New user can't exhale through mask

If you are not connected to the machine, you will not feel any air coming out of the small vent holes. The air will take the path of least resistance and go out of the mask at the top where it connects to the hose. You should be able to feel air coming out of the small holes when you have the mask on. During mask fit, the machine will go to its maximum set pressure without any EPR available.

realpsych22 wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:30 pm

I also ordered some CPAP cleaning wipes also, so maybe that will help with whatever cleaning issues I might have had.

when you run out of those cpap cleaning wipes, go to the grocery store, to the infant section. pick up some baby wipes, UNSCENTED, so there's no harmful chemicals.

much cheaper than what you just bought.

Thanks everyone for the great advice. It's hard to tell what things are supposed to be like being new to this, but I slept with it on last night.

It seemed to work okay, but something seemed off. A few times in the night, the pressure got insanely high to where I could hear the air coming out of the the top. My sleep stats say I had 10.1 events per hour....on night 1 I had 1.9 and on night 2 I had 2.7. But my mask seal score is 20/20. I also woke up with a sore throat, but I'm guesssing I just need to increase humidity.

The vinegar bath seemed to do the trick though!

realpsych22 wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 23, 2018 12:30 pm

The vinegar soak really seemed to help. It still doesn't feel quite the way I remember on nights 1 and 2, but air is coming out of most of the holes now. I'm a little nervous to sleep in it, but I've got it all attached right now and it seems to work okay without killing me while I'm awake. There does seem to he a lot of air coming out of those backup holes on top of my head, but the mask isn't blowing up like a balloon anymore. I'm not sure what's up.

I also ordered some CPAP cleaning wipes also, so maybe that will help with whatever cleaning issues I might have had.

Unscented baby wipes do the same thing at 1/4 the price. Walmart, CVS etc