So discouraged and sad

[Solar Rays]

Its the middle of the night and Im sitting up feeling discouraged and sad.  Im getting air in my cheeks and down my esophagus. I just took a GasX.   I cant get comfortable. Its my 19th night of not being able to sleep with this.  Im sure my lack of sleep has contributed to my emotions.  Ive tried to stay positive but this is a challenge.

[HalfAsleep]

I'm a newb, so I can't do numbers, but I can do empathy. So sorry you're having a hard time. In my experience, help is on the way!

I would say many of us CPAPpers go through a chipmunk-cheek or flatulating phase. Often, this can be remedied! Sometimes, it's a matter of experience, sometimes a positional thing, sometimes the pressure isn't right.

Also, I would recommend that you spend some time while awake with the mask on. Read a book or watch TV or something. Get used to the information on your unit and what it all means. Just get used to breathing in and out, adjusting the straps to minimize leaks, etc.

Would you mind checking to see the exact name on the unit you have so it is listed exactly in the sidebar? This will help everyone. It's possible that being a newb 'n all, I just haven't heard of that machine, but I think it would be a help if you could verify. The name of the machine is crucial, since a lot of Resmed machines have very close to the same name, even for units that treat different apnea problems.

[kiwii]

I'm so sorry you're having a hard time, Solar Rays.

It may not seem like it now, but things will get better. Sometimes one mask will cause more aerophagia than a different mask. This is true for me with the Swift FX. A full face mask will make the pressure seem lower, and I wonder if it may lessen the aerophagia too?

Another forum member gave me some links to studies that may be of interest to you. Maybe they could be helpful in a dialogue with your doctor or DME? I'll find the post and report back. brb.

Here it is! Shin Ryoku kindly provided links to info in this post.

I hope it is something that might be helpful to you.

[Walla Walla]

There's a lot of people who love the Brevida mask. But I had the same problems with it as you.

I now use a ResMed Airfit P10. It's also a pillow mask but I don't have the problem of swallowing air like I did with the Brevida.

You might want to give it a try.

[Apnea Infant]

I am attaching overall results of my first months when I started from which you can see that my sleep was totally fragmented. In fact with 45 minutes ramp time once the maximum titrated pressure of 16.8 was reached, within 10 to 15 minutes I would rip off the mask for a bit before trying again. This would go on all night for nights on end. I was not getting any sleep. For me, it was when I changed from a FFM to Nasal Pillows in association with a cervical collar that therapy started to improve. I was a devout back sleeper but also changed to left side sleeping and did the tongue against roof of mouth before I fell asleep. I am now on auto ramp as advised by all and gradually reduced pressure and turned off EPR gradually. Currently experimenting with the Autoset For Her-but this will be another unfolding story.

Therapy has vastly improved for me but this does not mean that I do not find myself awake flat on my back with slight purr of air through my lips and that there is no residual flatulence at times. It is not 100% improvement and my AHI is not 0 (only once in a blue moon) but I can feel that I am more energised and am looking actively to some exercise to lose weight etc etc.

Yes, do check that your details are accurate as it helps the experienced here assess your situation.  Maybe you might want to post sleepyhead data here for more detailed analysis and advice.

Solar Rays.........hang on in there......things do improve.

[Sleeprider]

The problem with the AirStart 10 is we have so little to work with. No data, no Auto-CPAP etc. But you do have EPR. So what setting are you using? We have used EPR to good advantage in stopping aerophagia, and it might work with you if you're not using it yet.

[Solar Rays]

Its a Res Med AirSense 10. I posted Air Serve in error.  I just read that i need to change pillows every 2 weeks.  I think thats the problem.  I will put the new one on tonight and hope for the .  best. I have auto ramp at 4 and pressure at 10.  What is EPR?

[Sleeprider]

Well, you have a very good machine. Any chance we can get a look at the data?

EPR is exhale relief pressure. It is in the Comfort settings and allows the exhale pressure to be reduced 1 to 3-cm less than inhale pressure. For most people it is relaxing and makes it more comfortable and easy to tolerate CPAP. For you, it may eliminate air entering your stomach.

Do you have your free CPAP setup manual? http://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap-pr...tup-manual

[S.L. Ping Beauty]

Its the middle of the night and Im sitting up feeling discouraged and sad.  Im getting air in my cheeks and down my esophagus. I just took a GasX.   I cant get comfortable. Its my 19th night of not being able to sleep with this.  Im sure my lack of sleep has contributed to my emotions.  Ive tried to stay positive but this is a challenge.

Lack of sleep can definitely contribute to the emotions.  A couple of months ago  I exasperatedly asked here if my feelings were due to apathy at the world around me or just the exhaustion I was experiencing.  It was at a time when there was a lot of bad news happening in the world.  It is tough for me because I am a news junkie.  If you too are a person who likes to keep up on current events, I would suggest trying to tune out all forms of media for a few days.  It was tough for me, but I tuned in Pandora music and went to the library and picked up the first book that captured my interest to divert my attention.

I can empathize with your sadness.  Can you try to identify it?  My sadness was from the news of cruelty of humanity towards itself.  I was sad not for me but for others.  While it was my person who was not sleeping well, my emotions were pouring out for others.  This gave me some comfort in that the short bout of sadness was not self-centered.   Even if you do identify if your sadness is for yourself then that is good too!  It is a step in order to get things in order for yourself. Ya' gotta' take care of Number 1.

For me when I was exhausted it was easy to see the cruelty in today's times.    But, Every once in a while I read something good and it seems to balance things out a little more.  While there is a fair amount of that still  I can see in little tid-bits the good side of man towards his fellow being, especial during the holiday season.

I am a noob too and I cannot comment on your equipment because I am novice in that area.  I have used nasal pillows from the start and never notice their presence in wearing them.  But I too was at my wits end after almost a year of CPAP.  The biggest difference for me was changing from CPAP to AutoPAP and my world of quality sleep literally changed overnight.  The past few weeks of quality sleep are the first in years!   I am not suggesting that you do similar without perhaps consulting a doctor or a professional, but this whole PAP therapy journey can by trying on a person's spirit until it gets dialed in.  

Hang in there my friend... I wish you peace..

[WillSleep]

I am still a clueless noob on these topics ...  so, you know .. take this with a grain of salt.  


Just wanted to reply that I was seeing air bloating enough to damage my sleep quality and seems to have found some relief by trying to develop some skills and habits in the recommendations Apena Infant posted.  

"For me, it was when I changed from a FFM (full fask mask) to Nasal Pillows (like a P10 mask) in association with a cervical collar that therapy started to improve. I was a devout back sleeper but also changed to left side sleeping and did the tongue against roof of mouth before I fell asleep."  

.......

Tongue against roof of mouth ~= develop the habit of placing my tongue forward in my mouth so that it touches the back of the upper front teeth and at the same time is slightly tight to front roof of my mouth and then gently 'sucking' a wee bit to try to developing a light lasting suction that helps a little to hold your tongue there.    

I have not seen any formal research on this but people have posted they find this helps to reduce mouth breathing and just to help with my own motivation     I am also going with the story this helps to hold the tongue more forward / away from the back of the throat maybe reducing FLs & OSAs a little bit.