Resmed VPAP Auto 25 PROBLEM

[Snoranator]

Using Resmed VPAP Auto 25 (in Auto mode BiLevel)
I'm new to the sleep apnea 'scene'. Received my machine from a tech on Wed 10/6 and it was the first time the tech had ever seen one.

Long story short(er)...

Wednesday night wasn't too bad... managed about 5 hrs w/machine... Thurs. was even better with a complete night of sleep... Friday night I had some major issues with my central apnea... but on Sat. night my machine went berserk! It started blowing at what I believe was full throttle... and would not adjust down at all... The display was flashing 'mask leak', but I checked, rechecked, and checked everything again to no avail. It won't stop! I unplugged and replugged a few times also to no avail.

I'm curious, especially to any other Auto 25 users, if anyone has had a similar experience.

I'm going to call the tech/company tomorrow (they are located an hour and 45 mins away) and I expect them to think it is user error... but was hoping for a quicker response from some of you....

Thank you ahead of time for any help...

[LoQ]

I don't know the answer but it would probably be helpful to the people who DO know the answer if you would post your settings.

[timbalionguy]

Assuming you are certain there are no leaks in the hose, this sounds like an internal machine problem. There is one machine series out there that is prone to having an internal hose come loose, and the symptoms you describe are suggesting this kind of failure.

[allend]

I have the same machine. Usually between 5:00 AM and 7:00AM the machine blows like crazy and my full face mask hydroplanes or whatever the proper word is for lifting off my face because of the air pressure, I wake up and it's been pretty awful. Not only that, when I wake up, my mouth is open as wide as it can be. That never happened before. I am not sleeping well with this machine. I have been very tired and had a hell of a time staying up driving home last night from a wedding in Manhattan. After reading your posting, I am going to try to go back to my Respironics bpap m. In another post on the other apnea site I started to ask the question if these machines are accurate when they start blowing harder

This machine may be no good. Let's keep in touch because we may have similar problems.

[allend]

I called Resmed and the guy in the tech area was really no help and at first got the machine wrong. I don't think they sell to many of these VPAP Auto 25s. He said it sounds like the flow generator may be gone because of water damage. Sounds like BS to me. What pisses me off is that they can't send out a loaner and take back this one. I hope the DME has bi-pap loaners. I do have the bipap auto m that was fixed by Respironics at no charge but I had to buy this piece of crap, and I also hate the fact that I have to buy a $120 card reader to read the car.

He also said that this mask tried to compensate for leaks. Well, the full face masks always leak when the higher pressure begin...at least with me. They are not made the same way the mirage activa is made and the connect points are too far away from each other...that's why I want to try that Resp Full Life mask.

Problem is, I don't trust these people as far as I can throw them because if they are getting problem calls and they do not want to make believe nothing is wrong until they get 1,000 complaints.

Alan

[KAZ]

I don't know the cause of your issues, but I will say that after three plus very successful years on a Respironics M Bi Pap Auto I have now switched to the RESMED VPAP AUTO 25 and have had it about three weeks so, I'm just getting to know it. It has been flawless, running very quietly and it is doing a great smooth job of providing my therapy. I hope that Slinky will see your post and respond as she really knows these machines. I check my results every morning and it gives leak rate and all the other info that I require. Once sorted out I believe that you will be very pleased as it is a great machine. Regards

[allend]

I think initially mine was Ok too but in the last 6 months, I haven't slept well at all. For the last two nights I went back to the bipap auto M and I am finally starting to feel better. What seems to happen is that at some point during the night the machine blows like crazy. It could be happening when it senses a leak, even one that is temporary and forget it from their. It's blowing at full force and the only way to prevent it from blowing off your face is to tighten the mask. My mask was so tight the inside of my cheeks were getting irritated by my teeth. When the mask didn't blow off my face because I tighten so much and use an extra strap across the front, I'd wake up with my mouth as wide open as it can be....I mean open your mouth as much as you can and that is how I was waking up.

Something is wrong with this machine and you know it is downright dangerous. If Resmed knows there is a problem and they aren't saying anything, it is criminal. The distance between the DME and the machine company is not healthy. I wrote my posting after I saw someone else wrote the same thing.

Alan

[HoseCrusher]

I have a different ResMed machine, but in the APAP mode have experienced several "run aways." It may have something to do with the way ResMed interprets the pressure data.

I was able to determine that the ramp up to full pressure occurred after a leak had developed. It is supposed to ramp back down after the leak is eliminated, but was very slow in doing so. On the other hand, waking up in the middle of the night may distort time and it may just seem that it takes forever. I was able to figure out that it is supposed to return to normal operation in 3 - 5 breaths, if I remember correctly, but 3 - 5 breaths at full pressure seems like forever.

