This can't be for real

Riv · Post by **Riv** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:03 am

Turn off the machine before removing the mask? Whaaaaaaaaaat? This is the first time I heard this. I've been on BPAP for 3 months now, I always remove the mask before turning the machine off. Just seems instinctively right to me but who knows in this crazy world?

Are these people kidding me? Or is their validity to this.

Can taking the mask off before turning off the machine damage it?In what way? I honestly doubt it, I HIGHLY doubt it, it makes no sense at all but then again I've been wrong so I wanted to know.

Riv · Post by **Riv** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:42 am

So many people viewing this post and nobody knows enough to give me an answer?

I guess that I must conclude that the people who told me to shut the machine off before removing the mask WERE kidding me.

Tease the new guy I guess.

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:45 am

I always shut the machine off before taking off my mask; always put my mask on before turning on the machine. Occasionally, if I just need to jump up real quick for something, I will unhook the hose from the mask and leave the machine running, but it's only a couple of seconds. Doesn't hurt a cpap machine either way; don't know if messes up bpap or not. It will mess with your leak data (cpap) if left running too long without a person being attached!

Pam

Riv · Post by **Riv** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:50 am

I can understand it messing up the data if you leave the machine running too long but that's a different story.

Thanks for replying.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:07 am

Riv wrote:I can understand it messing up the data if you leave the machine running too long but that's a different story.

Thanks for replying.

What the heck are you talking about?

If you're talking about what I said in THIS thread/post, I specifically mentioned the leak data issue and not any harm coming to the machine.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34445&p=294780&hilit=leak#p294780

These machines are designed "run" and to BLOW AIR. If you're monitoring your sleep data, in some way, then shutting off the machine before taking off the mask will not screw up your leak data.

Den

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:16 am

Riv wrote:Can taking the mask off before turning off the machine damage it?

Nope. But I've not seen anyone post that it would.

All I've ever noticed is people mentioning is that it could affect the leak data, showing a large leak on the data when a person has the machine running with the mask off. As Den said.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:30 am

I guess I did mention taking off the mask in this thread, too.
In any case, I didn't mention anything about it screwing up your machine or your dreams......but, it WILL screw up your leak data......although I get the impression you're not monitoring your therapy with software or data available through the LCD.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34500&p=294860&hilit=mask#p294860

Den

Riv · Post by **Riv** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:14 am

Wulfman,

Yeah. Great. You did explain what you meant but you explained yourself to a different newcomer and in fact I never read your linked post until now.

Just takes a little patience to see that you were dealing with two different people

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:23 am

Riv wrote:Wulfman,

Yeah. Great. You did explain what you meant but you explained yourself to a different newcomer and in fact I never read your linked post until now.

Just takes a little patience to see that you were dealing with two different people

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34500&p=294860&hilit=mask#p294860 (Psst. What do you do to make this be a link you can click on? Anybody? Tried the URL one, but it didn't work. EDITED: I have fixed this now, thanks to SWS! )

This link that Den (Wulfman) mentions is to the "Dream" thread a "Riv" started and I believe Den was responding to that "Riv" when "Riv" said, "Woke up, machine was at 14.6, took mask off, came back, machine was at 15.6. Anyone understand my dream and also is it ok for machine to keep raising air pressure once mask is off?"

Are you not that "Riv"? I thought there was only one "Riv."

Anyway, could you go in your profile and list your mask and machine so it shows up automatically on all of your posts? Sometimes it can be helpful to know this info when we're trying to help someone.

Take care---

Pam

roster · Post by **roster** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 8:40 am

Riv,

Of course the guys are correct that your leak data will be affected if you take off the mask before turning off the machine. This assumes you are recording data.

Let me add a different perspective on machine damage. When you take off the mask before you turn off the machine, the machine will increase the fan speed to try to maintain the pressure setting. This is a little extra wear on the machine. If you do this a few times each day for years you might have a small shortening of the life of the machine. Most of us have bigger issues to worry about.

On another point, why don't you register and complete your profile? Typically people have many issues and challenges with xpap therapy and there is much help available here.

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:10 am

WearyOne wrote: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34500&p=294860&hilit=mask#p294860 (Psst. What do you do to make this be a link you can click on? Anybody? Tried the URL one, but it didn't work.)

Pam, just place the following prefix text at the very beginning of your URL that currently begins with "viewtopic.php...":
"http://www.cpaptalk.com/" (required URL text)

The new message board software will then properly recognize the entire text string as URL, and will ironically display the URL without that same required prefix text.

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:18 am

-SWS wrote:
WearyOne wrote: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34500&p=294860&hilit=mask#p294860 (Psst. What do you do to make this be a link you can click on? Anybody? Tried the URL one, but it didn't work.)
Pam, just place the following prefix text at the very beginning of your URL that currently begins with "viewtopic.php...":
"http://www.cpaptalk.com/" (required URL text)

The new message board software will then properly recognize the entire text string as URL, and will ironically display the URL without that same required prefix text.

Thank you!!

Pam

-SWS · Post by **-SWS** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:23 am

Riv wrote:So many people viewing this post and nobody knows enough to give me an answer?

I guess that I must conclude that the people who told me to shut the machine off before removing the mask WERE kidding me.

Tease the new guy I guess.

We would never tease the new guy!

Here's the link explaining why you don't want to remove the mask without first turning the machine off:
http://www.imho.com/grae/chaos/chaos.html

It has to do with very subtle systemic changes causing bifurcation in Chaos Theory. If the flapping of a tiny butterfly's wings can cause a tornado way over in Indonesia, you can understand why we feel compelled to turn off our CPAP machines before taking our masks off. That rationale plus very valid leak data concerns, of course.

Riv · Post by **Riv** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:29 am

Pam,

Here's the link I was referring to

Re: This can't be for real
by Wulfman on Thu Sep 04, 2008 5:07 am

Riv wrote:
I can understand it messing up the data if you leave the machine running too long but that's a different story.

Thanks for replying.

What the heck are you talking about?

If you're talking about what I said in THIS thread/post, I specifically mentioned the leak data issue and not any harm coming to the machine.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=34445&p=294780&hilit=leak#p294780

These machines are designed "run" and to BLOW AIR. If you're monitoring your sleep data, in some way, then shutting off the machine before taking off the mask will not screw up your leak data.

Den

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Thu Sep 04, 2008 9:32 am

The intsructions for my machine are very clear:

In the manual for the 420e Puritan Bennett wrote:Starting treatment:
1. Start the device by pressing the on/off button. <snip>
2. Put the patient interface (nasal mask) in place according the intsructions for use <snip>
Warning:
A patient interface with hose should not be worn unless the cpap device is turned on and functioning properly

Stopping Treatment:
1. If you are using oxygen, stop the flow now.
2. Remove the interface (nasal mask)
3. <snip>
4. Turn the device off by pressing the on /off button.

I've been doing this for 3 1/2 years. Its impact on my leak data is less than negligible - the machine doesn't start counting anything for 15 minutes after the mask is on, and my "take off mask turn off machine" is a very streamlined movement. Probably doesn't take more that 2-3 seconds.

I always take off my mask and turn off the machine when taking a potty break.

O.