Having issues with trilogy

[scaredwifetx]

Steve has been having earaches at night when using the trilogy. This has just started happening the past few days. The weather has changed but we do keep our house warm.

This only happens at night. Steve believes it has to do with cold air in his mask. We called the company that rents us the trilogy but they are off no help as usual.

Has anyone experienced this? Any ideas of what to do?

 

[lgelb]

Unless this is a congestion issue, in which case they wouldn't disappear when off the Trilogy (how long does the pain last in the morning?), I tend to think of mask issues here. Tightness, uneven placement, face and/or mask needs deep cleaning...also might check machine and room furnace filters, as well as humidification (unfortunately Trilogy does not have separate temp control). Try wrung out hot washcloth on ears meanwhile when he wakes up.

 

[scaredwifetx]

Hi Laurie, its only happening at night when wearing the mask. We think it may have something to do with colder snd wetter weather we are having. He said that he felt like the air in the mask was colder.

Odd thing is that i have woke up with an earache the last two nights. It goes away during the day. I know the pressure is higher than normal in Texas. He uses a full gave mask and doesnt like any other choices. He is also using the trilogy more throughout the day.

We are going to try and raise the temp in the house and see if that helps. Its about two degrees lower than in the summer so maybe that's it.

Thanks for your help.

 

[ehd42]

Hi Deb

I second Laurie’s comments. I have found that ear, sinus, and nose discomfort can be a result of inadequate humidification or excessive ventilator pressure.
Heat and humidification can be added to a trilogy with the use of a Fisher-Paykel humidifier or similar device. They are adjustable so you can customize dehumidification so that it is just right. Also check with the pulmonologist if the BiPAP or AVAPS settings can be slightly lowered. Sometimes they are set higher than needed when first programming the trilogy and need to be adjusted.

Check out the following website, this heated humidifier can be used between
the trilogy ventilator and any mask.

https://www.fphcare.co.nz/mr850/

Best wishes

Eliot

 

[scaredwifetx]

Than you Elliot. He was looking at the humidifier today online. The filters were all changed. He says the air that comes out of the tube is cold. He only feels the pain when he is in inhalation. He feels cold air and pain when the machine is blowing. He has also tried turning down the pressure. We are on our own here. The doctor did not return our call and neither did health line. The equipment tech doesn't know anything about ALS. We had to have Laurie help us with the settings.

The model of Trilogy is a Trilogy 100 and the humidifier that we have is a Fisher Paykel hc 150. He has heated water but the air coming to him is cold. The water in it is always hot but if he turns it up any further he says that he gets to much water in his mask.

He is now convinced that if he turns the heat in our house to the same temp we keep it in the summer...it might fix his issue. I do not like heating as it dries out my sinuses. So in the winter we keep the thermostat at 69 but in summer 72. He thinks that change may be the culprit.

 

[ShiftKicker]

Have you tried getting a hose cover? I noticed an immediate difference when I put a sleeve on the hose- the air was much warmer.

 

[scaredwifetx]

Thanks ShiftKicker. Yes, he has had a hose cover for awhile. It has helped but the trouble he is having now just started after the temps got low in Texas. Our house is not cold but I guess a couple of degrees can change things. I am going to put a humidifier in our bedroom so the heat going up doesn't mess with my sinuses and hope that keeping it a little warmer at night helps.

 

[JimInVA]

Deb,

Darcey uses a heated humidifier at night. One of her early complaints with the trilogy was how cold the air was without the heated humidifier attached. She doesn't normally use the humidifier during the day... but often complains of "ear blowouts" when using the nasal pillows during the day. When that happens, she shifts to the full face and feels relief. At night, we have the humidifier's heat setting set to "2". Anything more, particularly in the winter months when the heat is on and the air is dry, causes condensation in her hose. She doesn't complain about her ears at night. I don't know how/if any of this is of help in your situation... but at least wanted to offer our experiences.

My best!

Jim

 

[ehd42]

Hi Deb,
I am using the Fisher Paykel MR 810 humidifier which incorporates a heated hose. This has eliminated the problem of cold air being delivered to my airway no matter the room temperature. It is expensive however Medicare paid for it. Try to get a letter from your doctor explaining why a heated hose is necessary in your husbands case in order to justify the approval.

Best wishes

Eliot

 

[scaredwifetx]

Thanks Elliot. We will try that!

 

[lgelb]

For those new to BiPAP, one advantage of the ResMed S9 platform is the integration of heated hoses coupled with the ability to set temperature independent of humidity, which we found very important to comfort.

 

[JimInVA]

Darcey originally had the ResMed S9 with humidifier and heated hose. It was wonderful and condensation was never a problem. She was moved to the Trilogy when she needed a BiPAP during travel... as the Trilogy has built-in batteries. We had not heard of the heated hose option available for her Trilogy and will look into that, too. Just goes to show how one person's question can expand to help others during the process of sharing information!

Jim

 

[scaredwifetx]

We turned the temperature up in the house last night. Guess what? No earache and he slept all night. Me...that's a different story. It was to hot for me. We talked to his doctor today and she is going to see what she can do to get us approved for a unit that can use a heated tube. Thanks everyone!

 

[JimInVA]

I understand the temperature differential issue. Darcey is always cold... and I am always hot. I take the house temp setting to 70 degrees... any hotter and I'm a sweating mess... any colder and Darcey is cold (even with her electric blanket on high and with additional throws and a quilt covering her). Friends know that we leave the front door unlocked. There know to (1) knock, open the door and say 'hello', (2) give Jim time enough to either hide or put his pants on and (3) come on in. I think, though, it has become a game - "Let's go in fast and see if we can catch Jim in his skivvies"! Ahh... the sacrifices one must make...

Jim

 

[lgelb]

Deb,
I was in a similar boat with Larry needing a different temp. You might try a fan next to your bed. If it blows toward Steve, angle it up so you get air around your head. They also make ones that go under your covers but I never tried that.