scared last night, kept waking up not being able to breath

[spottydogspot]

I am having a bad time lately. Last night was the worst. i told myself i would keep my mask on if it killed me, as i have been somehow taking it off during the night and not getting the sleep. Well, last night i woke up several times feeling like i was suffocating. I checked for kinks, that everything was working the way it should. I did notice my nose getting plugged up

oh, i use the liberty mask, which has been pretty good for me. but when i woke up i tried to breathe and nothing was getting in or out. so this is how it went. i would ramp up and wake up awhile later feeling like i was going to die. scary stuff for me. i gave up after the 4th time i think.

i checked everything i could think of, at least i thought i did. so what am i doing wrong? i ahve never had a problem like this before. i use the humidfication at 3.5 thereabouts. one time that switch was moved and i woke up not being able to breathe through my mouth because it was so incredibly dry.

I am scared to go to sleep like this. Is this a temporary thing? I am also retaining water still, about 5 lbs from when i started over a month ago. i really really want and need this to work......

thanks for listening

[tattooyu]

I have never used a Liberty, but I have heard that too high a humidifier setting can clog up the nose. However, you should still be getting adequate pressure from the mouth portion.

What is your titrated pressure? What pressure is your machine running? What is your ramp pressure?

[ozij]

Go to the doctor, spotty. Retained water can be a result of a heart problem, and the water can fill your lungs to the point you can't breathe - especially when you lie down. Have that water retention checked, have you lungs listened to - if they contain water the doctor will hear it.

Some breathing difficulties have nothing to do with CPAP.

O.

[LoneStar]

If you are having water retention and wake up with difficulty breathing, then you need to call your doctor and have this checked out ASAP.

Since your CPAP machine seems to be working properly, you must assume that you are having a physiological health problem that needs to be taken care of.

I'll second what Ozij said: see your doctor as this may not be a CPAP problem!

Lisa

[spottydog]

So, i thought the water weight was from the cpap, it seemed to happen right when i started using cpap. The breathing wasn't bad until the past few nights.

You guys have me scared enough that I will go to the doctor. my 49 year old brother is in the hosptial in heart failure, but he also weighs 400+ lbs with alot of it fluid.....

I am only 41, and i wondered why cpap would make me gain weight. i do have problems breathing going up stairs and stuff, but i thought it was just a virus or something.

thanksfor the advice. i hadn't thought about it htat way

[spottydogspot]

I have another question to my replyers---wouldn't the sleep study that I had show if I had a heart problem? My brother was diagnosed today with congestive heart failure himself...and I know he has sleep apnea but untreated.

my friends have noticed i have had problems catching my breath after going up stairs or even just walking, but i have always had some issues.

Last night i took off the cpap after awhile, the same thing though not as bad as the night before. I am having to use tap water because i ran out, would that make a difference?

I do notice when i put on my mask that one: i feel some sort of discomfort in my chest and two: it takes some breaths to get regulated and feel like I'm not suffocating.

I am on a standard Cpap with a 12 pressure, ramp from 4-12, EPR 2 with a liberty mask. I also have very high HI, like over 40 most times.....

I hate going to the doctor, i would feel silly saying "check out my heart". But I don't want to end up like my brother with 40 lbs of fluid to drain out of his body.

Thanks for the advice guys....my husband thinks I am imagining everything!!

[LoneStar]

Your sleep study might have picked up on heart arrhythmias, but it is not really meant to diagnose a heart condition. You need to see your doctor; s/he can order tests to see if you have a heart condition or problem.

Water retention in the lower limbs can be a sign of heart or lung problems. You need to see your doctor and tell them about the lower limb swelling and the shortness of breath.

As for your husband's opinion, it's not his body. You are the one in control of your health and you know what is going on in your body and whether it feels right or not. See your doctor.

And no, tap water should not make any difference in any of the symptoms you describe. See your doctor!

Lisa

[ozij]

Ditto.

O.