High pressure, empty tank every night, dry eyes
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2024 9:39 am
I've used CPAP for 20+ years but had very little help from professionals addressing my issues despite seemingly obvious simple modifications to equipment that would probably help. So I'm seeking advice from the community, because .
I have laryngospasms. My vocal cords continuously involuntarily twitch in a random pattern, on average 2Hz. Sometimes briefly closing my airway, sometimes for several seconds. I've seen the video, it is weird. Some times I can feel it happen, sometimes not. This condition is separate from severe obstructive sleep apnea which I also have. At least I think it is. ENT handles laryngospasms and says nothing can be done, sleep clinic handles OSA and they won't talk to each other or explain the difference to me. Sleep clinic doesn't even know what laryngospasms are and wont look it up.
I need a minimum pressure of 14cm H20 with no ramp. Auto usually brings it up between 15 and 18. I have a full beard to cover surgical scars. Use AirFit N30 (nasal cradle) or Mirage swift II (nasal pillows) mask. Machine is a Phillips Respironics DreamStationAutoCPAP Recertified recall replacement for my SystemOne series 60.
Large amounts of mask leakage are simply unavoidable at that pressure. Over the years, that constant leakage airflow around my eyes has caused severe dry eyes. When I sleep, my eyelids only partially close. It makes me farsighted, everything is blurry up close. But the amount of correction I need varies each day based on how much air hit my eyes the night before. Prescription glasses have been a waste. I have 6 different strengths of reading glasses that I select from each day. They work up close, but I cant navigate with them on.
I'd like to at least move the exhalation port of the mask further away from my eyes. Perhaps something like the AirsenseMini version of the AirFit N30 which puts an HME and the exhalation port a few inches down the hose. We have a huge case of barrel style HMEs for trach use, left over from my son's trach days. He is better now. But there is some material to fabricoble something together.
In the middle of every single friggin night the tank runs dry and I am awakened with sore throat and the awful smell.
Have to get up, difficult because I am disabled with spinal injury,
remove mask, because I cannot breath through it without pressure or it triggers increased laryngospasms,
turn on light, which requires standing up, quite painful for me,
open tank with one hand, couldn't use ResMed Airsense 10 which insurance provided because I couldn't open it one handed,
put on glasses so I can see the fill level,
pour from the jug of distilled water that was already sitting right there next to the machine.
Why cant I just have a small pump transfer water from the jug into the humidifier when it drops below a certain level, and have it stop at the fill line?
Pumps, water level sensors, and tubing are all well understood in industry and easy to source. The control system is trivial. Why has no CPAP manufacturer ever offered this?
Can anyone think of a reason that would be bad?
I have laryngospasms. My vocal cords continuously involuntarily twitch in a random pattern, on average 2Hz. Sometimes briefly closing my airway, sometimes for several seconds. I've seen the video, it is weird. Some times I can feel it happen, sometimes not. This condition is separate from severe obstructive sleep apnea which I also have. At least I think it is. ENT handles laryngospasms and says nothing can be done, sleep clinic handles OSA and they won't talk to each other or explain the difference to me. Sleep clinic doesn't even know what laryngospasms are and wont look it up.
I need a minimum pressure of 14cm H20 with no ramp. Auto usually brings it up between 15 and 18. I have a full beard to cover surgical scars. Use AirFit N30 (nasal cradle) or Mirage swift II (nasal pillows) mask. Machine is a Phillips Respironics DreamStationAutoCPAP Recertified recall replacement for my SystemOne series 60.
Large amounts of mask leakage are simply unavoidable at that pressure. Over the years, that constant leakage airflow around my eyes has caused severe dry eyes. When I sleep, my eyelids only partially close. It makes me farsighted, everything is blurry up close. But the amount of correction I need varies each day based on how much air hit my eyes the night before. Prescription glasses have been a waste. I have 6 different strengths of reading glasses that I select from each day. They work up close, but I cant navigate with them on.
I'd like to at least move the exhalation port of the mask further away from my eyes. Perhaps something like the AirsenseMini version of the AirFit N30 which puts an HME and the exhalation port a few inches down the hose. We have a huge case of barrel style HMEs for trach use, left over from my son's trach days. He is better now. But there is some material to fabricoble something together.
In the middle of every single friggin night the tank runs dry and I am awakened with sore throat and the awful smell.
Have to get up, difficult because I am disabled with spinal injury,
remove mask, because I cannot breath through it without pressure or it triggers increased laryngospasms,
turn on light, which requires standing up, quite painful for me,
open tank with one hand, couldn't use ResMed Airsense 10 which insurance provided because I couldn't open it one handed,
put on glasses so I can see the fill level,
pour from the jug of distilled water that was already sitting right there next to the machine.
Why cant I just have a small pump transfer water from the jug into the humidifier when it drops below a certain level, and have it stop at the fill line?
Pumps, water level sensors, and tubing are all well understood in industry and easy to source. The control system is trivial. Why has no CPAP manufacturer ever offered this?
Can anyone think of a reason that would be bad?