Strange vibration problem with AirSense 10

[Stacey99]

Hello! I'm new to this forum and to using a CPAP. I was diagnosed last week with "severe" sleep apnea, not breathing an average of 30 times an hour, average of 10 seconds, with 40 seconds being the longest time. A little background: I'm a lifelong mouth breather. I have an open bite, and my jaw doesn't close properly. To fully close my mouth, I have to think about it, and it's not comfortable. I can breathe very little through my nose, and probably should have gotten checked for a deviated septum years ago. (I'm 43.)

Anyway, was given a ResMed AirSense 10 machine (air pressure: 7) and Quattro Mirage mask. The mask was claustrophobic torture and I took it back and exchanged for an Amara View, which is so much lighter and more comfortable. I'm obviously still getting used to wearing a mask at all, but hoping it'll get easier.

So, with the Quattro Mirage, the weird vibrations from the machine were much more pronounced. I was hoping it was the mask, but it's happening with the View as well. When I say vibrating, I don't mean making noise; the air will be flowing normally, and there don't seem to be any mask leaks that I can feel or hear. Then I'll feel this wave of little vibrations, like tremors or pulses through the mask several times. It didn't happen when I spent the night at a sleep clinic on their machine, which leads me to think it's the AirSense. I've experimented, and it happens when the mask is tighter and when it's loose. With the Amara View, when I look down, I can actually see the mask vibrate. It'll be still and normal, and then tremors for several seconds. It seems to come and go with no rhyme or reason, but is frequent enough that it's driving me insane.

I've spent all my free time this week Googling and learning about apnea and CPAPs, and haven't seen anyone else mention this issue. I just want to make sure I'm not missing something obvious before asking for another machine. It really doesn't seem to be a leak problem, so I'm stumped and would greatly appreciate any advice you can give.

[Pugsy]

Which hose are you using?
The diameter? And does it match the choice in the clinical setup menu for the hose?
If you have the heated hose the machine should automatically change to the correct setting but if you are using a non heated hose it's possible that the hose diameter choice doesn't match.

https://sleep.tnet.com/home/files/resme ... -guide.pdf

[palerider]

are you holding your breath when you see/feel these vibrations?

[Stacey99]

It's a SlimLine hose, 15mm diameter. I just went into the clinicial settings (thank you so much for posting the full manual!), and it says SlimLine, so seems to be correct. Says no for AB filter just in case that could be a factor, but I'm assuming not...

No, I'm not holding my breath. Will just be breathing normally while reading or trying to drift off. Eventually I've been able to fall asleep and get past it (easier with the Amara mask since there's less real estate for me to feel the tremors), but have noticed it again if I turn over to my side and wake up a little...

Really appreciate you guys trying to help!

[Pugsy]

Hose diameter was my one and only idea. I knew of one person with similar complaints and it was incorrect hose choice.

Hey, PR...do you think she may be feeling the FOTs? I suppose we need to look at the flow rate up close and personal and see if we spot it.
Does the ResMed do FOTs in ramp? It might in auto ramp if it thinks she is asleep.

Stacey...do you know about SleepyHead software?
https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment
how to post images
https://sleep.tnet.com/reference/tips/imgur
how to organize...3 pages please read them all
https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead/shorganize

Once you get all that down we can tell you how to zoom in and we look for FOT which is some little oscillations in the pressure that the machine uses to help it figure out if your airway is open or not.

Oh...are you using ramp? Auto Ramp? If so, for how long and are you falling asleep before ramp is up to whatever pressure you are using?

[palerider]

Hose diameter was my one and only idea. I knew of one person with similar complaints and it was incorrect hose choice.

Hey, PR...do you think she may be feeling the FOTs? I suppose we need to look at the flow rate up close and personal and see if we spot it.
Does the ResMed do FOTs in ramp? It might in auto ramp if it thinks she is asleep.

that was my first thought when she said "vibration" and "can actually see the mask vibrate".

I agree, getting zoomed pics of the flow and mask pressure would show FOT if it's happening.

[Pugsy]

that was my first thought when she said "vibration" and "can actually see the mask vibrate".

