cpap pressure not as strong? Help plz

[Geminidream]

Hello all,
Just in the last few days, my cpcp machine has felt like the air pressure is not as strong coming out of the tube as it felt previously and my AHI/AI rate has climbed up as well. I have changed the filter and hose and have not changed anything else. I have a copy of the clinical manual, but the troubleshooting page was usless for this issue. Anyone else ever have this problem?

Geminidream

[bearded_two]

You can make or build a manometer to check your pressure or you can take your blower to your DME to check the pressure.

[Country4ever]

Hi Geminidream,
I had the same problem with my Resmed 8 auto vantage. I checked the pressure myself and also had the DME check it.....although she wasn't real helpful as she said the pressure was somewhere between 7 and 10 when it was set to about 7.6. I've heard that the machines are seldom wrong.
Can you test the short tube for leaks? Is your leak rate going up too, or just your AHI?
My AHI and leak rates both got so bad, and I started feeling bad, so I switched from a Swift nasal pillow to the Hybrid. Just my second night, so I'm not sure that will help yet.
When I asked the same question you're asking, someone suggested getting a loaner from the DME and sleeping a few nights with that one, and seeing if your numbers are consistent on a different machine. I thought that was a good suggestion. If my full mask doesn't help my numbers, I'll do that next.
I swear that my pressure is less in the morning........although lots of people say we just get used to it by then. But I've noticed that if I let the air fill my mouth when I go to bed, my cheeks puff out big. But when I do the same thing in the morning, they hardly puff out at all.
Is there anything different in your life? A few more pounds, a cold, stress? Many of us seem to go through cycles and can't explain why all of a sudden our numbers get worse. I'm ready for a good cycle! Good luck to you!

[Goofproof]

Hi Geminidream,
I had the same problem with my Resmed 8 auto vantage. I checked the pressure myself and also had the DME check it.....although she wasn't real helpful as she said the pressure was somewhere between 7 and 10 when it was set to about 7.6. I've heard that the machines are seldom wrong.
Can you test the short tube for leaks? Is your leak rate going up too, or just your AHI?
My AHI and leak rates both got so bad, and I started feeling bad, so I switched from a Swift nasal pillow to the Hybrid. Just my second night, so I'm not sure that will help yet.
When I asked the same question you're asking, someone suggested getting a loaner from the DME and sleeping a few nights with that one, and seeing if your numbers are consistent on a different machine. I thought that was a good suggestion. If my full mask doesn't help my numbers, I'll do that next.
I swear that my pressure is less in the morning........although lots of people say we just get used to it by then. But I've noticed that if I let the air fill my mouth when I go to bed, my cheeks puff out big. But when I do the same thing in the morning, they hardly puff out at all.
Is there anything different in your life? A few more pounds, a cold, stress? Many of us seem to go through cycles and can't explain why all of a sudden our numbers get worse. I'm ready for a good cycle! Good luck to you!

If your machine has a 3 cm difference between the pressure you set it for (ON CPAP), it is junk, and your DME is a Quack, the spec is 1 CM. JIM

As we use XPAP we get used to the pressure, that's why when we first turn it on it seems to be blowing harder than in the morning when we take it off.

[Komodo]

Hello all,
Just in the last few days, my cpcp machine has felt like the air pressure is not as strong coming out of the tube as it felt previously and my AHI/AI rate has climbed up as well. I have changed the filter and hose and have not changed anything else. I have a copy of the clinical manual, but the troubleshooting page was usless for this issue. Anyone else ever have this problem?

Geminidream

I had the same problem, with the same machine. Pressure started out fine, then by the middle of the night it was barely putting out anything. I called my DME and had them exchange it. No problems with the new one.

I will ask you the same question everyone here asked me when I posted about my machine: "Are you sure it's the machine, and not that you're just used to the pressure and don't feel it, even though it IS working?"

[Geminidream]

You can make or build a manometer to check your pressure or you can take your blower to your DME to check the pressure.

I have no idea what a manometer is.....could you explain? I may just wind up taking my machine to the DME next week, however.

[Geminidream]

Hello all,
Just in the last few days, my cpcp machine has felt like the air pressure is not as strong coming out of the tube as it felt previously and my AHI/AI rate has climbed up as well. I have changed the filter and hose and have not changed anything else. I have a copy of the clinical manual, but the troubleshooting page was usless for this issue. Anyone else ever have this problem?

Geminidream

I had the same problem, with the same machine. Pressure started out fine, then by the middle of the night it was barely putting out anything. I called my DME and had them exchange it. No problems with the new one.

I will ask you the same question everyone here asked me when I posted about my machine: "Are you sure it's the machine, and not that you're just used to the pressure and don't feel it, even though it IS working?"

No, its starts out feeling like less air is coming out when I first turn it on.....and then I feel like I am not getting enough air right off the bat as I try to go to sleep. This morning's numbers were pretty decent, but I still feel like I had to struggle with it all night. I have been on cpap therapy faithfully since the week before Christmas last year and nothing has changed until now.

[ozij]

Any chance you inserted the filter with the blue towards inside instead of outside?

[Geminidream]

Any chance you inserted the filter with the blue towards inside instead of outside?

No...filter is in the right position. Now, the last two nights my numbers have been like they were and I feel okay, but it still does not feel like its putting out as much pressure as it had been. I may be making a trip to the DME Tues to check it out.

[bigk]

What ramp time do you have set? What is the start ramp pressure? What is the treatment pressure? Do you have EPR on? What value is that?

[Spirit]

Hi,
Have you cleaned your hose recently? I had similar experience, after rinsing out my hose, air pressure decreased alot !!! felt like I was suffocating. Hose had water droplet build up. Do you have humidifier set to high ? Possible water build up in hose, take off hose, clean, completely dry, then see if pressure returns back to normal.

[Geminidream]

Thanks for the replies!

I have no water in the hose....don't even have the humidifier on right now because its warm here now. I don't have the ramp on at all, pressure is set at 6 and the epr was not turned on by the DME, apparently.....soooo I am off to see the DME today and have it checked. She said on the phone I may just be getting used to the pressure, but its not just different when the mask is on my face, I feel a difference coming out of the hose without the mask attached to it as well. We shall see.

Will let ya know what the result is!

Geminidream

[ZzzzzGoodnight]

Check the damb machine to see if it may have sucked in some obstacle. People? What's the matter with you? He wants some suggestions not a novel.

[baja05]

The motor can be getting worn out. It may build enough pressure but the flow may be diminished. A calibration may be the only way to tell. What machine is it and how many hours?

[Julie]

You're responding to a 6 mo. old note and the poster's long gone...