Brand New CPAP User

Hello everyone,

I am brand new to this forum as well as to the use of the CPAP.

So far, I have worn the CPAP for only about half the night for the last three nights. I guess I am still trying to get used to it.

The reason I have taken it off is because I wake up with the feeling of not being able to breathe. I hope this feeling passes soon.

Also, I'm getting droplets of water falling on me during the night. It is not a lot of water, but enough that it wakes me up. Is this normal, or could there be a problem somewhere? The machine is brand new, so it's not wear and tear.

Well, let me know what you think.

Oh yeah - I'm using a REMstar Auto - M series CPAP.

Thanks!

Don

the water is called "rainout"

wrapping the hose say with old tubesocks tied on with tape or cable ties, or a towel to insulate it might help - you can make or buy fancier hose covers

raising the hose about your head (hang on a plant hanger or off a hook on the wall with an elastic band) might help

lowering the heat setting on the humidifier might help

lowering the machine so it is lower than your head might help

buying a heated hose might help

jules gave good suggestions. One or more of the first ones may do the trick. If not, then the last one about getting a heated hose will. Here's a link to quite a few discussions about using a heated hose:

LINKS to discussions about the Aussie heated hose - to prevent rainout
viewtopic.php?t=5305

Welcome to the board, Don!

dtm1973 wrote:Hello everyone,

I am brand new to this forum as well as to the use of the CPAP.

So far, I have worn the CPAP for only about half the night for the last three nights. I guess I am still trying to get used to it.

The reason I have taken it off is because I wake up with the feeling of not being able to breathe. I hope this feeling passes soon.

Also, I'm getting droplets of water falling on me during the night. It is not a lot of water, but enough that it wakes me up. Is this normal, or could there be a problem somewhere? The machine is brand new, so it's not wear and tear.

Well, let me know what you think.

Oh yeah - I'm using a REMstar Auto - M series CPAP.

Thanks!

Don

You say you use a REMstar Auto - M series CPAP, but your profile says different. The moisture you are getting is called Rainout, it's caused by the water condensing in the hose and mask due to your room being too cold to hold it. The solution is to heat the room or turn down the heat on the HH, or get a heated HH hose. Check the Yellow light bulb at the top of the page under Rainout. Welcome. Jim

Hey Don,
Welcome aboard!!!!!


You have a really good mask to start out with -- Same as I started with. My issue was size -- I had a medium and really needed a small. Just adjust it so that it's not too tight - that silicone membrane needs room to inflate. If it tries to leak around your upper nose into your eyes you can kind of poke it in with your finger tips so that it re-seals.
As the others have said, the water is rainout and all the suggestions you've been provided are good ones!!! In San Diego you may be able to get away without using the humidifier in the winter -- it'll just depend on the relative humidity and the proximity to the water you live. I spent some of my Navy days in San Diego!!! Great town!!!!! (or should I say city?? )...

Take in the yellow lightbulb - Our Collective Wisdom and the fellow in the green shirt - New Users. Read, read, read. One of the things that will help you most is information. There is a wealth of wisdom there, and if you have questions you can't readily find answers for -- ask away.

Take care
cheers
goose

Hi Don,
Welcome to the forum!
O.

Hey, Don, welcome to the forum,

I would just add that I've gleaned from the discussions here and out in the "real" world that most of us don't start out sleeping all night with the thing on. It took me about six weeks, Babette says it took her eight weeks. Each night will probably get better, although you'll have occasional bad ones, too. I've had my machine for four months now and make it through the night almost every night. But two nights ago I woke up about 3 am and couldn't get back to sleep with it on.

Hang in there. It does get better.

HI, as far as not being able to breathe, it would help if we knew what your settings are. On Apap, there's a "default" range of 4-20, and most people are set up to use anywhere from 7 through about 15, however, if whoever did your settings did not enter specific numbers (because of the auto feature) then you are trying every night to breathe (first) at 4 cm, which is essentially impossible for almost anyone. Most of us find that we're using something like 8 or even 10 for the lower setting and something like 12 or 14 for the upper one, which of course the machine will still override if we need a higher one at times overnight, but which is a guide for the machine that's more effective than the wide open 4-20. Also, if you're using the ramp feature, especially starting out with a really low number, I suggest you try not using it (90% of us no longer use it beyond the first few days or so as it doesn't really help anything and just makes it take longer for us to get to our comfort zone setting - and it's easy to get used to the little 'blast' of air quickly, rather than waiting ~ 15 mins to get there).

