gurgling noises - mask related?

[btrain]

Hello everyone, another newbie here. I've been searching the forums and see the comments about rainout and such, but I think I have a bit of a different question about what's causing it (or maybe not?). So, I started using my CPAP 5 nights ago. I am using the AirFit P10 Nasal Pillows. The first two nights, I used the Medium sized mask. The first night was ok, but the second night I woke up with a little nasal irritation which I thought may have been caused by the mask being too large. So, the 3rd night, I switched to the Small sized mask. That was a mistake. I spent most of that night feeling like I couldn't breath. It wasn't until the morning that I realized that the size of the mask more seems to relate to the size of the holes for the air and not necessarily the size of the mask itself. So, that was probably why I couldn't get enough air (or at least felt like I wasn't getting enough air). Also, when I woke up after the 3rd night, I noticed some droplets in the mask area that would drip onto the pillow. Nothing significant at all, but I didn't notice that the first two nights. So, for night 4, I switched to the Large sized mask. Almost instantly, once the ramp up time was done, I noticed the gurgling noises when I would inhale. My wife hated it because I guess it's loud to everyone, not just the person wearing the mask. I was hopeful it would go away eventually, but after 90 minutes or being woken up numerous times, I just took the mask off. I was disappointed because the Large mask actually felt the best (as far as getting air) of the 3. The next morning, I noticed the condensation in the shorter hose connected to the mask. So, I hung that up to dry out. Then, later on, I figured i should also hang the longer hose (that's heated and connects directly to the machine) up to dry out as well. So, last night was night 5. I used the Large mask again. Things went really well until about 6 hours in when the gurgling started again. At that point, I just took the mask off again and went back to sleep without it. When I left this morning, I hung both hoses up to dry out again with hopes of finding an answer before I go to bed tonight! So, here are my questions:
1. My machine is on my nightstand next to the bed. The long hose goes from the machine, down to the floor and then up to the bed. Does the gurgling happen down in the valley by the floor, or is it at any point in the hose? I've read about putting the machine on the floor may help, and I'm happy to try that if anyone believes it will help.
2. I never had the gurgling when I used the Small or Medium masks. I really don't want to use the Small ever again (I feel like I'm being suffocated), but the Medium wasn't terrible (although not as good as the Large). Could the mask size be causing the gurgling? I don't really understand why that would make a difference, but I've only been using this for a few days...
3. I have the climate settings on my machine set to Auto. My machine has the ability to set the Hose Temp from 71 to 85 and also the Humidity from 1 to 8 (or 9?). I think Auto is somewhere around 80/4 or something close to that. Are there better settings I can use to prevent this rainout/gurgling?

Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I understand how much of a difference this machine can ultimately make, so I want to make it work. My wife loves when I'm wearing it because the snoring is gone. As soon as I take the mask off, the snoring returns. So, I'd like to figure out how to make it all the way through the night and get back all of that sleep I've been missing for years! Please help!

I have my equipment in my profile, but I'm not sure if it will automatically put that at the bottom of this post. If it doesn't, I'm using:
Machine: AirSense 10 AutoSet
Mask: AirFit P10

Thanks in advance!!!

[JDS74]

Gurgling is the result of condensation in the hoses. The fix is twofold: get a hose cozy to insulate the main hose and possibly the short one as well, and also get a hose hanger to support the main hose above you so that any remaining condensation will drain back to the humidifier. In addition, consider a heated hose if you don't already have one.

[LSAT]

Putting the machine lower than your mattress will help until you get the hose hanger that JDS recommended. Mask size doesn't matter. The moisture/condensation is running down to the "valley of the hose" and gurgling. You could also turn down the humidity setting.

[linuxman]

Yep, just need to get the condensation under control with a hose sock or heated tube (or lower humidity settings). The correlation to make size is likely errant (and truly due to room temperature or just random factors).

[btrain]

I think the tube I have (at least the one directly coming out of the machine) is already heated? At least that's what the tech told me when I picked it up last week. He said that was what the hose temp setting was controlling. If that is the case, what temperature would you recommend? My room is probably around 62-64 degrees at night and I believe the range in the hose temp setting was between 71-85 or so.

Thanks again!

[btrain]

Putting the machine lower than your mattress will help until you get the hose hanger that JDS recommended. Mask size doesn't matter. The moisture/condensation is running down to the "valley of the hose" and gurgling. You could also turn down the humidity setting.

