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Hi @grammygg. While I have not personally experienced this on my own machine, I have worked with patients who have had problems with humidifiers on various machines. The home care company that provided your equipment should be able to assist with troubleshooting the actual humidifier. ResMed warrants the AirSense and humidifier for 2 years, so it should be replaced if it is not working correctly. See http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/support/treatment-and-maintenance/resmed-warranty-information-for-all-products.html for warranty info. As for the heated tube, it helps maintain the temperature from the humidifier to the mask and helps prevent moisture from building up in the tube. If your humidifier is not heating correctly, the heated tube will likely not help much. Hope this helps, and please keep us posted!

Hi everyone! New here! Looking for advice for a CPAP newbie. I was diagnosed with OSA about a month or so ago and tonight will be night 4 on my CPAP. So far so good. Kind of. I have been sleeping well according to the machine, but this nasal pillows mask is making my nose feel like its trying to break off of my face in the morning. in fact, I wake up several times to try and adjust it. So far, I have had no luck. This morning, I woke up and the mask was on the floor next to my bed... Machine still running (yet somehow I still got the "hey, great job" smiley face on my machine). Is the nose pain something that goes away after the "adjustment period"? or is this not a normal thing? Anyone have this problem in the first few days or weeks? Thank you so much!

Hi - Just diagnosed w/ combination of obstructive & central sleep apnea. AHI - 31. RX written for APAP - waiting for medical device company to contact me to get it set up. Any suggestions on what kind of mask to try first? I'm 64, female, thin. Also looking for positive reinforcement - this is going to make me feel better, right? I already feel good - but could do without the afternoon fatigue.

Hi @BrianS0179. I wear a nasal pillow and had the same experience when I first started wearing one. The edge of my nose was extremely sore to the touch the first few nights. It started to get better after the first couple of weeks. I would say to make sure your mask is just tight enough to create a seal but not so tight that it feels you are forcing the pillows into your nostrils. They edge of the pillows should be snug around the opening of your nostrils. It is also not uncommon for patients to report waking up with their masks next to them or on the floor, especially in the early days of treatment. Wear time often builds with experience. As for the smiley faces, that may mean you wore the mask long enough during the night to meet minimum requirements for compliance (usually 4 hours). Good luck, and I hope this helps!

Hi @JaneAM, and welcome to MyApnea.Org. Hopefully, APAP treatment will help resolve your respiratory events, and your level of afternoon fatigue will decrease. Therapy worked wonders for me, although adjusting to it took a little time. As for a mask type, the home care company should assess you to help determine the best type of mask. There are generally three common types--full face that covers the nose and the mouth, nasal mask that covers the nose, and nasal pillows that go just inside the nose. If you can breath through your nose clearly and without obstruction, a nasal mask or nasal pillow can be a good choice. For patients with chronic nasal obstruction who are mouth-breathers, a full face mask is usually a better option. I would encourage you to ask the home care company to fit you will all three types so you can see what you prefer. When the do your mask fitting, the mask should be attached to the machine and the machine should be running so that both you and the provider can check for proper fit and mask leak. A good mask fitting session involves allowing the patient to lay down and trying the mask in various body positions to check fit and comfort. Hope this helps, and please keep us posted on your progress!

Diagnosed 5/2016 - I think I've had apnea since I was a young adult (now in late 50s). Really looking forward to the support to get me used to CPAP use.

Hello cpap users and sufferers I can relate to all the troubles with masks, chin straps etc. I was diagnosed with OSA at 30 but felt like I've always had it. I need help I still struggle with my mouth opening I tried 2 kinds of chinstraps and now I use medical tape. I still find it difficult to get used to this I'm 5'6"and weight 148 so what's my problem? The doctor said it could possibly be tongue base related. I had the UPPP surgery along with having my tonsils removed and septum straighten. What else can help me?

Welcome, @TiredBeGone and @CreativeWhitePanther8716, to MyApnea.Org. Adjusting to CPAP can take some time. Please feel free to post any questions or experiences here on the Forum. @CreativeWhitePanther8716--have you attempted to use a full face mask instead of the chin strap? Many patients who are mouth breathers find the full face mask more comfortable. As far as what else can help, you might consider having an evaluation by and ENT who can look at your airway or by a dentist who specializes in treating sleep apnea. There are several options for treatment, but each is very specific to the needs of the person being treated. Best wishes!

