Is my ResMed S9 Autoset dying?

[gkainz]

BTW - not a hosehead n00b ... been on CPAP for probably 15 years.

For the last 3 nights, I'm waking up after ~3 hours gasping for breath, and feeling like I'm hyperventilating. Mask (AirFit P10) nasal pillow still on, fit well, no leaks. I slow my breathing down to a regular pattern and go back to sleep for maybe an hour and it happens again, to the point that I remove it and struggle thru the rest of the night.

Is there a diagnostic reading available on the ResMed S9 Autoset that might show what's going on? Very odd that it happens at the same time within minutes (1:30 am +/- 5 minutes) ...

If anyone SCUBAs, it feels like my air has been shut off!

Thanks!
Greg

[Mosquitobait]

I would try two things. First would be to unplug your machine for an hour and plug it back in. Lots of electronics lose their brains. If that doesn't work, then bring to your DRM to have them check that the pressure is correct (seals are good, etc.). I had this problem with the Airsense and it was just a bit over a year old. Unplugging for 5 minutes didn't work, but unplugging for an hour seemed to do the trick.

[justMongo]

Your profile says you are using an Autoset; and your pressure is 12 cm-water.
Sounds like you are either running in CPAP mode (not Auto) or you forgot to enter the pressure range in your profile (if on Auto).

I'd request the manual from the Resmed S9 Autoset (check that name by the start button).
You can request it by email on this page: http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

Or, you can work through the menus without the manual to guide you. You enter setup mode by pressing any button to get the screen lit. Then hold down the knob and press the double check (lower button). You can then navigate by turning the knob and pressing the knob. You do so at your own risk.

Things to check: 1) Mode (CPAP or Auto). 2) Pressure (Is it a single pressure or a min and max for Auto mode.) Is it set to what it should be?

Find the clock and set the time to your local time... most of use go through the time ritual twice a year.

Run hours: If greater that about 14,000 hours, your machine may be near end of life. They are designed for about that number of hours plus some design margin. It's not impossible to go 20,000 hours.
Exit menu.

You can check the output pressure with a bucket or sink full of water and a metric ruler. Put the end of the hose about 20 cm (8 inches) under the surface of the water. Turn on the machine and let it run against a dead head for a few seconds to reach speed. Then slowly withdraw the hose. It should start to bubble when the end of the hose is at the set pressure in cm. i.e. -- if set to 12 cm-water, it should start to bubble 12 cm below the surface of the water (That's what the metric rule if for). When you shut down, do not let water run back up the hose.

[MitchS]

How cool is the room you're sleeping in? The P10 is notorious for the vents becoming clogged by moisture under the right conditions. I had the same problem you are describing the first time I tried the P10. I would wake up gasping for air about an hour after going to sleep. Ended up raising my room temperature to solve the problem.

[gkainz]

Thanks for the replies - I'll try to respond bottom up ...

Room temperature is finally getting down to where I like it - low 60s ...so, might be something there. As much as I hate sleeping in a warm room, I'll try that again. And, to add another confirming factor, I got moisture in the tube starting a few nights ago for the first time. I have my humidifier off, just using water passover humidification. Maybe time for a hose sock.

I downloaded a new copy of sleepyhead (didn't migrate the old to my new laptop) and pulled the SD card info. Reported Date/Times look odd - hah! Because the machine DateTime was dorked. Changed that to correct DateTime.

re: my profile ... yeah, filled that out quite a while ago with what I believed to be true when I got the machine. However, played with the unit since my original post and discovered my AutoSet is set to CPAP mode, 9.0 cmH2O ... I just changed it to Auto, 4cm Min, 20 cm Max - will see what happens tonight.

I guess I need to go back thru my records and see what my Rx for pressure from my last sleep study was, vs what I thought it was.

I built a manometer for an old RV I was restoring - guess I could dig that out again and check the pressure. I did call my DME provider, but I have a feeling that when I lost the direct number to my tech from a few years ago, the odds of getting a quick callback went very low. And when the India call center answered the call, my hopes for quick resolution were shot.

re: Run hours - only 4161, so based on 6 hours per night, less than 2 years old. Or so ... what started the quest for info (Besides the asphyxiation by machine the last few nights) was rumor that Federal Aviation Administration going to require a lot more data on compliance. I have a spare machine I use during the weekends on camping trips, so right there was an issue with the ResMed reporting a lot less compliance than was actually happening. So, the curiosity of what my actual usage drove me into SleepyHead and the machine ... and then it tried to kill me!

[justMongo]

Good job on the menu walk through. I'd up that 4 min to 6 so you don't feel like you're starving for air.
Also, check that intake filter and change if needed.
If I may ask.. Are you aircrew? And, if so, what role?

[trish6hundred]

Hi gkainz,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I hope things go better for you now that you have put your machine in Auto mode.
Good luck to you as you continue your CPAP therapy, hang in there for more responses to your post.

[gkainz]

Good job on the menu walk through. I'd up that 4 min to 6 so you don't feel like you're starving for air.
Also, check that intake filter and change if needed.
If I may ask.. Are you aircrew? And, if so, what role?

Just a private pilot now ... I was Navy Aircrew a whole lotta years ago - Flight Tech on the E-2 Hawkeye.

[gkainz]

Alrighty then!!!!! Had a great night with all the changes, and all the tweaks on the system is kind of fun for the geek in me, but alas, I think they were not root cause of the problem. I still had exhalation problems, but noticed it immediately. I dug thru the drawer of old, obsolete, unwanted and no longer loved PAP parts (everyone here has one of those, right?) and pulled out an older nasal pillow (don't recall which one) and the exhalation difference was immediate. So, finished the night feeling great again. A quick glance at the main screen showed 6 hours use (my normal) and AHI of 0.6.

Then some googling on AirFit P10 vent block revealed that yeah, I'm one of "those people" who apparently do not clean my gear often enough. Time for some cleaning, and order a replacement AirFit (I also don't replace my gear at the manufacturer's recommended intervals, and I don't replace the summer air in my tires with winter air, either).

[Mosquitobait]

Then some googling on AirFit P10 vent block revealed that yeah, I'm one of "those people" who apparently do not clean my gear often enough. Time for some cleaning, and order a replacement AirFit (I also don't replace my gear at the manufacturer's recommended intervals, and I don't replace the summer air in my tires with winter air, either).

FYI - if it's just the vent, you may only need to replace the frame instead of the whole mask. Mine gunks up after 7 months, but now that I've replaced the frame, everything is good. Apparently, you can use one of those Waterpik things to clear that.