Noisy CPAP machine

LJ · Post by LJ » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:36 am

My husband did a sleep study earlier this fall, and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. After a lengthy fight with the insurance company, he got his CPAP machine last week. I haven't slept since.

It is horribly loud-- hissing, gurgling, and whining (a high pitched keening whine. My husband can't hear it, but it's agonizing for me, and it freaks out the dogs) and darth-vader like noises. It's so loud that I can hear it from the first floor of the house-- even when the bedroom door (on the second floor) is closed.

I tried to sleep on the couch downstairs, but that screeching whine still penetrated through. I have moved to the unfinished basement, and am currently trying to sleep on a camping pad on a concrete slab floor. I really haven't slept since the machine came home. I've been dozing off at work, and on the road (I drive an hour and a half to and from work), but have been able to wake up in time. Until today.

Today I fell asleep and ran off the road. Luckily, I only took out a mailbox, so other than a fender and headlight (and the guy's mailbox) nothing is damaged.

Even now, I can barely keep my eyes open.

How can something that is supposed to help you sleep sound so horrible and be so loud??? It's not just not being able to be in the room with it, I can't be in the house! It's 100 times louder than his occasional snore ever was.

Luckily, the noise only bothers him a little. He's had to take benedryl to be able to get to sleep (sadly, they haven't helped me at all). Normally, he could sleep through a bomb going off.

Is it supposed to be like this? How can you all put up with that much noise? It's downright agony with my migraines! Even without, it's just so loud, how can anyone sleep?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:41 am

If you hear anything except a very low purr there is a problem with the machine. Have him take it back to the DME and have it checked out.
My wife has very sensitive hearing and the only thing she can hear is the low air escape noise from my mask.

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:49 am

all depends on delivery pressure, machine type etc., try putting one of those 1/4" neoprene mouse pads under it and get some foam ear plugs.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:10 pm

Lol... Not to be insensitive to your predicament, but your piece can easily win this forum's best entertaining post of the month.

Otoh, no PAP machine can be that unbelievably loud--it's got to be a bad machine. I don't know about the others, but my Respironics M Series APAP is purringly quiet, especially when the integrated humidifier is full with water.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:11 pm

And, if things aren't put together correctly (like the humidifier fitted to the machine), that can generate lots of needless noise through air leaks.
If the humidifier is set too high and the room is cold, the "rain out" (water condensation) in the hose and mask can make some weird noises.
Some masks are also noisier than others.
And, as Snoredog mentioned.....if the delivery pressure is high, it's going to make any of the other things sound worse.

Yep.....take it back to the DME (make sure you empty the humidifier first) and have them check it out. That's why they get paid the mega-bucks.

Den

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:31 pm

My eight year old Sullivan Series V straight CPAP machine has never been that loud. You must have a defective machine which you should get checked out. Sorry to hear about your predicament.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
12/19/07

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:41 pm

I expected some noise, but not this amount. My vacuum makes less noise.

The pressure setting is at 4, but I don't know if that is high, low, or what.

I have a lot of trouble sleeping through the night as it is but now, sleep at all is not possible. (I usually wake up 10+ times per night, a few of them are dash-for-the-inhaler gasping wakeups. )

I completely forgot to do something at work today, and got reamed out for it big time.

What's a DME?? If it's a medical supply place, I think the closest one is a few hours away. The CPAP was shipped in and he was shown how to use it. The box does say refurbished. It was a fight to get the insurance to pay for even part of it, since according to them, his apnea is not severe enough to warrant a cpap, since his blood oxygen levels never dropped below 99%.

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:04 pm

Anonymous wrote:I expected some noise, but not this amount. My vacuum makes less noise.

The pressure setting is at 4, but I don't know if that is high, low, or what.

I have a lot of trouble sleeping through the night as it is but now, sleep at all is not possible. (I usually wake up 10+ times per night, a few of them are dash-for-the-inhaler gasping wakeups. )

I completely forgot to do something at work today, and got reamed out for it big time.

What's a DME?? If it's a medical supply place, I think the closest one is a few hours away. The CPAP was shipped in and he was shown how to use it. The box does say refurbished. It was a fight to get the insurance to pay for even part of it, since according to them, his apnea is not severe enough to warrant a cpap, since his blood oxygen levels never dropped below 99%.

