New cpap user having problems

Hello everyone. I have been using a full face mask for the last two weeks and I've yet to go though an entire night wearing the mask. I have gone through a couple of mask and finally found a comfortable one. I am having issues with my exhailing. I feel like I'm labouring with my breathing. Does anyone have this issue?? All the masks Ive tries gives me this issue. I am sleeping far worse using this machine.

Machine? Masks used now plus tried and failed? Pressure settings? Any form of exhale relief used? If so, what and at which setting.

Please take the time to register and add your equipment to you profile so we can see that part at a glance what you are using. Then we can offer more specific ideas. It's free and no spam.
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Hang in there. It usually takes at least a little---but for some a lot---of time to get the machine and mask set up right for them and adjust to CPAP. That adjustment phase has aspects that are physiological (for instance, you have to use muscles to breathe out for the first time) and psychological (you're not accustomed to having a CPAP mask on your face when you sleep). The good news is that it does get much easier for most people. For instance, I now look forward to sleeping with CPAP, and would dread not being able to do so.

Please do as Pugsy suggests and give us specific details of your equipment and pressures so we can in turn give specific guidance. As I'm sure you can imagine, the most likely issues faced by someone on quite a low pressure are very different from those faced by someone on a very high pressure. Also, the comfort features that you might be able to tweak on your machine obviously depend on the specific machine that you have.

One thing you might be able to try to help you adjust is to wear the mask and use the machine earlier in the day/evening (well before bedtime) while sitting up and doing something like reading a book / watching TV.

It takes some time to get used to exhaling against pressure. it's not the mask that's the problem, it's the pressure that is being used to keep your airway open. Most machines have some sort of exhalation pressure relief. It goes by different names depending on the make of your machine. ResMed calls it "exhalation pressure relief" (EPR for short), Philips Respironics Remstar calls it "flex" (aflex, cflex, or cflex plus). I'm not sure about other brands.

In any case, you should be able to increase the EPR or flex setting from 0 to 3 with 3 giving the most relief. If you can't find that setting or adjust it, most likely your DME locked you out of that patient comfort feature--you will need to have the DME adjust it for you unless you tell us what machine we have and we can get you the clinical manual so you can adjust it yourself.

After a while you won't find the exhalation dificult or uncomfortable any more, even against full pressure.

Benny,
Think of it this way. At times we all try to break a bad habit....be it nail biting or smoking cigarettes, whatever......but in the case of CPAP....we are starting a habit...which can be just as difficult. If breaking a habit takes 21 days (or whatever the experts say)...starting one can take a few weeks too. You will eventually get used to it though....get it sorted out...find out what pressure to use and all that....but expect the first few weeks/months to be challenging! If you can survive that curve....the rest is doable. Good luck to you!

T.