hard to breath

[gasp]

Yes I do but I ususally only notice it when I am sitting still. If sit up and get out of bed right away to get dressed, I don't seem to notice.

I wonder if this is because when you start moving you're increasing your heart rate and oxygen intake more rapidly that when sitting still?

[rested gal]

Does anybody find it hard breath when they first take their mask off.

Interesting. No, never happens to me. From day one of "cpap" I've always been able to breathe normally and easily when I take the mask off.

That's including using plain CPAP at probably a pressure of about 9 and no exhalation relief, and later an autopap that was taking me all the way up to a pressure of 19 (yes, "nineteen") because of a special setting I needed to change.

[Tielman]

I do notice this as well, but it's only for about 15-30 seconds.

Don't know if I'm doing things wrong (there's probably no right way), but I sit up on the side of the bed, turn off the machine and try breathing with my mouth. Takes me a few seconds before I can catch my breath, it's like I'm breathing but nothing is happening, but not a bad feeling (no lightheaded, no additional pressure to breath, no increased heart rate).

Have to agree with others that suggest that it's because your airway is pressurized.

[BlackSpinner]

No - no problems breathing at all when I take it off.
I used to choke as soon as I woke up and spend 15 minutes coughing and throwing up pre-cpap. Now I just breathe in and get up and do my thing - wonderful!