03-29-2024, 02:34 PM
RE: Lanners - Therapy Help
I think it takes a while for the comfort to come. One thing I heard recently, is that at first you're afraid to sleep with CPAP, and then later you're afraid NOT to sleep with it. I'm in that transition now. I sleep a lot better with it, but I still have to make myself put it on after I get up to go to the bathroom. But then I actually go back to sleep really quickly which I don't without it. On the other hand, instead of waking up three times a night, I'm waking up only once or twice. I hope you can turn it into something that is comforting instead of claustrophobic. Maybe it helps knowing that there is a time when that mask becomes comforting because it's clearly helping. It takes a while though.
I suggest you increase EPR to 3 for your daytime testing and see how it feels. EPR is pressure relief, so going to 3 will give you a bigger differential between inhale and exhale, which for me makes a big difference in the feeling of claustrophobia. I don't like breathing against much pressure. Also, somewhere it mentioned in another thread, you can put on ramp at your REGULAR low pressure for an hour or so so that the auto set algorithm will never raise the pressure during the ramp. Just make sure the ramp pressure is sufficient for what you need for therapy.
One step at a time.
Lisa
If you wear the new mask without the machine make sure there isn't restriction of air. That feels claustrophobic to me too.
While you are still getting used to the mask, even with the holding it, whatever breathing exercises help will be useful. One easy one I particularly like is a few rounds of square breathing: breathe in for four, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four, repeat, or, breathe in for eight, hold for four, breathe out for four, and then inhale with no pause. That's a little complicated for me sometimes though another favorite is counting exhales up to 10, repeat. You don't count the inhales. If you lose your place, just start over, the number is not important. It's just the anchor.
When you do wear the mask with the machine, you'll want to really relax your breathing. Remind yourself, you can take it off as many times as you need to when you're just getting accustomed to it. You might want it in CPAP mode so that you don't have any pressure changes to worry about. Also, that way you can change your pressure on the fly, and use CPAP mode for testing while you use auto set for your regular use.
I suggest you increase EPR to 3 for your daytime testing and see how it feels. EPR is pressure relief, so going to 3 will give you a bigger differential between inhale and exhale, which for me makes a big difference in the feeling of claustrophobia. I don't like breathing against much pressure. Also, somewhere it mentioned in another thread, you can put on ramp at your REGULAR low pressure for an hour or so so that the auto set algorithm will never raise the pressure during the ramp. Just make sure the ramp pressure is sufficient for what you need for therapy.
One step at a time.
Lisa
If you wear the new mask without the machine make sure there isn't restriction of air. That feels claustrophobic to me too.
While you are still getting used to the mask, even with the holding it, whatever breathing exercises help will be useful. One easy one I particularly like is a few rounds of square breathing: breathe in for four, hold for four, breathe out for four, hold for four, repeat, or, breathe in for eight, hold for four, breathe out for four, and then inhale with no pause. That's a little complicated for me sometimes though another favorite is counting exhales up to 10, repeat. You don't count the inhales. If you lose your place, just start over, the number is not important. It's just the anchor.
When you do wear the mask with the machine, you'll want to really relax your breathing. Remind yourself, you can take it off as many times as you need to when you're just getting accustomed to it. You might want it in CPAP mode so that you don't have any pressure changes to worry about. Also, that way you can change your pressure on the fly, and use CPAP mode for testing while you use auto set for your regular use.
