Dream Station

[Wookies1]

i received a Dream station on Thursday was told by sale person I'd get best night sleep ever. WRONG I barely slept at all and after 3 hours pulled it off. Did put on again later in the night but felt like I was suffocating, tied loosening the head gear and tightening it after my required 4 hours were up I took it off. Last night was no different couldn't get comfortable enough with it to fall asleep and ended up just rolling back and forth. I have the under the nose nasal mask. If I breathed through my mouth I felt like I was getting air, other times the machine seemed to be pushing air when I was trying to exhale. I'm really trying to give this a good go as I have many medical issues that the doctors say is due to my oxygen levels falling bellow 86 each night. Mouth guard will not work due to bottom jaw to far forward already. Any ideas??
Machine is the Dream Station with a heated humidifier (personally like a cool breeze hitting my face at night not a warm one)

[Pugsy]

What is your starting pressure? Using the ramp feature?
Often people complain of suffocation feeling when using the ramp or starting out with minimal pressure.

Are you using the heated hose or regular hose? I like cooler air in the summer but if your bedroom is on the cool side in the winter you will want warmer air. So I use a heated hose year round but turn the temperature way down in the summer and way up in the winter.
If you are using the heated hose you may be able to lower the hose air temperature so that it is more like room air and won't be so warm right now.

[Art10630]

I really like my DreamStation (I've only had it a few days), but it is a very different experience than the machine they used for my titration. Other than some of the things Pugsy suggested, maybe consider a different type of mask? You could also look at the flex settings perhaps? Good luck!

[egzbuen]

As Pugsy mentioned, the suffocating effect is usually answered by raising the starting pressure or removing ramp.

Other than that, it also takes time before one gets accustomed in using a machine every night as well as getting the right mask and the right fit.

Hang on and you will get there.

Sent from heaven

[Wookies1]

Ramp is 5 can not turn it up down only goes to 4....

Confused as to setting for mask it has 1,2,3 but doesn't list which mask it corresponds with

Also what Flex is, have misplaced my glasses an can't read the tiny print in the owners manual

Its has a heated tube which I've dropped to 1 and the humidifier, I have at 2 trial and error i guess

[Wulfman...]

Ramp is 5 can not turn it up down only goes to 4....

Confused as to setting for mask it has 1,2,3 but doesn't list which mask it corresponds with

Also what Flex is, have misplaced my glasses an can't read the tiny print in the owners manual

Its has a heated tube which I've dropped to 1 and the humidifier, I have at 2 trial and error i guess

Read Pugsy's description in the following link:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=112928&p=1088150&hi ... x#p1088150

Which manual do you have? Is it the "Provider's manual" or the "User manual".
If you have the User manual, it won't have the access information to allow you to get into the machine settings.
If you want the Provider's manual, PM me with your email address and I'll send it to you.
Yesterday I posted a link to be able to download it from Philips's website, but they've since made the link unusable.

The mask settings only apply to Philips/Respironics masks. If you're using a PR mask, the setting should be in the user instructions/manual that came with the mask. Or, you can download the mask information/manual from PR's website.


Den

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[Wulfman...]

Here's a link to download the manual for the mask in your profile. (if you don't have it)

http://www.directhomemedical.com/masks- ... ctions.pdf


Den

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[stephennic]

I am a very beginner at CPAP. I am currently trialling a Dreamstation CPAP machine, I tried about 6 masks and I settled on an amara view, its not as big as a full face mask. It covers the base of the nose and the mouth. Maybe give a new mask a go.
With ramp for pressure mine was set at 6 and I found I was having that suffocating feeling, setting it at 6.5 made quite a difference for me. It taken me at least a month so far and only now I am starting to get use to it, so don't give up.
Cheers
Steve

[Bryman31]

when i first got my dream station 2 months ago i hated it also. im supposed to be at a setting of 9. it was set at auto from setting 5 low to 20 high. ramp was set at 3. i was like WTF!!!! it was nothing like my old non auto machine. so i figured out how to get into the settings, turned ramp off, put my auto settings on 9-20, humidity off, and now im good to go. my only real hassle now is the new mask im using which is the Mirage FX. (ive always used the ultra mirage II in the past)

i say play with the settings and get it "right for you" then i think youll be happy

[Steven12]

I am new to CPAP therapy as well and use the same machine and mask combination as you. The first couple nights I struggled with the pressure, mine starts at 4 and ramps to 8. I felt like I was struggling to breathe, but after the first week that went away and now the pressure does not bother me at all. In fact a few nights ago when I awoke I wondered if it had stopped pumping air, until I pulled the mask off and heard that wooshing sound.

The pressure was the easy thing to get used to, but the dry mouth, the noise of my breathing resonating in my head from the mask and the inability to toss and turn like I have for the last 50 years has made it difficult to adjust. Some nights I tear the mask off after just a 1-2 hours and some nights i get past the 4-hour minimum required by the insurance company. i just hit the 1 month mark and I feel worse than when I started therapy. I have not had a full night's sleep since I got the machine, but I am going to stick with it and see if things change. You should too.

[jtravel]

The Dreamware mask can be tricky. Make sure you have a large enough nose piece to get good airflow.
I started out using Med but found the air seemed to shut done when I was on my side. I went with the Large and didn't have that issue.
The dreamware also shifts around a lot during the night and the smaller nose piece seems to dislodge or get blocked more easily than the larger for me.
You might try experimenting with the different sizes if you have the fit pack.
I switched to the Wisp nasal mask and like it a lot better for sleeping on my side and airflow. It does however put more pressure on the underside of my nose and I will switch back to the dreamware every now and then.

[SoarHigher]

I have been using CPAP with Dream Station and an airfit F10 full face mask for about 2 months, and it has taken advice from Pugsy, my trying varying starting pressures and max pressures to realize a successful .4 AHI last night, my best, with 0 obstructive apneas. Like you, the Dr set the wide open range of 4-15 and I was having a lot of trouble keeping the mask on my face, feeling suffocation and claustrophobia, and then at the high side getting leaks all night long, which would wake me up. Pugsy really helped me more than the Dr. since she suggested that you begin to raise the low pressure a little at a time so that the machine doesn't have so far to go to solve the OA and events. Then I gradually raised it to my present pressure of 7.5 and it has made a world of difference- no claustrophobia and no feelings of suffocation when at the low pressure. My 90% pressure was usually around 9 so I se the max at 10.5 and again not as many leaks during the night. I also tightened my mask as needed. So I believe the lower pressure is critical to successful usage of CPAP especially if you have mild or moderate apnea rather than severe. For me a full face mask has been the answer since I tried dreamware and too much mouth breathing to stop leaks.

It really takes patience and time to adjust to your needs and studying this board with many of the issues addressed is really helful.
I hope you can work out your problems and don't give up. My first round last year, I was not compliant and had to give up my machine, but this time, I know more information, and have been compliant for 8 weeks. It is definitely worth the trials and errors.