+- Apnea Board Forum - CPAP | Sleep Apnea (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums)
+-- Forum: Public Area (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Public-Area)
+--- Forum: Main Apnea Board Forum (https://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Forum-Main-Apnea-Board-Forum)
+--- Thread: Bipap pressure too weak (/Thread-Bipap-pressure-too-weak)
Bipap pressure too weak - potato95 - 01-19-2025
Hi, I was an Apap user since 2019 and my therapy worked well until summer 2021. Then from one day to the next, my machine (back then it was an Airsense 10 for her) was not blowing much air anymore, the pressure felt very weak and it made more noise than normal.
I got a new sleep study and received an auto bipap (prisma auto bipap) which I’ve been using since 2022. Unfortunately the problem has not gone away, the pressure on the machine feels too weak, I’ve changed the pressure to IPAP 24,5 and EPAP 22 and even with these settings not much air pressure is coming out of the machine. I’m having all the symptoms that I had prior to getting treated, severe fatigue, brain fog, feeling very weak, memory problems, having very low quality of life due to this.
I am writing this in the hopes that maybe someone had a similar issue and could help me.
I already contacted my DME to have them take a look at the machine, but they didn’t find anything. But something is clearly wrong, I just don’t know what.
This machine is unfortunately not compatible with Oscar.
RE: Bipap pressure too weak - G. Szabo - 01-19-2025
(Yesterday, 02:24 PM)potato95 Wrote: I’ve changed the pressure to IPAP 24,5 and EPAP 22 and even with these settings not much air pressure is coming out of the machine.
I suggest the following experiment to test whether the instrument delivers the pressure you set.
Fill up a tall (30 cm or higher) transparent container with water. Insert the end of your hose to the bottom and ensure it is about 30 cm below the meniscus (vertically).
Turn on your instrument. You should not see any bubbles coming out at the end of the hose. Move the end of the hose upward slowly (while its opening faces downward) and observe its position when bubbles first come out. It should be about 24.5 cm below the meniscus. In this case, your instrument delivers the pressure you want.
Warning: you should get the help of someone who lifts and holds the part of the hose, which is not in the water, above the meniscus at all times so that water cannot enter your device. It is because water damages your instrument.
RE: Bipap pressure too weak - ChadBSr - 01-19-2025
Or an alternative is a cpap manometer that can be purchased for about $25
RE: Bipap pressure too weak - Crimson Nape - 01-19-2025
If you have a container that is at least 4 cm higher than your pressure you can check the pressure accuracy for free. Fill the container with water where it is higher than your set pressure. Set your CPAP to mask test, then insert the hose to the bottom of the water. Turn on the CPAP and start retracting the hose until you see air bubbles starting to come out. Mark the hose at the top of the water level. Turn off the CPAP, retract the hose and measure it from the mark to the hose end. This distance should equal the pressure setting.
- Red