well i got my CPAP machine

[cuznjohn]

right now i am exhausted. when i finely fell a sleep around 4 am, my mouth must of opened to breath. the humidifier on the machine is working, but the amount of dryness i had in my nose and mouth was unreal. SHOULD YOU FEEL THE AIR FLOW IN THE MASK??? the only time i feel any air flow is when i pull the mask away from my face a little.

i tried to stop breathing when i was awake just to see how the machine reacts. i didn't feel any air pushing on my face to force me to breath, is this normal???

[Blickdave]

John, a couple of points from a user of 10 years. First, you likely were prescribed the full face mask because (like me) your jaw relaxes when asleep and your mouth opens. A "nose pillow" is not gonna work for you as all of the air will escape out your mouth. If your full face mask is adjusted tight enough so no leaks, you will not even feel the air entering the mask but only hear your exhale. BE PATIENT, try to relax and not think about each breath! Close your eyes and play some slow relaxing music or calming sound (ocean waves, rain, etc.) to take your mind off of it. It took me 4 or 5 nights to adjust. I can't sleep without it now, it's my trusted relief.


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[cuznjohn]

John, a couple of points from a user of 10 years. First, you likely were prescribed the full face mask because (like me) your jaw relaxes when asleep and your mouth opens. A "nose pillow" is not gonna work for you as all of the air will escape out your mouth. If your full face mask is adjusted tight enough so no leaks, you will not even feel the air entering the mask but only hear your exhale. BE PATIENT, try to relax and not think about each breath! Close your eyes and play some slow relaxing music or calming sound (ocean waves, rain, etc.) to take your mind off of it. It took me 4 or 5 nights to adjust. I can't sleep without it now, it's my trusted relief.


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i am going to keep trying, but i find wearing the mask really annoying right now. we will see what happens

[bruiser]

Got mine in August courtesy of the VA. I used the nasal pillows but found they irritated my nose. Went to a nose mask, it made a difference. I also had problems with keeping it on (nose pillows and mask). My wife said I would rip it off during the night. I just had a follow up appointment last week. I'm now up to 83% use. I wake up around 5 a.m. and take the mask off, then go back to sleep. My apnea wasn't really bad to start with. But since the VA spent the time and money, I'll use it. Mine has a 'ramp' button that reduces the airflow when I first turn it on. It allows me to relax better as I don't have the full force all at once. You can get a chin strap that will hold your mouth shut. That prevents the dry mouth.

[cuznjohn]

i just ordered a larger mask on amazon, the one i have now fits over my nose and rests just below my lower lip and feels really uncomfortable. the report on the unit says i had 4.2 events per hour and i used the machine for 5 hrs. the mask i ordered now is a large full face one. i am using a medium now.

[Haze]

Hang in there my friend. You are not alone. I've had my CPAP for 5 yrs. Now I can't sleep without it.
I have a Respironics machine w/humidifier. It goes everywhere with me. When camping I run the CPAP on a homemade battery pack that can charge, during the day, from the bike.
It takes time to adjust to using the CPAP. I started with a Nose mask and moved to a ResMed full face mask.
I never had a problem with the seal on my beard. I recently added a chin strap to help keep my mouth closed hence no dry mouth or throat.
Cheers,

[AY4B]

John, if you are having trouble with dry mouth, you might need to get a chin strap to help keep your mouth closed. I use one along with the mask.

[Bob Denman]

Was last night any better?

[cuznjohn]

woke up at 2 am and took the mask off and tossed it across the room. went back to sleep and slept better with out it

[mowin]

woke up at 2 am and took the mask off and tossed it across the room. went back to sleep and slept better with out it

Like I said, my masks took many a flight accost the room. Trust me, it will get easier. Hang in there my friend.

[Bob Denman]

Hang in there!
Hopefully, the new mask will help to sort all of this out for you.

[cuznjohn]

i am getting the new larger mask tomorrow so i am hoping it helps more, my mouth gets very dry and the machine has a auto humidifier built into it, i am going to try and take it off auto and add some more humidity tonight to see if that helps.

[Bob Denman]

Don't drown...
Is waterboarding yourself: considered a violation of the Geneva Convention?

[cuznjohn]

i have always had a hard time sleeping, so i went into this with a negative view to start with. i sleep in a recliner so i figured the face mask wouldn't bother me too much. well let me tell you i never figured the mask would bother me as much as it does. it has to be tight enough that no air escapes, but not tight enough to bother you that much.when i took the sleep apnea test, i took it at home because i refused to go and spend a night in a clinic with someone monitoring me. now that i have the machine, they wanted me to go to a clinic to see if the machine is set right and if it was helping me. well guess what, i refused that also. so i don't know if it is set right or that it is helping me.

so now it is hit and miss to get the settings right for me. i am the thick headed Italian that everyone has heard of but never met. so i have to do this my way or no way at all. now the new larger mask is coming tomorrow, i am hoping that helps with my mouth drying out and that it might be more comfortable for me. i know how i am and if i can't get this to help me i will stop using it. i once cut a cast off my left wrist because i wanted it off and the doctor told me it had to stay on. so i am a very bad patient for most doctors. oh well it's my problem, and either way i will overcome it

[Bob Denman]

Perhaps some Duct Tape can be useful...

