Mask Noise on Inhalation

I was having noise problems similar to yours when I was in my bedroom, but noticed it was a lot quieter when I was sleeping in hotels. The only difference was the carpeting in the room. Our bedroom has plush carpeting, and the motels.....well, they were usually close to indoor/outdoor variety. I just experimented and recently took a paint stir stick and put in under one side (motor side) of the unit. Believe it or not, the noise subsided significantly!. I think maybe our carpet was creating a bed for the belly of the machine and it was more likely to vibrate a little when the motor speed changed with my breathing. You might want to try it. It's a cheap fix!

My Airsense 10 does the same thing, noise when I inhale. I did some investigating and found out the noise is coming from the intake filter. I did several things to quieten it and the best thing so far without totally covering up the intake is I rolled up a clean bandana and laid in front of the intake, tames the noise a bunch. This worked also, I took the same bandana and draped it over the intake kinda like a tent, this also helped some. these are just my experiences with my machine. Just wanted to say that the noise was coming from the intake air filter, I realize this may not be the best fix for the noise but it works for me and the management....LOL. Best of luck with your machine.

DanceDiva26 wrote:When I asked Hubby to take a deeeep breath, the machine noise raised to such a pitch that it almost hit a high whine. That sealed it for me. It IS the machine itself. It wasn't conducted noise through the hose. It wasn't vibration of parts. It wasn't the masks. It wasn't my mind playing tricks on me. That machine was in fact breathing! Lol....

I just remembered the DME ordered this specially for me. I hope they received more for stock, but not from the same lot. I can wait. I'll use the silent PR Bi-Pap and smiiiile all the while!

I've become very suspicious of DME's as there is too much incentive for these contractors to make a boatload of money by skimping on patients. What I'm suspicious of here is whether they so kindly special ordered you a refurbished machine. Reason I say that is my Dreamstation (both original and replacement machine under mfr warrantee), both of them put out this burnt water type odor when I first breathe in, it's very random and it's there for a moment and then disappears. Then this admin assistant at my DME tells me that cpap.com sells refurbished machines as new. I don't quite believe that. To begin with, the DME's RT also "sized" me with two ill fitting masks that they happened to have in stock. I ended up buying my own out of pocket "For Her" mask that fits much better.

Thanks for everyone's replies. There is no "fix" for what ails this machine. No question that the breathing sounds emanate from the machine itself and that the noise level is too high to be acceptable. Sylvia, I don't think it's refurbished as I checked the hours and all of them are my usage hours unless I'm missing something here.

Bottom line: Since none currently in stock, the DME is ordering a new AutoSet for Her. Just got off the phone. While it wasn't a "fight" per se to get it, I did have to relentlessly "push".

For my first rant, I have to say I now understand the general distrust and disdain there is for DMEs in general. I'm disappointed because I was far more impressed initially with this DME over others I spoke with. And this DME has been very good to me in general. During the "push", the DME tech did not question my allegations of noisiness. Said right away that they could set me up with a regular AutoSet. I insisted on a For Her due to the 3rd mode utilizing a different algorithm. She claimed..."All AirSense are the same, the For Her just appeals to women due to its looks" . Whoosh. I thought I'd have a 'knowledgeable local partner' in this journey.

I insisted that I wanted the 3rd mode (whether I actually ever use it or not)....and she came back with..."Oh, you're thinking of the EPR which can be adjusted 1-3 levels, which all machines have". Nooooo...True statement, but not what I'm referring to.

She "looked it up" and claimed that the specs show no difference. I responded that right on the ResMed site itself, it touts the For Her as having a 'gender specific algorithm' with a graph showing the different responses of an AutoSet and a For Her in responding to respiratory flows.

I do get that DMES are incentivized to give the end-user a brick or "lesser" model than what they asked for, but I am appalled that they are either truly totally ignorant of their own product specs, or pro-actively feigning ignorance in order to blockade the end-user.

Had I not read this board incessantly and exerted every effort to get my newbie knowledge up to speed, I couldn't have maintained the 20 minute "push" conversation on my end. She "sounded" so knowledgeable and authoritative. So again, many thanks to the board. It was a delicate verbal pas de deux dance...displaying just enough newbie knowledge to make my case for what I wanted, and deferring enough on insignificant points so as not to irritate her and have her not want to please me. I simply cannot imagine how you knowledgeable board veterans could not hold your tongues, and cannot imagine how a brand new, less skilled newbie would fare. Mincemeat.

So, she's ordering it and will call me when it arrives. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that it's a "good" one. It may not come in time before my surgery, and there'll be a lag time before I'm mobile after surgery so it may even be a month from now before I can test it and get it. Oh..just thought. Maybe I can ask them to bring it to the house. I am now officially becoming that "difficult customer". <laughing> Eh...so what.

The only thing niggling at me is that she verbally promised to order a new one, but I don't have it in writing. I'll give them a chance before I ramp up to "very" difficult customer. Maybe it's just the lawyer in me. <shrug.>

You know what scares me about DMEs who don't really know their products...and they don't seem to want to learn.... in the back of my mind I can't help wonder what else they don't know and don't seem to want to learn.

