newbie today looking forward to bedtime!

[jootee]

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading the forum and tonight is my first night with my CPAP machine. I went today to pick up my machine for a one month trial. The first mask they tried was a little pink nose mask, minimum head strap...I thought, this really doesn't look that bad. I put it on and even though I could inhale fine I struggled to exhale, so much for the little pink thong! I ended being the most comfortable in what I nickname the "big granny panties".....a full face mask. Are there other masks that may possibly work for me that are smaller or are all the nose masks similar in that regard?

Thanks!

[sleepy1235]

You might consider nasal pillows. Some people love them, others hate them.

[kaiasgram]

Hello Everyone,
I have been reading the forum and tonight is my first night with my CPAP machine. I went today to pick up my machine for a one month trial. The first mask they tried was a little pink nose mask, minimum head strap...I thought, this really doesn't look that bad. I put it on and even though I could inhale fine I struggled to exhale, so much for the little pink thong! I ended being the most comfortable in what I nickname the "big granny panties".....a full face mask. Are there other masks that may possibly work for me that are smaller or are all the nose masks similar in that regard?

Thanks!

Give the thong a chance. You will likely be able to adapt to the pressure on exhale. The first time I tried to breathe out against the pressure I almost had a panic attack. Not long after that I started waking up in the morning wondering if the machine was still on. You do get used to it. Plus with your sense of humor it'll be fun to read about your adjustment process.

Experiment using Ramp so you aren't hit immediately with the higher pressure.

[chunkyfrog]

After 5 years, I still use my exhale pressure relief, but it sounds like yours is off.
Please let us know what make of machine you have, and the settings, if you know them.
A reduced pressure on exhalation can help immensely.

[tortoisegirl]

Welcome! Good luck with your first night. It can be quite the adjustment, so don't be discouraged if you can't fall asleep with the machine the first night, let alone keep the mask on all night and feel refreshed in the morning. Some folks spend days or weeks getting acclimated to it during the daytime first (if you have compliance to meet for your insurance, daytime use still counts). Its also common for the settings to need to be tweaked and to go through several masks. I found the information my DME gave me to be quite lacking as far as what was "normal". There is so much helpful info here.

I can say that my first experience with CPAP was at the DME appointment (didn't have a titration study), and I found even with the lowest pressure of 4 it was very difficult to exhale. I quickly got used to it though--within a few days. Also, I notice a big difference between how it feel between falling asleep and when I wake up (after having the mask on all night and being accustomed to it). I find a full face mask easier to breathe with and in just about every area (even comfort). Everyone is very individual with masks though, like lots of other things, such as underwear!.

Ask your DME what their mask exchange policy is. Often you have 30 days to swap out the mask for something else, and sometimes they even let you keep the old one (as they would just trash it). They may not advertise this though. So if the one you took home doesn't work out, get in touch with the DME right away. There are also many mask options in each type that may feel different. Hopefully your DME had you try on some different ones (best case is lying down with the machine on your max pressure), not just one nasal pillow mask and one full face mask. I also found it helpful to browse what was available on CPAP.com and make a list of the ones I was interested in to bring to the DME. They may not have that large of a selection, but it could give you an idea. Best wishes.

[The Latinist]

Give the thong a chance. You will likely be able to adapt to the pressure on exhale. The first time I tried to breathe out against the pressure I almost had a panic attack. Not long after that I started waking up in the morning wondering if the machine was still on. You do get used to it.

I heartily second this. When I first tried my P10, I literally felt like i was going to suffocate. I had to master that instinct and breathe slowly and deliberately for several minutes. It took a good five minutes of lying on my bed with my eyes closed and breathing slowly and deeply, but it worked. Now I wake up most mornings wondering the same thing…did my machine turn off in the night?

And I wouldn't trade my P10 for another mask if you paid me.

[parasolgirl]

My friends CPAP instructor told her to wear her mask with the power on for an hour before bed in the beginning while watching TV or reading.
It helped her to adjust to it before laying down.

[jootee]

Wow - you are all so helpful here - I really appreciate it! I will post me equipment and stats in a bit - coffee first! My first night went relatively well. I took longer than usual to fall asleep but I did eventually. They first thing I noticed on waking is I wanted to get up! This never happened before. I usually have to drag my but out of bed everyday so this is very different for me! Also had a sore throat, and am slightly congested, but that went away after I was up about 10 minutes. Is this normal? I was wearing a full nose-mouth mask. The mask stayed nicely sealed all night. I am a teeth grinder and I wear a mouth guard but left it out last night as I felt it was too much going on my first night but I will wear it tonight. The nasal pillows didn't work for me but I would like to try a mask that only covers my nose. Do you recommend having two masks? I would like to keep this full mask for when I have a cold and have a smaller nose mask if possible for every day. Again, all of your feedback is appreciated!

