Airflow dropped in the middle of the night?

Hi, first post here

I was diagnosed with severe sleep apnea a few weeks ago and just got my machine last week. The machine is a ResMed Airsense 10 CPAP, set to 10PSI and level 4 humidity with a full face mask. I started off with a 15 minute ramp up but felt that the mask fitting changed based on air pressure, causing me to readjust repeatedly, so I cut that down to 0 ramp up.

I've maybe had 2 successful nights with it (messed with the humidity, placement, etc) and last night was the worst, where I woke up struggling to breath. It felt like the air had slowed down to maybe 1psi and I felt like i was suffocating to pull air through the tube. It woke me up, and felt like there was no backpressure when I exhaled, no air forcing into my throat (like it feels at the full 10psi).

So I turned it off, then back on, watched it ramp up to 10 immediately, but there was very little air. Maybe 2-3psi? I moved the hoses a bit (they hang off the bed, untwisted) and it didn't improve. I didn't see any kinks and everything seemed to be connected, and the machine didn't seem to think there was a problem.

Anyhow It was late and I was cranky so I gave up fighting it.

Any idea why this would happen? Machine says 10psi but it's most definitely not? I'm afraid to use it for fear it will do this again - should I contact the sleep center?

Thanks in advance!

Yes, contact the sleep center if that's where you got the machine.
Also...the AirSense 10 CPAP model is a very limited data model. The next step up model is the Elite and it is a full data model that allows for more than the measly generic AHI that the CPAP model gives...the Elite will show the pressure on the software reports...the CPAP model can't. Plus the Elite and Autoset (even next step up model) offers much more data so you can evaluate your therapy...monitor leaks, apnea events, etc.
Try to get at least the Elite model if they end up replacing this machine.
I would tell you to try to swap it out even if it wasn't acting up...just because of the data.

He picked AutoSet in his equipment profile, Pugsy. I think we need to clarify exactly which model he has.

The DME has an instrument called a manometer that can precisely measure the air pressure coming out of the cpap machine. There are also many posts in this forum describing how people have built their own manometers.

yaconsult wrote:He picked AutoSet in his equipment profile,

Sorry, totally missed it. Yes, for sure need to clarify.

BTW

blaketx55 wrote:Machine says 10psi

its not psi units, it's cm to h2O technically and we shorten it to cm for common use. Big difference between psi and cm to water.

Pugsy wrote:

yaconsult wrote:He picked AutoSet in his equipment profile,

Sorry, totally missed it. Yes, for sure need to clarify.

BTW

blaketx55 wrote:Machine says 10psi

its not psi units, it's cm to h2O technically and we shorten it to cm for common use. Big difference between psi and cm to water.

Ah good to know - wasn't sure what the 10 referred to other than "more air going into my face."

I will look and see exactly what model it is - I'm at work so I'm going off of memory - they look pretty identical on the website too, but there seems to be a huge feature difference.

Would the Autoset model have more ability to diagnose the problem? I've contacted the sleep center about the machine, had to leave a VM so we'll see what they say.

The AutoSet name is clearly on the blower if you have the AutoSet and it is a great machine. Full efficacy data with easy to obtain software (and free) to use to monitor therapy effectiveness. And yes, all the models look alike so we have to go by model name with the ResMeds and model number with Respironics because they don't so clearly name their models on the blower itself.

Having the machine feel like the air pressure is reduced in the middle of the night is quite common. I often tell people that it is just our getting used to what initially seems like hurricane force winds will become a gentle breeze but if you are still noticed a marked amount of difference upon awakening when you turn it off and back on again then it should be checked out to make sure. It is rare for these machines to fail so soon but wouldn't be totally impossible.

Pugsy wrote:The AutoSet name is clearly on the blower if you have the AutoSet and it is a great machine. Full efficacy data with easy to obtain software (and free) to use to monitor therapy effectiveness. And yes, all the models look alike so we have to go by model name with the ResMeds and model number with Respironics because they don't so clearly name their models on the blower itself.

Having the machine feel like the air pressure is reduced in the middle of the night is quite common. I often tell people that it is just our getting used to what initially seems like hurricane force winds will become a gentle breeze but if you are still noticed a marked amount of difference upon awakening when you turn it off and back on again then it should be checked out to make sure. It is rare for these machines to fail so soon but wouldn't be totally impossible.

Thank you Pugsy for the information.

I spoke with the sleep study place, and the guy was able to see the last week of data from my machine (he said I did not have the elite, but I do have the AutoSet.) He said the machine is still seeing apnea episodes and he has remotely increased the pressure to "auto 10-20." His theory was similar, that you can get used to the sensation and feel like it has reduced. It just felt more severe than that, I truly felt like I was having to suck the air out of the tube to breath. If I am still having episodes though, I guess it could have just coincided with me gasping for air due to apnea.

Either way I will be trying it again tonight, so awesome that they can remotely monitor this device. Very cool technology!

So just an update:

The tech was able to set the pressure to 10-20 Auto and I slept great! Never seemed to drop, always felt like it was blowing full force the entire night.

Yay!

That's fantastic news! Best of luck with your therapy. I'm new to it as well and trying to get all the kinks out, so to speak...

Are you monitoring your AHI per night?

If you ever feel the machine is not blowing air, lift up the edge of the mask off your face and see if you hear a large amount of air blowing out. That should help you get over the "no air" feeling.

If you have a nasal mask, you can just open your mouth and see if air flows in your nose out through your mouth. Since blake has a full face mask, he has to lift up the edge of the mask to hear the air leaking.