EVIDENCE OF AIRFIT P10 VENT OBSTRUCTION CAUSING HYPERCAPNIA

[SnoringInOregon]

My empiric observations with the P10 are totally consistent with those reported by mdmarmd. I have been using the mask for 3+ years. I am convinced it clogs up easily and frequently from condensation.

Can you dial back the humidity on your machine? (I'm not familiar with that model).

The only time I had condensation in my P10 was the night I cranked up my humidity setting on my DreamStation from 3 to 5. I've never had another problem after I reverted back.

[SnoringInOregon]

My empiric observations with the P10 are totally consistent with those reported by mdmarmd. I have been using the mask for 3+ years. I am convinced it clogs up easily and frequently from condensation.

Can you dial back the humidity on your machine? (I'm not familiar with that model).

The only time I had condensation in my P10 was the night I cranked up my humidity setting on my DreamStation from 3 to 5. I've never had another problem after I reverted back.

For some reason the forum isn't letting me edit my post? I'm using Safari on MacOS High Sierra.

I meant to say that I'm not familiar with the Airsense 10 machine. The DreamStation can be set up in various modes for control of humidity.

Since you have two machines I'm not sure of which one you are using with your P10.

[Stom]

For some reason the forum isn't letting me edit my post? I'm using Safari on MacOS High Sierra.

There is a time limit for editing posts on this forum. I don't know if that is the issue you've run into.

[Judy1843]

I posted this a while back!

I’m not sure why this is happening however sometimes I have rapid breathing and a feeling of not getting enough air while using my cpap. It feels like I’m hyperventilating. I try to relax and breath slow however sometimes I just have to take off my mask until it goes away. Has this ever happened to anyone? My numbers are all good and it does eventually go away.
Thanks in advance!

Could this be part of my problem? Maybe I need to think about another mask. Please let me know any suggestions that would help!

[SnoringInOregon]

For some reason the forum isn't letting me edit my post? I'm using Safari on MacOS High Sierra.

There is a time limit for editing posts on this forum. I don't know if that is the issue you've run into.

I tried to edit almost immediately after posting.

There was an "Edit" button visible to the left of the other buttons (such as "Reply" and "Reply with Quote") but the button didn't do anything when pressed.

It doesn't really matter. I also post at another forum that doesn't allow editing posts. What this really means is: be a little bit more careful before pressing "Post Reply". Which I shall be.



Edit: This time the "Edit" button worked. When pressed it had a dropdown asking if I wanted a quick edit or a full edit. So maybe it's an intermittent bug?

[mdmarmd]

Judy 1843 wrote earlier:

I’m not sure why this is happening however sometimes I have rapid breathing and a feeling of not getting enough air while using my cpap. It feels like I’m hyperventilating. I try to relax and breath slow however sometimes I just have to take off my mask until it goes away. Has this ever happened to anyone? My numbers are all good and it does eventually go away.

Thanks in advance!

And Recently:

Could this be part of my problem? Maybe I need to think about another mask. Please let me know any suggestions that would help!

It could be.  The best think to do is the next time you feel it might be happening, wet the back of your hand and hold it right up near the vents--like 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch from them.  You should at least feel a cooling sensation as the air evaporates the moisture.  If you feel nothing, or very litle, the chances are your vents are obstructed.  Also, look for any signs of condensation, either a fine misting or frank droplerts in your P10 Tubing.  That will almost always occur unless you just let your vents get so dirty they plug on their own--unlikely.

[ghce]

Judy 1843 wrote earlier:

I’m not sure why this is happening however sometimes I have rapid breathing and a feeling of not getting enough air while using my cpap. It feels like I’m hyperventilating. I try to relax and breath slow however sometimes I just have to take off my mask until it goes away. Has this ever happened to anyone? My numbers are all good and it does eventually go away.

Thanks in advance!

And Recently:

Could this be part of my problem? Maybe I need to think about another mask. Please let me know any suggestions that would help!

