To All Those having Suffocating, or Out of Breath issues!

tansey · Post by **tansey** » Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:49 pm

thanks for posting about this. I hadn't thought of these possible problems, I am a very shallow breather, especially on the exhale. There is always much to learn and figure out.
Tansey

MikDee · Post by **MikDee** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:46 am

The Saga continues! Each night with this Machine, it seems during the night it loses pressure. I usually sleep on my sides, and have noticed if I roll onto my back the pressure will increase, and my mask will start squeaking, flapping, and leaking air It does the same thing when I sit up, just before I take it off in the morning when I get up I don't get it! It appears once this Machine gets warmed up, it starts to lose pressure! I wish I could test the machine some how? Does anyone know of a way?
Otherwise, I'll actually have to buy a manometer because my DME, & Dr. are each 50miles in opposite directions.

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:55 am

You can always make a manometer:
viewtopic.php?t=4217&start=0&postdays=0 ... highlight=

Alternately click HERE for Google search results related to making a manometer.

Or you can just buy a manometer:
https://www.cpap.com/productSearch.php? ... =manometer

If you have a sleep lab closer than 50 miles, they might be willing to test your machine's pressure at no charge.

Good luck!

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 7:04 am

One more thing to check ... your hose.

See if by chance it has water in it.

Otherwise ... buy or make a manometer

feeling_better · Post by **feeling_better** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 8:58 am

MikDee wrote:The Saga continues! Each night with this Machine, it seems during the night it loses pressure. I usually sleep on my sides, and have noticed if I roll onto my back the pressure will increase, and my mask will start squeaking, flapping, and leaking air It does the same thing when I sit up, just before I take it off in the morning when I get up I don't get it! It appears once this Machine gets warmed up, it starts to lose pressure! I wish I could test the machine some how? Does anyone know of a way?
Otherwise, I'll actually have to buy a manometer because my DME, & Dr. are each 50miles in opposite directions.

MikDee,

Is this change in pressure consistently repeatable with the same movements? It is a bit hard for me to imagine that it could be physiological or machine related, if you can repeat it while the machine is not just warming up, etc. So, another low probability cause to check: Check you hose its entire length, especially if it is covered in insulation sheath. Is there any chance at any point it is bent, so that your movement bends that point(s) sharply and closes off the tube? Include checking of the smaller diameter tube (if you have one) that connects the mask to the main cpap tubing.

The simple home made manometer described in the references above will check the pressure in the tube while you are not using. So it would be harder to check for any possible variations in the pressure related to your movement while you are using the machine.

RiverDave · Post by **RiverDave** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:10 am

MikDee wrote:I usually sleep on my sides, and have noticed if I roll onto my back the pressure will increase, and my mask will start squeaking, flapping, and leaking air It does the same thing when I sit up, just before I take it off in the morning when I get up. I don't get it!

Mike,

i have sort of the same issue I have chalked it up to the movement and final position of my cheeks/jowls/jaw, etc. I can sleep leak free on one side, but when I I roll onto my back or other side, I will get leaks

MikDee · Post by **MikDee** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:03 am

Thanks All for the tips,

SWS, good idea, I've researched this as well the last few days, and found similar plans, but if I found the machine to be at fault, it would be hard proving it with my "homemade" manometer I guess.
I think I'll buy a manometer, if I can find one reasonably, the ones I've seen on this site look like more then what I need, and seem a little steep. though.

DS, Thanks, all my equipment is new, and I already realized to check the hose for rainout.

f_b, I found that I can just drape the hose over the post on the headboard without crimping it, and leaving me enough slack to move around comfortably.

RD, I haven't really noticed any leaks in the mask, as far as I know? Except at one time early in the testing stage when I raised my pressure to 11cm, from 10cm, then I just tightened it a bit more and it stopped, and the only other times I've noticed leaks, is as I've mentioned, when I sit up to take it off, or when I roll over onto my back, and the pressure seems to increase when I do this (in fact, this morning the mask started squeaking, & slightly flapping on my left cheek, once I rolled onto my back as a test just after I awoke)

feeling_better · Post by **feeling_better** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 11:53 am

MikDee wrote:Thanks All for the tips,

SWS, good idea, I've researched this as well the last few days, and found similar plans, but if I found the machine to be at fault, it would be hard proving it with my "homemade" manometer I guess.
I think I'll buy a manometer, if I can find one reasonably, the ones I've seen on this site look like more then what I need, and seem a little steep. though.

MikeDee, Probably you can do a quick check with the home made manometer, without buying one. If there is a problem with the machine, the DME can either test it, or get it replaced for you. Or at worst you can buy the commercial meter after the first step.