I was able to duplicate the problem while awake, and it did respond after awhile. I mentioned it to the technician that trained me on the machine and he commented that he has had a few others mention this too. He passed it on to ResMed, but I have heard nothing beyond that.

I switched to CPAP and the problem went away. Just recently I decided to revisit APAP, and have not had further issues.

The best solution I came up with was to shut the machine off and restart it.

[allend]

I have had different problems. With the mirage activa nasal mask, I was breathing through my mouth with the vpap auto 25. I was snoring and stopping breathing. With the Resmed nasal pillows, the same thing happened and with both masks the machine went wild blowing like crazy. I believe the machine could have caused the leaks because of the higher pressure causing the masks to hover off my face. With the Fisher Paykel Forma mask, it was just ridiculous.

The problem is, nobody wants to take responsibility and these companies don't allow us to monitor ourselves. I can't believe I have to try to get a card reader from Australia for $120 for this machine and without a site like this and my experience of how theraphy is supposed to be, what would I do?

I spoke to the DME and the RT said she would call Resmed and see what they want to do about this. Resmed doesn't want to do anything and in the meantime I am lucky I have another machine. The DME is useless because when the bipap auto m broke the RT called Respironics and there was nothing that could be done unless I'd be willing to pay for it, probably about $500. Then I called my Drs. sleep lab who recommends the DME to patients who come in for sleep studies. After that, someone from the DME came to pickup the bipap auto m and it was fixed for nothing. This one is under a year so it is under warranty but something tells me it is a design problem and Resmed will run away from that. The fact of the matter is that I can't get a good night's sleep with this machine without tightening the mask so tight that it causes other problems or the incredibly high pressure is somehow causing me to open my mouth and stop or hold my breath. I don't like this machine at all.

I am curious, for those who like the Vpap Auto 25, what pressures do you use?

[langmoi]

I am now having the same problem. My VPAP auto 25 is about 4 months old. Has anyone been able to solve the problem? Please let me know if and how you have the problem taken care of. Thanks a lot.

Using Resmed VPAP Auto 25 (in Auto mode BiLevel)
I'm new to the sleep apnea 'scene'. Received my machine from a tech on Wed 10/6 and it was the first time the tech had ever seen one.

Long story short(er)...

Wednesday night wasn't too bad... managed about 5 hrs w/machine... Thurs. was even better with a complete night of sleep... Friday night I had some major issues with my central apnea... but on Sat. night my machine went berserk! It started blowing at what I believe was full throttle... and would not adjust down at all... The display was flashing 'mask leak', but I checked, rechecked, and checked everything again to no avail. It won't stop! I unplugged and replugged a few times also to no avail.

I'm curious, especially to any other Auto 25 users, if anyone has had a similar experience.

I'm going to call the tech/company tomorrow (they are located an hour and 45 mins away) and I expect them to think it is user error... but was hoping for a quicker response from some of you....

Thank you ahead of time for any help...

[Snoranator]

Been doing very well with the machine now for about 2 months

The issue I was having earlier with the air leak was caused by the cover over the humidifier NOT being clamped COMPLETELY shut.

I will say I was having some major issues with Central SA initially. That was before I found the clinical guide online and tweaked the machine myself.
(The original Tech who brought out the machine didn't know anything about it and didn't adjust squat)

My Central Apnea was acting up because the machine was ramping down TOO much on my exhale and my body was not retaining enough carbon dioxide. (which then caused the CSA)

The machine has MANY options and if your tech is not familiar with them, you need to be and tweak it yourself... If I had not, then I would have had to return the machine and gone with out it.

[Slinky]

I have no experience w/the VPAP Auto 25 which was released in July 2008. However, I do have its immediate forerunner, the VPAP Auto. which was released in January 2008. I know two releases just 6 months apart?? I've long wondered about that too.

I did have a problem w/the VPAP Auto 25 in straight CPAP mode. The transition between IPAP and EPAP pressures was just too abrupt for me. And for a very few others. I had no sleep professional familiar enough w/the VPAP Auto to even begin to figure out which of the comfort features might need to be adjusted. I don't even remember now WHO told me to try switching to Auto mode, keep the same IPAP and EPAP settings but set the Pressure Support the exact difference between IPAP and EPAP, i.e. IPAP 13, EPAP 8, PS 5. Most likely it was jnk or Velbor kind enough to share that bit of info w/me. It works GREAT! The EasyBreathe technology is in force and the transition between IPAP and EPAP is smooth as can be. Comfortable, easy breathing. Go figure!

