Humidifier doesn't last the whole night

[MichaelWD64]

Hi!

New to CPAP, just finished my fifth night on CPAP / ASV.

I live in Wyoming, which is extraordinarily dry in the winter. And live at 5200 feet above sea level.

Humidifier is set at 3.5 of 6. Filled to "max" line right before sleep, was bone dry 7 hours later when I woke up, and I'm coughing like I used to with my oxygen concentrator before adding a humidifier on that.

Is this normal? Will it harm the machine? What should I do, turn down the humidifier setting? Something else?

Here's my gear list:

Machine: ResMed S9 VPAP Adapt
Mask Type: Full face mask
Mask Make & Model: ResMed Quattro Air
Humidifier: ResMed H51

Thank you!
Michael

[chunkyfrog]

A big humidifier in the bedroom might help.
There are auxiliary cpap humidifiers which might help.
Wyoming is wonderful, but yes about the dryness.

[MichaelWD64]

A big humidifier in the bedroom might help.
There are auxiliary cpap humidifiers which might help.

Do you know the names or model numbers for them?

Thanks!
MWD

[Wulfman...]

Hi!

New to CPAP, just finished my fifth night on CPAP / ASV.

I live in Wyoming, which is extraordinarily dry in the winter. And live at 5200 feet above sea level.

Humidifier is set at 3.5 of 6. Filled to "max" line right before sleep, was bone dry 7 hours later when I woke up, and I'm coughing like I used to with my oxygen concentrator before adding a humidifier on that.

Is this normal? Will it harm the machine? What should I do, turn down the humidifier setting? Something else?

Here's my gear list:

Machine: ResMed S9 VPAP Adapt
Mask Type: Full face mask
Mask Make & Model: ResMed Quattro Air
Humidifier: ResMed H51

Thank you!
Michael

I also live in Wyoming at 5800 elevation and only use "passover" humidification year round. Been using that since I started therapy. Since the air is dry, it easily picks up moisture. No problems and I don't run out of water. I usually top off my tank every 2 - 3 nights.......as it will drop about 1/2" - 3/4" by then.

Are you taking Lisinopril? That could account for your coughing.


Den

.

[MichaelWD64]

Hi!

Are you taking Lisinopril? That could account for your coughing.

Den,

Thank you for the reply.

nope. Taking:
--Nebulized:
Budesonide and Brovana for asthma. 2x day.

Pills, daily:
--Candesartan for high blood pressure
--Singulair for asthma
--Pantoprazole for GERD (morning)

OTC Equate for allergies.
OTC Prilosec for GERD (evening)
OTC tums for GERD, as needed.

Shots:
Xolair shots for allergies, every two weeks, just started that in Sept.

Tapering off Prednisone, was at 30 Mg for six months, down to 25 Mg from two weeks ago.

I'm not coughing constantly, only for a few minutes when waking up. I used to cough all the time before my asthma got managed. To the point where I passed out once and broke my nose, and another time cracked a rib coughing. My coughing now is nothing like that.

Michael

[Pugsy]

What pressures are you using/seeing?
What does your leak rate look like?

[6PtStar]

You can add the F&P HC150 humidifier in line with the one you have. It has a very large water chamber.

[MichaelWD64]

You can add the F&P HC150 humidifier in line with the one you have. It has a very large water chamber.

Thank you.
MWD

[MichaelWD64]

What pressures are you using/seeing?

14 / 19 CPAP/ ASV

What pressures are you using/seeing?
What does your leak rate look like?

like 5%.

[Pugsy]

water consumption is tied to these factors

pressures used....more air blowing over the water will use more water so higher pressures are a factor
excess leaks...if someone has a lot of excess leak more water will be used. 5 % of the night in large leak territory shouldn't be that much of a factor...now if you had reported 30 %...maybe.

and of course ambient room humidity...the drier the air in the house the more water that needs to be added.

Are you using the heated hose or is the 3.5 setting using a regular hose?

If your nose will allow a reduction in the setting you might try that.
If not using a heated hose you might consider getting one. It allows for more precise customization of the humidity delivered as well as air temp.

You can try added moisture to the bedroom air with a room humidifier so that the machine won't have to crank out so much moisture.
Adding a second humidifier like the H150 might not prevent the S9 humidifier from going dry but it might allow for a lower setting which would use less water without making the nose unhappy.

Your nose may be just fine at a lower setting or it may rebel.
Humidity needs are highly individualized. Den needs minimal added moisture and he lives in a dry area....I live in a rather high ambient humidity area and I still need to maximize my humidity or else my nose gives me some rather nasty allergy like symptoms to deal with. What your nose wants/needs is something you will have to sort on your own. There is no right or wrong...there's just whatever works for the individual.

[WindCpap]

pressures used....more air blowing over the water will use more water so higher pressures are a factor

Just a note: It's not the pressure itself that causes the higher water consumption, but rather the increased flow rate. Every mask has a vent, and the amount of air vented is going to be directly related to the pressure. The flow rate of air your breath is related to the speed of your diaphragm, and has very little to do with the pressure.

[OkyDoky]

pressures used....more air blowing over the water will use more water so higher pressures are a factor

Just a note: It's not the pressure itself that causes the higher water consumption, but rather the increased flow rate. Every mask has a vent, and the amount of air vented is going to be directly related to the pressure. The flow rate of air your breath is related to the speed of your diaphragm, and has very little to do with the pressure.

Yes, the vent rate is proportional to pressures and as Pugsy stated more air blowing over the water. Not sure what you are implying by "speed of your diaphragm" Respiratory Rate? Tidal Volume? If so I would also say this is also moving more air across the water.

[WindCpap]

The vent rate is not proportional to pressure. More like vent rate squared is proportional to pressure.

[Wulfman...]

The vent rate is not proportional to pressure. More like vent rate squared is proportional to pressure.

NO! WRONG!

Page 7 of the following manual (for your mask).

http://www.resmed.com/us/dam/documents/ ... er_eng.pdf


Den

.

[OkyDoky]

I used propotional as the # 3 definition at dictionary.com
3. of, relating to, or based on proportion; relative.
Every mask has a venting pressure curve flow that shows how it increases.
Here is the P10