That first unmasked breath in the morning...

[jda1000]

Only one time in nearly two months of use have I worn my mask a moment beyond waking - it was a Saturday, and I woke, realized I had a mask on, and went back to sleep. Several times. I'm still much more prone to remove it sometime during the night without realizing it.

But when I last the night with the mask on (more and more as time goes by), I remove the mask (Quattro) as quick as I can and get going. I prefer the smell of coffee...but suspect I soon will admit to myself I need to give that up, too!

I was amazed to read how many posters would wear it all day and find it easier to breath with the mask on. I'm doing my best to be compliant, but CPAP is not something I think I will ever like.

Then again, I do like being much more rested, with CPAP, and if I had difficulty breathing during the day, I'm sure my tune would change.

[Debjax]

When I first unmask in the morning, I smell a scent reminiscent of baby powder. And it's been a long time since we've had a baby in the house.

Jim

I was getting to post the same thing when I saw your post....every morning when I pull it off, I smell baby power for about 10 - 15 seconds..just asked hubby, he does too....there has never been a baby in our bedroom in this house, and no baby powder either...

[elader]

When I first unmask in the morning, I smell a scent reminiscent of baby powder. And it's been a long time since we've had a baby in the house.

Jim

I was getting to post the same thing when I saw your post....every morning when I pull it off, I smell baby power for about 10 - 15 seconds..just asked hubby, he does too....there has never been a baby in our bedroom in this house, and no baby powder either...

well that makes it unlikely to be a fluke - I called it 'talc' but the same thing. It's got to be real. This qualifies as a WTF for sure. Hey lets all ask our DMEs and see what they say

[Dennisla]

Great Post!

Unfortunately I cant smell anything. I lost my smell about 12 years ago after too many bouts of sinus infections.
But I hate to take my mask off in the morning. I wake sit up and am reluctant to turn off the machine.
I can breath so much better with that mask on. I started cpap last May and I never thought that I could actually like such a thing.
But it's true, If I could wear my mask all day I would too.

-Dennis

[Debjax]

I was doing some research last night before bed, and I think the answer is one we may not like...I will check with both my ENT and Pulmonologist/sleep doc....but too many of the links I found linked this and an ammonia smell to fungal infections in the sinuses.

[tattooyu]

Any news on this subject? I tend to smell the talc smell on the inhale after I exhale slow and deep as well.

Funny thing is, I smell that same smell when our A/C or heater kicks on in the office. Maybe it's just the smell of humidity and plastic and CO2?

[Wulfman]

MY guess......."brain farts". (you knew this wasn't going to be a serious answer, didn't you?)

In all honesty, I can't say that I've ever experienced (or remembering having experienced) this phenomenon.


Den

[ChipsXJ]

The first thing I smell is dust I hate it, and I never notice a dusty smell any time other than first thing in the morning after I have removed my mask. I like the cool fresh air of my cpap lots better

I smell the dust too...................I thought maybe I was just going out of my mind a little farther than usual.

Nice to know I 'really' do smell the dust! But not so nice that I am actually smelling the dust...yuck.

[KFhunter]

maybe I ain't been wearing mine long enough but to me your all a bunch of freaks, wireless CPAP?? LOL WTF???

I've been tired as heck the last few days, mostly because I'm not getting enough sleep from working the OT. Far as the treatment is concerned I'm not having any problems with my mask., wouldn't want to wear it all day!!!


I'm still pizzed I have to wear a freaking mask AT ALL!! Seriously contemplating going to a surgeon so I can throw my CPAP machine in the trash (after I've shot it a few times)


I don't like having restrictions on me, the CPAP is like dragging around a boat anchor. Can't wait until camping season tenting it with a CPAP OH JOY!!


ya, I can't wait to get the mask off and get my own air under my own power!!

[jlgwinn]

Hello,

Phew! I thought it was just me. I just received my cpap this past Saturday. When I took the mask off the next morning I could smell an odd perfume smell. My wife knows I'm allergic to perfume so I knew it wasn't her. Well, needless to say Monday morning I could smell the samething as far as the same perfume smell....I just thought that was odd and wanted to join here to voice that. I've been reading up on things here for some time now since it took them two months to get the ball rolling! I think I was more than prepared when I met the Respiratory Therapist.


Jeff

[AmyE]

This was my 3rd morning on the machine, and I have experienced a sweet smell every morning as well!
So has anyone figured out the cause?
Amy

[GumbyCT]

I have no doubt that for me it is the smell of dust in the air. My nose runs for the 1st hour or so until my body adjust. I do believe that now I am allergic to dust bc I get an overwhelming feeling of being tired after that hour or so.

The tiredness appears to be relieved if I just breath the filtered air thru the machine again. Not sleep just breath. I have been taking Loratidine before bed to help when I do wake up. But feel that now I need something for the daytime feelings too.

I get the feeling that if I just don't use the machine for a while my body will again adjust. I just don't want to drunken sailor days to return.

[jnk]

I have one of my wacky theories about that first breath without the mask.

We tend to ignore smells that we get used to, especially in our homes. That is a good thing, because our sense of smell should alert us to changes, not so much keep reminding us of the same smells all the time. It is similar to how the brain tunes out constant noises but picks up on noise variations, or how our eyes tend to pick up on movement rather than stationary objects.

When you first wake up in the morning, you have been smelling your machine, hose, mask, and filtered air all night. So when you take the mask off, your brain notices the change and tries to interpret for you what it smells. For many of us, what the brain will pick up on for a moment is the smell it normally tunes out as the constant "home" smell. Some may suddenly smell dust or exhaled air (because there is dust in the cleanest of homes and you have been exhaling all night) while others may suddenly pick up the smell of fabric softener/detergent/soap (a smell that the brain normally tunes out as a constant). Once the brain recognizes the smell, it quickly tunes it out again like it usually does so you aren't bothered with it and can notice variations again instead.

Only a theory. Nothing more.

jeff

[AmyE]

I have one of my wacky theories about that first breath without the mask.

We tend to ignore smells that we get used to, especially in our homes. That is a good thing, because our sense of smell should alert us to changes, not so much keep reminding us of the same smells all the time. It is similar to how the brain tunes out constant noises but picks up on noise variations, or how our eyes tend to pick up on movement rather than stationary objects.

When you first wake up in the morning, you have been smelling your machine, hose, mask, and filtered air all night. So when you take the mask off, your brain notices the change and tries to interpret for you what it smells. For many of us, what the brain will pick up on for a moment is the smell it normally tunes out as the constant "home" smell. Some may suddenly smell dust or exhaled air (because there is dust in the cleanest of homes and you have been exhaling all night) while others may suddenly pick up the smell of fabric softener/detergent/soap (a smell that the brain normally tunes out as a constant). Once the brain recognizes the smell, it quickly tunes it out again like it usually does so you aren't bothered with it and can notice variations again instead.

Only a theory. Nothing more.

jeff

This was pretty much my husband's theory this morning as well!
Amy

[jnkphone]

Amy obviously married a very wise man!

jeff