New User can't breathe with CPAP machine

[RobsLassie]

Am I ever glad I found this forum. I'm up at 2 a.m. because I can't sleep at all this second night of my new CPAP machine. I feel better after discovering here that everyone takes time to adjust - sometimes months to adjust, which is rather discouraging. But the big problem these first two nights is that sometimes I can breathe IN through the machine, but I feel that I have to force the air out. Also, I have seasonal allergies, and with spring in the air, my nose is stuffy and sometimes I can barely breathe through my nose whether I have the mask on or not. Any advice? I'm feeling very frustrated.

[49er]

Am I ever glad I found this forum. I'm up at 2 a.m. because I can't sleep at all this second night of my new CPAP machine. I feel better after discovering here that everyone takes time to adjust - sometimes months to adjust, which is rather discouraging. But the big problem these first two nights is that sometimes I can breathe IN through the machine, but I feel that I have to force the air out. Also, I have seasonal allergies, and with spring in the air, my nose is stuffy and sometimes I can barely breathe through my nose whether I have the mask on or not. Any advice? I'm feeling very frustrated.

Hi,

Welcome to the forum.

If you could use the link in my signature to register your equipment, that would be very helpful so members can tailor their responses to your situation. Without that information, there is not very much to go on.

However, allergies can definitely make pap therapy treatment alot more difficult. Are you seeing a doctor for that?

Also, if you know the pressure your machine is set at, that would be helpful. Sadly, many newbies are given machines with a wide open range from 4 to 20 and as a result, they feel like they are suffocating at the low starting pressure. May or may not be applicable in your case.

Hang in there as you have come to the right place to get things straightened out.

49er

[Julie]

Are you using a humidifier? Have you played with the setting to find out which is best? Some people need a high one and others rarely use a humidifier at all depending on local climate, season, etc.

[robysue]

Am I ever glad I found this forum. I'm up at 2 a.m. because I can't sleep at all this second night of my new CPAP machine. I feel better after discovering here that everyone takes time to adjust - sometimes months to adjust, which is rather discouraging. But the big problem these first two nights is that sometimes I can breathe IN through the machine, but I feel that I have to force the air out.

Do you have the exhalation relief system turned on? That would reduce the pressure on exhalation by a small amount and make it easier to exhale.

Also, what are your pressure settings? You don't want to simply reduce the pressure setting since that can adversely affect the efficacy of your therapy, but if we knew the pressure setting, that might help us help you.

Also, I have seasonal allergies, and with spring in the air, my nose is stuffy and sometimes I can barely breathe through my nose whether I have the mask on or not. Any advice? I'm feeling very frustrated.

Deal with the daytime stuffiness as well.

Things that you can do on your own include:

• Use a neti pot or a nasal rinse an hour or two before bedtime.
• Use a saline nasal spray during the daytime
• Use an OTC anti-histamine like Claritin or Zyrtex
• Do NOT use an OTC decongestant nasal spray for more than 2 or 3 days or you're setting yourself up for rebound congestion: You nose will get even more stuffy each time the spray starts to wear off

[chunkyfrog]

When I have a stuffy nose, I use a Breathe Right strip first. It usually helps.

[Gasper62]

Obtain a full-face or a hybrid mask for periods of nasal congestion/blockage, breathe through your mouth until the nose is clear again. That's my advice for the short term. Good luck.

[Michelle-OH]

That was the single hardest thing for me to adjust to! If you haven't changed your exhale relief, I would suggest doing that as that is what worked for me. Good luck in your adjustment to using cpap!

[dontknowhowtodeal]

Wow I didn't know about the exhale relief thing. I will have to look into that because I experience the same sort of thing.

[grizfan]

Hi,

I'm about 3 weeks ahead of you on this process. And, I also have issues with seasonal allergies. And, just like you, I used to have a very hard time exhaling (or, it sure felt that way).

So... here's what I did. First, in addition to my sleep doc, I've also been seeing an ear, nose and throat specialist because of my allergies and also because my sinuses were a bit of mess prior to surgery. I'm using Dymista, a prescription nasal spray that does a great job helping with my nasal congestion. I also occasionally use a saline spray to help 'clear things out' by providing moisture, followed by a few good blows into a tissue. If desperate, try some Sudaphed (not the junk on the shelves, the good stuff behind the counter).

But, even more important, don't wait; get ahold of your doc as soon as you can. The first few days is really tough. I had a lot of anxiety, and couldn't get to sleep at first, always feeling like I needed to monitor and control my breathing (especially exhaling). A call to my sleep doc, and now I have an Ambien prescription. That made a massive difference for me. Not only am I able to sleep now, I also feel a LOT more comfortable with the whole process, and am less stressed about my exhaling. I've been away on business travel for the last 2 weeks, and despite the disruption to my schedule, I've been getting better and better results each night, and now feel confident enough to start weaning myself off the Ambien once I get home.

So... long story short. Involve your doc and don't hesitate to discuss any concerns or issues you have. The sooner you bring it up, the faster you can get these resolved.

Also... try not to put too much pressure on yourself. This is not an easy thing at first. Set small goals. Wear your mask during the day. Try using your machine while watching TV, for example. See how long you can go each time. It took me about 3 days (and the Ambien) before I finally got my first night sleep. Now, I'm good for 6 or 7 hours of kick-ass sleep each night. Even the few nights where I only got 4 or 5, it was still far better than 8 or 9 without the CPAP therapy. So, with any luck (and a call to your doc), you'll soon see the relief you need. Also, the success stories sticky thread on this forum really helped me when my confidence wavered. Great stuff in that thread.

Hopefully, your doc can either adjust your machine's settings, your mask, help with a prescription for your allergies or what ever else it takes

[BlackSpinner]

In the evening or during the weekend, set up your machine in front of the tv and watch some stuff that you think is exciting while wearing everything. This gets your body/mind used to the whole set up while being completely distracted. It will learn that you won't die while wearing this stuff.

[SewTired]

As you can see, there is no one answer when seasonal allergies arrive. I turned my humidifier down as far as I could go without going off and that has helped with the congestion. I turned the heat on my tube off. I am considering getting a full mask just for this time period when allergies are at their worst, but so far, I'm doing ok with a Swift Nasal pillows and a Circadian Elan. Could not breathe through the P10 at all.