Newbie Thanks, But I Have Another Question

I began CPAP therapy in May. I had a series of Respironics machines, all of which provided a similar outcome. I would wake up four to five hours after I'd fallen asleep with no pressure in my mask, although there was no leakage, and I would be hyperventilating and having heart palpitations. Despite my best efforts I could never get the pressure to return in the machine. Finally I would get up and go sleep in my recliner for the rest of the night. This went on for nearly 3 months, and after multiple trips to the doctor to find out what was causing this (and by the way he gave me absolutely no help at all) he threatened me with surgery. Needless to say I changed doctors.

The new doctor immediately said I failed CPAP and put me on a Bipap machine. I also decided to change manufacturers since I had tried five Respironics machines, all of which had produced identical results. The new ResMed machine worked like a charm for the first 90 days and I slept like a baby, however it eventually began to display the same symptoms as the Respironics machines did. After four to five hours of sleep I wake up to find virtually no pressure in my mask yet no leaks, and I will be hyperventilating. In fact it's gotten to the point where I sense that when the pressure drops and I wake up before I began hyperventilating and just go sleep on my recliner. I have no doubts now that the loss of pressure is real. It was not until I got the Resmed unit that worked correctly for a time that I understood this. When I woke up in the middle of the night feeling the same amount of pressure that I had when I went to bed I understood that indeed the other machines were malfunctioning.

So now I am at the point where I was, experiencing loss of pressure by my machine after four to five hours of sleep. Has anybody else had this experience? Is there anything that can be done about it? Right now I have my equipment supply company ordering me a new machine but I don't know what else to do. I work in electronics and I have a sense that, like the computer industry did six years ago, the durable medical goods industry has gotten of a bunch of substandard components which is what is causing my machine to have problems. I have set my machine in the window on very cool or cold nights and it seems to work just fine, so I think it is a heat issue. Interestingly when I go in for a tech appointment I hear other people in the room saying the same thing that I say and that is that they can't wear the machine more than four or five hours and then they have to take it off because it's causing him problems.

Is anybody else out there experiencing this? I've tried calling the FDA who regulates the use machines but I just get circular menus and never get to speak to a real person. Thanks to George Bush nobody seems to need to be responsible for anything anymore, even the people who manufacture a life-saving medical equipment. I would love to hear from anyone who's had the similar experience.

I am sorry that I cannot offer an answer but I can tell you that I am experiencing the same thing. I called and talked with my RT and she said that my body was adjusting to the pressure as I slept and that this was normal and that the machine was actually still working. I called the "Sleep Medicine" doctors office and asked about taking them my card so that they could check and see how I was doing on the therapy and if there actually was a problem -- they advised that they do not download or review the machine data ????
Now have an appointment to see a another doctor.

EDIT: I did a search on this forum "cpap stops working" and came up with some very interesting in-depth results. Some of the information is from actual Doctors and lab techinicians. Have not read all the findings as yet -- but do intend to. It is being put forth that our bodies do actually tend to adjust to a set pressure over time and that in the case of someone new to CPAP treatment, that pressure may need to be readjusted to stop reaccuring arosuals. We can go back for additional sleep studies or we can buy the software and do the adjusting ourselves. Am wandering why we are not just be given auto machines to start with -- wouldn't this be more economical in the long run. The more I read, the more I find out how little I know about Sleep Apnea.
Norm

It seems you need to do two simple things as what you write makes little sense. Put on mask start the XPAP, pull mask away from face does air under pressure escape?

When you think pressure stops at night, pull mask away from face does air under pressure escape? If so "NO Problem"!

If NO air escapes, Look at XPAP , are the lights ON, is it running, if not find another source of power. If the working electric socket, doesn't power the XPAP, send it in for repair. Jim

It is normal to get use to the pressure as the night progresses, but the machine is still suppose to blow air.......

Goofproof wrote:It seems you need to do two simple things as what you write makes little sense. Put on mask start the XPAP, pull mask away from face does air under pressure escape?