[Trickie Dick]

i have always had a hard time sleeping, so i went into this with a negative view to start with. i sleep in a recliner so i figured the face mask wouldn't bother me too much. well let me tell you i never figured the mask would bother me as much as it does. it has to be tight enough that no air escapes, but not tight enough to bother you that much.when i took the sleep apnea test, i took it at home because i refused to go and spend a night in a clinic with someone monitoring me. now that i have the machine, they wanted me to go to a clinic to see if the machine is set right and if it was helping meou . well guess what, i refused that also. so i don't know if it is set right or that it is helping me.

so now it is hit and miss to get the settings right for me. i am the thick headed Italian that everyone has heard of but never met. so i have to do this my way or no way at all. now the new larger mask is coming tomorrow, i am hoping that helps with my mouth drying out and that it might be more comfortable for me. i know how i am and if i can't get this to help me i will stop using it. i once cut a cast off my left wrist because i wanted it off and the doctor told me it had to stay on. so i am a very bad patient for most doctors. oh well it's my problem, and either way i will overcome it

The humidifier will help. You might try a Nasal Mask. I use the Respironics Nuance Pro Gel mask. I got it on Amazon. It goes in your nasal passages. It forces you to breath through your nose(or at least you should) If you do this and keep your mouth close then you won't have dry mouth. It's a little less restrictive also. It will take getting used to just like the others. I can't sleep now without mine but it took awhile. Good Luck

[Magdave]

They make chin slings to keep your mouth shut if using the nasal pillows.

[cptjam]

Once you figure it out, it will become a blessing. Be patient! Joe

[cuznjohn]

i slept pretty good last night, only woke up 2 times. my question is how do you know it's working. if you wear the mask do you feel air pressure. when i put the mask on i don't feel like it is working. i breath normal and i don't feel any air pressure being pushed when i inhale. if i move the mask away from my face i feel air start to flow. i try on my own to stop breathing and don't feel the machine to start pressure to make me breath. how does it work to help you if you stop breathing.

[Bob Denman]

John,
I don't use one of them, but if you're not turning blue and gasping for breath; it must be working.
Seriously; is there a way to increase the rate of flow? You might not need it, but I can certainly understand the "comfort factor" of feeling some airflow...

I'm real glad to hear that you're making some progress with it! Keep it up!

[OldDog]

i slept pretty good last night, only woke up 2 times. my question is how do you know it's working. if you wear the mask do you feel air pressure. when i put the mask on i don't feel like it is working. i breath normal and i don't feel any air pressure being pushed when i inhale. if i move the mask away from my face i feel air start to flow. i try on my own to stop breathing and don't feel the machine to start pressure to make me breath. how does it work to help you if you stop breathing.

If you hold your hand over the mask valve, you can feel some air escaping. This is normal and tells you you are getting pressure. I have the exact setup you have. I use a nasal mask. I get a sleep report every morning. So far doing great. This machine is much better than my old one. My "brain fog" is going away (sleep deprivation). I feel much better. Hang in there. It gets better.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

i slept pretty good last night, only woke up 2 times. my question is how do you know it's working. if you wear the mask do you feel air pressure. when i put the mask on i don't feel like it is working. i breath normal and i don't feel any air pressure being pushed when i inhale. if i move the mask away from my face i feel air start to flow. i try on my own to stop breathing and don't feel the machine to start pressure to make me breath. how does it work to help you if you stop breathing.

CPAP machine pressure is measured in cm of water column. For example, 10 cm ~= 4 inches. There is roughly 24" water column per 1 psi pressure, so 10 cm air pressure is about 0.15 psi, not very much! That's why it doesn't feel like there is much there, because there isn't! But it's enough to force your airway to stay open so air moves in and out of your lungs with ease.

The best way to tell if it's working is to look at your data. There are two programs you can use to graph the data from the machine, Resscan from Resmed, or Sleepyhead by one of the guys on cpaptalk.com. At a minimum look at the data on the machine screen each morning. If your AHI is less than 5, (actually any number well below your sleep test number) and your air leak less than 24, then the therapy is working. With the Resmed machines any leak above 24 brings the accuracy of the readings into doubt. My AHI during the sleep study was around 35. It runs below 1 most of the time with the CPAP, with my leak rates usually under 10.

Interestingly, one of the most common results of using CPAP is the reduced need to get up and go to the bathroom in the night. Something about low oxygen and high CO2 triggers a bladder response. With proper O2 levels that doesn't happen. I used to get up twice a night most every night. Now I seldom get up in the night, and usually that's from drinking coffee before bedtime!

[cuznjohn]

[Bob Denman]