If they really, really go to the website and read...and then can't see the difference...that's pretty sad. This stuff doesn't take rocket science level of intelligence to understand.
So either they don't really try to learn or they are as dumb as box of rocks....and that scares the hell out of me.

I have never even seen an AirSense machine to know if what you are experiencing is "normal" but from what I have experienced with past ResMed machines and the bulk of what people who do use these machines say...I don't think it's normal and it shouldn't be acceptable to learn to deal with it via white noise or whatever.

In the meantime continue to use the BiPap and get spoiled.

DanceDiva26 wrote:She "looked it up" and claimed that the specs show no difference. I responded that right on the ResMed site itself, it touts the For Her as having a 'gender specific algorithm' with a graph showing the different responses of an AutoSet and a For Her in responding to respiratory flows.

Interesting. My RT told me that there's no difference in the "AirFit P10 For Her" vrs the "AirFit P10" mask, other than the pink headgear.
And I've noticed many of the newbies who post on here have the PR Dreamstation machine.
I suspect several DME's are buying those in bulk right now with a quantity discount.
No doubt deals are made behind the scenes, especially for Medicare patients.
Of course the DME can issue you any acceptable machine and mask that is included on your prescription.

Sylvia54 wrote:

DanceDiva26 wrote:She "looked it up" and claimed that the specs show no difference. I responded that right on the ResMed site itself, it touts the For Her as having a 'gender specific algorithm' with a graph showing the different responses of an AutoSet and a For Her in responding to respiratory flows.

Interesting. My RT told me that there's no difference in the "AirFit P10 For Her" vrs the "AirFit P10" mask, other than the pink headgear. .

did you just confuse the airsense10 and the airfit p10? or am I reading your comment wrong?

there is no difference in the p10 and p10 for her other than substituting an xsmall pillow for large and a slightly shorter pink strap for the blue. same frame, same small and medium pillow.

I think some DMEs are telling people that the only difference in the P10 for her and regular headgear is the color itself...insinuating that the size is the same no matter the color which it isn't.

With some of the headgear color differences in the "for her" mask packages the color is the only difference but not with the P10.

Again..ignorant DMEs who don't know their products.

palerider wrote:

Sylvia54 wrote:

DanceDiva26 wrote:She "looked it up" and claimed that the specs show no difference. I responded that right on the ResMed site itself, it touts the For Her as having a 'gender specific algorithm' with a graph showing the different responses of an AutoSet and a For Her in responding to respiratory flows.

Interesting. My RT told me that there's no difference in the "AirFit P10 For Her" vrs the "AirFit P10" mask, other than the pink headgear. .

did you just confuse the airsense10 and the airfit p10? or am I reading your comment wrong?

there is no difference in the p10 and p10 for her other than substituting an xsmall pillow for large and a slightly shorter pink strap for the blue. same frame, same small and medium pillow.

No, I meant to say airfit p10. I was just bringing up another example of a DME employee passing people off with their false explanations.
And as Pugsy states also, there are differences other than pink color in the P10 mask.
Another thing that irks me is that the RT initially decides by looking at you what size pillow you need and you only get that one size.
I was surprised to see that a complete new AirFit P10 mask from cpap.com includes 3 sizes to try out.
DME's so easily rip people off and many of us find out too late that we've been ripped off.

Sylvia54 wrote:Another thing that irks me is that the RT initially decides by looking at you what size pillow you need and you only get that one size.
I was surprised to see that a complete new AirFit P10 mask from cpap.com includes 3 sizes to try out.

DMEs aren't supposed to sell products that have been opened except if opened in front of the buy and they are supposed to include everything in the package.
This is what my DME told me.
I once requested a mask that they didn't have in inventory. They did have a "demo" that was opened that was new.
I offered to pay for it but he said "no, we can't sell opened/broken packages even if never touched because it's against the law...it's yours for free".
Now whose law I have no idea.

Pugsy wrote:

Sylvia54 wrote:Another thing that irks me is that the RT initially decides by looking at you what size pillow you need and you only get that one size.
I was surprised to see that a complete new AirFit P10 mask from cpap.com includes 3 sizes to try out.

but he said "no, we can't sell opened/broken packages even if never touched because it's against the law...it's yours for free".
Now whose law I have no idea.

That's what my DME told me too. RT was giving me the Mirage FX again on my RX but I stopped her from opening it and said I wanted to try the AirFit P10. (Wanted to be in the "in" crowd....lol) Told her I really would like the DreamWear as my main mask though. No problem, she said. If you don't like the P10, come back for the Dreamwear and you can keep both. Well....I really really liked the P10 too and want to keep it.

Even though I might be tempted to pout and claim that I don't like the P10, I don't want to game the system anymore than I want them to game me.

So I checked with CPap.com and their listed online price for Dreamwear does come down if you ask for the discount over the phone. Or you can place your order, then email your order # in the heading and requesting the stated discount. They were very helpful over the phone. Since order would be under $99, there would be $7.00 shipping. I laughed.....hold on there....you're new to my shopping habits, aren't ya'....? I've still got mask wipes, cozies, hose hangers, etc. etc. etc. etc. to get. I'm nevah evah going to have shipping! <laughing>