RE: Harder exhale at startup
It takes the same force to exhale on cpap the entire time you are on it, but it's much more noticeable when you first put it on. The force needed to exhale does not change throughout the night, but your body/brain gets used to it.
I struggled with the exhaling when I first started on cpap but after several nights, I adjusted to it. Hopefully, you will too.
You might want to ask your doc about putting the EPR on. I find it really helpful. My pressure on inhale is 14 but when it senses my exhale, the pressure drops down to 11.
Good luck!
(12-17-2013, 01:23 PM)chezdan9 Wrote: Why do I have a harder time exhaling at the start of my treatment during ramp-up than I do in the middle of the night? I am almost gasping to force the air out during ramp-up and it makes it very hard to fall asleep. However, when I wake during the night, my breathing feels easy and natural.
My pressure is set at 12 cmH20, with a 10 minute ramp-up (I can't stand it any longer than this) starting at 7 cmH20 (frankly, when I turned ramp-up off, I still felt the difficulty exhaling for a while ~20 mins or so). Per my doctor's instructions I have turned EPR "OFF".
Is it my imagination?
RE: Harder exhale at startup
UPDATE: after almost 4 weeks, I am starting to get in the groove. For me, I think the issue is that I was really "uptight" when I put the mask on and I get a little anxious and start breathing harder. I always thought I would be horrible at SCUBA and would use up all my oxygen in 10 minutes. Anyway, as someone so intelligently mentioned above, a little "self-talk" and learning to relax when putting on the mask has made all the difference. I still notice a small amount of resistance, but know I realize it's part of the game and like most everyone else, I think my machine is broken when I wake at night. This is a journey to be sure and I'm getting better at it every day.
After an initial period of exhaustion for the first two weeks, I am starting to not fall asleep at my work desk. That hasn't happened in YEARS! I feel my energy level increasing ever-so-slightly and I feel my attention span increasing as well. However, I have had this tension/soreness/pain in my upper back, shoulders, and chest and wonder if it's from the CPAP pushing air into my lungs. Any thoughts on that?
RE: Harder exhale at startup
Aches and pains and random stuff *can* happen as both you and your body makes adjustments to the new sleeping method. Some will go away quickly, and you may find a few that are part of the "new you" - whether you like it or not.
How bad it hurts, how long it hurts would be what I used to decide whether or not to get it checked out.
On a personal note, I just went to the ER two different times in a 7 day period. First time they did one blood test, and one other test - told me to go home I must have slept wrong, and wait for it to get better...
The second visit was because the first issue was getting worse and it was time for something to be done about it. Turns out I was 'anemic' (8.2) and needed to be admitted ASAP - blah, blah, blah...
Point is, only you can decide if something is bad enough, weird enough, or painful enough to be "seen". Just me being me, I tend to wait too long before being seen (based on track record).
Am glad your sleep is improving, and I pray that it continues to do so for you~!
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional. My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.
"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
RE: Harder exhale at startup
(01-03-2014, 03:53 PM)chezdan9 Wrote: UPDATE: after almost 4 weeks, I am starting to get in the groove. For me, I think the issue is that I was really "uptight" when I put the mask on and I get a little anxious and start breathing harder. I always thought I would be horrible at SCUBA and would use up all my oxygen in 10 minutes. Anyway, as someone so intelligently mentioned above, a little "self-talk" and learning to relax when putting on the mask has made all the difference. I still notice a small amount of resistance, but know I realize it's part of the game and like most everyone else, I think my machine is broken when I wake at night. This is a journey to be sure and I'm getting better at it every day.
After an initial period of exhaustion for the first two weeks, I am starting to not fall asleep at my work desk. That hasn't happened in YEARS! I feel my energy level increasing ever-so-slightly and I feel my attention span increasing as well. However, I have had this tension/soreness/pain in my upper back, shoulders, and chest and wonder if it's from the CPAP pushing air into my lungs. Any thoughts on that?
If it were me, I would get it checked to rule out an issue with your heart and/or lungs. Your doctor knows you and your medical conditions/history best. Better safe than sorry.
