Noise issues

[Beth M]

Hello fellow hoseheads,

I hope this finds you all sleeping well and apnea free!

7 weeks in and things are going well for the most part. My cpap (apap) machine and I aren't quite best friends yet, but my apnea's are down from 89 to only 2. My sleep doc's have cut me loose and I'm on my own to figure things out. Well, not completely on my own, I have you!

My only complaint is the air noise I make while inhaling. I know it wasn't that noisy at my sleep study. In fact, i got congestsed (i think from the humidity setting) and the whistling sound my nose made kept me awake! I don't recall the breathing noise being a problem. My nose could whistle Dixie and I'd never hear it with either of the masks I have. I almost exclusively use a nasal mask because it seems to get fewer leaks when I move around. It's the same mask I used in the sleep study (they sent me home with it in fact). My machine makes no noise at all. It's that awful darth vader sound I make while inhaling. It's disturbing my peace of mind. Every once in awhile I wake up and it seems quieter. No idea why.

Any ideas out there? Is it because my pressure is so high? My average pressure is about 16.5 and it does get quieter if I hit the ramp button and go down to 10.
Is it something I'll just have to learn to ignore?

On a happier note, I'm actually getting sleep for the first time in memory. I'm even dreaming! I'm feeling better every day so it's really been worth hanging in there.

Another question....does everyone pretty much use the 6 ft hose that seems to be the standard? Would the pressure settings be affected if I used a longer hose? Sometimes I need a longer tether.....

Thanks in advance to all you experts out there. I've learned so much from you!
Beth

[DoriC]

Have you tried experimenting with the Flex settings? My husband doesn't have your machine but we found that with Flex his breathing was noisier and after a few weeks we turned it off.

[Janknitz]

Do you have a hose wrap? That seems to help. It's conducted noise in the tube. Also make sure the hose isn't against your pillow--pillows magnify the sound for some reason.

[Beth M]

Hmmm. No, I haven't adjusted the flex settings. I'll give it a try! Thanks for the tip!

And no, I don't have a hose wrap, but I can make one in a jiffy. Whatever it takes!

I appreciate your help, thanks so much!
Beth