Felt Suffocated with Full Mask & APAP Years Ago -- Recommendations for Second Try?

[ccompton]

I had unsuccessfully used an APAP years back after having a sleep study, and the reason I stopped is I felt I was suffocating each night, woke several times a night, etceteras. I felt I had even more fatigue and issues BECAUSE of the APAP and issues I was having with it. I have restless leg syndrome & a variety of chronic pain conditions in addition to my sleep apnea so I move alot in my sleep. I do believe this contributed to my feelings of suffocation, but my neurologist office at the time didn't really address this when I mentioned it and just encouraged me to keep using it. I got to the point that I didn't use it, and I'm going to try again as my doctor said that my blood pressure lower number is obviously being impacted by my sleep apnea.


What I'm wondering is this....

What type of face mask or nasal pillow should I try since I had issues with feeling suffocated?
Are there any APAPs out there that aren't too expensive?


Thank you for your time.

[cyberdreamer]

Was that claustrophobia or did you feel starved for oxygen? Maybe the pressure was too low.

As for the mask, I had a sensation of not wearing anything with the Resmed F30 because you can't see it in your field of view. I would try starting with a Resmed N30 or N30i in your case.

Everyone moves a lot. The masks take that into account. You just need to find the right one for you.

With help from this forum, I'm sure you'll have success with your treatment now.

[Dog Slobber]

What type of face mask or nasal pillow should I try since I had issues with feeling suffocated?

The feeling of suffocation is often caused by to low pressure (at or close to the machines minimum) and probably not the mask type.

Are there any APAPs out there that aren't too expensive?

This question, as asked, really can't be answered, it's too subjective.

Having said that, if you are going to self-manage, realistically there are only two machines you should be considering, the Resmed Airsense 10 AutoSet (including the for Her model, or the DreamStation

These are both supported by OSCAR and forum members have a lot of experience with them. The overwhelming favourite is the ResMed.

If price is a huge consideration, consider getting a second hand one, many members here got their machines used.

[ccompton]

I had an APAP, so it was auto-setting the pressure. Hopefully, its not claustrophobia as I haven't been diagnosed, though I wonder as I have issues with covers over my face, and right now wearing masks for COVID at times make me feel suffocated and I have to pull it off my face.

Price is definitely a consideration for me, even though I've insurance. We are low income, and second hand would definitely be looked at as an option.

I hope that I can get better success, and actually do well this time around.

Thank you guys for the replies!

[Julie]

You said you felt the Apap was 'autosetting' the pressure... but maybe you haven't been told how the pressure settings work. The 'auto' refers to how, once min. and max pressures are set to appropriate levels, the machine reacts all night by raising and lowering the pressure - between those 2 settings - as needed to avert apneas, vs working as just a plain Cpap set only to one pressure (or an Apap with both settings at the same level). Very many doctors who understand the science of apnea but not how the machines work, will ask DMEs to set the Apap min. at 4, the machine's default low, but it's too low for most to breathe at comfortably and most of us in that situation raise our own mins. to a higher (6 or 7) setting at first, then possibly an even higher one over time, leaving the max setting at e.g. 15 or 20 as it is not the one that 'does the job' of averting events.

Do you understand that principle or was it never explained to you? Your min. quite possibly was orig. set at 4 (or 5), giving you a feeling of suffocation, when it could/should have been set higher to begin with.

[loggerhead12]

Your min. quite possibly was orig. set at 4 (or 5), giving you a feeling of suffocation, when it could/should have been set higher to begin with.

This, exactly.

[zonker]

You said you felt the Apap was 'autosetting' the pressure... but maybe you haven't been told how the pressure settings work.

+1

to the original poster: do you know how to determine what pressure that machine was set at?

[chunkyfrog]

If you still have the APAP, please get the free clinical manual from apneaboard.
Once you know your settings (my guess--4-20, IOW not set at all--factory default)
If you had a titration sleep study to determine your optimal pressure,
you can start 3 or 4 cm below or above that.
Also, please identify what make/model machine you have, so we can help you better.
Do it in your signature, because the equipment field is not working.

[ccompton]

I had a sleep study, and the APAP was set based on the sleep study. No, it was never explained to me how they work or any of the findings from the study beyond telling me that I had restless leg syndrome & sleep apnea. I am pretty glad that I found this group and the OSCAR software which I shall use when I try again.

Per my sleep study, I did get scoped by my ENT at the time and there were no problems with my airway. I tried medications but they made me fall, sleep all the time, and I was woozy unsteady and unable to be there for my children on the medications I was given so I stopped. I also had to fight to keep my drivers license with all the medications, which was another reason I stopped. I never had the last recommendation done because of money. When my husband had his sleep study, they did both the sleep study and the trial the same date because of money but they wouldn't do that when I went.

Thanks,

CLC

P.S. I've tried to upload both a jpg and pdf of my sleep study but it keeps giving me an error and I can't tell if it is attached.

[Julie]

Are you following instructions from Oscar re posting?

[Pugsy]

. I've tried to upload both a jpg and pdf of my sleep study but it keeps giving me an error and I can't tell if it is attached.

Assuming you were trying the upload as an attachment...the problem is most likely file size when it won't work.
Attachments are limited to 1 MB in size...pdfs are notoriously large and some jpg screen shots as well.
Try smaller file sizes below 1 MB and see if they will show up.

[ccompton]

I shrunk it some so hopefully this image file goes through. It looks like it will.

CLC

[Pugsy]

Do you still have a cpap/apap machine in your possession now? If you do...do you have a good mask?

Your OSA diagnosis...barely made the "mild" category but that doesn't mean that it couldn't cause significant symptoms.

Your PLMD diagnosis...significant issue. Sometimes it will improve with cpap therapy but sometimes it doesn't and you can feel crappy just from the sleep disruptions PLMD causes even without OSA diagnosis added in the mix.

[ccompton]

That is what I was afraid of -- I thought that it might actually be my movements not my apnea causing the issues. I remember having great hope as when my husband started his BiPap therapy it was a miracle how rested he was. I felt no change even when I forced myself to use my APAP for 9 months before I gave up as the feeling suffocated and taking it off my face repeatedly through the night because the feeling of needing to breathe never changed.

Rodger's BiPap broke and he has been using the APAP I used to use, and I just got new used machines ordered (BiPap & APAP) today so I shall have one for me again soon. I went to the American Sleep Apnea Association CPAP Assistance program, and ordered a mask / paid. I'm trying nasal pillows this time as last time I felt suffocated with the full mask, but there are full masks here in the house because of my husband that I could try if I needed to and just clean the unit & replace the actual cushion part.

CLC

[Pugsy]

Let me know when you get your new machines and your new mask and are ready to give cpap another go.
Without seeing the old reports from when you first tried and what the pressures were...and the results ...it's really hard to figure out what might have been the problem and you know I always say "to fix a problem we first have to identify the problem".

Your suffocation issues might simply have been the common air movement thing that some people get from simply low pressures and that's an easy fix. Since you still have that APAP (I assume AirSense 10 AutoSet) we can use available software to see the old settings from back when you used it if there is a SD card in the machine. Using OSCAR there is a record of any setting changes on the main overall Statistics page down at the bottom.

We can try to do some detective work to figure out exactly what pressures you were using and see what we can do to get you more comfortable.
Also the new mask...sure worth a try. I have some thoughts about that as well.
Get OSCAR up and running when you can and we can at least start some detective work.