It could be.  The best think to do is the next time you feel it might be happening, wet the back of your hand and hold it right up near the vents--like 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch from them.  You should at least feel a cooling sensation as the air evaporates the moisture.  If you feel nothing, or very litle, the chances are your vents are obstructed.  Also, look for any signs of condensation, either a fine misting or frank droplerts in your P10 Tubing.  That will almost always occur unless you just let your vents get so dirty they plug on their own--unlikely.

....Or just swap it out for the Fisher and Paykel Brevida nasal pillow mask.

[Hydrangea]

Today I spoke with an RT and mentioned my P10 experience (becoming a mouth breather after a long time of using the P10).

I must preface this by saying that everything he said throughout my appt with him made me think he must have very recently been hired, because he gave me misinformation and just plain dumb info.

Anyway... the RT told me he wasn't surprised to hear about me becoming a mouth breather after some time of using the P10, "because the P10 vents are hard to breathe out of, and you're probably not very strong at exhaling".

Um, ok.

So... the myths abound.

[pabmd]

My empiric observations with the P10 are totally consistent with those reported by mdmarmd. I have been using the mask for 3+ years. I am convinced it clogs up easily and frequently from condensation.

Can you dial back the humidity on your machine? (I'm not familiar with that model).

The only time I had condensation in my P10 was the night I cranked up my humidity setting on my DreamStation from 3 to 5. I've never had another problem after I reverted back.

For some reason the forum isn't letting me edit my post? I'm using Safari on MacOS High Sierra.

I meant to say that I'm not familiar with the Airsense 10 machine. The DreamStation can be set up in various modes for control of humidity.

Since you have two machines I'm not sure of which one you are using with your P10.

Thanks for your comments. Yes, I am easily able to control for condensation with both machines. However, when I recently demo'd a DreamStation Go with the humidifier, I tried the unit on a setting of 4 to check the humidifier out, and I experienced significant rainout (no heated tube option) and coincident with that event my P10 mask vent definitely clogged up. I love the mask. It is the most comfortable and quiet mask I have ever used. However, my concern is that even with regular use with a humidifier some degree of vent obstruction may occur later in the night.

[mdmarmd]

I reorged my data into a 26 page report that I sent to the FDA last week. 

I also included the threads from this forum, as well as from five threads from another sleep apnea site to indicate that this is not a completely isolated experience of blocked Airfit P10s.


APNEA BOARD AirFit P10 vent blocked
APNEA BOARD Rebreathing causing Hypercapnia CO2 Carbon Dioxide Poisoning
-----Here's what happens if the vents on your AirFit P10 clog 
-----Problems with airflow for Resmed P10 
-----ResMed Airfit P10 Vent - Performance over Time
-----Resmed P10 and the 3am cleaning
-----Resmed P10 nasal pillows inhaling exhaled air..pdf


I got an email today confirming they received it and included a boiler-plate response:

Date : 15-Mar-2019


Dear Reporter:
Thank you for submitting your report to MedWatch, The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

This acknowledgement confirms that your report was received. Reports are added to a postmarketing safety database with similar reports and reviewed by the FDA postmarketing safety staff. Voluntary reports are essential for ensuring the continued safety of FDA-regulated products. One or two well-documented case reports may provide an early signal of unexpected problems and lead to additional evaluation. This may result in FDA regulatory actions that improve the safety of the products used in patient care each day.

You might be contacted by an FDA staff member if additional information on your report is needed.
You can also report by using the Internet, from our MedWatch website, www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Again, thank you for taking the time to submit your report.

Sincerely yours,

MedWatch

I am a bit skeptical as to whether anything will come of it.  The regulatory bodies are often populated by former industry people, the rationale being that they have the best knowledge and experience to assess these things.  But since they know what grief companies can experience over complaints, they may be sympathetic toward the manufacturer's side, even if only inadvertantly so.

I'll update this thread if any further developments occur.

Just a reminder, anyone can send an anonymous concern using the medwatch link above.  If they receive more input about this concern, it makes it harder to dismiss it as just a very rare outlier.