brand new user, I feel like I can't breath

robyngar wrote:its, it's the nose pillows themselves. I am using the small ones, my nostrils are pretty small. I don't like them to cover the entire nostril because it's suffocating to me.

Actually if they are too small and into your nose you are restricting the air flow more. They should be covering your entire nostrils and then the opening is bigger into your nose, allowing for more air to enter.

Ditto to what BlackSpinner said.

Try this experiment. Hold the nasal pillow up to your nose. Just a single nasal pillow without the hose attachment or the head gear. Gently place it on your nostrils with the outside rim of the pillows resting barely on your nostrils.,..and yes the whole surface needs to be covered or it won't seal..gently touching...breath in and out....if the nasal pillows are the proper size and not squished too tight...there is zero reduction in air flow.

It is possible that the reduction you feel in breathing might be from the pressure setting being low and thus not enough air movement. Some people simply need more air movement. I once did an experiment on my sister to see if she was having sleep apnea events. I started out with the pressure set at 4 cm...it took about 30 seconds and she was ripping the mask of saying I was trying to suffocate her. We ended up with 6 cm pressure for her to be comfortable.
APAP starting pressure of 6...not horribly low...are you using ramp? Ramp starts at 4 cm.
Consider increasing the minimum pressure just a bit to see if it helps.

I'm wondering if the pillows are collapsing on you. Are you using the swift FX? if so, you may have the same problem many people have that that is that the pillows are so soft that they collapse on you. If the pillows don't cover your nose all the way, you don't have a seal. If you feel like you are not getting enough air, and you use the swift fx product, that 10 to 1 those thin doubled things are absolutely collapsing inside your nose. Are you new to cpap? call your sleep clinic and ask to come in with your pillow system and be tested. I'm sure they will set you up with a new mask if you are less than 30 days in, they will set you up with several to try because they will loose their money if you give up. It's a new law that they need to prove you use your cpap at least 4 hours every night for the first 30 days to get paid by your insurance or Medicare. I'm not sure of the details, but they will do whatever it takes to make sure you happy and can sleep those first 30 days at most places right down to exchanging your masks for free all month.

most pillows users have the problem with feeling too much air. along with the fact that you have a pillow known to cave inside and your size is small, that's why I think you have a collapsing problem.

Less GERD after being on cpap machine? It happens for some (not me though )

Part of the reason is that when we have a sleep apnea event the body stresses and will gasp and heave to try to get more air....this gasping, heaving and stress can actually force some of the stomach acids and contents back up into that lower part of the esophagus.
Reduce the apnea events....reduces the times the stomach contents gets into the esophagus and thus reduces the GERD for some lucky people.

Not everyone is so lucky...I am not but if I didn't have sleep apnea I would probably still have GERD.. I have a hiatal hernia also.