Feel like I can't breathe

I've been on CPAP for little over a week and it was getting increasingly better until two days ago when it seemed like I just wasn't getting enough air to breath. This was after I took to sd card into the DME for him to check how things were going. I thought maybe it was all in my head. But then noticed that night that the mask selection had changed from nasal to mask. I changed it back to nasal and I seemed to be able to breathe easier. Would that change have made that difference? So now tonight I feel the same way, like I'm not getting enough air to breathe. My pressure is set to 9 per Drs instructions. On top of all of this I forgot how I actually found the mask selection in the first place. Can anyone help with all of this?

Okay I found the mask setting and it's still on nasal. So why do I feel like I'm suffocating now?

Logies101 wrote:Okay I found the mask setting and it's still on nasal. So why do I feel like I'm suffocating now?

Show us your data! Download and install SleepyHead, import data from SD and share the pics

What are your pressure settings? Ramp settings?

If you start your pressure at 4 cmH2O, and rely on your auto CPAP to adjust upward, you may feel air deprived until the pressure adjusts upwards.

Logies101 wrote:I've been on CPAP for little over a week and it was getting increasingly better until two days ago when it seemed like I just wasn't getting enough air to breath. This was after I took to sd card into the DME for him to check how things were going.

are you sure your settings are still what they were? the DME can change your settings via the card.

I don't know how to find what my pressure is set at, it's supposed to be 9. I do check each day what happened the previous night and it said average pressure was 8.8. I don't do the ramp because I realized that made the suffocation feeling worse, I just go straight to the regular pressure which I assumed would still be 9?? I tried installing the Sleephead and got it to pin to my task bar but when I put sd card in pc and clicked download data absolutely nothing happened. I must admit I don't know alot when it comes to computers (sigh)

Also I asked the DME if my machine was set on auto and he said no that it's on cpap only.

You need to actually start sleepyhead and import from there

I thought that was what I was doing, had the sleephead screen up and clicked import data from the file menu but nothing imported.

Logies101 wrote:I thought that was what I was doing, had the sleephead screen up and clicked import data from the file menu but nothing imported.

You can have the whole contents of your card zipped, uploaded to a fileshare and shared the link via private message. As far as I know, the card has none of your personal data (I may be wrong). But better figure out how SleepyHead works, which of course may be an issue with your computer.

Thanks Tan, I'll have my daughter take a look at it, if we can't figure it out I'll do as you suggested. Thanks for trying to help me out.

I had that same issue after I started my therapy, I found my problems was two things, First I felt I couldn't breath because I couldn't exhale so I change my EPR setting from 2 to 3 (which lowers pressure 3 points to help exhale), That seem to help for a few nights , then I still felt like I couldn't exhale enough (like my lung would fill to the point I had to burp the mask so I could exhale, then I would be fine until my lungs would fill again). So that next day I stopped at my DME and we change mask and I've been sleeping like a baby since.
I started with a Resmed N10 nasal mask and went to a F&P Eson nasal mask and for me it was night and day difference.

Thanks for that info, maybe that's my problem because I feel it is difficult to exhale and like the machine is rushing me to breath in if that makes sense. So maybe I will take ask the DME to change the setting. I did just receive a new mask today via cpap.com, the airfit p10 for her, hopefully that will make a difference as well.

Logies101 wrote: like the machine is rushing me to breath in if that makes sense.

I can promise you that the machine is not rushing you to breath, it's just sitting there blowing the same pressure air whether you inhale or not.

I agree with the other replies advising that if you stick with it you will soon overcome this psychological barrier, which I believe is the case. You aren't the first to report this early days feeling. Probably your diaphragm and a few chest muscles are getting a workout they are not used to, thus causing a temporary tightness and feeling of suffocation in your chest.

I'm a relative newbie too (6 weeks) and thanks to all the informed forum members here realized I needed to quickly change from the Nuance pillows to the Airfit P10 also. Made a HUGE difference to my overall sleep! Hope this one works for you too!