BTW, the setups above (the home made ones) measures only when you are not connected. If you are going to buy one, make sure you get a one which comes with a Tee, which can be inserted into your tube, and check the pressure as you breathe, or make your movements.

I am planning to post soon another home made manometer, which can be used while you are using the machine, maybe in another day or so...

You had mentioned in your original post that you had gone thru 3 machines already. Did you have the same problem with all 3 machines? If so, it is extremely unlikely that the problem is in the machine, but perhaps in the settings??

MikDee · Post by **MikDee** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:20 pm

f_b I just ordered a CPAP pressure meter so maybe I'll be able to find out if it's me or the machine?

http://www.thecpapshop.com/product_page ... ctCatID=13

feeling_better · Post by **feeling_better** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 1:37 pm

MikDee wrote:f_b I just ordered a CPAP pressure meter so maybe I'll be able to find out if it's me or the machine?

http://www.thecpapshop.com/product_page ... ctCatID=13

Mik, I have a feeling that meter does not come with a Tee to insert into your cpap tube while you use the machine. At least the site does not show that. There is not much use just connecting this to the end of your machine hose, while you are not using it. I had seen somewhere a Tee connector with pressure take off line, which then is connected to the manometer. If you meter does not come with it, you may have to get that Tee. The take off tube is very small, so you have to figure out how to connect it your new meter, which I think has as standard cpap hose male connector.

You can probably put one Tee together with plastic pipe parts if you are handy. Hope your hardware store is closer than you DME.

I vaguely remember seeing a cpap manometer which comes with that Tee connector, and was about the same price, I think...

sleepngo · Post by **sleepngo** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 2:23 pm

[quote="MikDee"]The Saga continues! Each night with this Machine, it seems during the night it loses pressure. I usually sleep on my sides, and have noticed if I roll onto my back the pressure will increase, and my mask will start squeaking, flapping, and leaking air It does the same thing when I sit up, just before I take it off in the morning when I get up I don't get it! It appears once this Machine gets warmed up, it starts to lose pressure! I wish I could test the machine some how? Does anyone know of a way?
Otherwise, I'll actually have to buy a manometer because my DME, & Dr. are each 50miles in opposite directions.

MikDee · Post by **MikDee** » Thu Aug 07, 2008 3:30 pm

Thanks feeling_better, I have a tee around here somwhere to use, I'll get it to work (good idea by the way!)

sleepngo, a good idea for me to think about as well, thanks

Mike

MikDee · Post by **MikDee** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 12:36 pm

Ok, Here's the latest, Got my pressure meter Friday (It's handy to have!) and checked my machine right away, it said 10.5cm at all times, that's a good thing! But, the night before I made some changes, I turned the ramp up pressure to 10.5, same as my prescribed pressure, (it was preset at 5mins. even though I don't use the ramp, so I just left it there) Well it seems that it cured my problem of pressure dropping! So, maybe that's why the meter read it was good.

One more thing, the next night I shut off the ramp feature completely, and got the same good results, so now I finally sleep the whole night with no issues, or problems!

sleepngo · Post by **sleepngo** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 2:11 pm

MikDee glade to hear that everything is working fine now. I had the same thing happen to me last night, forgot to reset my HH to 1 and haven't been rinsing out my sinus for a few days, so both nostrils got congested and since I don't breath through my mouth and was using my Liberty FF mask with nasal pillows, woke up at 5:00 am with my mask pulsating and leaking, removed my mask and could hardly breath through my nose, than saw that the HH was off, turned it back on to 1 shot a couple squirts of AYR nasal mist up both nostrils and could breath again. Went back to sleep and woke up about 10:00 am, no mask leaks. wont make that mistake again. First thing I did this morning was to flush out my sinuses, really cleared my nose out, feeling much better now.

Regards,

Dan

feeling_better · Post by **feeling_better** » Sun Aug 10, 2008 3:51 pm

MikDee wrote:Ok, Here's the latest, Got my pressure meter Friday (It's handy to have!) and checked my machine right away, it said 10.5cm at all times, that's a good thing! But, the night before I made some changes, I turned the ramp up pressure to 10.5, same as my prescribed pressure, (it was preset at 5mins. even though I don't use the ramp, so I just left it there) Well it seems that it cured my problem of pressure dropping! So, maybe that's why the meter read it was good.

One more thing, the next night I shut off the ramp feature completely, and got the same good results, so now I finally sleep the whole night with no issues, or problems!

1. Curious about your new meter. Does it come with a Tee so that you can measure the pressure while you are using the cpap?

2. If it does not have the Tee, how do you say 'the meter said the pressure was high/good all the time'? Is the pressure not normal when you take the mask off anyway?