Rookie CPAP User

[ParsonBrown]

Hello CPAP Talk. I am a brand new CPAP user as of this past Friday. I have three whole nights of experience under my belt !

I wanted to introduce myself and share a little about me and where I am currently in my journey.

I am 6' tall at roughly 245# and I enjoy powerlifting. Powerlifting is what caused me stumble onto CPAPs and start the conversation with my doctor about getting a sleep study. Over the course of a few years, as my size increased, my neck size increased significantly and I started to experience breathing restrictions while sleeping. This along with having a life long history of allergy related stuffiness. I don't wake up tired or get tired during the day, but the chronic snoring finally drove my wife to threaten me LOL!

Home sleep study showed I had moderate apnea, so the doctor ordered a CPAP. I got my fitting this past Friday and I'm off to the races...

So far, I am managing to wear the mask and all around 6-7 hrs per night. As expected there is an adjustment period, and I have the classic - feel worse - right now through the day. Just generally not resting as well as I did before...I'm working on being patient.

My current issues are as follows:
- I am a stuffy nosed, nose breather at night. I cannot stand breathing through my mouth. Not diagnosed, but the respiratory therapist suspects I have nasal polyps (something else to work on I guess). I have dealt with the stuffiness for the vast majority of my life...
- The Amara View minimal contact full face mask is painful. I get it set up and make sure I'm not leaking, and it's tolerable. I wake up after 4-5hrs and do what I can to not panic and push through. It is irritating the area below my nose around my upper lip. The inability to move my mouth to swallow during that night...that leads to leaks creates part of the panic.
- I get one exchange on the mask during my first 30 days. Not sure how long to push through with this mask. I want to try a nasal pillow, but my stuffiness issue concerns me. Personal opinion - the cpap company doesn't give you much chance for success with the mask policy. The respiratory therapist watched my panic when trying all of the masks (stuffiness related) and really offered no ideas other than to expect to suffer/have problems (her literal words). I'm very experienced with stopping breathing during the night. The mask amplifies this problem significantly right now. I know how to push through, but I'm not sure how to with this.
- The low starting pressure is uncomfortable - 4 cmH2O. I am unable to really rest/settle down physically until after the ramp up time is over and the pressure increases significantly (not sure what level). I have no idea if this is just needing to get used to all of this or not...just an observation. It seems like the low pressure cannot overcome my stuffiness?

Looking forward to learning on here...

[Pugsy]

Welcome to the forum.

Look at the DreamWear full face mask. It's a better version of the Amara View and more comfortable. Smaller footprint and less hard plastic.
Plus you can add the gel pillow version or under the nose cushion version to the frame without needing a whole new mask. Just need different headgear.

All the DreamWear masks use the same frame.

Or swap the Amara for the DreamWear gel pillow model and if you find you just have to use a full face mask all you need is the cushion insert and different headgear for the full face version.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... k-fit-pack

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... k-fit-pack

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/philip ... k-fit-pack

[Miss Emerita]

Congratulations on starting your apnea therapy! A couple of thoughts:

Many people find a pressure of 4 uncomfortable, and some, including me, find the ramp feature to be a distraction. You might want to try turning the ramp off and setting your minimum at 5, 6, or even 7 to see how that feels. More information here:
https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual

Using CPAP does highlight problems with a stuffy nose. I would recommend following up with an ENT on the possible polyps. Maybe you have some allergies? It can’t hurt to try Flonase a couple of hours before bedtime to see if it helps. It takes a week or so to kick in, so give it time. And you might ask the ENT whether a referral to an allergist would make sense.

When you have a chance, you might want to download the Oscar software so you can post a chart or two and get some more feedback. It’s here:

https://www.sleepfiles.com/OSCAR/

Keep us posted, would you?

[ChicagoGranny]

- The Amara View minimal contact full face mask is painful. I get it set up and make sure I'm not leaking, and it's tolerable. I wake up after 4-5hrs and do what I can to not panic and push through. It is irritating the area below my nose around my upper lip.

Have you watched a few videos on how to fit and adjust that mask? https://www.youtube.com/results?search_ ... sk+fitting

pressure increases significantly (not sure what level)

Pugsy and Miss Emerita have given you some good advice to help get control of your CPAP data and CPAP therapy.

I'm one of those who feel uncomfortable with pressures below 7.0.

I have dealt with the stuffiness for the vast majority of my life...

No use in living like that any longer. See an ENT/Allergist. There are very good options for treatment. You might feel reborn again.

[babydinosnoreless]

I have allergies and I find my nasal mask helps to keep my nose clearer than a full face mask. I am at fairly high pressure tho so that may help. I start with an epap of 10.6

[ParsonBrown]

Thanks for all of the replies and the welcome.

I have watched most of the videos out there on the mask. The videos didn't give me the warm and fuzzies the first time I watched them...a second viewing of some continued the trend. I'll stay the course this week with it to see how/if I adjust.

I have an appointment next Monday with the ENT. I can discuss this gear with him then too.

I went in bumped up the pressure on the machine to 7 for the minimum. We'll see how that does.

[ParsonBrown]

I'm not giving up, but after 4 nights of basically no sleep I decided to go last night without the CPAP. I woke up feeling much better today and rested.

