Is my machine wearing out?

[Catnap]

This is going to sound silly, but I'm trying to troubleshoot what's going on with my CPAP machine and not even sure where to start. For the last month or so, I've had daytime sleepiness that was similar to (but not as severe as) what I had before I began treatment. This morning, I woke up with the hose trapped and once I got it straightened out and reattached, it seemed as if my machine was sort of "puffing," as if the airflow wasn't consistent. At the same time, it almost seemed as if tweaking the hose helped (Aussie heated hose), or that the hose wasn't working right (there was moisture in the nasal piece of my mask and the hose didn't feel warm, although it never is super-warm). Also, my nose was stuffy on one side, which could have been affecting things (nasal mask). And finally, the variation in airflow wasn't consistent; just infrequent enough to make me wonder if I was imagining it, yet frequent enough to make me think I wasn't. See, I told you it sounds silly!

I'm not sure where to start diagnosing this. I mention the daytime sleepiness because I'm wondering whether some malfunction might be interfering with my therapy, although my numbers look okay, and because the sleepiness coincides with my switching to my Aussie hose for the winter. At the same time, I don't really see how the hose could be a causative factor here. Obviously, I'll try switching hoses, but I sleep in a cold room and dread the rainout even for a night or two, so I'll probably have to switch masks, too. At that point, I feel like I'm introducing variables instead of reducing them. Maybe I'm over-thinking this whole thing (uh-oh, cloudy thinking...another symptom of disrupted sleep? LOL!)

Have any of you run into this kind of thing? Have you had a machine fail? Heard of things like this with the S8? All help and suggestions welcome!

[LSAT]

You registered on this site in 2009...you still haven't supplied us with your equipment? It would be easier to help you and answer your questions if we knew the details. YOu could always take the unit to your DME to be checked out.

[Catnap]

You registered on this site in 2009...you still haven't supplied us with your equipment? It would be easier to help you and answer your questions if we knew the details. YOu could always take the unit to your DME to be checked out.

Actually, I have, since 2009. It seems my sig line didn't append to my note for some reason. Resmed S8 Elite II, Tap Pap mask, HumidAire H41 heated humidifier. Don't currently have a bricks and mortar DME or insurance coverage for same.

[chunkyfrog]

Sadly, the pulldowns will not allow items not currently for sale by our sponsor.
The comment section on the equipment page can be used, as some have done.

[Pugsy]

Your equipment isn't showing because the links are broken when the equipment has been discontinued.
When this happens we suggest people add their equipment to the comments section of the equipment profile. See how I have added my PR S1 660 spare machine in my profile.

Your Tap Pap mask being absent..you just need to choose the "new and improved Tap Pap"...again see my profile.
My mask choice was absent for a while until I realized what happened.

Not sure what to make of your symptoms...since they seemed to have started with the change to the Aussie hose...maybe the Aussie hose is not working properly...I don't know just how warm it is supposed to feel but if it was warmer last winter...and cool to the touch now..maybe the comfort just isn't there and general sleep quality has suffered.
Can you switch back to a regular hose just to see if your symptoms change? Maybe add a hose cozy or something to help insulate the hose?

How is your data looking from the machine? Do you have the software and card reader?
Any change in AHI or leaks?

[Catnap]

Thanks for the tips on adding equipment to comments; I've done it.

I don't have software for my machine (it was discontinued before I got my hands on it), but I do track my results every day (getting the numbers from the machine), and I haven't seen any significant change in AHI or leaks from day to day. Interestingly, the "mask off" alert sounded briefly this morning when the mask was not off and the hose was connected securely, another thing that started my wondering about the machine.

I actually had decided my increased sleepiness was probably just seasonal or something, but began to rethink it today when my airflow seemed off. I am going to change to my regular hose and cozy, but typically the rainout is so severe with that combo that I'll have to change to my FFM. The problem with that is I'm not sure I'll notice variation in airflow with the FFM (certainly not to the degree I notice it with a nasal mask) and my numbers are worse with FFM routinely (not bad, but worse), so I end up with something of an apples to oranges comparison.

I've used cpap.com for my DME provider pretty much exclusively, but I"m thinking I may need to make peace with a bricks and mortar store around here somewhere (once burned, twice shy). My insurance coverage is not what it once was (no, not because of the ACA, LOL!) so I'm trying to cheap out, but not to the extent that I am no longer having good CPAP therapy. Just hoped someone might have experienced this and be able to say "Oh yeah, just unplug it, turn around three times, say abracadabra, and you'll be fine"

[Catnap]

Just hoped someone might have experienced this and be able to say "Oh yeah, just unplug it, turn around three times, say abracadabra, and you'll be fine

Or maybe "yes, that's what my machine started doing just before it quit altogether" to help me establish the urgency.

My equipment still didn't post after I put it in comments, so I'm tweaking it again to see if I can get it to work.

[BlackSpinner]

STLMark is a reliable person to buy from. My S8 is as old and last year I decided to get a backup since I was getting anxious about the possibility of failure. I now use it as a travel machine and "security blanket".

[Pugsy]

I see your equipment now.

Equipment failure happens..we all know that.

Maybe your local DME would be willing to use their manometer (almost all DMEs will have one) to just test your machine to see if the pressure coming out of the hose is what it is supposed to be????

I know of a reliable source for a S9 AutoSet or S9 Elite (may even have a new Elite) that has been gently used with low hours on it. Send me a private message if you are interested in going that route.
$350 plus shipping for the AutoSet (includes humidifier, regular hose, etc). Not sure about the Elite zero hour machine price.

STLMark typically has new, zero hour machines..not sure if he has any ResMed machines right now but he might have a Respironics 560 PR System One Auto CPAP and they now have a heated hose option upgrade available...I have one...love it. He had one not long ago $400 plus another $75 for the heated hose upgrade kit (special hose, humidifier lid and power supply).
Of course the ResMed has the S9 ClimateLine heated hose option...those are nice too.
Then you could retire your Aussie hose.

[Catnap]

Just got some welcome news re: insurance. Although my benefits are being reduced and my premium increased (our company has been acquired by another, you know how that goes), it seems that the new insurance is accepted by the DME I would prefer to use, which was not covered under my old insurance. I may be able to get a few $$ assistance if I can nurse this machine along until January (or it spontaneously stops acting up, fingers crossed!)

Thanks to everyone for help and advice. I am also going to continue checking the options for used machines that were suggested.