No machine support over the weekend...UK

Yep, at 7:50 this morning my machine stopped working.
I had my husband change the fuse in the plug, but it still does not power up.

The Hospital Clinical Measurements Department who supplied me wiht the CPAP machine are closed from Friday when they finish, until Monday morning and there's no number to call for out of hours help. There IS a number on the machine which is for engineer support, which I called and was greeted by an answermachine, so I left my details. It seems the engineer doesn't work weekends either.
I called 111 to see if they could suggest anything, all they could come up with was call local A&E. I called them and they could not do anything, so they suggested I call the respitory ward.

So I called them and all they could suggest was call Clinical measurements, to which I told the nurse that the department was closed over the w/e. So she asked if there was a number on the bachine to call, I told her that there was and that I had already called it.
She then said to call 999 and tell them the problem.

I am disgusted at the lack of support for the CPAP machine over the weekend. My machine is not working and it it is there to help me breathe as without it I am unable to sleep.
Anyone have the same problem or able to suggest anything?

Two things - put UK in the title of this note so e.g. Rick Blaine (UK forum expert) will see it and hopefully advise, and second is that if you have a recliner, use it to sleep as it helps support breathing better than supine or prone if you have no machine. And 1-2 nights 'off' happens to all of us at some time (think of all the time prior to diagnosis that you survived) and try to relax - maybe with soft music or whatever works for you.

Everyone using cpap has, or will ultimately experience this failure of the system.
"Bankers' hours" exist for all medical services except for ambulances and ERs.
The only exceptions are my oncologist and my ophthalmologist,
who subscribe to after hours services, and assign on-call personnel.
Not cheap, I am sure.
This forum has saved my bacon and that of others countless times.
Amazing that it is free of charge.
The forum sponsors, cpap.com, sell cpap related products--at decent prices. (Hint)

Julie wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 18, 2021 6:07 am

Two things - put UK in the title of this note so e.g. Rick Blaine (UK forum expert) will see it and hopefully advise, and second is that if you have a recliner, use it to sleep as it helps support breathing better than supine or prone if you have no machine. And 1-2 nights 'off' happens to all of us at some time (think of all the time prior to diagnosis that you survived) and try to relax - maybe with soft music or whatever works for you.

Looks like an Admin/Mod has already done that, put 'UK' in the subject header.

As luck would have it, I do have a recliner.

I'm very worried though as when I was tested with one of those things the hospital send you home with for a day or two, which monitors your breathing (placed on a finger), The hospital informed me that I stop breathing on average, every 6 seconds. Also, earlier this year, I was asleep in the front room on my recliner, becasue I was not very well (I could not stand up) as I also have kidney problems and I'm also on morphine and I'm anaemic. My kidneys were not processing the morphine properly and was storing it, which about every 2 months was making me 'space out' and become unresponsive. It took the hospital about 3 years to realise it was the morphine. I ended up accidentally pulling the tube from the mask in my sleep and was off the CPAP for approximatley 8 hours and when my husband came in in the morning, he immediatley reconnected the tube and tried to wake me. He ended up calling for an ambulance and when they arrived, they informed him that I had become hypoxic and was very lucky.

So, that is why I am scared of not using the CPAP machine. My husband has managed to test the power brick with a multi-meter and has discovered that the power brick is dead, but the cable going to it is OK.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 18, 2021 9:42 am

The forum sponsors, cpap.com, sell cpap related products--at decent prices. (Hint)

That's good, because I am thinking about getting a 'spare' CPAP. I'll have a look.
Also, I am unable to remove the resevoir from the side as I don't know how to as I was not shown how to when the ward I was on decided to change the machine. My husband has also had a go but is unable to remove it too.

Jennybunny wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:22 am

I am unable to remove the resevoir from the side

AirSense 10, page 8 -----> https://document.resmed.com/documents/p ... er_eng.pdf

Do you have a green light on your power pack when it is connected to a working wall plug?
This is the most common cause of machine not powering on. if so, You can purchase a knockoff replacement power pack from a local retailer until you sort out your warranty claim.
There's nothing else that would prevent the machine from not powering on, unless the internal circuitry has been fried and there is usually no reason for that, unless the unit was submerged in water or water spilled on it (a lot of water).

Sam Manz wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:55 pm

Do you have a green light on your power pack when it is connected to a working wall plug?
This is the most common cause of machine not powering on. if so, You can purchase a knockoff replacement power pack from a local retailer until you sort out your warranty claim.
There's nothing else that would prevent the machine from not powering on, unless the internal circuitry has been fried and there is usually no reason for that, unless the unit was submerged in water or water spilled on it (a lot of water).