The problem continues to revolve around two issues that I can't seem to physically overcome.

1. The mask goes and I cannot breathe. My nose is stuffy before the mask goes on and gets worse once it's on. Breathing through my mouth chokes me...mild panic sets it...breathing (for what little there is) is fast (like a person doing a light jog almost).
2. The mask is uncomfortable at best and painful at worst. I cannot make the leaks stop, and the mild rash on my lip (from the mask) does not help. The one night with the least amount of leaks left marks on my face the next morning for several hours. The night with the best sleep had a 99% leak rate LOL.

Not sure what my next step should be?
1. No CPAP until I meet with the ENT on Monday.
2. Call the CPAP company now to get some advice. Don't expect much help with this since the person who physically helps with fittings only comes to our area once per week...and this weeks visit has already happened. I do believe I have the wrong size masks, but with the setup in my area it could be weeks before I could get a replacement....at least as it was explained to me. (This certainly doesn't help new people with the transition).
3. Keep pushing through regardless of how I feel before, during, or after.

I'm a little frustrated with this so far. I can understand why so many give up. I have not felt this bad in years...I certainly didn't expect to take steps back like this.

[Pugsy]

Time for a different mask. Finding the right mask is the hardest part of this journey IMHO.
It does you no good if you can't sleep well with it. You gotta get some sleep foremost.

What humidity setting are you using?

[ParsonBrown]

Time for a different mask. Finding the right mask is the hardest part of this journey IMHO.
It does you no good if you can't sleep well with it. You gotta get some sleep foremost.

What humidity setting are you using?

It was off (respitory therapists said we don't need it here in south GA in the summer). I won't get into that LOL... I finally turned it on last night and could tell it will help.

It's on Adaptive (think that is correct, not near machine now) and on setting 3 out of 5.

I do believe I agree on the mask. Just not sure what good it will do until I have some resolution on the stuffiness. I could just hook up the hose from my air compressor in my shop and blow that up my nose. The pressure would be high, but it would get through LOL! That gave me an idea for Redneck CPAP machines...

[Pugsy]

Since the congestion gets worse once you start the machine...and since you weren't using humidity...and since you just turned it on and it did help...the obviously you do need the added moisture.
Just because it is humid outside doesn't mean it's humid inside...what with air conditioning and all.

I normally have some masks that have been donated that I can ship out for people to try but I don't have a decent full face mask.
I might have a nasal mask of some sort though. I wonder if you could breathe enough through your nose to be able to use it now that we know that more added moisture to your nose is needed.

Anything would likely be better than no sleep with the Amara.
Even sub optimal therapy if a little mouth breathing happened would be better than no sleep.

Would you like for me to go digging around in the donations box to see if I have something you might like to try?
Free to you ....the only thing I ask is postage reimbursement if you can afford it but if you can't...I will still mail it to you.
I guarantee more comfortable.

[ParsonBrown]

Would you like for me to go digging around in the donations box to see if I have something you might like to try?
Free to you ....the only thing I ask is postage reimbursement if you can afford it but if you can't...I will still mail it to you.
I guarantee more comfortable.

Pugsy - what an awesome gesture. I would certainly appreciate that. I would certainly take care of postage and whatever other cost is needed. Even if it's just enough to help cover shipping for others in the future who may not be able to pay for it. Just let me know.

[Pugsy]

Okay....let me go dig out the donations box (stuff that people tried and it either didn't work out or they changed masks and no longer use but still in good enough shape for someone to use or at least try out) and see what I might have.
It's getting pretty slim but I should have something in there you can try.

Send me your name and address in a private message. I am going to try to get to town today and drop it in the mail (USPS) so you can get it before the weekend.

I will let you know what I find so you can watch videos on fitting. I don't have the paperwork with most of the donated stuff.
I don't wash it ahead of time because most people prefer to wash things themselves...but a good hot soapy water wash is all you need to do.

You might do some mouth breathing....let's cross that bridge if/when we come to it.
Most important thing right now is getting you some sleep.

[ParsonBrown]

Information sent.

I really appreciate this and just the information/support overall on this site.

[Jas_williams]

Information sent.

I really appreciate this and just the information/support overall on this site.

What is your lower pressure it may be too low making you feel unable to breath. Your minimum should be set to at least 6

[Muse-Inc]

I have chronic year-round nasal congestion, vasomotor rhinitis, along with year-round allergies. Check out my mask (click on it in my signature), the first of the hybrid-style full-face masks. I use Ocean saline in the can because the squeeze bottle doesn't provide enough pressure to wash nose & sinuses. I also use Xlear spray because it contains Xylitol that starves any pathogens hiding out in the nose. Both several hrs before maskup so nose fully drains. Grossan Nasal Irrigator also works to reduce congestion (I like his packets of saline best as it contains Xylitol). As a last resort, I use NasaCort, a nasal steroid.

If I were you, I'd ditch ramp,increase minimum pressure to 6-8 (mine begins at 10), test humidity settings for best results (I live in Atlanta and still needed high humidity during my first few decade as a hosehead, now just in temps under 50). Don't give up, finding a mask that works for you is pretty much the key to making CPAP therapy work.