Sierra

I started out with a ResMed AirFit P10 and it basically worked except it would not stay on my head, and I had issues with opening my mouth. I tried a Mirage Quattro, AirFit F20, Mirage FX, and F&P Brevida. I could not get the full face masks to work for me due to discomfort and leaks. The Mirage FX seemed to have the disadvantages of the FF leaks and a nasal mask with mouth leaks. The Brevida was not too bad but irritated my nose. So, I have come full circle and so far the AirFit P10 has been the best mask for me. That makes 5 tried.

What are your pressure settings? Sometimes the feeling of suffocating and not being able to catch your breath can be caused by having a machine set at the default minimum of 4 cm of pressure. Some find that too low.

I use the Breathewear Halo chin strap and while it is fairly snug, it does help keep my mouth closed. However, I have found that if I really want my mouth to stay closed all night, I need to tape my mouth shut with 1" paper medical tape as well. Sounds much worse than it really is. Some may get away with using the paper tape only, and not the chin strap, but I was not able to. I've tried two different full face masks and really could not make them work at all.

It would seem from what you describe that you probably do not have apnea to the point where it should be causing big issues with your sleep. To get a better read on it, you may want to consider an at home sleep test. It still will not be real comfortable, but probably significantly more so than in a lab. Machines such as the Phillips Alice NightOne can detect obstructive and central sleep apnea and produce a detailed report. It would be better to get a report based on more sleep.

I wouldn't discourage you from trying a CPAP. If you have the software like SleepyHead it produces a very detailed report of what goes on during the night. It of course will use a minimum of 4 cm of pressure and will normalize some of the apnea, but you will see what residual there is. And if it is an Auto CPAP you will see what pressure it uses to normalize the apnea events. Last you will find out if you are going to be able to tolerate using one. I am assuming they will let you try one at no cost. You of course would want to be much more certain of the need before buying one though.

I did a screen shot from a few nights ago on my machine where there was an example of an obstructive event (OA), a central apnea (CA), and a hypopnea (H). You can see what they look like and how they compare. The ResMed machine I use distinguishes between OA and CA events by imposing a flow cycle when the breathing is stopped. If the pressure fluctuates up and down more then it is classed as an OA, and if the pressure is less then it is classed as a CA. In a CA event the airway is open so pressure is less influenced by a flow variation. You can see that also in this graph of the mask pressure.

What type of mask are you using?

I have tried 5 different masks. I think it is natural to try and find the ultimate mask. One thing I have noticed different about them is the pressure they need. Some seem to need more pressure to do the same job. Not sure if it is a real pressure change or just different masks influence the indicated pressure.

I can give you a couple of references. I sounds like you may have a leak somewhere. Assuming you have the H5i humidifier, check where the humidifier seals to the machine. Check the seal on the lid of the humidifier. Less likely but check the fittings at the back where the hose connects.

Here is link to the Technical Manual. It has a little bit on maintenance, but not much.

And here is a link to some parts for the machine. You can buy the water tank, the lid seal, and the back hose connection.

I would be concerned about two things. One that the UV deteriorates the plastic and synthetic materials. The second would be that the disinfection would be a line of sight and parts in the shadows of the UV would not be disinfected.

If you do not have the EPR turned on the pressure will be steady. When you breath out the air should flow out the vent on your mask. With the EPR turned on, the pressure will cut back a little bit when you exhale. You can see that with the blue line on the graph in my report above. The pressure fluctuates up and down with each breath during the ramp hold. Then it stops fluctuating when I am up to pressure. I have no difficulty breathing out against 12-13 cm of pressure.

You can get a small portable SD to USB card reader for about $10-$12. It would be worth it to be able to monitor your results on SleepyHead.

Not totally sure how ResMed measures snore, but it may be a higher frequency flow/pressure variation. It is probably not at a level where it would be audible to someone else, or yourself if you are asleep. Here is what a typical night looks like for me. I often see a bit of a snore when I fall asleep during the Auto Ramp portion of the night when pressure is still low, but after that it is essentially zero.

The AirMini does not use the traditional humidifier, so that may be the reason for the higher temperature.