Bunch of questions from 3rd night with CPAP

[pam933]

Hi all, my third night with CPAP wasn't so successful - I slept of couple hours (I think) but then woke up from the machine and couldn't get back to sleep. I'm trying to troubleshoot what the problems are.

One thing is that my breathing sounds really loud to me with the mask on (kind of like when I've got a scuba mask on and am breathing air from the tank). That made it hard to fall asleep. Does that happen with all masks or is it a matter of finding a specific type of mask that is quieter?

The other thing is that when I exhale I hear a whistling noise. I think it's from congestion and I'm going to start using the Netti-pot everyday, but I have allergies and tend to be slightly congested a lot. It doesn't bother me during the day because I can still breath through my nose so I don't notice it, but with the mask on I do. Would a nasal mask help instead of nasal pillows for that?

Woud higher pressure make it easier to breathe throughthe mask with a stuffy nose? Would APAP take care of that? (I'm not sure if that makes sense that it would because I'd still be breathing even though it's more uncomfortable, but in them middle of the night last night it made sense).

How is the climate control on the Resmed S9 different from a regular warm air humidifier?

And finally, has anyone ever tried a mask called Sleep Weaver? My doctor told me to look at their website, it looks like it's a cloth mask. It looks comfortable, but I'd like to hear from someone who has actually used it.

Thanks for any responses!

[dave21]

One thing is that my breathing sounds really loud to me with the mask on (kind of like when I've got a scuba mask on and am breathing air from the tank). That made it hard to fall asleep. Does that happen with all masks or is it a matter of finding a specific type of mask that is quieter?

Hi, I'm sorry to hear your 3rd night wasn't so good. I always find this with the Swift masks, I think it's because it's so concentrated through those small holes. When I'm on a nasal face mask like the Activa I don't notice it as the air is distributed around the mask, but the Swift LT or Swift FX for me has the same effect, it almost some nights creates an insomnia for me. The more I hear myself breathing the more heavier I breath and it goes into a vicious circle. I try to shallow breath to break the cycle.

The other thing is that when I exhale I hear a whistling noise. I think it's from congestion and I'm going to start using the Netti-pot everyday, but I have allergies and tend to be slightly congested a lot. It doesn't bother me during the day because I can still breath through my nose so I don't notice it, but with the mask on I do. Would a nasal mask help instead of nasal pillows for that?

Yes, most certainly. The Activa (active cushion) I find is much better. If I find one nostrel/sinus blocked then I will go back to my Activa mask. If I have both blocked or in a heavy cold then I'll switch to a full face mask for better comfort.

Woud higher pressure make it easier to breathe throughthe mask with a stuffy nose?

No, for me it makes it worse. Because you have congestion / blockage and you're trying to push more air through that blockage. The best thing a lot of people swear by is a nasal spray. Personally i like inhaling olbas oil / menthol crystals whcih helps clear the congestion for me.

Would APAP take care of that? (I'm not sure if that makes sense that it would because I'd still be breathing even though it's more uncomfortable, but in them middle of the night last night it made sense).

No, APAP will basically raise the pressure if you are not able to breath. So for instance if your upper air way is blocked then it will raise the pressure and drop it when it isn't blocked.

How is the climate control on the Resmed S9 different from a regular warm air humidifier?

For me it's beautiful. I know one or two have raised concern about this but what I do is put one or two drops of olbas oil into the water in the humdifier chamber/reservoir which leaves me breathing hot menthol vapours which really helps clear the nose / sinuses and keep them clear.

And finally, has anyone ever tried a mask called Sleep Weaver? My doctor told me to look at their website, it looks like it's a cloth mask. It looks comfortable, but I'd like to hear from someone who has actually used it.

I haven't heard of this mask, sorry.

Thanks
Dave

[LSAT]

Sleep Weaver Mask.....

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20062&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... eep+weaver

[Lee Lee]

Hi, sorry you're having trouble, but it's going to get better .
I had the same problem with the pillows, and switched to the Activa. It was a world of difference. It was also a very quiet mask for me.
I use foam earplugs to reduce any noise from the machine. It works very well.
All the best to you.

[beechnut]

I am one of those "failures" I have not used my cpap in several months. I use Swift LT nasal pillows. My main problem is the noise "inside my head".. I have gotten some ideas here that I intend to try including ear plugs. I read in a post a while back of an XM Satellite station that acts as noise reduction but can't seem to find it...Any suggestions would be appreciated. I intend to try again tonight.

[pdean44]

I am not wearing the same mask but when i had that whistling noise in my mask i found that it was moisture that was the enemy. By lowering my humidifier setting i have not had that for the last couple of days. I am using the mirage activa lt. Mositure around the exhale ports of my mask pretty much gurantees I will be awake to tend to it instead of sleeping.

[Sergey45]

In my signature you can check all of the masks I have tried. Look specifically at the very bottom of the page, you’ll find some information about level of noise.

[jweeks]

Pam,

I replace the pillows on my Swift LT about every 6 weeks. I have found that the quality of the pillows varies greatly. I want through a batch that were really wimpy and didn't seal very well. I just opened the first one from a new batch, and while it is much more firm, much like they were a year or two ago, this one whistles. It might be that there is some manufacturing defect that causes this. Since I go to sleep pretty quickly since being on the machine, I don't notice. The whistle seems to be gone when I wake up.

It will shortly be a moot point for me since I plan to convert to the Swift FX shortly.

-john-