help me PLEASE new to cpap

[piscesman7620]

Hello everyone,
Dec. 13th was my 1st night with a CPAP machine.


I have a Resmed auto set s9 series with humidifier. ( it is pre-programmed for a pressure range of 7-15) and it was a pain to get used to.
I opted for the full face mask due to sinus problems and many years of mouth breathing.

Below I will write the verbatim notes that I shared with my respiratory care practitioner:

12-13 CPAP machine made sleep WORSE!!

12-13 Couldn't figure out if machine was working properly. wasn't sure if humidifier was warming up.

12-13 Woke up 6+ times to HUGE amounts of air blowing out of mask( and feeling "smothered")

12-13 Wasn't able to breath when pressure was 13 or greater.( keep in mind that it is supposed to go up to 15!!!)

12-13 could NOT breathe in through Nose, made my congestion WORSE!!!

now after being up for 10 hrs I still have this "funny" feeling in my nose ( keep in mind I have chronic sinus issues, but this feels different)

My biggest question IS : Is this machine going to change HOW I breathe when I'm awake?

What can I expect over the next few nights, weeks....am I harming myself with this machine?

Oh yeah, lastly I have a ramp setting of 30( approx time I guage myself to fall asleep) and a humidity setting of 3.5 up from base of 3 to start.

I also have the pressure decrease by 3 when exhaling... but when the air was BLASTING in my face this didn't seem to work.


PLEASE PLEASE , PLEASE help me as i am quite scared, feeling discouraged and my RCP just tells me to power through it!!!!

[BlackSpinner]

First - accept that you need this to survive - with your oxygen levels you need it.

Wear the mask and machine while watching tv to get used to it.

The exhaling thing will get easier as your muscles adapt to it.

Sleeping will be a challenge until your body and mind adjust themselves to it. You didn't learn to walk in one day either.

the range you have is just that, a range. The thing may never make it to 15.

As for the sinus thing - many people do a sinus rinse before masking up. You also can play with the humidity, some sinuses like it hot and wet and some don't.

Your life depends on making this work, embrace this simple and effective solution that has been offered you. It is a lot nicer then having a stroke and having people change your diaper.

[chunkyfrog]

Congratulations; you have a great machine. I have the same machine, and love it.
Some people are more comfortable at first with their machine set in cpap mode for the titrated pressure (11 for you)
The exhale relief will go down to 8 if you have EPR set for 3.
This is less likely to dislodge your mask and may be easier to get used to.
It sometimes takes awhile to get used to the pressure, often inside of a month.
Your breathing while awake will be unaffected.
Please fill out your equipment in the personal profile--using text, so we can see what kind of mask you have.
Your supplier may have only shown you a couple of styles; but there are DOZENS.
You should be able to exchange masks within 30 days of when you got it--if you bought from a commercial local supplier. (DME)

[harry33]

a netti pot with warm salty warer helps with sinuses
just be patient, you wont breathe any differently when awake

[NightMonkey]

Hello everyone,
Dec. 13th was my 1st night with a CPAP machine.


I have a Resmed auto set s9 series with humidifier. ( it is pre-programmed for a pressure range of 7-15) and it was a pain to get used to.

Wasn't able to breath when pressure was 13 or greater.( keep in mind that it is supposed to go up to 15!!!)

PLEASE PLEASE , PLEASE help me as i am quite scared, feeling discouraged and my RCP just tells me to power through it!!!!

Screw the damn RCP! (What the hell is an RCP anyway?)

You most likely have been screwed by professionals who don't know what the hell they are doing. Try to calm down and let's get things under control and then you will have a much better life.

1. Are you saying your prescribed or therapeutic level is 15? If so, your pressure settings are going to need to be changed. You can get help doing that from this forum.

2. To help with the congestion, turn your humidifier level down to 1. Too much humidity can cause congestion in some people. 3.5 is a very high setting unless you live in a very arid climate.

3. To make this project a success you are going to need the software for your machine. Go to the ResMed site and download (free) the software - http://www.resmed.com/int/assets/html/s ... ister.html

4. Did your sleep study show obstructive apneas? Were there any central apneas? How many and over how many hours?

You may have been set up for failure by the professionals. Let's try to get you on the right path over the next few days.

