Best way to deal with xPAP when going to Bathroom??

Being an old fart and living with the walnut sized bladder syndrome that comes with becoming an old fart, I have to get up to go to the bathroom during the night. Albeit down from 4 OR MORE before xPAP to mainly once and occasionally twice with xPAP. I was wondering about the best way to deal with the machine during these nocturnal events . Currently I just unhook my hose, leaving the machine running while I stumble into the bathroom to deal with said issue and return and hook back up and go back to sleep. Is there a better way??

Yes, there is a better way. Leaving your mask on and unhooking the hose is fine, but turn off your machine before you do that. Leaving the machine running without the hose hooked up will result in severely skewed statistics on your machine display and smart card. So turn off your machine, unhook your hose, take care of your business, re-hook your hose, re-start your machine and head for Sleepy Land.

Marsha

I just reach down to turn mine off. There is an auto off feature I used for my dad. The auto-off can cause other probs - if you have excessive leaks it can turn itself off. Or you can continue what you are doing. Three options.

If you are not checking your stats each day, your method prob doesn't matter. However, you should know it will increase your avg, leak rate.

im with the old man, I have to get up and leave water at least once during the night...

One positive effect of cpap is no more mouth breathing, so not drinking as much water during the night, so end result: fewer visits to the toilet...

Guess maybe I have it easier then most? I use the nasal pillows with headgear and attached chin strap... I just turn the machine off before removing the assembly. take it off, and then do it in reverse afterwords...
First time I tried just taking the headgear off I could hear the air rushing and so just turn it off...
if I had to wear the full face and get a good seal it might be different though.

THANKS!! I do check my stats everyday, I just thought it woulld FUBAR the nightly readings if I turned it off!! Yet again, thanks for the help from this forum.

Mallen........

The button in the middle on the "M" Series has a "concave" surface.....and that makes it easy to find in the dark. Touching that concave button turns the machine off. When you re-attach your hose and start breathing, your machine will re-start automatically.

As your therapy improves.....and your AHI stays at around 1.5 or below, your blood pressure will drop to a reasonable level (while you're asleep).....and you'll find that nocturnal potty-stops will become more infrequent.....and finally cease.

Gerald

mallen,

I can relate... bordering on being an old fart myself. There are several solutions I have tried. First was during my sleep study when they gave me a jug to use. I bought one for home but never used it once I realized my hose (on the CPAP) was long enough to reach the sink. With some machine repositioning I now can make it all the way to the toilet without removing the mask or unhooking. Short of that, Songbird's suggesting to turn off the machine and unhook the hose while leaving the mask on is the best solultion for overnight relief without messing up your numbers. Keep experimenting!

Mark

Is there a better way??

Depends.

dowen wrote:Is there a better way??

Depends.

I've tried that, but I can't convince myself to just go....though maybe its because I can't go laying down, but if I have to get up....I might as well use the toilet.

The Dreamer.

I haven't heard "FUBAR" in years! I just unsnap one side of the mask, then hit the off button, then slide the mask off.

On other masks with more complicated headgear set ups, I have snapped off the piece that is attached to the hose and attached to the mask at the mask after turning off the machine. That way you can still breathe, still leave the mask on, and one snap back on when you're done.

The answer to this depends on what type mask a person uses.

It is a prblem with the old type head gear I used- all those straps and velcro.
Now that I use a breeze- past 11+ years, it is very simple to simply reach to the back and flip it off and then simply pull it back on when I return.

I usually turn it off while I am gone for the pit stop..

TXLadybug wrote:I haven't heard "FUBAR" in years!

Muffy used FUBAR in SaltLakeJan's thread "Had UPPP, Do I Have To Get A New Doc, To Get Help With This?" a week or two ago...but then she was SAG before he morphed into Muffy so there is a bunch of scientific knowledge mixed up in that combination and you know how scientific types like to use acronyms.
mar

tomjax wrote: ... it is very simple to simply reach to the back and flip it off

Jeez. I know some people hate their mask, but to resort to flipping it off? That's going too far!

One additional hint... don't let your hose fall into the water. It's cold........... deep too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

robertmarilyn wrote:

TXLadybug wrote:I haven't heard "FUBAR" in years!

Muffy used FUBAR in SaltLakeJan's thread "Had UPPP, Do I Have To Get A New Doc, To Get Help With This?" a week or two ago...but then she was SAG before he morphed into Muffy so there is a bunch of scientific knowledge mixed up in that combination and you know how scientific types like to use acronyms.
mar

Yes we "Scientific Types" do like our acronyms...... SNAFU! As do us "HOSE HEADS"!!!

BleepingBeauty wrote:

tomjax wrote: ... it is very simple to simply reach to the back and flip it off

Jeez. I know some people hate their mask, but to resort to flipping it off? That's going too far!

ROFLMAO!!

anotherRandy wrote:One additional hint... don't let your hose fall into the water. It's cold........... deep too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AND, WAKES YOU UP! Talk about staying on thread topic, this one is going down the TOILET!!!!

Geez, this place cracks me up! Turning off the xPAP, before unhooking is working great and is helping the leak rate numbers!!

We all need to remember that "Its only simple, easy, or obivious, IF you have experienced it before......"