This is the FIRST that I've read or heard of this problem of the VPAP Auto 25 suddenly increasing the pressure way high and out of control. And I notice that they are all problems just being encountered recently. I frequent 4 online apnea support forums and this is the first I've read or heard of this problem of runaway pressures w/the VPAP Auto 25 so I assuming it is a recent problem that maybe they are just now getting reports on and the problem is due to quality control or one particular assembly area and just one run of the VPAP Auto 25.

I'm not good at tact and diplomacy so I will just bluntly ask: when you contacted Resmed what mood were you in, how did you present the problem to them? I have NEVER had a problem w/Resmed when I've called them and they have always been helpful, even to the point of contacting my DME provider and telling them what to do. When my S8 AutoSet Vantage turned out to be one subject to Recall and my (at the time) local DME provider would NOT handle the Recall because I didn't buy it from them and I called Resmed asking them what to do they asked the name of my DME provider and then made arrangements w/SteriCycle to pick up my recalled Vantage and deliver and setup my brand new replacement Vantage. You can catch more flies w/honey than w/vinegar and my contacts w/Resmed were due to issues w/my DME provider rather than w/Resmed which allowed me to be more diplomatic w/Resmed than I was w/my provider. Its kind of like, if you go looking for trouble you can always find it, but if you expect good things to happen they usually do.

When you are in a better mood or frame of mind try calling Resmed again and calmly explain the problem and ask if they have any ideas what the cause may be and what adjustments or whatever can be made to the settings to avoid the problem continuing. Use some diplomacy this time and see what kind of results you get.

Good luck!

[brigid]

I have used the ResMed Auto 25 with several issues.
I shouted to my dog to stop barking, and damaged the machine, causing the full blast of air issue. They replaced it.

Water damage voids the warranty, so they like to use that against you. In the manual "water damage" is to spilling water on the machine. I overfilled the humidifier and immediately heard a bad noise. I turned it off. There was a message in the screen saying it needed service, and gave me an error code.

I called my supplier. The head of the place was not around. I have mixed apnea, and during one sleep study, my bpi went to 11, so I consider this machine life support. I made a big deal about it and again they exchanged it. When the boss returned he was upset, as he claimed it was water damage, which it was - but not as described in the manual.

Then I did it again (all this camping in the dry NM dessert and not wanting to wake up with a dry mouth.) I only overfilled it by a little bit, I heard the bad noise, turned it off immediatly There was no "call service" message. I detached the humidifier and set it out to dry, and in a few hours it was working.

However, I really need to know something. The settings were tweeked to extremes to lessen central apneas. Every night I tested it by taking 6 breaths and then did not inhale. Every night within a few seconds, it blew 3 puffs of air at me. I was thinking this was what the machine was supposed to do for central apnea. After the last episode of overfilling it, it no longer gives me 3 puffs of air if I stop breathing.

I called my suppler who denied it ever did that and that it was not designed to do that. I have a friend who saw it do that.

Does any one else have this machine work like that?

I called ResMed 4 times. The techs were very nice, but made it clear that they were not allowed to talk to me. (I had moved states and did not have a respiratory therapist yet)

The first tech, named Frank, agreed it did that.

I called again and talked to another tech who said it worked like that.

I called a third time and a different tech said it did not.

I had taken it to a place where a woman checked that the pressure readings were accurate. The woman was stunned at the settings, and had never seen anything like it.

I called a 4th time and spoke to the manager who denied Frank worked there and said it did not work with the 3 puffs of air. I told him that apparently my settings were unusual so he checked with "Susie", who said my setting would be in line for trying to control centrals.

I looked at my last sleep study using this machine and settings, and they actually had sent me home still having 1 obstructive, and 50 centrals that night. I am amazed that they could think 50 centals was acceptable.

Now ResMed has a machine exactly like the vpap auto 25, with the addition of a timed and a synchronized puff of air, so that anytime a central occurs, it is addressed within seconds. I want that one. Other than the problems I seemed to have caused myself, I like It.

But don't shout with the mask on, and don't overfill the humidifier. And don't let them get away with calling it water damage if it is not.

Sorry this is so long. Again- to anyone who has this machine- if you breath 6 times or more and then don't inhale, does it puff air at you?

[sister]

Hi, I didn't realize that so many people were having problems with the Resmed VPAPAuto 25.
I was thinking that I would get one the next time I get a new machine{november 2011].
What new machine does Resmed have? { auto}
THanks!

[Larry in cincinnati]

I have the same machine as you. Mine did the same thing, ran wild in the middle of the night. I was also having mask leak problems like crazy. The dr took the machine off of auto and dropped the pressure down to 19 from 21. It stopped running wild ( that was 6 mnths ago) and greatly reduced my leak problems. The variation of pressures really messes with the Quattro seal in auto mode. The only way I could stop the machine from running wild was to unplug it for about 10 min.
When I read about your problems I feel guilty about complaining.
Good luck!