidifier and its still way too high. I can't sleep with it obviously it actually hurts my neck feeling that air that high of pressure it cant be right or god for me. I dont understand why its reading on the display around my right pressure even though the nimbers were jumping back and forth!

OMG this is like my worst nightmare, not having my cpap or losiong power and cant use it! I am TERRIFIED to sleep without it I have only once for an hr one time and felt horrible when I got up had the worst headache ever. I mean not much I can do til the docs office opens in the AM. I soooo hope they will fix it or I am gonna be on my hands and knees begging for a loaner. I have anxiety problems and this just scared me to sleep without it I have a huge fear of dying in general and this doesnt help...

Someone? Anyone? I know nobody is probably even up at this hr lol. I am soo setting my alarm for only a few hrs sleep...

Ohhh man....I just read the post about oximeters (SP?) lordy I shouldnt have read that I am freaking out enough. My O2 dropped to 80 in the sleep study and I have asthma...maybe I just shouldnt sleep tonight...my dad is on cpap we happen to have the same machine (cause he liked mine so much when I got mine and it was time for his to be replaced) and our pressure is set the same. At least I can take a nap with his or something...I am sooo tired...I want to sleep... sorry I know I am just whining now...

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, CPAP, seal, Power

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 3:32 am

MissAmethyst
I'm awake - at the other side of the world.
Put yourself in a comfortable recliner (or other soft chair) and don't try to sleep - just look for ways and thoughts to make you feel comfortable. Imagine something you like.
The worst that can happen to you is that you'll lose a night's sleep. It's no fun - but not that horrible either.
And you'll get to you doc tomorrow.

Can you play yourself some soothing music?
O.

MissAmethyst2U · Post by **MissAmethyst2U** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:11 am

Ok so I survived. I did sleep on and off for about two hrs and it was some miserable sleep. I woke up every little bit but got by. I diff feel a huge diff without cpap I dont know how I functioned before without it. I called my doc's office they said deal with your home healthcare company. Call them and they said be here at 330 either it might need to just be adjusted or if nothing else we will swap it out for a new one. So I didnt think I would have problems getting it fixed but getting through the night wasnt too fun. Oh, and the thought of having to drive 45 mins to my HHC with this kind of sleep sure doesnt sound fun either lol....Thanks ozij for the reply...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 4:15 pm

Miss Am,
did they check the pressure? what pressure was it actually blowing? You have us all curious now.

Maskedmechanic · Post by **Maskedmechanic** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 6:47 pm

If you have a Cpap that has a pressure line sensor like the 420s pictured on your posts, that may be the problem. One little drop of water in that pressure line will make a cpap go crazy. The pressure will go wide open and fall of fast, only to scream up again. The solution is to disconnect the hose and pressure line and blow any water out of the pressure line. A windbag line me can just wrap my sweet little lips around it and blow. More delicate creatures may want to use a can of compressed air (office depot has them) and just give it a short little blast. .

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:07 pm

Heather,

So what was wrong with your crazy machine? Inquiring minds want to know!

MissAmethyst2U · Post by **MissAmethyst2U** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 7:40 pm

Hey you guys, thanks for thinking about me...I went to my HHC company thats where they told me to go and it still to me seems really loud and blowing alot. I kinda feel like an idiot lol cause apparentely only thing wrong with it was when my doc's office got my data out of it someone switched it to like european mode or something and thats why it has been reading at 8.8 instead of 9.0 so she switched it back and also set up my ramp for 6.0-9.0 so I dont feel like I am suffocating anymore when it starts out at 4.0 but she said the pressure seems to be fine the gauge thing they use matches what the machine says. I dont have a clue why it seemed soooo much stronger to me last night and even my dad thought it seemed weird. I wonider if me being sick recently and just finally getting better and not stopped up and congested anymore had anything to do with the pressure seeming stronger...

ALl I know is I am sooooooo tired today, cpap totally makes a difference for me. We just widened our driveway to 3 cars wide and I helped my dad landscape that today then had to drive 45 mins to the HHC place and back in rush hr traffic. I am dead tired. I soo want to stay up to watch my show at 10 but not sure I am gonna make it. Not to mention I have to be up at 330am for the little boy I keep two days a week lol... I will let yall know how tonight goes even though I think I could prob fall asleep with any pressure lol...

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 8:23 pm

Heather,

I'm glad you got it all straightened out. Any time you feel like giving up on CPAP (not that that EVER happens ), remember this event and you'll have a change of heart.

BP · Post by BP » Tue Nov 01, 2005 11:29 pm

Which machine do you have?

My 420e did that a couple of times. I found out that occasionally the connector from my mask would block the sensor hose when inserted causing it to "go crazy". I needed to pull the sensor line out of the other end about an inch.

-BP

MissAmethyst2U · Post by **MissAmethyst2U** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 3:59 am

Lori, yeah I won't be giving up CPAP anytime soon. Functioning without it is horrible...

BP, I have the 420s I will check to make sure the sensor is not in the way or anything. I slept fine for the first half of my night. I am up now waiting on the baby I keep... Once he gets here its back to sleep we go and I sure feel like I could sleep a few more hrs for sure...

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 6:05 am

MissAmethyst2U wrote:Lori, yeah I won't be giving up CPAP anytime soon. Functioning without it is horrible...

But, Heather, think of what an improvement it makes in your life and it should be something that you don't want to give up. How are you feeling this morning? Did it work well for you last night? I was praying that it did. Prove me right, please.

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:16 am

If you want to drive a 420 series machine crazy (and have it overblow) do something to mess up the sensor tube. Either have it only partly connected, a bit blocked off (even water droplets from rainout will do), etc. The machine will falsely sense low pressure and pump harder trying to compensate. Of course, it is now putting out too much pressure!

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:49 am

[quote="WAFlowers"]If you want to drive a 420 series machine crazy (and have it overblow) do something to mess up the sensor tube. Either have it only partly connected, a bit blocked off (even water droplets from rainout will do), etc. The machine will falsely sense low pressure and pump harder trying to compensate. Of course, it is now putting out too much pressure!

MissAmethyst2U · Post by **MissAmethyst2U** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:38 am

Lori,,, ahhhhhhh yes, good sleep. I slept from like 1am to 330am got up for the baby went back to sleep about 5am and slept til just about 10am...I feel great I dont feel like I woke up in that haze of half sleep like yesterday without it I can get straight up and function...Right now though I am off to outside to help my parents finish landscaping this driveway...At least today I have the energy to do so lol...

WAFlowers · Post by **WAFlowers** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 10:49 am

Sleepless on LI wrote:Okay, Bill...now why would anyone want to drive a poor innocent 420 series machine crazy? Are you developing some weird fetish for hurting machines due to your hidden hated for therapy???

Bwahahahaha! I think the quality of treatment (or lack thereof) I've been getting recently is driving me to take out my frustrations on my 420e. Better that than the wife, kids, dogs, etc. They've all been really good recently, but I keep hoping they'll give me an excuse ... any excuse at all!