1st Night On CPAP and GAGGING...HELP!

[newagain]

I'm using CPAP for the first time tonight and for some reason, as the pressure ramps up, it's triggering my gag reflex. I slept like a baby on the night of my titration study and didn't have this problem. The pressure is set on 14 now but it feels WAY too high!

Has anyone ever had this problem before? I'd appreciate any ideas!!

Thanks!

[snoregirl]

This is one I haven't experienced.

Are you leaking out your mouth making it really dry?

Did you use a nasal interface at the sleep study as you are now?

14 is getting up there in pressure (I use 13).

You have no way to know how your sleep is going with that Plus model as it has no data recording capabilities.

With the higher pressure if you can't solve this you might want an APAP. Lets you sleep more of the night at a lower pressure.

Either way, see your doc if you don't get any answers here that help since if it continues you will need to try something different.

[Goofproof]

You don't have the software, and your machine doesn't support the collection of useful data.

In you lab study, what kind of mask did they use, Full Face or Nasal? If you did better in the study, and it was a Full Face Mask, that's what you need or you may have to tape with a nasal mask. Jim

[Snoredog]

I would drag out the Manual and learn to use the Ramp feature button on top left. I'm not sure if that machine has an altitude adjustment or not, the older model did and required manual setting for where you are using it. Again, check your manual. If you need the Ramp settings changed come back and we can probably help you set it up.

You would want your Ramp set to:

CPAP=14cm
Ramp pressure=6.0cm
Ramp time=30-minutes (suggested).

Then when you put on your mask and turn on the machine pressure will start at 14cm, then push the Ramp button on top it should drop to the lower 6cm pressure and increment back to 14cm over a 30-minute period, hopefully you are asleep by then. If not, just hit the Ramp button again and it restarts the clock. If you need it longer/shorter you can set the Ramp to what ever you want, but 30-minutes seems to work good especially if you are new to cpap.

Check your Cflex setting: Open the little door and press the CFLEX button, it should display an arrow where you are currently set (i.e. 1, 2 or 3). To change the Cflex setting, use the +/- keys to move the arrow to the next setting (suggest starting at #2), once it is set press the On/Off button to lock it at that setting. You can change it if not comfortable, Cflex should be comfortable and allow yourself a few minutes breathing before giving up on the current setting, if it is too high it may make you hyperventilate.

[rested gal]

I slept like a baby on the night of my titration study and didn't have this problem. The pressure is set on 14 now but it feels WAY too high!

Probably the reason you slept like a baby during the titration is because they generally start out with a very low pressure and work their way up very slowly over a pretty long period of time. It was probably several hours into it before they got up to 14. Much longer than the max ramp time of 45 minutes on your machine will give you.

I think I'd be pushing for an auto with C-Flex. Depending on sleep position and what happens in REM, you might be able to spend a lot more time all through the night down at lower pressures than at that "worst case scenario" constant single pressure of 14.

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies!

I did use nasal pillows the night of my titration study, but it was a different kind than came with my machine. I know my pressure is kind of high (AHI was 68.)

I'm thinking today that I have a sinus infection, which probably has something to do with it, right?

I'm wishing now I had a different machine (auto with data collection capabilities). Am I stuck with this one, or do they ever exchange them? Who decides which machine we get?

I appreciate all your help!

Diana