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+--- Thread: New to cpap (/Thread-New-to-cpap--17661)
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New to cpap - Gary1of2 - 05-07-2017
I was recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea. I am currently doing titration for a week. They gave me airsense10 and wisp mask. I fought with it the first nite ,especially when I first tried it. I had a lot of trouble with it for the first4 hrs or so. I was getting air out my mounth, then . I would get a funny sound from my throat. I was so tired the next day I got upfor about 3 hrs then went back to bed. I put cpap back on. At first it was ok. Then the machine staterd to ramp up got hard to breathe in was not bad but exhale was hard even with the reduce pressure on machine. I got up for about 3 hrswent back to bed for 2nd nite. It was getting a lttle better. Later that nite my nose started to plug. Started reading your posts. I found one of the problem that i read was on starting pressure being to low could make it hard at the start to breath. I started to breath through my mouth to get the machine to ramp up. I noticed that I could breathe easier when it hit 6 so I rest the machine low to 6 . Worked good. I took a nap today had no problems as long as i keep mouth shut.
After reading the posts here all this seems to be normal at first. Thank you it was reasuring that it could get better.
RE: New to cpap - justMongo - 05-07-2017
Welcome from the left coast of the US.
RE: New to cpap - vsheline - 05-07-2017
Welcome to Apnea Board, Gary the elder.
RE: New to cpap - DeepBreathing - 05-07-2017
G'day Gary. Welcome to Apnea Board.
I remember struggling with the same sensations you describe - I felt like I was "drowning in air". If this persists, try adjusting the EPR (expiratory pressure relief) on your machine. This reduces the pressure temporarily as you exhale. You can set it to 1, 2 or 3 with 3 being the greatest relief. Or you can turn it off.
When it comes time to get your permanent machine, ensure you get an auto-adjusting, fully data capable type. All machines provide basic compliance data, but to really fine tune your therapy you need full data capabilities. We also recommend you download and install #SleepyHead software to read and interpret your data. Autoset machines adjust your pressure throughout the night in response to apneas or precursors (such as snoring or flow limitations). You pressure needs will vary throughout the night (depending on sleep stage and whether you're sleeping on your back or side). It will also vary over time as you get older, gain or lose weight and have illnesses such as coughs and colds which affect your breathing.
There's an excellent primer on the types of machines to get (and avoid) here: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Archangle:Machine_Choices
The mask is often the hardest part of therapy, so make sure you get one which is comfortable and doesn't leak. Find out what the return policy is in case the mask doesn't suit you, and don't be afraid to keep trying them until you get one which works for you. See here: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Mask_Primer
Good luck!
RE: New to cpap - Zandor435 - 05-07-2017
Welcome,
I am also a fairly new user. I would highly encourage you to read some of the success stories on this board. There is a thread for them. I have learned a tremendous amount about my own sleep apnea and my cpap from the board here. There are several very encouraging folks on this board.
If you are like me, you will won't even know what you aren't considering until you see it in some other threads. Hope you adjust quickly without much fuss. Good luck.
RE: New to cpap - Russatrice - 05-07-2017
Welcome Gary! Because you're doing titration the pressure is more than likely set wide open from 4-20. This causes some of the problems you are dealing with. Once you get past that, pressure can be adjusted more closely for your needs and your comfort level will increase. Hang in there, things will get better, as you are already starting to notice. It takes time to adjust to the many aspects of CPAP treatment, but perseverance is the key.
RE: New to cpap - Gary1of2 - 05-08-2017
Thanks for all you info. Third nite I have not slept that well in along time. According to airsense I only had three episodes. Ithink its when my mouth falls open. I only woke up twice.
RE: New to cpap - trish6hundred - 05-08-2017
Hi Gary1of2,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
It’s great to hear you did better your third night, just stick with it, it does get better over time.
Good luck to you and hang in there for more responses to your post.
RE: New to cpap - Costas P - 05-09-2017
(05-07-2017, 09:49 PM)DeepBreathing Wrote: G'day Gary. Welcome to Apnea Board.
I remember struggling with the same sensations you describe - I felt like I was "drowning in air". If this persists, try adjusting the EPR (expiratory pressure relief) on your machine. This reduces the pressure temporarily as you exhale. You can set it to 1, 2 or 3 with 3 being the greatest relief. Or you can turn it off.
When it comes time to get your permanent machine, ensure you get an auto-adjusting, fully data capable type. All machines provide basic compliance data, but to really fine tune your therapy you need full data capabilities. We also recommend you download and install [url=http://OSCAR Official Download Page ----> CLICK HERE ./]SleepyHead[/url] software to read and interpret your data. Autoset machines adjust your pressure throughout the night in response to apneas or precursors (such as snoring or flow limitations). You pressure needs will vary throughout the night (depending on sleep stage and whether you're sleeping on your back or side). It will also vary over time as you get older, gain or lose weight and have illnesses such as coughs and colds which affect your breathing.
There's an excellent primer on the types of machines to get (and avoid) here: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Archangle:Machine_Choices
The mask is often the hardest part of therapy, so make sure you get one which is comfortable and doesn't leak. Find out what the return policy is in case the mask doesn't suit you, and don't be afraid to keep trying them until you get one which works for you. See here: http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php?title=Mask_Primer
Good luck!
Hi Gary and welcome to this great forum!...
I am new to CPAP therapy and all the things you mention are pretty "fresh" in my memory too!...
I believe the choice of an Auto CPAP, full data recording capable machine is the 1st step you should follow and of course... the 2nd - very important too - is try to find the best mask (comfortable, non-air leaking) for you.
These 2 parameters are IMO, the "key factors" that will help you with your therapy. If find the DeepBreathing's suggestions great!
Finally, don't forget that all these need one more thing: your persistance on this therapy.
You must believe that all this will help you: sleep better, wake up better and.. live better!
So, stick with it, and I'm sure that by time, all this will prove to be a "working" combination. This is also prooven by the experiences of lots of members of this forum. It's not an easy way, but if you persist, it works!...
Keep up the good work!
Costas
RE: New to cpap - Gary1of2 - 05-09-2017
Dose the felling like I have not exhaled all the way go away. Also the feeling of not enough air even though the machine is pumpingair at 20?