I don't know what to do

On one hand I see the horror stories of what can happen if apnea goes untreated. I've seen videos of what it looks like, and I've been told by people close to me that that's what I do.
My original diagnosis in 2012 was that I was waking up 87 times per hour. I got my tonsils and adenoids removed and nothing changed, and it took until a week ago to finally get an APAP (insurance would not pay for another sleep study, and so I could not get a CPAP). On the other hand, the horrors of that end are looking more and more appealing compared to the complete and utter inability to sleep with the mask on.

Now here's my problem: If I put the stupid machine on, I just lay in bed, feeling like I'm suffocating. I'm using nasal pillows and there's no leakage, but every few breaths I have to take one huge, exaggerated breath in and out before I can breathe normally again.. If I don't do this the feeling gets worse until I do it. It's like trying to fight off a yawn -- the sensation only gets worse until you just do it. This keeps me awake. I'm posting this at 5am and I've been trying to sleep since just after 1am, off and on. I'll get up, do something for a bit (tonight I've been reading other forums), then try again. 10 minutes later I can't take it anymore and get up again. I'm scared to go to sleep without it, but I can't go to sleep with it.

I have only had the machine for a week, and for some reason, I had little to no problems sleeping the first few nights. Now all of a sudden I can't do it. I went the last two nights without it but I feel like I can't do that anymore, especially with everything I've read. The only problem is that everything I've read has been "I sleep, but I don't feel better", or "I sleep, but I have a dry mouth". No one with "I can't fall asleep at all, period."

I'm trying very hard to keep my language PG but I'm feeling frustrated, my depression is worsening and I feel hopeless. I feel like all I can do is stay up until I'm so physically fatigued that my body lets me sleep with the mask on.

I can't do this for weeks, or months. I'm on a downward slope mentally after only a few days. How can I get rid of this feeling of suffocation? Someone help before I decide a stroke sounds more appealing than putting up with this for the rest of my life.

Hi - sounds like your machine pressures were probably set too low, which happens all the time, when they should have been set to appropriate ones corresponding to results of your test. Please tell us the full name of your machine and type of mask you have, plus what pressure settings you're using... we can definitely help you adjust them so that you're not suffocating!

I agree with Julie. What you are describing is a common complaint when low pressures are used and often people are told to use the ramp and that usually starts out with low pressure of 4 which can cause a person to feel like they are suffocating. While some people can handle 4 or 5 cm pressure easily...most need a little more air movement to be comfortable. We won't suffocate at 4 cm but it sure feels like we will.

Add your equipment to your profile like I have mine so we can be more specific with our responses.
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

Also...sometimes people complain of this issue and moving up a size in the nasal pillow will help.
So figure out exactly what pressure you are starting the night with and what your prescribed settings are. That's the starting point for figuring out what to do to make breathing more comfortable for you so that you can go to sleep.

I almost gave up on the P10 this week because i was struggling to breathe with the medium pillows. The DME tried the large and told me it was ridiculously too big but gave in and gave me a pair (swapped out the xsmall pair). I finally tried the large and am breathing great now.

I also cannoth handle low pressures or ramp.

Cubcakes,

You really need to go into detail about what mask you're using, the machine, settings, etc.

For example, I use the P10 nasal pillow mask....and love it. If I go too many days without giving it a good wash, it somehow blocks up and causes problems expelling my exhaled breath. That will make you feel like you're suffocating. I keep a spare so all I have to do is pop out the nose piece and pop on the other.

Another example is if you are on a bipap machine and the exhale cycle is set too high, you can't breath out. Again, suffocation.

If you're like the rest of us, we went through a learning curve on how to successfully use CPAP. Once you get your system nailed down, you'll wonder what the big deal was about.

Just tell us enough so that we can help.

Cubcakes wrote:On one hand I see the horror stories of what can happen if apnea goes untreated. I've seen videos of what it looks like, and I've been told by people close to me that that's what I do.
My original diagnosis in 2012 was that I was waking up 87 times per hour. I got my tonsils and adenoids removed and nothing changed, and it took until a week ago to finally get an APAP (insurance would not pay for another sleep study, and so I could not get a CPAP). On the other hand, the horrors of that end are looking more and more appealing compared to the complete and utter inability to sleep with the mask on.

Now here's my problem: If I put the stupid machine on, I just lay in bed, feeling like I'm suffocating. I'm using nasal pillows and there's no leakage, but every few breaths I have to take one huge, exaggerated breath in and out before I can breathe normally again.. If I don't do this the feeling gets worse until I do it. It's like trying to fight off a yawn -- the sensation only gets worse until you just do it. This keeps me awake. I'm posting this at 5am and I've been trying to sleep since just after 1am, off and on. I'll get up, do something for a bit (tonight I've been reading other forums), then try again. 10 minutes later I can't take it anymore and get up again. I'm scared to go to sleep without it, but I can't go to sleep with it.

I have only had the machine for a week, and for some reason, I had little to no problems sleeping the first few nights. Now all of a sudden I can't do it. I went the last two nights without it but I feel like I can't do that anymore, especially with everything I've read. The only problem is that everything I've read has been "I sleep, but I don't feel better", or "I sleep, but I have a dry mouth". No one with "I can't fall asleep at all, period."

I'm trying very hard to keep my language PG but I'm feeling frustrated, my depression is worsening and I feel hopeless. I feel like all I can do is stay up until I'm so physically fatigued that my body lets me sleep with the mask on.

I can't do this for weeks, or months. I'm on a downward slope mentally after only a few days. How can I get rid of this feeling of suffocation? Someone help before I decide a stroke sounds more appealing than putting up with this for the rest of my life.

Suck it up, Cubcakes!
It's time to take control of YOUR own therapy. NOBODY will care about it as much as YOU will. You need to get smart, ASAP.
Obviously your machine is improperly configured and YOU need to learn more about the machine, mask and this therapy.
You need to fill out your forum profile with your exact equipment and the settings.
Do you know how to get into the setup options? If not, there have been links posted on the forum about where to download the manuals.
It also sounds to me like your (beginning/Ramp) pressures are set too low......and you're using a nasal mask and are mouth-breathing. But, we need more information in order to help you.


Den

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