[napstress]

Hey, PiscesMan.

I read the several posts you made today, and am responding to them all here.

Firstly: I'm guessing that you are feeling afraid and overwhelmed and really wanting to be sure that the treatment you are entering is safe. But here's the thing: You are going to be OK.

Secondly: Judging from your oxygen drops, you will soon be even better than OK: much better off than you would have been without CPAP therapy. Holding on to this fact will help you go about making it work for you.

Thirdly: While my diagnosis is completely different than yours, many people here have a similar one as yours.

Fourthly: Making it work for you comfortably is a matter of removing obstacle after obstacle.

Challenge #1: The mask
The first challenge for most people is to get the right mask. As someone else mentioned here, you have 30 days to exchange your mask. You can exchange them as many times as you like during that time.

The first step with mask choice is knowing how you sleep.

1) your nose
You have a deviated septum and nasal polyps. Is this why your doctor or DME started you out on a full-face mask? I just want to be sure that they did it with the specific intention of taking your unique needs into account, and did not just grab their standard mask without thinking. It is quite possible that a full-face mask is right for you; it is also possible that nasal pillows might be right for you.

2) your preference in breathing while asleep
Are you a mouth breather and don't see yourself ever being able to breathe through your nose at night? If so, forget about the nasal pillows.

3) sleep position
Do you spend most of your time on your back, side, or stomach? If you are a side sleeper and go with a full-face mask, at some point you might want to get or make a contour pillow so you can rest your mask in the contour and it won't leak.

4) nose sores
If you get a sore on the bridge of your nose with a full-face mask, the Pad-A-Cheek mask liner could give you the comfort you seek. But until you know which mask you will end up with, you can use a band-aid. If you get sore nostrils from a nasal pillow mask, you can use Lamosil. Because you only use a small bit each night, it lasts forever.

To borrow masks for a week at a time for solely the price of shipping ($14.00), go here: http://www.cpaplibrary.com/masks.html

To get very quick advice from one of our members on how to fit a mask, go here: http://tinyurl.com/2ft3lh8 Even though your mask is different, the advice can be applied to pretty much any full-face mask.

Other things to keep in mind about the mask, whether you are adjusting it at home or at the DME's or doctor's office:

-be sure to try the mask on at your maximum pressure level.
-be sure to try the mask on in your primary sleep position.
-be sure to try the mask on with your mouth open, if that's how you sleep at night.

My doctor tested me while I was sitting up, with my mouth closed, and on a pressure level near the middle of my range. When I woke up on my back at full pressure with my mouth open: it leaked like crazy!

Challenge #2: Wondering if it's safe:
For a long time I worried that CPAP therapy might harm me. Having air forced down one's throat is completely unnatural, unless you live in a canyon in Colorado—with your mouth open for several continuous hours. I was worried that it would weaken/harm/damage my throat, lungs, intestines, etc. I was worried about developing polyps or something. I was afraid my lungs would atrophy due to a dependence on the therapy, and I'd never be able to go off it. I was afraid that various organs of the respiratory system would stretch. I was worried about the pressure damaging my ears or eyes. I was worried about becoming more vulnerable to infection. I was worried that germs would go back down the hose. I was afraid that if the machine went off, I'd suffocate. I raised these issues with forum members and my doctor, and none of them is an issue.

Judging from your oxygen drops, you quite clearly need this, the only therapy that can help. Holding on to this fact will help you go about making it work for you.

You are in good company, here.

You are going to be OK.

[DoriC]

a netti pot with warm salty warer helps with sinuses
just be patient, you wont breathe any differently when awake

viewtopic/t72183/DEATH-BY-NETI-POT.html

Only use distilled or previously boiled water and clean thorougly after each use. BTW, Welcome, I think it would be a good idea to post in one thread so it's easier to follow your story right now.

Napstress, great post!

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

DoriC,

You beat me to it so I will have to second your statement... Great post Napstress!!

John