Hard to breath on CPAP (Remstar CPA

[Special2]

Hi All

I am currently on Remstar Auto A Flex CPAP machine. Although I have been prescribed since 5 years ago, but my usage on this machine has been low. I have difficulties breathing after putting on the mask (AHI start 8.0)

Mask: Bluegel Full Face
CPAP Auto with Aflex (No humidifier)

I am wondering if anyone experiencing the same, and if there are any advices on how you manage to resolve it?

thanks.

[On the virge]

Your question has a few thoughts depending on what you mean.
1) If your difficulties are because of too much air right away, you might try some short time with the ramp
2) If the problem is too little air then do not use the ramp (if you are using it) and see if that helps
3) if the problem is feeling claustrophobic then trying a different mask, perhaps nasal pillows might help.
4) if you have been using CPAP fro the last five years and the problem is just since using the new machine, then you need to think about what the new machine does differently than the old machine for example variable pressure rather than fixed (or vice versa) or were you using a different mask before.

Hope this helps frame the problem

[Sonya]

What is the breathing problem? Is it just claustrophobia of the mask? Inhaling? Exhaling? I had trouble with exhaling with my nasal pillows and turned the A-flex up and it seemed to help.

[Tatooed Lady]

what is your pressure set at?

[Special2]

thank you all for the replies.
my pressure is set to start at 8.0 and max is 20. I do not use ramp start.

my issue is the feeling that there is not sufficient air during inhale. It is because of this reason that even though I have been prescribe with CPAP for the last 5 years, but the usage is really low.

[Julie]

If you would download (free) SleepyHead from the forum and use it for a couple of nights, then post results here (use Imgur.com and post a link to this thread) we could all see what's going on... otherwise...??

Is your machine an M-series or an earlier Legacy model? Sleepyhead won't work with those, but Encore will...

Have you tried raising your pressure to e.g. 10 to see how it feels?

[robysue]

thank you all for the replies.
my pressure is set to start at 8.0 and max is 20. I do not use ramp start.

It sounds like you have an APAP running in Auto mode. It would be useful to know what the 90% or 95% pressure level is. You should be able to get that off the machine's LCD. However, detailed data from software that is designed to read the card in the machine would be more useful. Can you tell us exactly which make and model your machine is?

my issue is the feeling that there is not sufficient air during inhale.

If this is a problem that mainly happens at the beginning of the night when you are first trying to fall asleep, it may be that you would be more comfortable bumping up your minimum pressure 1 or 2 cm.

If you are waking up in the middle of the night and you are no longer noticing the pressure, that's pretty common: We "get used" to the pressure during the night and when we wake up after several hours of PAPing, it can feel like there's no pressure in the mask even though there is. Sticking your hand in front of the vents or pulling the mask cushion slightly off your face is enough to let you feel that there's plenty of air coming through the mask.

One more thought: Are you using a heated humidifier and/or a heated hose? Sometimes people feel as though there's not enough air coming through when the humidity level or the hose temperature is set too high. If you feel like there's not enough air to inhale comfortably because the air in the mask feels like the outside air on a hot, humid afternoon, that might mean you need to turn the humidity or the hose temperature down.

[BlackSpinner]

I would suggest you spend quality time with you cpap machine on and watch some TV, a favourite movie or play a computer game. This will get your mind of the whole mask thing. Often it is only our minds that says there is not enough air. Technically there is enough air even if the machine goes off and the anti- asphyxiation valve goes into action. By wearing it while keeping your mind occupied you teach it that it is perfectly safe.

Lots of people work using masks where one basically sucks air through a filter, it feels horrible at first but by the end of the hour of focusing on measuring toxic dye chemicals one has forgotten it is on ones face.