new user and need help

[smokesr]

tonight will be my 7th night on cpap. i am having a hard time figuring this thing out. i have a nose mask wtih a ramp starting at 4 going to 8. feel like i over breath at 1st then finally will relax and go to sleep. then after couple of hours i wake up gasping for air. doesn't take long to go back to sleep but i will wake up again usually on my side and having to play with mask to stop the leaks. also i am waking up when i breath thru my mouth. i had a sore on my nose but have been using bandaids and it is alot better. i always have a stuffed up nose and have a bad habit of breathing thru my mouth. i do use the humidifier set at 2. list goes on and on. but the good part is even after all these problems i feel better than i can remember, especially after i wake up. not coughing as much, chest doesn't feel tight and not as tired. is all of this normal?

[Irene P.]

Hi, and welcome to the forum.

First, you said you have your machine set to ramp from 4 to 8. Some people say they don't feel like they are getting enough air at a setting of 4, so perhaps that can be changed.

If you are breathing through your mouth, you may be better off with a full face mask. That's what works for me. Others tape their mouths, use chin straps to try to keep the mouth shut, etc.

It would be helpful to those trying to respond to you if you registered and listed your equipment. Also, do as much reading as you can on the forum to educate yourself.

[Julie]

Your stuffy nose will probably disappear if you turn the humidifier off or at least down. And you should try a FF mask if you mouth breathe because you're losing all the cpap air that way. Plus Irene is right - no one can possibly breathe at 4! And in fact, 8 may be too low as well for the prescribed setting.

[brazospearl]

smokesr, welcome to the forum, and congratulations for taking charge of your health. The problems you're experiencing are very common to those starting cpap. If you register and list your equipment (text, not pix) we'll be able to offer more specific information. I agree that your starting pressure of 4 is probably a bit too low, which could be causing you to gasp a bit until the pressure rises. The solution is to raise the starting pressure and/or reduce the ramp time. Mouth breathing = all your lovely therapy air escaping! Solutions include taping, switching to a full face mask, and training yourself to sleep with your mouth closed, among other things. Stuffy noses can be helped by turning the humidity down (for some people) or up (for others.) Keep reading on this forum, and ask us anything; we're here to help!