New User - First Question, Probably of Many

Hey there folks. I've just come across this forum and while its great to know there's so much information available out there, I've also had the bejaysus scared out of me with the amount of info that seems to be on this site.

I got my CPAP machine just before Christmas. I'm in Ireland and the doctor sent me to a company to get the test done. My apnea was fairly severe and they just gave me a machine, no choice of brand or anything like that, though I did get to test a variety of masks.

My question for now is, I often wake up in the middle of the night because the air supply from the machine is so forceful that my cheeks are bellowing. Like a child holding their breath, except my mouth is open. Occasionally I've been able to breath through it, difficultly, until the force dissipates, but usually I have to turn the machine off and back on again. Is this normal? At times it was even lifting the mask off my face, but since I tightened the straps that has stopped and my cheeks just bulge like I'm accelerating at high speeds. The company set the machine to 6 lowest and 16 at the highest, I'm not sure what that means exactly.

Its causing me to wake. I'm not, as yet at least, feeling the benefit of the machine because of this and trying to get used to sleeping with the mask on (I sleep on my front and the mask isn't conducive to that)

Can anyone advise me?

Tell us more about the equipment you are using and if you've installed Sleepyhead on your PC and are downloading data. That way we can help you...

Hi Englandsf. Thanks for the reply. I'll have to post the equipment details when I get home from work. I didn't bother taking note of the brand when I didn't have a choice. I haven't gotten that software, I recently sent my USB key back to the company for a reading, so maybe I can get it somewhere once they've posted it back to me.

Aaaaand, now that I'm home!

The machine is a Fisher Paykel Sens Awake.

That's a "minority" choice for sure, don't know that machine at all - what about your mask?

SE

Psycrow wrote:Aaaaand, now that I'm home!

The machine is a Fisher Paykel Sens Awake.

May be one of these:

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machines/fish ... l.php#:::4::

The Icon series has SenseAwake technology.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... chine.html

And, I think the Sleepyhead software works with them.

https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead


Den

.

One of the bugbears of this area of medicine is that most machines carry:

- a manufacturer's name - eg Philips Respironics, or Fisher & Paykel, AND

- a marketing name or series name - eg, System One, REMstar 60, or SensAwake, AND

- a product number - eg, 461 or 561; HC 220 or HC 234, AND

- a model description - Auto, APAP; Premo, Novo.

The two key bits of information are (usually) the manufacturer and the product number. It will help if you look at the bottom of the unit, or round the back, or in any paperwork that came with the unit, and give the full description - but especially those two items.

You can find details of how to change the pressures in some Fisher & Paykel machines here:

http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

and scroll down till you find them.

I don't know if any of these three are also known as 'SensAwake'. But maybe, if it's not too late in the evening, you can take another look.

rick blaine wrote:One of the bugbears of this area of medicine is that most machines carry:

- a manufacturer's name - eg Philips Respironics, or Fisher & Paykel, AND

- a marketing name or series name - eg, System One, REMstar 60, or Sens Awake, AND

- a product number - eg, 461 or 561; HC 220 or HC 234, AND

- a model description - Auto, APAP; Premo, Novo.

The two key bits of information are (usually) the manufacturer and the product number. It will help if you look at the bottom of the unit, or round the back, or in any paperwork that came with the unit, and give the full description - but especially those two items.

You can find details of how to change the pressures in some Fisher & Paykel machines here:

http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-p ... tup-manual

and scroll down till you find them.

I don't know if any of these three are also known as 'Sens Awake'. But maybe, if it's not too late in the evening, you can take another look.

SensAwake is a "feature" on them.
This one:

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... chine.html

Lists these features:

Features

Auto Algorithm
SensAwake Pressure Relief Technology
ThermoSmart Heated Hose
SmartDial - Sleep Data & Functions
Alarm Clock & AlarmTunes
Ramp Feature
Auto Altitude Adjustment
Travel Size


Den

.

Yes, and it also acts as an alarm clock, and has 'music playing ability'. What bliss.

rick blaine wrote:Yes, and it also acts as an alarm clock, and has 'music playing ability'. What bliss.

Yeah. Some people's (manufacturer's) priorities are a little different. Not features I'd pick for a CPAP machine.


Den

.

rick blaine wrote:The two key bits of information are (usually) the manufacturer and the product number. It will help if you look at the bottom of the unit, or round the back, or in any paperwork that came with the unit, and give the full description - but especially those two items.
.

the key bit is the REF number on the bottom/back, these machines don't have model numbers anymore, the REF number is a medical equipment listing thing... and unique.

Hi Everyone, thanks for the replies.
The mask is a Resmed Quattro Air... this one, though the likeness of the model may or may not be exact http://www.mosleep.com/uploads/2/5/6/0/ ... 6_orig.jpg

The machine itself is the ICON and Auto CPAP. This is the one I'm sure. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... chine.html. The REF is ICONAAK as far as I can tell from the quick photograph I took of the base this morning.

From what I'm reading of the sensawake technologly, maybe its not working? When I wake up while the pressure is this high, I have to switch the machine off to stop it. I've downloaded Sleepyhead, but have to wait for the USB to come back from the company before I can use it.

Thanks for the link to the manuals to change the pressures Rick. I'm going to leave that the the company for now. I have a review with the sleep doc next monday and she'll (hopefully) have the information from the USB key.

If you would put your equipment info into your profile it would show with each post. Here is a link to show how. wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile