First night disaster - help!

[grounded]

Howdy folks,

I had been SO looking forward to getting my machine that the moment I got my Rx (finally, after many months of delay due to Covid), I ordered a ResMed AirSense 10 and had it shipped overnight. Since (my wife tells me) I frequently sleep with my mouth open I ordered the ResMed AirFit F30i Full Face Mask. Yesterday afternoon I sat with it on for half an hour and thought it wasn't too bad once I acclimated to the higher pressure exhaling. I installed Oscar on my MBP and the data imported just fine.

At about midnight I put the mask on and started the AirSense. And then laid there until at about 3a. I couldn't take it anymore and took it off so I could at least get some sleep. From midnight to 1a, I had some congestion in one nostril so I finally got up and performed a nasal wash. That helped the congestion but not sleep. My big issue was exhaling, and everything giving me a headache. I feel like I'm breathing my own exhaled air back, especially if I take a deep breath. Had a bit of that suffocating feeling, unfortunately. Sometimes when I breathe in, the air is nice and cool. Other times it's hot, like I have just inhaled stale air. After sleeping with no mask from 3a on, I woke at about 6a and put the mask back on since I don't normally get up quite then and knew that's the time I'd be most apt to fall asleep again, especially with so little sleep. I think I was able to actually sleep a bit. Phone woke me at 7:30a and I had a dull headache and feel like crap (exhausted).

Adding insult to injury, Oscar won't import my data from last night. I see the log files on the card but it won't import them. Still only shows the data from the 30 min session yeterday afternoon and nothing past that.

Questions:

1. Was I dumb to order the full face mask? I wonder if a nasal would make any difference in my case?
2. Any help getting past the suffocating feeling keeping me awake? (I've read as much as I could but haven't seen much on this)
3. Any ideas why Oscar isn't importing my latest data set?
4. Any other helps for a newbie?

Thanks so much in advance!

[Pugsy]

Exactly which model AirSense 10?

AirSense 10 CPAP
AirSense 10 Elite
AirSense 10 AutoSet
AirSense 10 AutoSet for Her

[Respiration99]

G'day Grounded.

It would help if you could give us as much information as possible including machine type, pressure settings and EPR setting.

Was I dumb to order the full face mask? I wonder if a nasal would make any difference in my case?

Not dumb at all, but selecting the right mask is probably the hardest part of this whole journey. Every face is different, and your face shape changes as you age. It also changes depending on whether you're sitting up or lying down, so the best thing to do (if it's available to you) is to go to your distributor and try several masks, lying down. Otherwise it can be a process of trial and error, so see if you can get a mask return plan so ones that don't suit can go back.

Any help getting past the suffocating feeling keeping me awake? (I've read as much as I could but haven't seen much on this)

This is not uncommon - I vividly recall my first few weeks when I constantly felt like I was drowning in air. Let us know your pressure settings and the expiratory pressure relef (EPR) setting. If your minimum is set high, it might be necessary to back it down a bit till you get accustomed to the machine. Also, set your EPR at 3 - this will drop the pressure by three cm H2O as you exhale. Another common issue is that the pressure may in fact be set too low. A lot of people feel suffocation if the minimum is set at 4 (the factory default).

Any ideas why Oscar isn't importing my latest data set?

Oscar will only allow one data upload per day. If you have already uploaded the nap, then later try to upload the full night, it won't work. In Oscar go to the menu Data | Advanced | Purge Current Selected Day then try again.

Any other helps for a newbie?

It may sound trite, but relax and enjoy the ride. Many users struggle at first - it's not easy learning to breathe in a whole new way with a plastic alien strapped to your face and a compressor blowing air up your nose! Once you get over these teething problems using the mask will become second nature. But we do need to see some details to give you any more specific advice.

[Miss Emerita]

Lots of great advice and requests for more information already, so I'll just add that it'd be good to keep using the machine while you're awake during the day or evening, preferably while you're doing something mildly diverting (reading, watching TV). Without any particular effort on your part, this helps your brain get used to the novel experience.

Also, don't beat up on yourself if you're having trouble at night. It sounds as though you did eventually sleep a bit with the mask on, which is good. In these early days, if you just can't drop off with it on, it is OK to take it off. I know others on the forum will disagree with this, but a few more days or even weeks before you get to the point of using the gear all night are not critical to your long-term health. The important thing is to adapt however works best for you so that you can get comfortable with all-night usage.

[grounded]

Exactly which model AirSense 10?

It's the AirSense 10 AutoSet

[grounded]

It would help if you could give us as much information as possible including machine type, pressure settings and EPR setting.

It's the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset USA.
Pressure: 5 min 15 max.
EPR: Newbie fail here. Didn't see it in the ResMed. Tried to get into clinical mode (home+power for 3 seconds) but nothing happens.

Not dumb at all, but selecting the right mask is probably the hardest part of this whole journey. Every face is different, and your face shape changes as you age. It also changes depending on whether you're sitting up or lying down, so the best thing to do (if it's available to you) is to go to your distributor and try several masks, lying down. Otherwise it can be a process of trial and error, so see if you can get a mask return plan so ones that don't suit can go back.

I've got an appointment for tomorrow to try again.

This is not uncommon - I vividly recall my first few weeks when I constantly felt like I was drowning in air. Let us know your pressure settings and the expiratory pressure relef (EPR) setting. If your minimum is set high, it might be necessary to back it down a bit till you get accustomed to the machine. Also, set your EPR at 3 - this will drop the pressure by three cm H2O as you exhale. Another common issue is that the pressure may in fact be set too low. A lot of people feel suffocation if the minimum is set at 4 (the factory default).

