Tape Users/Others: I felt like I wasn't getting any air and awoke.

[Viraj3474]

I have a ResMed AirSense 10 machine and use their AirfitN30i mask. I also use the Knightsbridge dual chinstrap and 3M's Nexcare sensitive skin tape. My sleep has been typical of sleep apnea, but usually satisfying and restful until this week. Several days ago I cut a number of tapes to have ready to use during the week. I decided to cut them a little wider than my mouth to overlap the smile creases. I had just fallen asleep and suddenly awoke, feeling that I could not get any air. I removed the tape on one side, tried to figure out what was going on, couldn't, but put back the tape. This happened every time I fell asleep all through the early part of the night; probably awakening five or six times. Finally I just fell asleep till morning.
I thought maybe this incident was just a fluke, but it repeated for a third night. Finally I got up and trimmed back the tape. It seemed to work and I slept after 1:30 or so.

I'm not totally convinced it's coincidence about cutting the tape differently and maybe the cpap machine might be the problem. Do cpap machines ever develop a problem of not supplying air? Has this happened to others when their machine is failing? I would sure would love to hear your opinions. To tape users: Can tape be cut too long? I never heard anyone talk about that.

[Miss Emerita]

How old is your machine? Any other signs of malfunction (funny noises, e.g.)?

I wonder whether you had been having a small leak all along. Do you use Oscar? I ask because it would give you a definitive answer to that question.

[ChicagoGranny]

Can tape be cut too long?

Yes, if it covers your mouth and nose.

Seriously, I would just chalk it up to a fluke and watch to see if it happens again.

[Viraj3474]

Thanks for replying Miss Emerita
The machine is fairly new, purchased in July of 2019. I don’t recall any other incident or sounds. No, haven’t used Oscar. Hope it’s user friendly. Cpap has terms and a lingo of its own to figure out; then diving into Oscar is possible. I kept putting installation off since I wasn’t experiencing anything difficult. Nothing is going to give me a definitive answer until I can produce a report here. Aargh!

[Viraj3474]

Can tape be cut too long?

Yes, if it covers your mouth and nose.

Seriously, I would just chalk it up to a fluke and watch to see if it happens again.

I will give machine a try this afternoon and see if air cuts in and out. Lack of air is a scary feeling, so hate to repeat the incident tonight. There was no tape on nose.

[Viraj3474]

Tried the cpap machine this afternoon to watch for any drop outs of air flow to the mask. None occurred. However 40 minutes is not enough of a time trial. Hopefully my experience will not repeat itself.

[Viraj3474]

Miss Emerita:
I have the older rendition of Oscar on my pc, but have lost the password to it. There is a newer version available on this website so I'm thinking that I could delete the old version of Oscar and set up a new account when I download the newest version. Do you think that would work?

[zonker]

Miss Emerita:
I have the older rendition of Oscar on my pc, but have lost the password to it. There is a newer version available on this website so I'm thinking that I could delete the old version of Oscar and set up a new account when I download the newest version. Do you think that would work?

yes.

and there really is no need to have it password protected.

[Viraj3474]

Had third night of Res Med cpap machine shutting off oxygen at falling asleep point. Have downloaded the new Oscar version and will set it up once I get back to having a good night's sleep. Thinking is not up to running a new software. Call in to my local provider for a loaner and to have current machine fixed. They can read the sleep reports to verify the equipment failure. Just focused today on getting a machine today. Hopefully. So far no call back.

[Miss Emerita]

Good luck, and keep us posted, would you?

[Viraj3474]

Emerita,
Finally reached cpap provider; the local office mgr. She read data, couldn't find anything. I gave her details of the events. She sounded surprisingly sympathetic, but she probably is "in a box". I would bet she needs data proof for her company before she can give me a loaned cpac machine and bring mine in for service. She said all the data looks good. Said she was going to call the local hospital's sleep medicine dept. and talk to the lead doctor there. Wants him to look at the data, probably to confirm her findings. Hospital's sleep dept called me just now and set up a phone appoint for me with that lead doctor for this afternoon. I just don't understand the fact they aren't getting data readings as to what's going on! Air flow stopping should show up readily. It's nothing subtle. I wonder if they think "this lady has gone bonkers". (That's a lousy feeling.) You may be too young to remember the TV series "The Twilight Zone", but I feel like I've entered that zone.

When I install Oscar will I be able to go back in "history" to Feb 3, 4, and 5? Can I go back more than that? How much history does the card in my cpac unit hold? I hope more than this month . . .

[joeljjk11]

Using tape scares me, especially recently where my machine was turning off in the middle of the night and ended up being broken, so I had to buy a new one. You wouldn't want to suffocate in the middle of the night if the machine malfunctions.

Joel

[Viraj3474]

Using tape scares me, especially recently where my machine was turning off in the middle of the night and ended up being broken, so I had to buy a new one. You wouldn't want to suffocate in the middle of the night if the machine malfunctions.

Joel

Do you mean it was literally turning off, or was it on, but there was no air coming out of it? This is very important for me to know. And what is the name of your machine? With my problem the machine was on, but for moments I awoke because no air was coming out of the hose. Please clarify. Thanks much.

[joeljjk11]

I use the Airsense 10 Autoset. I was getting weird errors that would say the tubing was blocked but it was fine, and it would shut off in the middle of the night. The hours also were not being reported correctly, they were saying much less than what I actually slept. Machine was 6 years old so it was time for a new one, actually the new one is coming in the mail today.

[chima2g]

I've not experienced this in relation to mouth tape but I've had a similar problem in 3 scenarios:
1) Letting the temperature drop below a certain level, causing condensation to build up in the piping. Because it took a while for the temperature to drop and the condensation to build, it wouldn't happen until I slept for an hour or two. Then it would feel like I was intermittently sucking air through a straw.
2) Overfilling my humidifier. Same sensation but pretty much immediate.
3) A seal which seated the humidifier tank came loose. This felt like I was breathing normal air pressure instead of positive air pressure.

I could not get any air

Do you mean
a) it feels like you're breathing normal air pressure as opposed to positive air pressure, or
b) like you're sucking air through a straw
c) something else