It was actually my first fleeting thought but I was so hoping it was something so simple as wrong hose selection...sigh...I guess it wasn't meant to be so simple.

If it is FOT...and she is using Auto Ramp...maybe using regular ramp long enough to get fully asleep before they go to work and then hopefully sleep through them.

[Stacey99]

Okay, I think I've figured out what FOT means. Is this what you're talking about?

http://freecpapadvice.com/forum/viewtop ... f=11&t=782

So the machine is doing it because I'm apparently a slow breather? I have the ramp feature off since I haven't felt the need for it. If the info on that other forum is correct, maybe I will get the Phillips machine, because 9 seconds before it kicks in sounds a lot better than 4...

I agree, getting zoomed pics of the flow and mask pressure would show FOT if it's happening.

Sorry, what exactly should I take pictures of? Not quite following. Thank you!

ETA: Sorry, didn't see all of Pugsy's message above about Sleepyhead. Going to download now.

[Pugsy]

Page 8 of the manual I gave you the link to offers a brief description of FOT.

I don't think that FOT (assuming that is what you are experiencing) is active when in ramp.
I am wondering if you were to use ramp until you actually fall into sound sleep that you could get past it waking you up right when you start to fall asleep.
Worth trying.
You don't have to start the ramp at the default of 4...you can start it higher or even start it at your minimum pressure if you wish.

So if it typically takes you 20 minutes to fall asleep...maybe set ramp to 30 minutes...and don't use the AutoRamp thing because it will stop ramp if it thinks you are falling asleep and in your situation we want to get past the falling asleep stage.

Now I don't know if this would work or not but it hurts nothing to try...and it's easy to change the ramp starting pressure. You can make it start where your pressure is starting out at now.
What mode are you using and what settings are you using and are you using EPR (and if so full time, part time?)

[Stacey99]

Okay, I think I've got the screenshot right. Thanks so much for the SleepyHead links! I don't even know what my AHI was without CPAP, but will be asking when I see sleep doc again.

http://imgur.com/a/KpKji

Note: the major leakage around 3am is because I went to the bathroom and didn't turn off the machine. Whoops! Still getting used to all of this.

I wasn't using the ramp, but yes, will give it a try and set it for half an hour or even 40 minutes if I read a bit first.

Mode: CPAP
Pressure: 7
Full face mask
EPR is on, and it says full time on level 1

The tech at the sleep clinic set that EPR, although frankly I didn't feel like he really knew what he was doing since I had to chance the machine from nasal to full mask myself at home after doublechecking the settings. (Athough it might be fine since I'm not really clear on the differences in EPR settings at this point.)

[palerider]

Okay, I think I've got the screenshot right. Thanks so much for the SleepyHead links! I don't even know what my AHI was without CPAP, but will be asking when I see sleep doc again.

if you'd like me to look through your data for what we're talking about, zip up the contents of your SD card and upload it here:
https://www.dropbox.com/request/0LalWvEsijRIgX8sdM7H

[avi123]

It could be a faulty anti asphyxia valve.

[Stacey99]

Thank you, palerider!! Trying to zip, but it says it's write protected and I can't. (I locked the card per SleepyHead instructions about Windows writing new files on it?)

avi123, thank you. I'll keep that in mind if I have to exchange the machine.

[palerider]

It could be a faulty anti asphyxia valve.

highly unlikely.

[Pugsy]

See if you can copy the contents of the SD card into a folder.
I don't know how many folders there might be but don't go deep into each folder.
Instead just look at the very first contents and there should be a folder(s) with a bunch of sub folders...just copy the main big folder(s) into the new folder and there may be a text document.
So that you end up in the folder looking at the same thing you are looking at in the SD card.
When the card is write protected it won't let you do anything to the actual contents of the SD card but you should be able to highlight the folder(s) and copy the contents and then paste them into a new folder.
Once the folder is a mirror image of the SD card then you can compress/zip it.

I have a ResMed S9 and it may not have the same number of folders as your AirSense does but just copy the main big folder in each category...I have 3 I think...and when you copy the main folder it automatically copies all the sub folders.

PR may have a better way to do it but that's how I do it.