5 months pregnant and now feel like I'm suffocating with my mask

[Reninga]

So I've adjusted to my machine and things were going good until about a week ago.. I feel like I'm being smothered with my machine now and I'm not sleeping good with or without it.. anyone?

[ajack]

It's an auto machine, your needs change as the pregnancy goes along. It sounds like it is delivering more pressure to keep your airway open. What adjustments did you make to your machine.

[LSAT]

So I've adjusted to my machine and things were going good until about a week ago.. I feel like I'm being smothered with my machine now and I'm not sleeping good with or without it.. anyone?

Too much air? Not enough air? Need better explanation of problem

[Janknitz]

So I've adjusted to my machine and things were going good until about a week ago.. I feel like I'm being smothered with my machine now and I'm not sleeping good with or without it.. anyone?

Can you tell us your settings and download Sleepyhead or Oscar to show us some graphs?

It may be that you need MORE pressure and the lower setting makes you feel like you're not getting enough air. If the low pressure is set very low (4-5) it may take quite a while to increase and that may make you feel like you're not getting enough air.

Also, 5 months is about when the discomforts of pregnancy start to interfere with sleep as you have to get up to pee and you may not be able to find a comfortable sleeping position. You may be now sleeping as deeply and more aware of low (or high) pressures now.

[Goofproof]

Your body is breathing for two. Jim

Eating right and Vit's are also in the mix.

[Jeannh]

The only time I feel suffocated is if the ramp feature accidentally gets turned ON. Do you use the ramp? If yes, maybe turn it OFF and see if that helps. It starts too low for me.

Just a thought, Jean

[Reninga]

So I've adjusted to my machine and things were going good until about a week ago.. I feel like I'm being smothered with my machine now and I'm not sleeping good with or without it.. anyone?

Can you tell us your settings and download Sleepyhead or Oscar to show us some graphs?

It may be that you need MORE pressure and the lower setting makes you feel like you're not getting enough air. If the low pressure is set very low (4-5) it may take quite a while to increase and that may make you feel like you're not getting enough air.

Also, 5 months is about when the discomforts of pregnancy start to interfere with sleep as you have to get up to pee and you may not be able to find a comfortable sleeping position. You may be now sleeping as deeply and more aware of low (or high) pressures now.

I will try and download sleepyhead on my laptop tomorrow.. some they don't work on cell phones. I am thinking it's not enough pressure.. I have my appointment with the sleep center pulmonologist on Tuesday and unfortunately I've gained about 8-10lbs mostly in the belly (duh) and I'm sure that's not helping my diaphragm either.

[Julie]

I would try a higher min. setting of at least 1-2 cms... I can't imagine what gaining that weight all in one place must do to Cpap!

[Janknitz]

I will try and download sleepyhead on my laptop tomorrow.. some they don't work on cell phones. I am thinking it's not enough pressure.. I have my appointment with the sleep center pulmonologist on Tuesday and unfortunately I've gained about 8-10lbs mostly in the belly (duh) and I'm sure that's not helping my diaphragm either.

I don't know if Oscar works on cell phones but sleepyhead does not. It would be fantastic to have it work on a cell phone--someday perhaps.

You can get some data off your machine itself, I'll leave it to others to tell you how. It's not too long to wait until Tuesday, but if your beginning pressure is set at 4 you can bump it up to 6 or 7 and that will certainly help. Very few people feel they are getting enough air at 4.

[dogsarelife]

As I'm sure you are aware - pregnancy hormones do all sorts of weird things to your body - including affecting your sinuses. This paper says 39% of pregnant women develop rhinitis (nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, other lovely symptoms). It's something about the surge in pregnancy hormones like estrogen/progesterone/etc that researchers think can make some people's noses swell.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22826069

Surge in progesterone can also change the relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter, hence why a lot of pregnant women get heartburn or acid reflux, which can also affect your comfort on xpap.

https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/gu ... -pregnancy

Those two things will affect your sleep apnea and may, for example, necessitate switching to a difference mask for pregnancy so that you feel less suffocated, like from nasal to nasal pillows, or maybe from nasal mask to full face mask, or perhaps working with an ENT to find out where the limiting factor is and what medications, if any, are safe for you to take if the issue is say, swollen turbinates, or your sinuses (might be you need a sinus wash and sinus probiotics), or just a general antihistamine.

It just kind of depends on you and observing where your particular issue is, and what you find most comfortable. For example, I have read some people find full face less suffocating due to more dead space, but then a full face mask can also mean you may need higher pressure as a result, which is not great. Like everything xpap, i would imagine that sleep during pregnancy may be a process of trial and error and customization as your body's hormones and fluid levels change.

cpap.com, the owner of this forum, has a good 30 day return policy on trying new masks.

Good luck!

[Muse-Inc]

Check out my hybrid-style FFM by clicking on the name in my signature: pillows and covers mouth so no loss of therapy air breathing thru nose or mouth and it comes with 3 sizes of each. I have claustrophobia and a fear of suffocation, this mask does not trigger either one.

[Reninga]

Thank you all for your replies. I went to my pulmonologist and he told me my average pressure is at 11 and they had my starting at 5. They upped it to 8 and it's been great since... Now I'm just trying to get rid of the horrible reflux/ heartburn that pregnancy has given me..

[Julie]

A small Tums right before bed?

[chunkyfrog]

I keep Gas-X in my medicine cabinet. It is the only thing that really works.
If Tums do not work after a taking a couple, more will not help, and may even cause harm.

"Is it safe to take gas x when your(sp) pregnant?
Gas-X or other anti-gas medications. Gas-X and other anti-gas meds (Phazyme, Flatulex, Mylicon, Mylanta Gas) relieve abdominal pain caused by excessive gas in the digestive tract. Their active ingredient is simethicone, which is safe during pregnancy."