No, if you check one of my previous posts, you will see that my husband checked it out and the power brick is dead - No green light, also iwt was supplied by my local hospital (NHS) - FREE

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 18, 2021 12:28 pm

Jennybunny wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 18, 2021 11:22 am

I am unable to remove the resevoir from the side

AirSense 10, page 8 -----> https://document.resmed.com/documents/p ... er_eng.pdf

Nope... It won't budge.

You have to squeeze the tank with your right hand-- thumb on top
and fingers on the bottom.
Squeeze FIRMLY--I'm not kidding--FIRMLY; then wiggle it
while securing the machine with your left hand.
The tank contains a flexible gasket--make it FLEX.
If it still will not separate, there may be a defect--take it back,
and give them heck.
I had difficulty after hand surgery, but still managed.

Hi Jennybunny,

With you having your machine conk out on a Saturday morning, you've discovered the hard way that the sleep-medicine departments in almost all NHS foundation trust hospitals are open only on weekdays, and there is no 'out of hours' cover for sleep apnea.

If your machine had stopped working on a Friday morning, and you had called the sleep-medicine department that morning, they would have told you to bring it in, and they would have issued you with a replacement – of both the little black box power unit and the CPAP machine – the same day. And the same goes for the other weekdays.

(BTW, they have to exchange both the power unit and the machine, because by law they can't accept what your husband might say as to why it's not working – "Maybe it's the power unit." They have to give both the power unit and the machine to the hospital's engineering department for them to officially say what's wrong.)

The NHS walk-in clinics for cuts and stings and minor injuries are open Saturday and Sunday, and the 999 Accident and Emergency departments for truly life-threatening conditions and injuries – they are open Saturday and Sunday. And the 111 telephone service for (a) information or (b) conditions in between, or (c) when you can't get to your GP – that's available seven days a week too.

But there's no cover for duff CPAP machines at weekends. It's not as if, for example, that any of these three services keeps half a dozen back-up CPAP machines sitting on a shelf somewhere, just waiting for a call like yours.

So you will just have to tough it out till tomorrow (Monday) morning.

I echo what Julie said above about – for just a few nights – sleeping in a chair or on a recliner – sitting raised up a fair bit rather than laying down flat, so that your tongue is less inclined to fall back into your throat. And if you happen to have a soft neck brace handy, or one of those cushions people buy at the airport so that they can sleep sitting on an aeroplane – that can help keep your head up and your neck straight.

But other than that, it's call the sleep-medicine department first thing Monday.

BTW, I notice that you mention taking regular morphine. Does the doctor who writes the prescriptions for that know that you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea? And does the sleep-medicine department know you are on morphine? Each person or department should be told what the other knows.

The reason I say that is, while I am not a doctor, I do know that with some people, morphine (a) makes sleep apnea worse and (b) can even act as a respiratory depressant. Doctors using the 'yellow booklet' system for noting which drugs have been given to the patient know the importance of this – it's right there on the outside back page

It may be that the dose can be adjusted. Or that you can get switched to an alternative drug. Or maybe even referred to a pain management doctor or clinic to try non-drug methods.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 18, 2021 8:52 pm

You have to squeeze the tank with your right hand-- thumb on top
and fingers on the bottom.
Squeeze FIRMLY--I'm not kidding--FIRMLY; then wiggle it
while securing the machine with your left hand.
The tank contains a flexible gasket--make it FLEX.
If it still will not separate, there may be a defect--take it back,
and give them heck.
I had difficulty after hand surgery, but still managed.

I've had my husband try by using the palms of his hands and the maching between his legs and really pushing together as hard as he could and couldn't get anywhere with it.

rick blaine wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 19, 2021 2:35 am

Hi Jennybunny,

BTW, I notice that you mention taking regular morphine. Does the doctor who writes the prescriptions for that know that you have been diagnosed with sleep apnea? And does the sleep-medicine department know you are on morphine? Each person or department should be told what the other knows.

The reason I say that is, while I am not a doctor, I do know that with some people, morphine (a) makes sleep apnea worse and (b) can even act as a respiratory depressant. Doctors using the 'yellow booklet' system for noting which drugs have been given to the patient know the importance of this – it's right there on the outside back page

It may be that the dose can be adjusted. Or that you can get switched to an alternative drug. Or maybe even referred to a pain management doctor or clinic to try non-drug methods.

Yes, my Doc does know. And my morphine was changed while I was last in the hospital, the ward changed it to a patch with a slow release over 72 hours.
I was refered to pain management, but when I was to attend, I was admitted to hospital and informed the ward that I was due to see pain management, they got them to see me in the ward, which was a total waste of time as they didn't do anything for me. I think I'll get my Doc to rescehdule another appointment to see pain management and get them to do it right this time. I was previously on 2 x 30mg Zomorph capsule a day (1 morning and 1 night). My Doc then dropped it to 10mg.