Struggling

[Thatgirl]

I'm really having a killer time adjusting to cpap. I usually wear it for a half hour, give up, take it off, and fall asleep. I've used sleep aids a few nights and fall asleep for a little over an hour, then wake up in a panic and take the mask off. When I'm awake with it on, I feel like I can't catch my breath. I feel like I have to hyperventilate. Then I start feeling dizzy and headachy. When I try and slow my respirations down, I feel like I can't get enough air. When I do wake up after falling asleep for an hour, my head is throbbing. That happened last night, I took the mask off, went back to sleep, and woke up feeling 10x better in the AM. What could be going on?

My ramp is set at 45 minutes. Could I be waking up after the ramp ends because of the higher pressures?

I downloaded to sleepyhead today. I'm not sure if there's any useful data there yet. Here's a screen shot of the respiration info. Let me know what is most helpful to see.

[Julie]

45 mins is quite a long ramp time and all of it at less than therapeutic Cpap. Why not turn it way down (if not off - I don't know what your pressures are) as most of us have done soon after starting Cpap, and see if anything terrible happens, or possibly that you have a much easier time once the first little air blast is done.

[mike1953]

You will not get usable data on only one hour with 45 minutes of that ramp up. With a pressure set at 4 - 20 is that what your sleep study determined for you or are you working on your own.

[Sleeprider]

What settings is your machine programmed to deliver after ramp?
Turn ramp to no more than 5 minutes and no less than 4 cmH2O under your prescribed pressure or 6 cmH2O. Most of us feel air-starved at lower pressures.
Are you claustrophobic or have you experienced panic reactions to other situations?
Hyperventilation is not god, but if you can post the wave form data you get before shutdown, it will show what's going on in that regard. The machine will give data, even if you are not asleep.

[Thatgirl]

I couldn't fall asleep in my titration study despite trying 3 masks and working at it for over 2 hours, so I have no prescribed pressures. If my AHI is 0 even during the ramp, does it really matter if my ramp is long? I can try turning it down tonight.

[mike1953]

I couldn't fall asleep in my titration study despite trying 3 masks and working at it for over 2 hours, so I have no prescribed pressures. If my AHI is 0 even during the ramp, does it really matter if my ramp is long? I can try turning it down tonight.

So what is your prescription for, Machine type, mask type ect?

[Thatgirl]

I couldn't fall asleep in my titration study despite trying 3 masks and working at it for over 2 hours, so I have no prescribed pressures. If my AHI is 0 even during the ramp, does it really matter if my ramp is long? I can try turning it down tonight.

So what is your prescription for, Machine type, mask type ect?

Airsense 10 for her. Full face mask. Autoset mode 4-20

[Julie]

Until your ramp climbs to prescribed pressures you're not getting fully treated.

[Thatgirl]

I don't really have a prescribed pressure, though. Does ramp start when you start the machine or when you fall asleep?

[kaiasgram]

I don't really have a prescribed pressure, though. Does ramp start when you start the machine or when you fall asleep?

Ramp starts when you turn the machine on.

You asked if it's possible that pressure increases are waking you up and it is definitely possible. Where the software could be helpful at this point would be seeing if your pressure line is going up (on the Pressure graph) at the point where you're waking up.

[Sleeprider]

I'm in the same boat. I didn't tolerate the sleep study or titration, and was diagnosed with severe apnea, and provided an auto-titrating CPAP (M-series Auto). Using this forum and other information, as well as how I felt, I quickly learned that I could not use a ramp starting at 4cmH2O. I felt like I was fighting for air. By increasing the low ramp pressure, and ultimately turning ramp off, I was more comfortable.

In your case, you are tossing the mask and feeling panicked. That is useful information you need to listen to. Turn off the ramp and see if you can fall asleep at the pressure the machine chooses. It's a good idea to pick a minimum pressure that feels comfortable. Try resting with a pressure of 6 or 7 and see how it feels. Is it enough to keep you quiet, or do you feel a need for more air? You have to find the minimum comfort pressure that works for you, the machine will work as you sleep to avoid apnea events and increase pressure without any input from you. In a few weeks, you will know from looking at this recorded data what your titration pressure range is.

In the chart you posted, it shows you start with a high respiration rate and volume. We don't see the pressure during that time, but an assume it is at only 4.0 cmH2O. I think as pressures increase on ramp, we see your respiratory rate relax. Try turning off ramp, reducing the time of ramp or increasing minimum pressure. I think that might head off some of the other problems.

[BlackSpinner]

Pick a nice movie that you like.
bring the cpap machine to where you watch tv. kill the ramp.
put on the mask and machine and spend the next few hours watching the movie.
If you find it hard to breathe increase the starting pressure. Most people prefer 6 m and feel starved and claustrophobic at 4 cm.

Repeat the next evening and keep repeating until you feel comfortable sleeping with the mask.

Use a reward system. Reward your self for using it at night in bed for 3,4 5 hours. Set a special reward for keeping it on all night. Do not reward taking the mask off. If you feel panicky just lift the mask and feel the wind - tell yourself "there is more then enough air " and put the mask back.

[Thatgirl]

Here's the pressure graphs. I'll try with the ramp down to 5 minutes tonight and see how that goes.

[palerider]

Airsense 10 for her. Full face mask. Autoset mode 4-20

I think it's time to interject some annoying facts into this spirited discussion.

autoset, 4-20, 45 minute ramp...

what this means is that for 45 minutes, the pressure will gradually increase from 4cm to 4cm, before the machine enters autoset mode, ie, it does *nothing*. huge waste of time.

since your machine *starts* at a 4cm minimum, the ramp is doing exactly nothing good, provides no relief, since there's no room for relief at 4cm. does the machine even record events during ramp? the manual doesn't say, other than the auto adjusting algorithm doesn't start till ramp ends.

at the very least, set it to auto, if not turned off completely.

second, minimum of 4, is mighty low, but, reasonable at least until you've used the machine one night, just in case you only need a tiny amount of pressure. HOWEVER...

When I'm awake with it on, I feel like I can't catch my breath. I feel like I have to hyperventilate. Then I start feeling dizzy and headachy. When I try and slow my respirations down, I feel like I can't get enough air.

is classic signs of the pressure being too low for comfort.

so, I'd say, ditch the ramp, and set the minimum pressure to 6, and give it a whirl.

[palerider]

Here's the pressure graphs. I'll try with the ramp down to 5 minutes tonight and see how that goes.

that image posting service doesn't work so well, try using imgur.com, it's very simple, and works great.

I did managed to see the pic, and it clearly shows more pressure, I'd dispense with 6 and go right to 8 for starters.