I feel like I am smothering using the Activa or FF masks

Does anyone else have this problem?? I am trying my best to use the Activa with the chin strap since I am a mouth breather but I never feel like I am getting enough air using these types of masks. Its the same thing when I use the FF masks as well. Would increasing the pressure solve this??? I have been at this since 2003 but still not adjusted to it. lol This is the first CPAP machine that I can actually adjust the pressure on it and I have been playing with the pressure some but my AHI are still too high for my liking.

I was going to ask if you were using the Ramp and/or EPR options but since you've been at this since 2003 I"m sure you've tried turning them off.

That leaves me fresh out of suggestions as you've got a lot more time on your S8 Elite than I have on mine.

Have you tried taping instead of the chin strap? It's a rare person that a chin strap fixes all of the air that's escaping.

What is your pressure? Could it possibly be that your pressure isn't enough to exhaust all of the co2? This usually happens with extremely low pressures though (at least that is what I am thinking).

Also a couple of nights ago I tried on a nasal mask and tried it before I went to bed (thank goodness). I had it on a matter of minutes when I got that suffocating feeling -- it seems that the mask I was trying out had the exhaust holes on a seperate piece that connects between the mask and the hose and I didn't have it connected right.

Good luck.

I found that when I felt like I was suffocating or smothering....it was because I couldn't exhale easily (it would take too much effort to push out the air). Our exhale is the "relaxed" portion of breathing (when we die we exhale, chickens on the other hand inhale when they die - they use muscles to exhale - yeah, I know like you really needed to know that) and feeling like I had to breathe out hard made it feel suffocating and it was definitely frightening. So you might not do well with higher pressure if it is because you can't exhale completely. They ended up putting me on BiPAP because of the high pressure I need and that I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I actually thought of making the vent holes in the mask bigger if they couldn't help me feel like I could breathe. I am on BiPAP 14 inhale and 11 exhale. I use the Activa and find that I am breathing okay and exhaling okay with it.

See if you feel like you are naturally able to let your breath out or if you feel like you need to work too hard at it to breathe out. If that is the case you might need BiPAP.

Not sure if any of this might be your case, but it is what I experienced and now things are okay.

Good Luck
Suzanne

In reading your post the first thing that came to mind was what pressure you have it set at??
I titrated at 5cm and that's what my initial setting was and I found that I need a minimum of 7cm to be able to breathe. Five gave me a suffocating sensation.

It could be that you're pressure is set too low for you.....

cheers
goose

[quote="kjarels"]Does anyone else have this problem?? I am trying my best to use the Activa with the chin strap since I am a mouth breather but I never feel like I am getting enough air using these types of masks. Its the same thing when I use the FF masks as well. Would increasing the pressure solve this??? I have been at this since 2003 but still not adjusted to it. lol This is the first CPAP machine that I can actually adjust the pressure on it and I have been playing with the pressure some but my AHI are still too high for my liking.

I can relate to this!
I'm new to this - only three weeks on CPAP and still not coping. I can usually start off to sleep with the Mirage 2 on (using the large pillows to get more air) but always wake up 2 hours later and then take the mask off to have a break. Then wake up again soon (due to OSA) and try to re-mask but get this suffocating feeling. I change the water in the humidifier to cold and have the humidifier off (just passover) and still end up ripping it off because I feel as if I can't breath freely. I like sleeping (used to) in front of an open window because I like that cool air to breath. If I do manage to get back to sleep, I then get air leaks because I like to sleep on the side. @#@# This then gives me extreme broken sleep and then find it hard to cope at work. It seems I have a long way to go!