tap, tap , tap, is this thing on?

SleepGuy · Post by **SleepGuy** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:08 pm

This is one of the amazing things about the human body--the ability to accommodate sensory input. One of the hardest things for me in starting therapy was exhaling against the back-pressure (I just have a traditional cpap). It felt like I was being suffocated. But before too long I got "used" to the pressure and ever since feels very much like I'm breathing in a normal environment; I can't really feel the pressure anymore.

So nothing is wrong; your body is just getting used to therapy!

SisterShotgun · Post by **SisterShotgun** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:24 pm

Funny this topic came up, I found myself checking if the machine was on this morning, sure enough it was..In the beginning I felt like the pressure of the air was going to blow me away, now I hardly notice it

stanta · Post by **stanta** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:38 pm

In an experiment at a college university volunteers were asked to wear glasses that would flip their view of the world upside down. Within days most of them were seen the world right side up again. The brain flipped what it saw to what it "should" be. Unfortunately they had to go through the same process when the glasses came off.

Power of the brain. I have recommended to new users to NOT try to breath regularly. When we exhale we are not using muscles but the slight over pressure in our lungs to expel air. If when on the machine you slightly over inflate while inhaling it will allow the air to flow out naturally. I am at an 11 but my brother who is at 18-20 used my method and adapted in one week.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:41 pm

Stanta, that's what I do when I first get on. I take big deep breaths and just gently exhale until I get my body into synch with the machine. I think that's why I've had good luck getting used to the machine. I can now reach the "synch" state within a few breaths.

Did nothing for getting used to the MASK, but did get used to the machine quickly.

Haven't used Ramp. Tried it once, hated it.

Cheers,
Barbara

stanta · Post by **stanta** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 2:43 pm

No way i could get enough air on the ramp. I use the Breeze pillows so no mask problems for me.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 3:01 pm

Yeah, same here, just NAII. Breeze hurt nose. Bad for me. Good mask, just not as comfy as the NAII.
B.

tillymarigold · Post by **tillymarigold** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 4:02 pm

Me too. More so with my REMstar Auto because (1) it was quieter and (2) I kept it on the floor instead of in the nightstand. The 420E I only can't hear if the window fan is turned on.

rhowald · Post by **rhowald** » Fri Jul 06, 2007 3:29 pm

I am so happy to read this post - and see that I am not crazy. Perhaps this thread needs to be added to the "collective wisdom" section.

After a night on CPAP, I can't tell that the machine is pushing, it just seems to be supplying air that I would breath in. I actually went back to my DME about this and they tested the machine and it showed all okay (acutally it was slightly over-pressure).

I was on straight CPAP at 19 and at the beginning of the night it was tough, but like I said the mornings were great. Also I notice that for the first week I needed ramp, then I was fine at my pressure.

Now that I am on an Auto machine and starting much lower it sometimes feels weird because I am expecting the blast when the machine turns on.

Robert

Mask