New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
seriousnarcoleptic
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:34 am

New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by seriousnarcoleptic » Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:55 am

Hi there, I was diagnosed about 2 mo. ago with Apnea, in my test I recorded apneas of almost 100x per hour, and my O2 levels dropped into the upper 70's. I must have gotten up to pee 5x a night. I was starting to have sleep attacks, little "mini-sleeps" during the day, even while engaged in activities, so I am glad I finally went to the doctor.

Good news is after 3 weeks of therapy the sleep attacks have mostly stopped, now maybe I'm up once or twice a night to use the bathroom, and I am starting to get some energy back. When I do wake up with the mask still on and sealed properly (still rare), I often wonder if it is working or I turned it off, because my breathing seems so natural, and at those times I really dont feel much positive pressure at all.

Bad news is most other times I am ripping the mask off continually at night, waking up with it still on and pumping air next to me. I have managed an all time high of 4 hours uninterrupted with the mask on, but not much more than that. The times I do have a hazy recollection of taking it off I seem to get the idea that it's because I'm not getting enough air. I remember gasping then taking it off, thinking that i'll put it back on after catching my breath, but I fall asleep before that happens.

Here's what I think is happening, and please tell me if you think I am wrong. I think I am getting a leak in my mask, which is causing an apnea, then I stop breathing. When I wake up I start gasping for breath, which the mask cannot deliver fast enough, then I rip off my mask to get more air.

i feel like I could tighten my straps tighter, as I realize that it's the leak probably causing the apnea in the first place, but also am afraid if I'm wrong that I'll suffocate if something goes wrong and I can't get it off. Does that make sense?

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Mask: AirFit™ F10 Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Fisher and Paykel ICON+ w/ SensAwake with built in humidifier

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Pugsy
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Location: Missouri, USA

Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Pugsy » Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:06 pm

Can you please provide more detailed information so that we can be more specific with our ideas?

1...Brand and exact model of the machine you are using?
2...All the settings that you are using...and if you don't know once we know which machine we can tell you how to find those settings.
3...Exactly which brand and model name mask you are using.

Once you figured out exactly what your equipment is please add it to your profile like I have mine. It helps us help you better and faster if we can see at a glance what you are using. Please use the text option though...the icony option gives us tiny images and they all look alike.

wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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Julie
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Julie » Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:27 pm

Overtightening the mask will likely create new and likely micro leaks, plus not allow the thin silicone cushion to inflate properly. If your mask doesn't fit properly it needs either a different size, proper fitting instructions, or a different mask altogether... there are lots out there. It is also quite common to take off your mask while either asleep or half awake for various reasons, but while your diagnosis of why you do it maybe one of them, you need to find out why, not just assume anything. One thing I can tell you is that no one ever suffocated from a tight mask or anything like it... which is why Pugsy asked for your equipment info plus prescribed settings etc. And I hope you get that new machine quickly as the Escape gives you next to no useful info.

Janknitz
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Janknitz » Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:32 pm

Your panic attacks may be related to how the pressure is set on your machine so please let us know the information Pugsy is asking so we can help you.

This is not uncommon and it's entirely fixable, so don't despair.
What you need to know before you meet your DME http://tinyurl.com/2arffqx
Taming the Mirage Quattro http://tinyurl.com/2ft3lh8
Swift FX Fitting Guide http://tinyurl.com/22ur9ts
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Nick Danger
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Nick Danger » Thu Apr 23, 2015 2:53 pm

Your experience is not that unusual. It took me way longer than 3 weeks before I kept the mask on all night. Taking the mask off at night is a bad habit to get into and it is very difficult to break. I suggest that when you wake up and notice that the mask isn't on that you try not to get upset (yeah, I know, right...) and calmly put it back on. Try not to give in to that little voice in your head that says "ah, it's too much trouble to put the mask back on - I'm just going to go to sleep without it."

Pugsy's right - we need more information. There may be a couple of very simple tweaks that will get rid of that suffocating feeling.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: AirFit™ P10 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: APAP mode, minimum pressure = 9. No ramp, EPR = 3, medium. Soft cervical collar. Sleepyhead software.

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kteague
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by kteague » Thu Apr 23, 2015 5:20 pm

Taking the mask off while sleeping happened to me in the early times. Also waking up feeling as if I was suffocating and snatching it off. It can be just an instinctual act until your sleeping brain gets used to the new sensations and sees them as your new norm instead of going on alert. The thing you don't want is for the removal to be due to ineffective treatment, whether it originated with a leak or an event due to inadequate pressure. Once you report back your machine info, you can get some direction in making sure your therapy is optimized. Once you know your treatment is doing what it's supposed to do, I'd recommend using a band-aid or piece of medical tape over the straps of the mask onto the skin of your face. For me that was enough to wake me if I tried to take it off in my sleep. Once wakened I could stop the unwanted behavior.