Hi. New here. I believe I have gotten a bacteria infection due to my apnea machine. Pseudomonas is tough to get rid of. The doc mentioned to only use sterile water to clean tubing. It's hard to find jugs of this. Does anyone clean their tubing with distilled water? That is so much easier to find. Thanks. Joanie

Hi Joanie (@PoliteBeigeAardvark2160). I'm sorry to hear you have an infection. Most CPAP manufacturers recommend distilled water in the humidifier chamber when using CPAP. For cleaning tubing, I have generally only seen recommendations for warm soapy water or a mild solution of vinegar in water. Here is a link to the recommendations for equipment from Philips Respironics: https://www.sleepapnea.com/living/equipment-care/, and here is a link from ResMed: http://www.resmed.com/us/en/consumer/support/treatment-and-maintenance/caring-for-your-equipment.html. If your physician is recommending sterile water, it may be because of your infection, so it may be worth asking him or her if you can use distilled water. Best wishes!

I joined this forum recently. I was diagnosed in January 2011. In spite of using my CPAP regularly since then, I still experience fatigue during the day. I recently got a new machine that is reporting that I have central apnea in addition. I also struggle with insomnia from time to time. Putting on my CPAP mask sometimes triggers it. Currently, I'm very concerned about the new equipment I recently acquired. There is a very strong odor coming from the mask and tube, indicating volatilized chemical compounds are offgassing. I'm very concerned about the effect of this on my health. A recent post on a different CPAP forum that I also participate in, described the exact same thing. The writer said they woke up the following morning feeling ill after using it for the first time.

Hi, I'm new to being diagnosed with sleep apnea and CPAP, its been 2 nights since I began using it. I have a few questions if anyone could point me in a direction to help with some possible side effects of u se I would appreciate it. thanks maryann

Maryann, It is probably more effective to start a new thread and keep questions confined to one or two issues per thread. There is so much to learn when you get on PAP therapy that it can be a bit overwhelming and the medical support can be a bit lacking so your best friend is self-research until you get all the rough spots ironed out and you will. PAP therapy has been very effective in my case and I didn't even know I had sleep apnea till my wife did some research and nagged our primary care physician to set up a sleep study. I didn't know I was snoring nor did I know that my blood O2 levels were down in the low 70s for extended periods. My PCP would not have ever considered it either ... I have a good wife!

Hello my name is Roger, I am 44 and was diagnosed with sleep apnea in January 2016. I've been using CPAP since then and it's made a WORLD of difference in my life. No more falling asleep during the day. Fatigue reduced a great deal as well!

I am a health rebel. I fight to let anyone tell me anything or give medical advise. Long history of SA, have had a CPAP that I am addicted to for 7 or 8 years. It is set to spike up to 14 when I have episodes in the night. I told and begged the tech or whatever she was not to do it to me, just leave it at 9. So now I never sleep a full night, always wake up being drowned in forced air. For years. I cannot even hardly make it around the house to get to the bathroom, my breath is so short. And now it has me with a real wet cough that is hard to overcome and leaves me exhausted struggling to clear the airway. I am wondering if the humidity can fill my lungs with fluid? I do not plan on ever going back to the doctors or hospitals that do not listen...it is a waste of my precious energy and peace of mind. I went in with shortness of breath a couple of years ago and a team of hospitalists only had the conclusion that I was too fat, there was not enough room in my chest for all the air I need. Ok. They gave me Xarelto and nearly gave me a stroke. Vomited blood and black diarrhea from internal bleeding. So I am falling apart, and want to do what makes me feel better. BP meds made that cough before, I complained and complained. Nothing was done until I said, "Can we change this prescription?"
I have trust issues with kids playing doctor on me. And that seems to be who is running things nowadays. So, hello, apnea people. Now you have seen my defense wall, I will read your posts, see what I can get here and maybe you might understand me.

A sleep doctor wrote the prescription that the supply company followed as they are not in a position to determine what is the best pressure. That pressure was arrived at during the sleep study. A primary care doc prescribed the sleep study so I would start there and request a follow up study where you should have the ability to explain that the pressure of 14 seemed obtrusive. Perhaps they will come up with a different optimal pressure based on your 2nd sleep study. As far as the moisture from the humidifier; well, if it bothers, turn it off. Most CPAP machines have the ability to turn it off or at least turn it to a minimal setting. Hope you get this sorted out and not let the prior, non-related issues with the medical profession sour you on this current course of therapy. Best of luck and do follow up!