Again, sorry for the noobie question... But, if I hang the hose above me, is there a chance any of the moisture will run down into the mask and not back into the machine? Or does the majority of the condensation come from the machine side of the hose?

Thanks!

[OkyDoky]

Putting the machine lower than your mattress will help until you get the hose hanger that JDS recommended. Mask size doesn't matter. The moisture/condensation is running down to the "valley of the hose" and gurgling. You could also turn down the humidity setting.

Again, sorry for the noobie question... But, if I hang the hose above me, is there a chance any of the moisture will run down into the mask and not back into the machine? Or does the majority of the condensation come from the machine side of the hose?

Thanks!

That's going to depend on where the moisture is forming. Sometimes the heated hose will take care of the moisture it it, but the short hose from the mask can have condensation form form your exhaled breath. From how you describe it that sounds like what may be happening. You can wrap the short hose in fleece or an old sock or get a cover from PadaCheek. They have covers for both the long and short. hoses.http://padacheek.com/PAC_Hosecover.html They also have hose cozies which fit over the pillows that may help prevent the condensation. http://padacheek.com/PACSwiftII_Barrel_cozy.html
All of the other suggestions are good to combat the problem.

[D.H.]

I'm not quite sure what you have a second hose. I suggest ditching that. Also, I suggest putting the hose heating up to the max given that you report rainout.

Again, put the machine lower than your head (but on on the floor; too much dust).

Very important, do not overfill the tank!

[OkyDoky]

I'm not quite sure what you have a second hose. I suggest ditching that. Also, I suggest putting the hose heating up to the max given that you report rainout.

Again, put the machine lower than your head (but on on the floor; too much dust).

Very important, do not overfill the tank!

DH, Look at his mask. It comes with a short hose that is part of the mask. It can't be ditched. By the way the short flexible hose is very comfortable to me.

[D.H.]

I'm not quite sure what you have a second hose. I suggest ditching that. Also, I suggest putting the hose heating up to the max given that you report rainout.

Again, put the machine lower than your head (but on on the floor; too much dust).

Very important, do not overfill the tank!

DH, Look at his mask. It comes with a short hose that is part of the mask. It can't be ditched. By the way the short flexible hose is very comfortable to me.

That should not be an issue. Those hoses are very short and should be considered part of the mask.

[OkyDoky]

I'm not quite sure what you have a second hose. I suggest ditching that. Also, I suggest putting the hose heating up to the max given that you report rainout.

Again, put the machine lower than your head (but on on the floor; too much dust).

Very important, do not overfill the tank!

DH, Look at his mask. It comes with a short hose that is part of the mask. It can't be ditched. By the way the short flexible hose is very comfortable to me.

That should not be an issue. Those hoses are very short and should be considered part of the mask.

Not very short. They are 17" long.
They are part of the mask but with nasal pillows even the pillows can have condensation form in them from exhaled breath when your breath is warmer than the room air.

[yaconsult]

If you want to try a hose hanger, I use this one and it's only $11 from amazon: https://www.amazon.com/North-American-H ... 0034CHMRU/ There are heavier and fancier ones for more money and some people even make their own, or use a shelf, bedpost, etc.

[btrain]

Just wanted to post an update... Last night, I adjusted the Humidity setting on the device to 3 (it was previously 4). Also, the Tube Temp was set to 81. I don't have a headboard on the bed, but I did coil the tube around the nightstand and lamp so that there were no valleys and I also made a point to keep the non-heated portion of the hose (that's attached to the mask) under the covers or as close as I could. Made it through 7.5 hours and had no gurgling. Very excited! Hopefully it keeps up!

Thanks for the help everyone!

[OkyDoky]

Just wanted to post an update... Last night, I adjusted the Humidity setting on the device to 3 (it was previously 4). Also, the Tube Temp was set to 81. I don't have a headboard on the bed, but I did coil the tube around the nightstand and lamp so that there were no valleys and I also made a point to keep the non-heated portion of the hose (that's attached to the mask) under the covers or as close as I could. Made it through 7.5 hours and had no gurgling. Very excited! Hopefully it keeps up!

Thanks for the help everyone!

Some People use the 3M wall hangers that are removable and a ponytail hair holder to make their own hose hanger.

[MrGrumpy]

I get the best CPAP sleep when my hose is borderline on that gurgling noise sound. Like when its so humidified in the hose its condensating inside. Man that makes the air go thru my nose so good and gives me better sleep. Of course Im talking about the olden days. Now i dont get good sleep from CPAP.