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Mask: TAP PAP Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Improved Stability Mouthpiece
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Bleep/DreamPort for full nights, Tap Pap for shorter sessions

Dazee
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 5:59 pm

Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Dazee » Thu Apr 23, 2015 6:08 pm

Hi, new member here too and am in a similar situation. Was diagnosed with last couple of months and started treatment last week (resmed s9). However my taking the mask off is a purely conscious act. Getting a comfortable fit for sleep and getting use to using a mask I think will just take time - although hopefully not too long.

Am encouraged though by success stories read here, and that I did have so far one fantastic nights sleep on the machine. I think as a result of sleep depravation though as work demands made me miss an entire night sleep the previous day.

Biggest frustration... How the heck do you deal with a nose itch?

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Julie
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Julie » Thu Apr 23, 2015 6:12 pm

Popsicle stick?
Last edited by Julie on Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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palerider
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by palerider » Thu Apr 23, 2015 7:02 pm

Dazee wrote:Biggest frustration... How the heck do you deal with a nose itch?
aggressive trimming of nasal hair. the air blows the little hairs around, and that signals to your brain 'there's something in there' and makes you think there's an itch somewhere around your nose, so you scratch.

it never feels like the itch is IN your nose, just somewhere around it.

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mlg123
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by mlg123 » Thu Apr 23, 2015 8:06 pm

My sleep doc told me that I was ripping my mask off in the middle of the night from a lack of humidity. I thought she was crazy! She gave me a new machine with a heated hose and it made a big difference, i.e. no more ripping the mask off in the middle of the night. Then I thought she might not be so crazy after all. The problem returned after I decided to do some hose management and I had the hose hanging over my head. Suddenly I started ripping the mask off again. Then I remembered that humidity doesn't flow in a downward direction very well. I changed to attaching the hose to the top of my pillow (with a rubber band and a binder clip) and that helped immediately. I still sometimes remove my mask in the middle of the night, but this is with a slightly more conscious awareness as opposed to going to sleep with a mask on and waking up with no mask on and having no recollection of taking it off. For me, removing the mask unknowingly/involuntarily seems to definitely be related to a lack of humidity.

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Machine: DreamStation CPAP Machine
Mask: Simplus Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: heated tube, sleepyhead/oscar software, no flex (but sometimes C-Flex 1, pressure 8

seriousnarcoleptic
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Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:34 am

Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by seriousnarcoleptic » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:26 pm

Hi everyone, sorry for waiting so long before replying, I really needed to see my machine before getting back with you. It's a Fisher and Paykel SensAwake with built in humidifier, and a ResMed F10 full face mask. I tend to sleep on my side a lot, with my face and mask off the pillow. Also, my F&P has an auto-ramp feature that will ramp up pressure as long as I'm getting apneas. My doc has set my machine initially to a range of 8.5 -20 psi.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ F10 Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Fisher and Paykel ICON+ w/ SensAwake with built in humidifier

seriousnarcoleptic
Posts: 7
Joined: Thu Apr 23, 2015 11:34 am

Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by seriousnarcoleptic » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:29 pm

Also, hope my equipment shows in my signature this time:

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Mask: AirFit™ F10 Full Face Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Fisher and Paykel ICON+ w/ SensAwake with built in humidifier

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Pugsy
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Pugsy » Thu Apr 23, 2015 9:46 pm

Sounds like you have one of the F & P machines that is an apap (auto adjusting pressure) machine.
Sensawake is a feature and not part of the model name and doesn't really tell us much.
The newer F & P machines are call the Icon + series and there are different model names within that series.

Look here
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machines/fish ... l.php#:::4::
and here and see if you spot your machine
https://www.fphcare.com/sleep-apnea/cpa ... /f-p-icon/

If you do have the Auto (apap) then it is full data and compatible with SleepyHead software.
You need to use the software to see if the suffocation feeling during the night is from maybe apneas happening and causing you to wake up in a panic or maybe something else.
It all starts with the data evaluation.

See this for information to get you started with SleepyHead.
https://sleep.tnet.com/equipment

I can probably help you find the official F & P software but it's a real bitch to deal with and SleepyHead shows you the same stuff.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: Mask Bleep Eclipse https://bleepsleep.com/the-eclipse/
I may have to RISE but I refuse to SHINE.

If you want to try the Eclipse mask and want a special promo code to get a little off the price...send me a private message.

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49er
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Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by 49er » Fri Apr 24, 2015 3:43 am

This may or may not be applicable in your situation. When I erroneously thought that full face masks were my only option, this was a constant for problem for me because I felt the full face masks made my nasal congestion alot worse. Additionally, I had a hard time finding one that fit without having to massively tighten the straps which then led to extreme discomfort. Once I switched to the elan cloth mask, this problem practically ceased.

So my question to you is are you limited to full face masks because if you aren't, you might find a nasal/nasal pillow mask more comfortable and perhaps would not keep removing it. But if you are a mouth breather and/or have substantial nasal congestion problems, then it is best to stick with them and do what you can to make it work. And of course, listen closely to the advice on the pressure issues.

Guest

Re: New member-can't keep from ripping mask off at night!

Post by Guest » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:34 pm

It seems it's an Icon Primo machine