Anyone else sensitive to flow loss with humidifier?

[The Latinist]

While the maximum flow rate is reduced, it is still well above what you could possibly inhale. And the machine definitely does compensate for the volume of air you are actually breathing in. Unless you are having truly massive leaks, I cannot imagine that you are not getting enough air.

[palerider]

While the maximum flow rate is reduced, it is still well above what you could possibly inhale. And the machine definitely does compensate for the volume of air you are actually breathing in. Unless you are having truly massive leaks, I cannot imagine that you are not getting enough air.

maybe he's part brontasaurus and has REALLY BIG lungs?

I mean Apatosaurus, another thing from my youth destroyed... *sniff* poor pluto.

[kwikwater]

Brian

I trust you're a SleepyHead user? Do you see the same variance in the Tidal Volume? I've always been a Respironics user, but trust that SH does TV on Resmed.

[palerider]

Brian

I trust you're a SleepyHead user? Do you see the same variance in the Tidal Volume? I've always been a Respironics user, but trust that SH does TV on Resmed.

what variance? there's a TV stripchart on resmed machines.

[Brian]

It is a sensation and I simply asked if anyone else had it.
Since you all seem to want to argue and try to prove me wrong, I'll leave this thread and leave you to argue among yourselves.




Sheesh, I thought this was an adult group...

[palerider]

Sheesh, I thought this was an adult group...

fine! take your toys, hurl insults, and GO!

[Brian]

Sheesh, I thought this was an adult group...

fine! take your toys, hurl insults, and GO!

wow
You really told me.
No insult, an observation.

This forum needs an ignore button.

Never mind, I found it.

[palerider]

Sheesh, I thought this was an adult group...

fine! take your toys, hurl insults, and GO!

wow
You really told me.
No insult, an observation.

This forum needs an ignore button.

Never mind, I found it.

just in case you're still looking,

here's an experiment.

hook your hose up directly, take deep breaths... then hook up the humidifier and stuff that causes your trouble, take deep breaths.

then pull the sd card out, read it into sleepyhead, blow up the flow graphs and see what the difference in flow is between the two... the graphs show you, what the flow rate is.

see how much having that stuff hooked up changes the flow the machine provides.

and, btw, Sheesh, I thought this was an adult group... is an insult. no two ways about it.

[Brian]

I had the reverse happen to me, that is, slightly reduced air flow with the H5i humidifier connected. Personally, I much prefer the air flow characteristics with the humidifier connected.

During the summer, I’ve been using the S9 AutoSet with the H5i humidifier and a standard sized hose. I recently went on a trip for a few days and chose not to bring the humidifier along. Interestingly, the first thing I noticed after putting on my full face mask without the humidifier connected was that it sounded like there was what I’ll describe as some ‘wind turbulence’ or a mini ‘wind storm’ going on in my mask. I determined that the noise was being created by the steady air flow streaming out of the mask vent holes, but for some reason the flow rate was most definitely higher, albeit slightly. I found this most interestingly as I had not changed any of my S9 settings and a careful examination of the mask didn’t reveal any problems had developed. In fact, I verified on the S9 AutoSet LCD that the initial pressure was ramping up from 4.0 cmH2O as expected. This new noise issue was immediately noticeable every night when I put the mask on and suggested to me that the blower in the S9 was able to ‘push’ more air at 4.0 cmH2O compared to with the humidifier connected. As a result of the larger volume of air flowing out of the vent holes, noticeably more ‘noise’ was created. Fortunately the wind noise faded into the background after falling asleep. Another possibility is that a slight amount of air leakage may also occur when the H5i humidifier is connected such that the mask pressure is slightly lower when using the humidifier, or a combination of leakage, pressure loss and increased resistance to mass air flow.

Upon getting back home, I returned to using the H5i humidifier again and I immediately noticed the wind turbulence was gone. In actuality, a steady stream of pressurized air was still exhausting out the mask vent holes as always, but the flow rate was sufficiently reduced such that it wasn’t noticeable any more, at least not at the initial lower starting ramp pressure(s) being experienced while I was waiting to fall asleep.

After some thought along with examining how the humidifier interfaces with the S9 AutoSet, I rationalized that the air flow at the mask is reduced slightly due to the circuitous path the pressurized air takes with the H5i attached. That is, without the H5i humidifier connected, the pressurized air simply flows directly out of straight connector on the S9, though a smooth hose with very gently curvature and onto the mask. What could be easier? However, with the H5i connected, the air path is altered such that it flows out of the S9, into the humidifier through a 3” long tapered rectangular port, turns 90 degrees downward through a circular orifice into the water chamber, turns 90 degrees to travel across the surface of the water, turns 90 degrees upward towards the exit port and finally turns another 90 degrees as the air exits horizontally out of the chamber and into the air hose. In all, the air turns through 360 degrees travelling through the H5i humidifier and the added resistance (akin to back pressure) has the effect of slightly reducing the air flowing into the mask and out the vent holes.

Sorry for the long and detailed post. My point is that there is definitely a difference in the air flow characteristics with, and without, the H5i humidifier connected. This appears to be consistent with the manufacturer's data.

Robert

So Robert, it seems you have also noticed exactly the same thing I'm noticing. You just noticed in an opposite way.
That is my original question that others wanted take all other directions and argue that I couldn't possible feel what I was feeling.I post a chart from Resmed showing that air flow characteristics are definitely different with the H5i humidifier and Climateline hose attached. Heck, even the slimline hose causes some flow restriction over just the S9 and a standard hose.

[Brian]

I am getting enough air 99.999% of the time.
The machine works fine.
I'm not complaining.
I have only very small leaks throughout the night once in a while.
I have two other CPAP machines that I use when traveling.
A Transcend and an AioMed.
They don't exhibit this symptom as I don't have humidifiers or restrictive hoses on them.
As I explained, when I get into bed and may be breathing heavier, I take several deep breaths, with the humidifier disconnected, no problems. with the H5i humidifier and Climatline hose attached,
I breathe deeply and the breaths deflate the mask and suck it towards my face. It is only these deep breaths that give me pause.

My pressure is set to 10 min and 16 max with a mean pressure of ~12.
I set the humidifier to 80 with the Climateline attached.

I understand the machine adjusts. (Autoset)
I don't think it adjusts for the restriction that the humidifier and Climateline hose present. And that is what I notice, the restriction.

I simply asked if anyone else was sensitive to this.
It seems one other has noticed it as well.