I am set at 10cm. I don't use the ramp feature because starting off at 10 does not bother me. It looks like I am getting anywhere between 13.5 and 14.5 while I sleep.

I am getting a leak blowing into my right eye and it's driving me crazy. I have tightened the mask, loosened the mask, adjusted the forehead piece back and forth and I can't seem to get rid of that leak! Maybe my face is crooked.

Thanks to everyone who has given me advice so far. It's great that this forum exists. It's nice to know others have had the same issues!

dtm1973 wrote:I am getting a leak blowing into my right eye and it's driving me crazy. I have tightened the mask, loosened the mask, adjusted the forehead piece back and forth and I can't seem to get rid of that leak! Maybe my face is crooked.

I think everyone's face is at least a little bit crooked. Mine especially!

You probably need to find a different mask. I've tried about 8 different and am gonna try my 9th as soon as it arrives from my DME next week. I'm doing okay with the Flexifit 432, but I want the perfect mask!!!!

Hang in there! You're doin' fine.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for registering.

First thing to try with leaks is making sure the mask and your face are both clean, and that you have the proper size mask cushion on. Many people are successful by continuing to make incremental adjustments. It does take some time and patience.

You could also try some Mack's earplug silicone for the leaks. It is sold in most Walgreens, walmart, riteaid, type stores. It comes in a pack of about 12 lumps. Take one lump, break it in half, roll it between your hands to form a rope about 1/8 inch wide. Do the same with the second half. Place the rope on the cushion around where it would contact your face to form a kind of gasket. Put your mask on and kind of smoosh it down on your face.

Hopefully some of this helps. It all gets better!

Hey Don,
What size is your ComfortGel mask??? I had a lot of eye leak issues until I went down a size - also teeth being sore because it rode too low.....
When it starts to leak, try to poke the silicone membrane inwards with the tips of your fingers. Lower the mask on your face so the membrane rides lower on the bridge of your nose -- if you crank it down too tight you'll get a "notch" and irritation in the bridge of your nose -- not comfy... If it seems like it rides too low on your upper lip when you lower it on the bridge of your nose, you probably need to go down at least one size.....
I went from a medium to a small and it made all the difference in the world....

Good luck!
cheers
goose

goose wrote:Hey Don,
What size is your ComfortGel mask??? I had a lot of eye leak issues until I went down a size - also teeth being sore because it rode too low.....
When it starts to leak, try to poke the silicone membrane inwards with the tips of your fingers. Lower the mask on your face so the membrane rides lower on the bridge of your nose -- if you crank it down too tight you'll get a "notch" and irritation in the bridge of your nose -- not comfy... If it seems like it rides too low on your upper lip when you lower it on the bridge of your nose, you probably need to go down at least one size.....
I went from a medium to a small and it made all the difference in the world....

Good luck!
cheers
goose

I believe he started me at a small. I got it situated for the first part of the night last night. I lasted about 4 hours before I took it off again. I know I will get used to it, and I will press on. I'll do my best not to take it off tonight!

Don:

When you get leaks into your eyes you need to tilt the front of the mask in/out.

Also, if it is the CrappyGel, you may need to boil the mask for a better fit. It will soften the gel and form
better to your face. Instructions for doing that should have come with the mask,

but you basically boil some water, hold the cushion portion in the boiling water for about 1.5 minutes with some tongs
holding the head gear out of the way. Then you dip the hot portion in some ice water for 10 to 15 seconds to cool
the exterior of the gel then you put it on your face and hold it firmly in place for 5 minutes or so until it cools.

Then it should seal better.

Give yourself some time, it take the average person 4-6 weeks before they get used to wearing the mask and sleep through the night.

If you have the Auto, I would set the pressure to like:

Auto:Min=7.5
Auto:Max=20

Lower pressure means lower noise, leak etc., easier to fall asleep. Don't worry about any AHI at this point,
you are trying to get used to the device where you can sleep. I suggest taking a TylenolPM to help that along.

You won't feel any benefit from therapy until you are using it all night long. Takes a lot of patience with this therapy,
once you get used to it you won't sleep without it. Object of using lower starting pressure is so it is easier for you to
fall asleep, using it only a few hours per night is an indicator of that.

Taking care of that leak is very important. It could be why you are waking up feeling like you don't have enough air. If some of the pressure is leaking out and you have an apnea because of it you could feel out of breath when you wake up and it's harder to breath quickly with the mask on. Also, do you have a really dry mouth when you wake up? If so then you could be leaking air out of your mouth or "mouth breathing" when you are asleep and not even know it.