Getting a Full Breath on CPAP

I am a newbie, just had my cpap machine for a week. I'm feeling soooo much better. More energy, don't feel hung over in the morning, less systemic soreness, etc. I am having one problem I am hoping to get some advice on. I sleep pretty well for 4-5 hours then wake up and have trouble getting a full, deep breath and it is keeping me awake. Let me try to describe this in a useful way. You know how when you take a really full, deep breath there is a sense of comfort you get? It feels like a muscle relaxes in your middle abdomen (diaphragm, maybe?) and your lungs totally fill up with air? I'm having a hard time with that. I have tried really forcing as much air out of my lungs as possible, then trying a deep breath. That helps sometimes. If I take my mask off (full nasal) and try to breath deeply a couple of times that helps sometimes too.

Any suggestions to help me get a deep breath reliably?

Thanks,

Bob

What pressure(s) is your machine set at - too often you end up getting the machine with default settings of 4 and 20, or just one low number if on straight Cpap, but if that happens you need to turn things up so you're breathing at a normal, useful pressure - 6 seems to be the bare minimum and most I think have it higher... so if you know how to tweak things, depending on where they are now, try 1-2 cm more pressure, and if you need help to do it, let us know. Almost no one can breathe at 4 cm!

Also what machine - full name & model # do you have? Put those details along with mask ones in your Profile ('User Ctl Panel' under main logo) so we'll all see them whenever you post and know what you're working with.

Julia: DId you get my earlier reply? Not sure I did it right. Bob

Ok, looks like I did it incorrectly.
First, thanks for taking the time to reply. I use a ResMEd Air Sense 10 Autoset. It adjusts the pressure automatically. Last night my average was 13.8, but I don't know if this is in the same units you mentioned. My memory is the set range is 10-18. My hardware is shown at the bottom of the message, but since my machine was not in the drop down list on the profile page, I put it in as text.

Thanks again,

Bob

BobP wrote: My hardware is shown at the bottom of the message, but since my machine was not in the drop down list on the profile page, I put it in as text.
Additional Comments: My machine is a ResMed Air Sense 10 Autoset. Not listed in dropdown. Has humidifier.

if you take another look at the dropdown list, you'll find the airsense 10 machines. they're there, but they're not in the same place as the s9 machines.

they're up in the A's, what you're looking for is:

AirSense™ 10 AutoSet CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier

however, having it in text works well enough

Hi Bob,

You've got a nice machine there - have you installed sleepyHead yet so you can look at your data? Remember or make a note of one of the times these events happens and then we can go back and look at the data at that point. It might be interesting to see what the data says then. SleepyHead will also display what the current machine settings are - you said you think it's 10 - 18. I use an Exhaust Pressure Relief of 3 - have you tried the various EPR settings yet?

Ok, got my machine correctly listed (Thanks Palerider for the tip).

I found an app on the AppStore called SleepyHead. Is that what you mean?

Are the "EPR" settings the things you can customize?
Thanks,
Bob

Yes - you set it (EPR) to wherever you're comfortable for relief exhaling, but I had the impression originally that you're having trouble inhaling... which is it please?

On my machine the options for EPR are only on and off. It is set to on. So is the SleepyHead that you mentioned the AppStore app?

BobP wrote:On my machine the options for EPR are only on and off. It is set to on. So is the SleepyHead that you mentioned the AppStore app?

Up there in palerider's post, you'll see the link to SleepyHead in his signature box. It's not that app in the App Store.

BobP wrote:Ok, got my machine correctly listed (Thanks Palerider for the tip).

I found an app on the AppStore called SleepyHead. Is that what you mean?

Are the "EPR" settings the things you can customize?
Thanks,
Bob

No, Bob - what I mean is the wonderful open-source SleepyHead sleep software that runs on windows, linux, and mac. Pugsy has info about it here: viewtopic/t88983/Pugsys-PointersSleepyH ... Hints.html

EPR settings are considered comfort settings and can be adjusted without any special access.

BobP wrote:. . . I sleep pretty well for 4-5 hours then wake up and have trouble getting a full, deep breath . . . I have tried really forcing as much air out of my lungs as possible, then trying a deep breath. That helps sometimes. If I take my mask off (full nasal) and try to breath deeply a couple of times that helps sometimes too.

Any suggestions to help me get a deep breath reliably?

Thanks,

Bob

Hi Bob. Welcome aboard. No problem there as It sounds like you're purposefully trying to force out an unusually long and strong exhalation followed by taking a forceful deep breath while wearing your mask with your cpap machine running; and it's pressure change is giving you sudden unnatural feeling. Yep, it will do that to you: What is probably happening is your sudden extended exhaled and deeply inhaled breaths have led the machine into "thinking" you're maybe in trouble, or having a serious sleep disordered "event," and it is trying quickly to "rescue" you. I think it's just doing its job and is nothing to be concerned about IF when you then resume normal breathing, the machine promptly falls into rhythm. Others here may be helpful re. taking a look at your pressure settings. Regardless, I would discuss this with my sleep doc and ask if he sees a need for any changes.

Papit wrote: What is probably happening is your sudden deep breath has led the machine into "thinking" you're maybe in trouble, or having a sleep disordered "event," and it is trying quickly to "rescue" you. I think it's just trying to do its job and is nothing to be concerned about IF when your normal breathing quickly resumes, the machine promptly falls into rhythm.

his machine does not function in that manner.

BobP wrote:On my machine the options for EPR are only on and off. It is set to on. So is the SleepyHead that you mentioned the AppStore app?

Your machine, like its predecessor the S9 Autoset that I used, both have built in selectable EPR settings of No EPR, EPR=1 , 2 and 3cmH2). Check out and scroll down to the EPR paragraph: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... idair.html

If you are locked out of some of those setting, the clinician's manual for your machine will help. It's a very nice machine and will serve you well.

Welcome and great job on a good start! It's not unusual to have lots of funny experiences in the start. Issues with the feeling of breathing and some unusual chest/abdomen muscle discomfort have all been reported. If it's anything that concerns you beyond minimal discomfort or might have it's roots in another health area, please get it checked out.

You've got a great group of folks here to help you along the way, espcially if you use software to look at your data as you get accustomized to therapy. They help me a bunch!

A note about EPR on your machine. I use it, and it does help me and some others exhale more easily, really nice. However, it is a reduction in pressure on exhale. Thus, if you have been prescribed a Cpap pressure based on a sleep study/titration, enabling EPR may reduce your treatment pressure enough to trigger events. I know it did in my case. We often have to set our pressure a little higher to accomodate the EPR we like so much. I like to think of it as more of a treatment setting used for comfort, rather than a comfort feature as we sometimes say. I don't want to discourage you from trying it as that's how we all get things dialed in. Just keep an eye on how it affects your treatment.

Best of luck,

Mike