When you think pressure stops at night, pull mask away from face does air under pressure escape? If so "NO Problem"!

If NO air escapes, Look at XPAP , are the lights ON, is it running, if not find another source of power. If the working electric socket, doesn't power the XPAP, send it in for repair. Jim

It is normal to get use to the pressure as the night progresses, but the machine is still suppose to blow air.......

I've done all these things and a lot more. There is still some air escaping however it is greatly diminished. The mask is limp and barely pressurized. I am perceiving a heat issue that diminishes functioning as the night progresses. In fact it gets to the point where if I take a deep breath I inhale faster than the machine can push air in, kind of like inhaling through a harmonica. More resistance that help.

LarryW wrote:I began CPAP therapy in May. I had a series of Respironics machines, all of which provided a similar outcome. I work in electronics and I have a sense that, like the computer industry did six years ago, the durable medical goods industry has gotten of a bunch of substandard components which is what is causing my machine to have problems. I have set my machine in the window on very cool or cold nights and it seems to work just fine, so I think it is a heat issue.

Is anybody else out there experiencing this? I've tried calling the FDA who regulates the use machines but I just get circular menus and never get to speak to a real person. Thanks to George Bush nobody seems to need to be responsible for anything anymore, even the people who manufacture a life-saving medical equipment. I would love to hear from anyone who's had the similar experience.

It's all George's fault but it will soon be over.

Tell us a little about the environment the machine is in. Where is it located? Room Temp? Pillows on top of it?
What is your pressure? What are the machine settings? What make & model are the machines that failed?

I have learned thru the years that if you replaced 5 machines and the problem has NOT changed, then you haven't found the problem.

Which mask and what are you doing to it? Are you allowing it to naturally vent?

are you cleaning/replacing the filters????

GumbyCT wrote:

LarryW wrote:I began CPAP therapy in May. I had a series of Respironics machines, all of which provided a similar outcome. I work in electronics and I have a sense that, like the computer industry did six years ago, the durable medical goods industry has gotten of a bunch of substandard components which is what is causing my machine to have problems. I have set my machine in the window on very cool or cold nights and it seems to work just fine, so I think it is a heat issue.

Is anybody else out there experiencing this? I've tried calling the FDA who regulates the use machines but I just get circular menus and never get to speak to a real person. Thanks to George Bush nobody seems to need to be responsible for anything anymore, even the people who manufacture a life-saving medical equipment. I would love to hear from anyone who's had the similar experience.

It's all George's fault but it will soon be over.

Tell us a little about the environment the machine is in. Where is it located? Room Temp? Pillows on top of it?
What is your pressure? What are the machine settings? What make & model are the machines that failed?

I have learned thru the years that if you replaced 5 machines and the problem has NOT changed, then you haven't found the problem.

Machine sits on a hard , flat table next to the bed. We sleep in a room about 68 in winter and 74 w/ceiling fan in summer. Respironcs "M" series were the failures prior to this. Now using a ResMed VPAP model set at 15/10. This machine worked great for about 90 days. When I would come back to bed after bathroom break the pressure was almost too great to allow me to get back to sleep, no it cannot even keep up with my normal breathing. I use an Activa mask with no leakage until the machine reaches the point of failure, then is leaks because there is not enough pressure in the mask to keep it sealed, not becuase of fit or orientation.

boston wrote:are you cleaning/replacing the filters????

Every 30 days, cannot even tell there is dirt on them when I replace them.

Is the cpap set for a split-night mode?

Guest wrote:Is the cpap set for a split-night mode?

good point, get the clinicians manual and check the settings or someone here can tell you how to check the settings.
The all knowing and powerful DME may not be setting them up right.

I think you need to go through setup on the machine and check all settings. Never rely on someone else to setup your machine.

