Loaner machine was heaven... new machine is something else

[lindagg]

Hello, I'm hoping someone can help me. I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea (more than 85 events per hour). My sleep doctor loaned me an airsense 10. It was heaven. From the first night I was sleeping more than 9 hours. I was able to keep it for 5 nights. All of the nights I got more than 9 hours sleep. (Usually I get very poor sleep). I could not wait to get my own machine.

I now have my own machine. It is also an airsense 10. It looks identical to the one they lent me (except theirs didn't have the humidifier plugged in, it just had that part plugged off). I'm using the same mask that they gave me. But for some reason I can't get past an hour with this new machine. I'm so discouraged. I was so looking forward to more sleep with this machine. Also I paid cash, which makes it even more discouraging that it's not working like the one they lent me.

Around 45 minutes to an hour after wearing it, it starts doing this "whoomp, whoomp, whoomp" and I have to rip the mask off to breathe. Every time I tried it, it wakes me up around the hour mark and I have to rip the mask off. I can't sleep with this machine. It almost feels as if it is sucking the air out of my lungs.

I took it to the sleep doctor. They confirmed it's the same machine. Jokingly I asked if they would trade me their old use loaner for my new machine (I would have taken them up on it if they would have gone for it!). They updated some settings on my machine to be sure it matched the settings on the one they lent me. I was so excited, brought it home, and same thing... still cant sleep with this one on. The "Whoomp, whoomp, whoomp" starts and sucks the mask to my face and I have to rip it off to breathe.

I'm currently waiting for a call back from Apria. Hopefully they can help me.

I'm so disappointed. I really wish I could sleep with this machine. I dont think it's a matter of "getting used to it" as I slept more than 9 hours for 5 nights in a row with the loaner machine, and also I was hospitalized for a week and had a different cpap machine in the hospital that I used with no issues (and that one was a giant beast that was not an auto cpap). So I know I can sleep with a cpap mask. Just something weird about my machine. Has anyone else experienced this?

[Pugsy]

Maybe you have a lemon. It does happen.

[palerider]

Which airsense 10 we're you loaned, and which do you have now? There are several models that all look the same.

[lindagg]

It's the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset with Humidifier. The sleep doctor confirmed it is the same model that they lent me.

[Janknitz]

"Whoomp, Whoomp, Whoomp" is not normal behavior for a CPAP machine. Contact your DME to see if you can get it swapped out.

[herefishy]

Did you try plugging the humidifier like the loaner?

[D.H.]

Most likely, something is set differently.

[Pugsy]

If there was a setting that was different then I would assume that the problem would be rather immediate and not an hour or so later in the night.

It needs to go back to the equipment supplier to be checked out. Or at least that is what I would be doing with it.

[palerider]

The "Whoomp, whoomp, whoomp" starts and sucks the mask to my face and I have to rip it off to breathe.

Unless you've somehow managed to hook the machine up backwards, it's physically impossible to "suck the mask" to your face, or anything else... So, something else is happening.

[D.H.]

I don't know if this is the problem but try it.

Disable the auto-off (or auto-on/off if they're combined). It's possible that the machine is mistakenly detecting that you've removed the mask.

[palerider]

I don't know if this is the problem but try it.

Disable the auto-off (or auto-on/off if they're combined). It's possible that the machine is mistakenly detecting that you've removed the mask.

Don't bother trying what DH says.

[speck]

So I initially found the res med terribly uncomfortable about 1 hour in, so I turned off the ramp-up time (If you're not familiar, ramp-up has the machine provide low pressure for a while until the user has fallen asleep, then increase the pressure... you can set how long the ramp-up is.). That helped.

There are some settings that the user cannot access normally. On my machine, the clinic has blocked my access to the flex setting (which decreases the pressure while you exhale). Once I managed to access the clinical menu and activate the flex setting, I was able to wear the mask all night without issues. You can google how to access the other settings... I think you hold down the "on" button and the large front button together for 3 seconds or so.

The ramping feature is the only thing I can think of that would change an hour into your use. I really hope you get it worked out, that's crazy frustrating.

What kind of hose does the current machine have? and what kind of mask are you using?

[chunkyfrog]

The settings cannot be "locked out".
A combination of buttons pressed together will access the settings.
You need the clinical manual to know the "secret handshake" that so many of us use.

[ChicagoGranny]

"whoomp, whoomp, whoomp"

Check the hose size setting - SlimLine / Standard

Check the mask setting - Full Face / Nasal / Pillows

These could have been overlooked by the doc's office.

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

[D.H.]

I don't know if this is the problem but try it.

Disable the auto-off (or auto-on/off if they're combined). It's possible that the machine is mistakenly detecting that you've removed the mask.

Don't bother trying what DH says.

I didn't even say that I thought this was the problem. I said to be sure to rule it out (or possibly in). This is a very simple thing to try.

Also, wouldn't the OP look foolish is (s)he dismissed this on your say-so, and it did turn out to be the problem?