Overwhelmed

[Noorkh611]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with medium sleep apnea. I have migraines, anxeity and brain fog. The problem is I’m overwhelmed in using a cpap and usually fall asleep before putting it on. At times I feel like I’m suffocating. Please suggest. I can’t suffer with these ailments anymore.

[slowriter]

The feeling of suffocating is usually because pressure is too low.

I can't tell from your profile what machine you're using, and what settings.

If you fix that, people here can suggest how to adjust those settings.

[Plmnb]

  Noorkh611.

You have come to the right place.  There are many on this site that will assist you and hopefully will help you in not feeling so overwhelmed.

The first thing to do to get started is to take a deep relaxing breath and install the OSCAR program if you can.  This way the advisors will be able to see what you are dealing with as far as pressures and such.  Are you able to install this program on your computer?  There is a link at the top of the page in the black stripe.  it says OSCAR with the Oscar logo.  If you have trouble with that you can click on the this OSCAR.

The second thing you should do is post your sleep study with your name and other identifying information redacted.  I believe they want to see the ENTIRE study not just the conclusions page and such.

I just joined this forum in December and it is the best thing that has ever happened to me regarding my own PAP experience.  Good Luck, once you are able to provide more information, I know someone with way more knowledge will be along.

Plmnb

[Geer1]

You got the diagnosis now lets see if the treatment is working. It is common for these machines to not be setup ideally so there is likely room for improvement.

As mentioned OSCAR is the program that allows us to tell if this is the case. Once you download the program and post some screenshots of recent days we can make recommendations on how to improve treatment.

[harrywr2]

Many adults feel 'starved for air' at a minimum pressure less than 6.
Also the 'ramp' feature is mostly for the first couple of days getting used to wearing a mask. Turning ramp off can also help with the feeling of 'starved for air'.

As others have said download OSCAR..post data

[DeepBreathing]

G'day Noorkh611, welcome to Apnea Board.

That initial diagnosis can come as a shock, and coping with the machine is also a trial for many people. After all, you're learning to breathe in a whole new way with a plastic alien strapped to your face blowing air up your nose from a compressor! The good news is it does get better. And there's a whole community of people here to help you navigate your way through the system, optimise your treatment and commiserate on days when it's not going so well. We've all been there, so we know what it's like.

Proper treatment of apnea demands a lot of data and background information, so I'm going to throw a lot of questions at you and make some suggestions on how to proceed.

• First, do you have a copy of your sleep test report and prescription? If not, get them from your doctor - you're entitled to a copy for your records. Then upload a copy to the site (attach it to your post). Make sure you erase your full name, address, medicare number etc. Also we need to see the full report with the charts and tables, not just the summary. The reason for asking this is that often the docs don't really read the whole report, they just skim through the summary and often overlook important points.
  
• Let us know if you have any complicating factors such as a heart or lung condition - this is so we don't make inappropriate suggestions which could worsen your condition.
  
• Tell us exactly which model of mask and machine you have. The machine name will be printed at the lower right corner and be something like Elite or Autoset. The mask name will be on the package it came in.
  
• Get hold of the free OSCAR software. Download it, install it on your PC and upload the data from your machine using the SD card which should be in the machine. If there is no card, get one from an electric retailer - the lowest capacity you can find will be fine. Once you've got some data in Oscar, upload a screenshot of your daily page and we will be able to interpret what's happening.
  
• Get hold of the clinician manual for your machine. The link is at "CPAP Setup Manuals" near the top of this page. The manual will give you all the insiders' information about how your machine works and how to unlock the "secret" menus. You will become one of the adept!

I realise a lot of what I've asked is repeating what other members have said, but telling something in different ways sometimes will trigger the neurones more than just a single explanation. Between the lot of us we'll have you healthy in no time.

[OpalRose]

Noorkh611,
Welcome to Apnea Board!

Can you tell us exactly which AirSense machine you have?  There is the AirSense 10 Cpap, AirSense 10 Elite,
Airsense 10 AutoSet and Airsense 10 AutoSet for Her.

See image to show you where to look.

[attachment=19991]

[Dormeo]

Just wanted to add my welcome. You've come to a great place for help.

If your CPAP pressure is really 4, as in your profile, that is way too low and all by itself can make you feel like you are suffocating. Once you tell us exactly what machine you have, we can walk you through how to change that.

The other thing to try for now is to set up your machine somewhere outside your bedroom and use it while you read or watch TV -- something that is pleasant and distracting for you. This will help your body adapt to the new experience faster than just trying to use the machine at night.

[Ockrocket]

Hi all,

I was diagnosed with medium sleep apnea. I have migraines, anxeity and brain fog. The problem is I’m overwhelmed in using a cpap and usually fall asleep before putting it on. At times I feel like I’m suffocating. Please suggest. I can’t suffer with these ailments anymore.

Right from the start let me assure the feelings you are having right now are normal, and the same as we all felt in the beginning.

Allow yourself to accept the initial feeling and know that there are solutions.

Others have started to point you to where you need to go.. one step at a time will get you sorted out.

It took me about 6 months to get things to where I felt I was making progress and comfortable, it come in little stages.. every now and then you will suddenly realise "xxxxx doesn't bother me anymore" and you reach a point where most nights are simple routine.

My input here (because others have covered the main points) sit on the edge of your bed and put your CPAP mask on and switch it on BEFORE you lay down. 

[JamesW]

You will get all the reassurance and advice you need from this forum. Have a read of my earlier post and know that you are never alone here. http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-Health-Pressure