getting nowhere

[fuzzy9]

hey folks i'm looking for ideas or suggestions. half the time i can't use my cpap. all night or part of the night. i get stuffy and feel i'm suffocating or i get gerd. i got rx for nexium and it is helping.if i can use my nasal all night i feel great. if i use my full face i only feel so-so. i'm thinking pressures may not be right with the ff. i have appointment at end of month with sleep dr. and am thinking about trying to get him to upgrade my script to a data machine. also set up with allergist middle of month. i've tried different masks and vasious levels of humidification. i read mention of apap. might this help. also any recomendations / or even better which machines to staw away from.

[RipVW]

All of the us here know that a data capable machine is a must have! For me, I experienced similar problems for almost a year before finding this forum, learning about data, getting software/card reader, and discovering that my sleep study titrated pressures were way too low. Now, for about a year, I've had none of those issues, and I maintain a very low AHI. For me, the auto machine was part of the solution, since it "discovered" my sweet spot pressure settings. Good luck!

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

[rwalther]

I agree with Rip. It's all about the data. Also, I figured out that claustraphobic feeling went away with a machine/mask combination that implemented really good exhale relief. I use the Remstar M-Series w/ AFlex ... and swear by it. I had this panic-feeling until I had a good combination of (a) exhale relief, and (b) auto-ramp. The former ensure I wasn't fighting with the machine or feeling like I had air being "forced" on me, and the latter ensured that I fell asleep under low pressure and adjusted after I fell asleep. I've settled into an AHI of around 1.0, and I'm sleeping like a baby. I struggled at first just like you did. Keep at it. You're only alternative is to sleep badly and be tired all the time.

[gasp]

For me, not being able to exhale properly, especially when my asthma acted up required exhale relief. I use the Respironics A-Flex which has three settings for exhalation relief, increased exhalation relief, and maximum exhalation relief. I like the way it helps me feel like I'm just breathing normally.

When I was at the sleep lab they had me on continuous pressure with no exhalation relief and I felt like I was suffocating. Now I sleep peacefully and breath normally.