Respironics Dreamstation - noisy motor?

[bernie01]

Hi all,
yesterday I picked up a Dreamstation Auto to trial, after recently having a sleep test and getting an average AHI of 19.3 (over 60 when supine).
I had planned to trial a Resmed A 10 machine but my CPAP shop guy persuaded me to try the Dreamstation citing newer design and longer warranty period. My initial impressions of the machine were good, but as soon as I turned the machine on and went to bed I was aware of a whirring noise from a motor/pump that varied in speed (pitch) as my breath intake varied. It really annoyed me, but I resolved to try and sleep and see what happened. I did get to sleep but woke at 2 AM and after that could not get back to sleep due to the noise. I eventually got up and moved the machine from my bedside table and put it on the floor (carpeted) underneath the table. That made it a bit harder to hear, and I got some more sleep between around 3 and 6 AM.

Is this noise normal for the Dreamstation? My house is very quiet in a quiet street and I am a light sleeper; I don't think that I can live with it. I have read several reviews that mentioned the machine is very quiet. I am not sure if this machine was new out of the box (it looked to be) or had been used as a demo machine before. Your comments would be appreciated. It has the heated hose, but it was set to 0 (off). The humidifier is set to 3.

Thanks, Bernie.

[Sleep2Snore]

The one I had on trial didn't make that much noise, though I also had a ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset on trial and it was so quiet that when I woke up I had to remove the mask to see if it was still working.
I would go for a ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset, I don't think you will regret it, I love my ResMed 10 Autoset.
I had to choose between them and the ResMed came out on tops for me, there was not a lot in it, but it did respond slightly quicker and it was a fraction quieter, in fact it was so quiet the wife asked if it was working.    
Don't listen to the CPAP guy, he is just trying to make as much money as he can.

[Sleep2Snore]

Welcome to the forum  

[bernie01]

Thank you S2S. This thread seems to describe my problem:

../forums/Thread-Noisy-DreamStation

I have tried:
- connecting the hose directly to the unit, ie, removing the humidifer
- removing the small removeable air filter
- 'Mask type was set to 'off'; changed to x1 (Dreamwear mask)
- wiggling all connections

None of the above seem to change anything. To be honest, now it is daytime here in Australia I can only just hear the noise.
But in the still of night in a small town (Otford, NSW) it nearly drove me nuts. Perhaps I might get used to it, I will try again tonight
but otherwise I need to try a Resmed AirSense 10 I think.

[booksfan]

Hi, welcome to the forum! I am a newbie as well. But I did a lot of research before getting my machine and decided on the Dreamstation Auto. My DME (wonderful, but there is a long story behind how I got to this one!) got one for me and when I went to pick it up, asked why I had chosen it. I laid out all the reasons and he understood. I tried it out there and it was fine. He then said he'd recently had a female patient who'd had a terrible time with the ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet, but who found the algorithm on the for her model worked great. He asked if I would like to try it and explained that the several of the things I said I wanted were available but not explicitly stated about the ResMed machine. So I tried it. I was stunned at how much quieter it was! Needless to say, that is what I went home with. Still haven't found a mask, but the machine is practically silent!

[holden4th]

I have two Dreamstation predecessors (PR560 and PR760) and they both have the same noise issue as you described, a pitch that varies with inhale and exhale. I would suspect that the motor for both the PR Series One models and the Dreamstation are basically the same and this is endemic for all their machines. Personally, the noise didn't bother me.

However, I have just switched to a Resmed and yes, they are very quiet and don't vary in noise pitch. It sounds like you might have to switch.

[bernie01]

Thank you all for your comments.

I spoke to the salesman today and told him I want to return the Dreamstation and trial a Resmed A 10; he wasn't happy and told me there
will be a two week delay until he can get one. It seems that he is set on selling me a Dreamstation at any cost; obviously his margin is much greater on that machine.

I am tempted to just walk away from  this place but it may mean having to redo the sleep trial etc all over again which I would like to avoid. This shop is closely allied with the doctor who did the sleep test and consequent report (two doors or so down the street) . I bet the Dr and his associates own the whole shebang and the dude in the shop is just  a francisee; the whole setup stinks. Live and learn.

Thanks again.

[Sleep2Snore]

It is you who has to use it, if it means you have to wait tell him you will go elsewhere.
Trust me, I doubt if you will regret getting a ResMed Airsense10autoset.

If he persists just go elsewhere, you can get them quite cheap if you shop around.
Mind you I don't know how Australia Health system works.

But you have to put up with what you get so insist on the best.  At least be happy with what you choose, do not let someone choose for you.

[chill]

... as soon as I turned the machine on and went to bed I was aware of a whirring noise from a motor/pump that varied in speed (pitch) as my breath intake varied.

I think you will find that is normal with these machines.  What you are hearing is the blower (fan) that produces the airflow that creates the pressure.  When you breathe in more flow is needed to maintain the pressure and so the blower spins faster.  When you exhale the opposite happens and it spins slower.  So there is a rhythmic change that follows your breathing pattern.  The placement of the hose and the direction of the vent can affect your perception of this noise.  I find that shifting the hose off of the pillow or pointing the vent up (if your mask has the vent on a swivel) greatly reduces my perception of this noise.

I have returned one (or more?) DreamStations dues to excessive noise but that was much louder and different sound than what you describe.  This bothered me too at first, but I quickly got used to it.

[bernie01]

Thanks all.

I tried the DS again last night, and as I was very tired due to the bad previous night plus I swam a kilometre in the afternoon I actually slept reasonably well. It was also very windy outside so the whirring noise didn't bother me too much. I might keep using it until he can get the Resmed machine in.

My results however were disappointing; AHI of 11.17 (see attachment) compared to 9 for the 'bad' previous night!
Any comments?