A pressure setting of 4 is LOW......that's the lowest setting most of them will go to.

Yes, DME is "Durable Medical Equipment" (supply place or an employee of same).

Where did he get it? Refurbished?
Who set it up and showed him how to use it?

Den

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:20 pm

I don't know many specifics-- just that the insurance was a major pain, so somehow the doctor managed to get the cheapest unit that they could find, and finally the insurance agreed to cover some of it. I'm not sure who demonstrated how to use it (he didn't say, just said that someone showed him how to use it). He just came home with it after the doctor's appointment.

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:20 pm

A machine with a setting of 4 is very low. When I was titrated back in October 2007 the lab where I was tested started me out on 4 which was basically nothing compared to my old pressure of 16.

My new pressure according to my sleep lab study report will have to be increased to 18. I'm scheduled to see my ENT in January 2008. A good 1800 watt hair dryer on medium speed makes more noise than my old Sullivan CPAP machine. I certainly hope that you're able to get everything worked out.

Stevoreno
Biloxi, Mississippi
12/19/07

Bearded_One · Post by **Bearded_One** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:18 pm

This sounds like the same person who posted in apneasupport.org, whose husband has an AHI of 2.

Is your husband using CPAP just for snoring? Is that why insurance wouldn't cover it?

stevoreno · Post by **stevoreno** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:28 pm

[quote="Bearded_One"]This sounds like the same person who posted in apneasupport.org, whose husband has an AHI of 2.

Is your husband using CPAP just for snoring? Is that why insurance wouldn't cover it?

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 4:40 pm

Bearded_One wrote:This sounds like the same person who posted in apneasupport.org, whose husband has an AHI of 2.

Is your husband using CPAP just for snoring? Is that why insurance wouldn't cover it?

NO KIDDING!!! (Don't ya just hate it when they do that?)

At least she got more responses here.

From her posts, SHE may be the one that needs a sleep study.

Den

Bearded_One · Post by **Bearded_One** » Wed Dec 19, 2007 5:37 pm

Stevoreno; sorry, I was asking a possibly rhetorical question of the woman whose husband apparently bought a used vacuum cleaner instead of a CPAP machine.

If she is real, I wonder what brand the CPAP machine is; "RozMed" or "Resperon-X", perhaps? Was it provided by a shady snoring clinic?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:27 am

Here is a little more info. BTW, the machine is a Remstar plus basic M w/ heated humidfier.

He did go for a couple of sleep studies. He was concerned because his father DOES have severe sleep apnea, with many, many episodes per hour (his father swears by his CPAP, says it's changed his life (for the better) I remember him being very snappy and irritable, and he would doze off at odd times, now he's not like that at all). My husband always feels tired after sleeping, no matter how long he sleeps, and often wakes up multiple times per night. The short episodes do wake him up frequently.

I think the machine was a previous loaner. It's the only thing that made it affordable, considering the cost of the sleep studies. The CPAP was prescribed because in the second sleep study, when given a sleep aid, he had more episodes and his O2 dropped more. They had him use a CPAP and it seemed to help him remain asleep and cut down the # of episodes. He said it was the first time he'd slept OK in a long time. He was advised to be very careful of weight gain, because that could make it worse.

He is having a lot of trouble getting the mask to seal correctly and says it's very uncomfortable, even more so if he tries to tighten it more to create a better seal. He was so aggravated with it last night he turned it off and took off the mask. The hissing and whistling (high pitched) sound I think is air coming out of the mask. He said that it's drying out his eyes. (maybe because the air is leaking?) Like usual, he was up several times last night. He usually wakes up w/a gasp.

I leveled the machine last night. He had just plunked it on the nightstand, with part of it touching the base of the lamp. I hadn't paid attention to how he had it placed until someone brought it to my attention. I put it on a couple of old computer mouse pads (a suggestion from a friend who thought it might be making the entire nightstand vibrate) and the humming now sounds like an aquarium pump. The hum isn't bad at all, it's pretty quiet. Now the main noise is the loud hissing/whistling/air noise.

He is supposed to see the doc again after the holiday, and wants to discuss the mask.