[Pugsy]

By all means try a mask that just covers the nose if you want to try one. Lots of people have 2 masks available for whatever reason and some just the reason you stated...one for times when nose is okay and a FFM for times when the nose is congested for some reason.

If you want to look at the over the nose masks....nasal cushion mask is what they are normally called as opposed to the nasal pillow mask...I would suggest looking at these

The Swift FX Nano nasal cushion mask
The Respironics Wisp nasal cushion mask
The F & P Eson nasal cushion mask

Check with your DME as to what their mask trial policy happens to be. Some of the policies are fairly liberal and you can sometimes try a new mask at no cost without having to return the current mask.

[GinnyBear]

I used three different masks (both nasal & pillow) before getting my AirFit P10 2 months ago. I think that might be what you are referring to as the "pink thong". It took me two or three nights to also adjust to the exhale issue, now I don't even realize that I'm wearing it. Keep trying.

I see you are from Calgary as well. Who are you dealing with for therapy and supplies?

[Pugsy]

Also had a sore throat, and am slightly congested, but that went away after I was up about 10 minutes. Is this normal? I was wearing a full nose-mouth mask.

The sore throat could be related to mouth breathing which dries out the mouth and will cause the throat to be sore.
Sometimes increasing the humidifier setting helps but not always. It just depends on how much mouth breathing and how dry the mouth is.

Slight congestion in the nose....likely related to the humidity that is being delivered. Hard to say which way to go because humidity preferences vary highly among individuals. Some people's nasal mucosa need a lot of humidity and some people's nasal mucosa don't want much humidity. This is something you will need to experiment with yourself.
If your setting on your humidifier is already on the low side then try increasing it. If it is already on the high side try decreasing it. If it is in the middle....toss a coin. From what I have read though....increasing seems to the the way the majority goes. I can't get too much humidity myself...my nose would snort water if it could and be happy. I tried the lower settings a long time ago with disastrous results. This is something that you have to figure out yourself though....doesn't matter what works for me or someone who does well with minimal to none added moisture.
It's your nasal mucosa that needs to be happy and what you need may not be what someone else needs.

[Tatooed Lady]

I love the "I have to check if my machine is still on" posts...my power went out in the outlet I was using to power my unit. Even with a nasal pillow type mask, I had NO doubt something was wrong. Shot nearly out of the sleeper in my truck, thinking I was being strangled. On the upside, I learned: 1) don't use that outlet, when the batteries run low, it shuts off. and 2) Leaks aren't an issue, I had a GREAT seal.

[Cuda]

I noticed you do not need much exhale relief, as long as its less than inhale. Its like my body just wants there to be a difference. I have it set at "1" and that seems to do the trick.

[jootee]

I used three different masks (both nasal & pillow) before getting my AirFit P10 2 months ago. I think that might be what you are referring to as the "pink thong". It took me two or three nights to also adjust to the exhale issue, now I don't even realize that I'm wearing it. Keep trying.

I see you are from Calgary as well. Who are you dealing with for therapy and supplies?

Hi GinnyBear,
I'm dealing with RHS Inc. I have the machine on a one month trial, and they track my results. I'll be purchasing once after the trail but I am leaning to the resmed S9 autoset by what I have read so far. Do you have a preference for supplies?

Thanks!

[GinnyBear]

Hi Jootee,

I'm with RHS as well out of the SE office in Riverbend. I too had to rent the CPAP machine for a month until insurance authorized the purchase, but the rental amount that you pay is deducted from the cost of the actual unit that you purchase, and right in front of me Emma opened a sealed up box with a brand spanking new unit and set up my therapy particulars. They have been great, but like so many others I have chosen to manage my own OSA issues. Not that I didn't like dealing with them, but, rather that I know what is best for me now after finding so much information on this forum. If you haven't done so already I'd suggest that you download the SleepHead software program from the link that Pugsy has posted on her profile - it has helped me a great deal. It takes a while to understand and interpret what all the data and graphs mean, but after some time and reading Pugy's pointers it will all make sense.

I find that RHS prices are rather high for masks and replacement cushions (they have some, not many, products you can buy from them on-line). Other than RHS I have used an outfit called CPAPOutlet.ca for ordering my AirFit P10 as some US based suppliers can't ship some masks to Canada...not their fault, just that the manufacturers won't allow it. CPAPOutlet.ca had great service (priced in CDN $) and the products are shipped from Canada, I received mine in less that a week.

Before you make any other purchases mask wise right now try the "pink thong" another night or two, just relax and try to slow breathe to adjust for the exhale pressure and Pugsy has given you some great advise as how to try and deal with that. If that doesn't work, well try wearing your "big granny panties" for another night or two. It takes time to adjust to all this stuff and equipment and you will. RHS has a 30 day return policy on all masks, so if you need to make an appointment with the RT and try another one...I'm on my fourth now and think I have found a good one for me finally.

It's a huge adjustment for most anyone to start, adjust and get use to CPAP therapy. Hang in there fellow Calgary Gal!!