[split] Taking mask off in my sleep

[Vort]

Hi, I'm new to this too and I have a similar problem.
I keep taking my mask off during sleep.
I last 90 to 120 mins with it on, always wake up with it off.
My last sleep study they said I was scratching at the mask.
99% of the time I don't know I've taken it off.

Problem I think I have is when I take the mask off it's so much easier to breathe through my mouth.
I do keep my mouth closed with the nasal pillow mask on.
It's just too hard to breathe through the nose and I rip it off.
I can remember doing it sometimes, thinking Oh this is so good after I take it off. Then my awake brain kicks in and says 'put the mask back on'... sometimes I do, sometimes I think let me just take one more deep breath before I put it back on and... Zzzzzzzzzzzz.

I've always been 'itchy' my whole life even photo's of me as a kid. There I am scratching at my itchy nose. To make it worse I've also been referred to as Mr. Mucas. I clear my throat a lot, I get a lot of snot, and blocked noses. I get a lot of 'sleep' in my eyes, and I cough up lil balls of phlegm every morning. By lil I'm talking thumb nail size - pretty decent lumps of phlegm.

I think this is all compounding together to make me itch and scratch to attempt to take the mask off, and when I do I get a sense of relief... ahhhh.. breathe!

I know that without the mask I'm getting 87 apnea's per hour, and I know now thats bad... but I'm really having trouble keeping the mask on.

More details:
Resmed Air sense 10
Humidity 5 ... any higher I get water in the tube
Temp 24-25 C, turned it down lately to 21-22 C (still warmer that air temp of 15-16c)
Pressure 8 - 12; but I've lowered it just this week to 4-5 ... testing that out..

Please - anyone similar or any advice would be really appriciated!

Thanks all
xox
Tim

[trader37]

I've always been 'itchy' my whole life even photo's of me as a kid. There I am scratching at my itchy nose. To make it worse I've also been referred to as Mr. Mucas. I clear my throat a lot, I get a lot of snot, and blocked noses. I get a lot of 'sleep' in my eyes, and I cough up lil balls of phlegm every morning. By lil I'm talking thumb nail size - pretty decent lumps of phlegm.

Off topic but have you been checked for acid reflux?

[sonicboom]

I think you might benefit from a climate line tube. If you have one set it to Auto so you can get rid of any "water in the tube" aka rainout. If you don't have one get one. Then adjust the temperature to your liking.

[Gideon]

I have done the chinstrap over the mask and found the mask shifted less overnight actually reducing leakage.

I had serious large leakage aka mouth breathing.

My solution was to find a FFM that fit and did not leak. For me this was a Alara View medium (I've been a large in every other mask I have tried).

I do have a rather full beard

[chill]

I agree. You don't seem like a good candidate for nasal pillows. I'd give a FFM a try. You can breathe through your mouth just as much as you want!

[Beej]

Have you ever had allergy testing? Chronic airborne allergies may generate excessive phlegm production and tissue swelling in the airways (which wouldn't help the apnea any).