hard to breathe. is this a mental thing?

first three months, no problems.

then one morning i woke up after six hours on the cpap, took a break, started it again, and felt like i was breathing too deeply and too fast. i tried to slow down and take it easy, but couldn't sustain that and had to take the mask off. The initial pressure of 4: I've read here several times that the initial pressure of 4 can be unpleasant. Is that what I was experiencing?

So one of you suggested starting the pressure at 6 and I changed the setting to start at 6. But lately, more often, I wake up in the morning with an hour or two still to go and have that same problem.

I tried turning off the ramp, to get the pressure up higher sooner, but so far haven't had luck with that; will experiment more. Also perhaps a longer break before restarting would make a difference? I tried lying on my back for a change but that didn't help.

What causes the discomfort-at-4 thing? It never bothered me at first.

Thanks!

What are your settings? Ramp pressure and time, if in auto mode, min and max pressure, cpap mode would be one pressure, EPR setting.

Some people can use 4cm beginning but for most it doesn't feel like you are getting enough air.

auto mode, 6cm to 12cm.

ramp 45 minutes (going from 5.9cm to 6cm) and this gets reset a couple of times at night when I get up, so a lot of the night I'm at 6cm. The max it goes to is 11.7cm.

I made the ramp so long, keeping the pressure low for so long, because I didn't like the feeling when the pressure goes up and you get those various ripples and puffs out the mouth, etc., and because my AHI is always under 1, so low pressure seemed enough for part of the time.

But maybe at extended times at 6cm, I don't get enough air? My deep and rapid and sort of labored breathing doesn't seem to actually come from not enough air, which is why I wondered if somehow it's just mental.

Thanks.

I'll ask for SleepyHead charts just in case it's something obvious in the charts.

See my sig for help with that if you need it.

What is your AHI running? Sometimes waking up like that is due to apneas. You mention air leaking out of your mouth, what mask are you using?
Are you using Sleepyhead to see your events? If you download it, then you can turn your machine off and on when you wake up. That way you can see what was happening just before you woke up. Also with the software you can see if you are having events while you pressure is ramping at a low pressure.
Here is a link to help you download Sleepyhead. Both TNET Sleep Information and Sleepyhead were developed by members. https://sleep.tnet.com/resources/sleepyhead

As far as sleeping position, sleep how you are comfortable. Usually back sleeping has gravity contributing to obstructions and side sleeping is the best position but you have to be comfortable to get good sleep. I have slept on my stomach, sides and rarely back.

joem18b wrote:ramp 45 minutes (going from 5.9cm to 6cm)

Hey mate - are you sure the 45 min ramp is just from 5.9 to 6? I'm like the newest person in the world to CPAP, but I wouldn't have thought there would be any difference between a 5.9 and a 6 (I can only sent my machine in increments of 0.5, I can't go as low as 0.1).

When I started CPAP a few months ago, when I went to initially try it I was like - please set it to a 1!! She laughed and said a 6 was as low as she would ever set it and "babies use a 6 without any issues". So 6 it was (I now know the machine would actually have gone to a 4).

But, after a relatively short period of time, I realised at 6, I wasn't feeling like it was enough (maybe less than I would breath without the machine). So I (after some quick research and sussing out how to get into the machine's provider mode) set the min at 6.5, then 7 - and now I'm at an 8.

My machine now sits between an 8 and get up to a 10, sometimes a little higher. I don't use ramps - I seem to get to sleep without thinking about it on an 8, and wake up feeling great.

So - I dunno, maybe ditch the ramp and keep your minimum at at least a 6 (but try a 7?). Anyway, like I say - I'm as new to CPAP as Trump is to the office, so please listen to the experts rather than me - it's just what I found when I had the same issue a little while ago.

Good luck!!!

reolhlains wrote:

joem18b wrote:ramp 45 minutes (going from 5.9cm to 6cm)

Hey mate - are you sure the 45 min ramp is just from 5.9 to 6? I'm like the newest person in the world to CPAP, but I wouldn't have thought there would be any difference between a 5.9 and a 6 (I can only sent my machine in increments of 0.5, I can't go as low as 0.1).

The Airsense 10 can have the pressure adjusted in 0.2 cm increments so the 5.9 to 6 must be a mistake.

fooey. i typed up a reply and got called away and got logged out before submitting it.

i do want to get to the bottom of this and i appreciate all your input and i will continue the thread.

thanks.

What is your titrated pressure? And if you are having problems have you consulted your doctor?

3 months with no problem, then trouble breathing
With a AIRFIT P10 mask!
Clean the mesh--I use a water-pic (in the shower--it's messy)
Or a denture tablet in water--MINTY.

joem18b wrote:I made the ramp so long, keeping the pressure low for so long, because I didn't like the feeling when the pressure goes up and you get those various ripples and puffs out the mouth, etc.

"
Out of the mouth"? There should not be air coming out of your mouth. If you are mouth breathing with an AirFit P10, then you are not getting the best therapy. Some of us tape the lips to stop mouth breathing. Others use chinstraps or neck collars.