Many of these machines have a feature called Auto Start, SmartStart and Auto:Off and basically very bad features, while the Auto "On" is a very good feature the part of the feature that automatically turns the machine off are STUPID. They are stupid because if you start to mouth breathe or develop a large leak where the machine cannot sense your breathing, the stupid machines will shut off.

If you are using a Full Face mask with a flapper-style anti-asphixia valve when the machine shuts off so does your air, when no air is coming from the machine, that valve in the mask will switch to "by-pass" mode, so you are breathing in and out of the elbow by-pass valve not from the hose/machine. Since the by-pass valve in the mask has flipped, the machine CANNOT sense your breathing and therefore the "Auto On" feature fails to detect your breathing.

The result is you wake up after an apnea event and find the machine off. Very STUPID features, people that design these machines are morons, they have never actually used one themselves.

My suggestion: Disable Auto: Off on the Respironics, you cannot disable Auto On nor is there a reason to.
On the Resmed machine, disable SmartStart, if you select "FULL" type mask it will automatically disable that feature.

It is not really that hard to Press the On/Off button when you go to bed and press it again when you get up. So look carefully
and the mask you are using and how the machine is set up.

TEST IT!: Test it during the day, put on the mask, see the machine start, then remove the mask and lay it on the pillow with the machine running. Use your watch to see how long it shuts off or alarms sound. If NO alarms sound then it will probably shut off.
I would enable any Mask "off" alert or alarms, that way if it is a large leak or mouth breathing it will let you know.

Guest wrote:

GumbyCT wrote:

LarryW wrote:I began CPAP therapy in May. I had a series of Respironics machines, all of which provided a similar outcome. I work in electronics and I have a sense that, like the computer industry did six years ago, the durable medical goods industry has gotten of a bunch of substandard components which is what is causing my machine to have problems. I have set my machine in the window on very cool or cold nights and it seems to work just fine, so I think it is a heat issue.

Is anybody else out there experiencing this? I've tried calling the FDA who regulates the use machines but I just get circular menus and never get to speak to a real person. Thanks to George Bush nobody seems to need to be responsible for anything anymore, even the people who manufacture a life-saving medical equipment. I would love to hear from anyone who's had the similar experience.

It's all George's fault but it will soon be over.

Tell us a little about the environment the machine is in. Where is it located? Room Temp? Pillows on top of it?
What is your pressure? What are the machine settings? What make & model are the machines that failed?

I have learned thru the years that if you replaced 5 machines and the problem has NOT changed, then you haven't found the problem.

Machine sits on a hard , flat table next to the bed. We sleep in a room about 68 in winter and 74 w/ceiling fan in summer. Respironcs "M" series were the failures prior to this. Now using a ResMed VPAP model set at 15/10. This machine worked great for about 90 days. When I would come back to bed after bathroom break the pressure was almost too great to allow me to get back to sleep, no it cannot even keep up with my normal breathing. I use an Activa mask with no leakage until the machine reaches the point of failure, then is leaks because there is not enough pressure in the mask to keep it sealed, not becuase of fit or orientation.

Snoredog (and others),

Larry is now using the ResMed VPAP.......not a Respironics machine. I don't know/think that the options in the ResMed are comparable to the Respironics.

Den



Larry,

When you take a "bathroom break", are you shutting your machine OFF? (before you take off your mask)


Den

Snoredog wrote:
"If you are using a Full Face mask with a flapper-style anti-asphixia valve when the machine shuts off so does your air,
when no air is coming from the machine, that valve in the mask will switch to "by-pass" mode, so you are breathing in
and out of the elbow by-pass valve not from the hose/machine. Since the by-pass valve in the mask has flipped, the
machine CANNOT sense your breathing and therefore the "Auto On" feature fails to detect your breathing.
The result is you wake up after an apnea event and find the machine off. Very STUPID features, people that design these
machines are morons, they have never actually used one themselves. "

That sounds exactly like what was happening to me -- have reset my machine.
Thank you, Norm