Getting Easier

[MikeyB]

Ok so it has been four night with cpap now and the starting pressure still seems overwhelming so I have to hit the ramp button onli once and I am fine, now in the morning ofrcourse its at the prescribed pressure but it doesnt feel like it, do you just find the pressure easy to breathe against after having to to it all night?

[pmcall57]

Well, my pressure is much lower than yours -- using an APAP and pressure usually is below 7. But I noticed this morning when I woke up I thought the machine was off because I didn't feel any pressure at all ... and then when I checked I saw it was a little over 7. So I think I get used to it during the night. Pam

[JohnBFisher]

Ok so it has been four night with cpap now and the starting pressure still seems overwhelming so I have to hit the ramp button onli once and I am fine, now in the morning ofrcourse its at the prescribed pressure but it doesnt feel like it, do you just find the pressure easy to breathe against after having to to it all night?

You will probably find within a month or so that you do not need the ramp feature. You won't even notice that you don't use it. At first, it feels as if you are breathing against a hurricane. After a bit you will feel VERY uncomfortable trying to sleep without it. You will be amazed at just how much you will adjust to it.

[Gerryk]

MikeyB, how long you continue to use the ramp button or if you use it at all is personal preference and how you feel. If you use it every time and it helps you to be successful in your therapy then by all means use it. If you get to the point where hitting the ramp button makes you feel like your ghasping for air then either don't use it or see if the ramp can be adjusted higher. You are doing great, so don't worry about it.
As far as the pressure yes you will probably will wake up in the morning with the machine at your full pressure and feel like it's not there. At one time my pressure was on my bi-level machine was 17 and 21 and I would wake up in the morning at first and wonder what happened that my machine is off until I heard it going.

Stick with it and before you know it wearing that mask will be second hand.

Gerry

[DreamOn]

Mikey,

I don't use the same machine you do, so I don't know how to (or if you can) make adjustments, but perhaps there's a way to set the starting ramp pressure a bit higher. If it's set really low to start (like at 4), at that level it may actually be more difficult to breathe than a bit higher. I found that to be the case for me, anyway. Perhaps one of the more experienced forum participants can help with that.

My pressure is very low anyway, but I do find that by morning I don't even know the machine's on! It's amazing how our bodies get used to it.

~ DreamOn

[tattooyu]

Mikey,

My pressure is usually 14.2 for most of the night. When they first put the mask on me, at my first sleep study, I felt suffocated and had a panic attack. Then, they turned on the exhale relief, and I slowly was able to wear the mask. Now, I don't even use the ramp because 1) I'm in auto mode, and 2) I don't need it any more. Like GerryK said, if you need it, use it.

DreamOn has a good point. At my sleep study, they started me out at like 4 cm and I couldn't breathe at all. Once they got up to 6 or 7 cm, it was much better. Now I'm a hurricane at 14-17!

[MikeyB]

My ramp starts at 7.0 and over thirty minutes goes to 15

[bailachel]

my ramp goes from 5 - 10 in 20 minutes. I stopped using it after the first couple of days because I found that 5 was too low for me to breathe comfortably and I really didn't mind the full pressure.

It is odd the way that I can't feel the air moving inside the mask, but it sure rushes out the vent!

[MikeyB]

Woo Hoo I did not hit the ramp button last night and within a matter of minutes could not tell a difference in the pressure and drifted off to sleep

[DreamOn]

Woo Hoo I did not hit the ramp button last night and within a matter of minutes could not tell a difference in the pressure and drifted off to sleep

Yay!!! Good to hear you're having success. I hope you're feeling better during the daytime too!