Glad there is hope. Can't quite find how to change it just yet...

Oscar will only allow one data upload per day. If you have already uploaded the nap, then later try to upload the full night, it won't work. In Oscar go to the menu Data | Advanced | Purge Current Selected Day then try again.

That worked!

It may sound trite, but relax and enjoy the ride. Many users struggle at first - it's not easy learning to breathe in a whole new way with a plastic alien strapped to your face and a compressor blowing air up your nose! Once you get over these teething problems using the mask will become second nature. But we do need to see some details to give you any more specific advice.

Thanks so much!

[grounded]

Ok found the clinical mode (there's a post at http://resmed-myair.com/changing-the-pr ... toset.html that's wrong).

• EPR was Off. It's now set to On.
• Start Pressure is 4.0
• EPR Type is Full Time
• EPR Level now set to 3

Look good? Anything else to try?

[Dog Slobber]

It's the ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset USA.
Pressure: 5 min 15 max.
EPR: Newbie fail here. Didn't see it in the ResMed. Tried to get into clinical mode (home+power for 3 seconds) but nothing happens.

Clinical mode is NOT home+power, it's home+select (the round button).

EPR (Expiratory pressure relief) reduces pressure on on exhale, very important for new CPAPers to help exhale.

Minimum and/or start pressure of 5, is very low and can contribute to the feeling of suffocation. Consider 6 or 7.

[Janknitz]

If you feel like the air flow is too high to tolerate, you might try the ramp setting. That starts with a low pressure and builds slowly over about 30 minutes, with the theory that you will be asleep when full pressure is reached. However, most of us don't like ramp after the first few days, it starts with the pressure too low and that feels like suffocating. If you try ramp, you can set the lower setting at 6 or 7 instead of 4 and that might be more tolerable.

You weren't "dumb" to order the full face mask, but you may want to buy a nasal or nasal pillow mask to try out as well. We tend to breathe through our mouths with apnea because of air hunger. A good majority of people can keep their mouth sealed when they are getting adequate pressure to keep the airway open. Full face masks are incredibly hard to fit properly, and to get and keep a good seal. But they are a godsend during allergy season or if you have a cold. Or if you are one who is an obligatory mouth breather because of other conditions. Nasal masks are much easier to fit, and much more comfortable.

Your nasal congestion is most likely related to the humidifier setting. If the humidity is too high or too low it can cause sinus issues. It takes a little bit of time and tweaking to find the Goldilocks setting that is "just right".

Hang in there. You are motivated and it takes time and effort to get this down. You will be glad when you do.

[Julie]

I hate to disagree with someone who maybe misunderstood something... but if your min. pressure's at 4 (default machine low and close to impossible for anyone to breathe at) 6 or 7 are better settings for the min. but using the ramp for 30 mins is a huge waste of time and therapy that you're not getting full benefit from for all that time. I agree you should try EPR, but I'd only go to 2 for starters - see if it's enough help, but raise your min. setting at least and just shut off the ramp feature for now... most of us don't use it unless we have quite high min. settings and really can't tolerate the initial little 'blast' of air when going to sleep. I say blast jokingly because it shouldn't be a big deal at those low numbers anyway, and you're not getting properly treated if 30 mins go oh so gradually ramping your pressure from 4 all the way to... 6!

[grounded]

I hate to disagree with someone who maybe misunderstood something... but if your min. pressure's at 4 (default machine low and close to impossible for anyone to breathe at) 6 or 7 are better settings for the min. but using the ramp for 30 mins is a huge waste of time and therapy that you're not getting full benefit from for all that time. I agree you should try EPR, but I'd only go to 2 for starters - see if it's enough help, but raise your min. setting at least and just shut off the ramp feature for now... most of us don't use it unless we have quite high min. settings and really can't tolerate the initial little 'blast' of air when going to sleep. I say blast jokingly because it shouldn't be a big deal at those low numbers anyway, and you're not getting properly treated if 30 mins go oh so gradually ramping your pressure from 4 all the way to... 6!

Ok so you recommend I:

• Disable the ramp start
• Set EPR to 2

Sound good?

[grounded]

Minimum and/or start pressure of 5, is very low and can contribute to the feeling of suffocation. Consider 6 or 7.

So it's not that I feel like I cannot inhale, but rather the feeling that I cannot easily exhale that my constitution is rebelling against.

[Julie]

It's a start - and may go well or not, so let us know... but understand that changing more than one thing at a time makes it hard to know what works and what doesn't... so at least a few nights with each change is better than one, when anything could happen incidentally and not be your 'answer'. Please stick with this thread for posting so we can follow with all your 'business' in mind... you'll probably be fine in time, shouldn't be a long one. And do raise the min. setting to 6 or 7.

[grounded]

Update:

So Wednesday night was worse. Only made it one hour with the AirFit F30i and had to remove it. Gave me a headache and the mask was pulsating as I breathed

Thursday afternoon I got in to see a sleep tech and took home an AirFit N30i nasal mask and also a P30i pillows mask insert since they fit the same headgear. The P30i seemed very comfortable but when connected to air I could not exhale at all through my nose. WTH?

On the other hand, I had no probs exhaling with the N30i nasal mask. Feel asleep fairly quickly, woke up with no alarm at 5:30a feeling good and totally awake. Previously I'd be dead to the world at that time!

Super encouraged with the N30i. Any ideas why I couldn't exhale with the P30i?

[Julie]

Opening just too small?