New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
bksatx
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New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by bksatx » Wed Jul 22, 2015 5:12 pm

Guys,
New to the forum! I'm a pretty new CPAP user. Over the past 6 weeks or so, I have had a real tough time adjusting to the mask. Right now, I am using the Swift FX Nasal Pillows with a chinstrap. I previously had a Quattro Full Face Mask, but had major leaking problems. My biggest problem has been this claustrophobic feeling or anxiety wearing the mask. The problems are making my sleeping even worse. I will sleep alright with it one night and then not sleep at all the next night. It's becoming extremely frustrating!

If anyone has any suggestions! I'm open to hear them!

Thanks
Brian

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LSAT
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by LSAT » Wed Jul 22, 2015 5:36 pm

If you are a mouth breather you need the FF mask...try it again with a mask liner to reduce/eliminate leaks....it works.

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Julie
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by Julie » Wed Jul 22, 2015 5:46 pm

Spend time wearing just the mask while watching TV, etc... it's helped quite a few people.

PoolQ
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by PoolQ » Wed Jul 22, 2015 8:26 pm

From my personal experience, make sure you really think about what it is making you feel like. None of us are used to having something strapped to our face and blowing air up our nose, so our brain feeds us the closest match with what we do know. For me it was congestion, turns out I had a problem with exhaling into pressure. Tried humidity first and did need to turn that down, some need to turn it up. My guess is that while the machine is doing exactly what it should be regarding apnea, some comfort feature is triggering an anxiety reaction. You need to figure which setting is doing that and adjust it best you can. It is real and is being triggered.
Sleeping MUCH better now

Dubbayoo
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by Dubbayoo » Wed Jul 22, 2015 9:11 pm

Try sleeping without the chinstrap for a few days, unless you are a mouth breather. Then you probably need it. I am also claustrophobic and I found for a few weeks I would have to pull the mask off and calm down for little bit before putting it back on

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Sheriff Buford
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by Sheriff Buford » Thu Jul 23, 2015 3:56 am

Pool: I hope you are using the EPR setting on your machine. It drops the pressure when you exhale. I have had similar issues a couple of times.

BK: seems you are going on your "mask journey". The mask you are referring to in your post is a full face and your equipment in your profile is a nasal. It's a similar struggle. I went thru several masks until I found a couple I could use. Keep going. You are probably very close to whippin' this sucker.

Sheriff

PoolQ
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by PoolQ » Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:21 am

Sheriff Buford wrote:Pool: I hope you are using the EPR setting on your machine. It drops the pressure when you exhale. I have had similar issues a couple of times.

BK: seems you are going on your "mask journey". The mask you are referring to in your post is a full face and your equipment in your profile is a nasal. It's a similar struggle. I went thru several masks until I found a couple I could use. Keep going. You are probably very close to whippin' this sucker.

Sheriff
" I had a problem with exhaling into pressure" yep EPR, Thanks
Sleeping MUCH better now

bksatx
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by bksatx » Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:38 am

Thanks for all of the advice!

I did start with the full face mask, but was having problems with it leaking. Very bad around the bridge of my nose. I went back to the DME people and they said I ought to try the nasal pillows with the chinstrap. I like the nasal pillows because it is much easier to sleep on my side, but the downside is that strap! I'm a mouth breather. I think that is what is making me feel so claustrophobic. It just feels like I can't get enough air.

I'm currently on a cruise with my wife, and I haven't slept worth a crap! Very frustrating! When I get back, I'm going to head back to the DME people to try and figure something else out.

Again, I do appreciate all of the advice!

Thanks
Brian

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Julie
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by Julie » Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:58 am

What are your pressure settings? Do you know what your prescription called for? Too often the settings are put in too low (4 for the low - impossible to breathe at) and 20 the high - machine default numbers only, whether it's the DME's fault for not programming the machine properly or the doctor not ordering what was said to be needed at the sleep study, and sometimes we have to tweak things ourselves.

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Pugsy
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by Pugsy » Thu Jul 23, 2015 8:26 am

Have you tried just using the nasal pillow mask without a chin strap to see if it helps with the anxiety issues?

Do you mouth breathe out of habit or because your nose is so congested that you simply can't move enough air through the nose to be comfortable?

Since you are on a cruise....see if the chin strap is part of the anxiety issue. If it is then I would lose it for the time being because some therapy even if mouth breathing some is better than no sleep at all due to anxiety.
Let's get you so that you can at least get enough sleep to enjoy your cruise and worry about leaks and changing masks when you get home.
If you mouth breath out of habit...you may be able to break that habit with time.
If you mouth breath out of necessity....you need to work on finding a full face mask if you can't get the nose cleared up. If that's the case you might look at the Innomed Hybrid or the new Respironics Amara View masks...they don't cover the nose and you might find that they are less of a problem in the claustrophobia department.

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bksatx
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Re: New CPAP User....anxiety problems!! Please help!!

Post by bksatx » Tue Jul 28, 2015 9:26 pm

Well, got back home and things have been a bit better. I went back to the DME and switched to the Mirage Liberty mask. Seems to be good for the couple of nights I've used it!