Getting to know a CPAP.....where to begin?

I'm a newbie here and only a week into getting to know a CPAP. Right now we are circling each other warily, the machine and I. The problem I'm having is waking many times during the night with what seems like a constant air flow coming at me. Sort of like waking into a strong wind nose first. I feel like I need to continually inhale and this leaves me feeling as though I'm over-breathing. Could it be an air flow issue, a mask problem, or just me with needing to learn not to inhale every bit of air? I'm overwhelmed at all the things that can be adjusted and am not sure where to begin.

I'd be grateful for any thoughts.

Begin by listing your equipment in your profile. Then read the "Announcements" in the top section of this page. Next go to the "CPAP WIKI" lightbulb at the top of the page. That will give you a good start. Then ask specific questions.....

Actually LSAT, I did enter my equipment information......twice. For some reason it evidently had a hard time saving the info. Each time I went back to check on it the entries were blank again. This time it took. I've been making my way through the information here. Maybe I'll figure out how to make my question more specific. Thanks.

Could you please click on the links that point to the equipment that you have chosen in your profile. See if what you see in the link is what you see in the bedroom... What you have chosen have been discontinued for many years.
If DME supplied I am thinking you probably have a machine that is one of the new PR System One machines (in the equipment list from the drop down menu....look for PR System One.

Check this link to Robysue's equipment thread to see pictures and explanation and I think it will help you.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=72302&p=665165#p665165

If you do have the older machine that is fine. We see it here when someone gets a machine from a friend or family member.
If we know exactly what machine you have then we can point you to the software that you can use.

If you do have the PR S1 machine...look in my signature line for some options.

We have to click on the "submit" button when we make any changes to our equipment. Sometimes clicking on it doesn't always stick. That may be why you kept getting blank equipment showing up.

Sparrow wrote:Actually LSAT, I did enter my equipment information......twice. For some reason it evidently had a hard time saving the info.

The machine that you have chosen for your profile, the Legacy REMStar is a ver, very old machine that looks like this:


My guess is that you don't actually have that machine, but rather one of the newer REMstars. To find out exactly which machine you actually have, please read through my Newbie Guide to Respironics Machines

Next, you write:

Sparrow wrote: The problem I'm having is waking many times during the night with what seems like a constant air flow coming at me. Sort of like waking into a strong wind nose first.

Well, you are using a CPAP after all, and that's what they do---blow air in your nose/face

But in all seriousness, once you have a quality seal, most folks don't notice the airflow quite so intensely, (But highly sensitive newbies often do,) It's worth figuring out what machine you really have so that we can help you learn how to check the leak data. Because waking up to a strong flow of air can also be a sign that you've got leak problems.

I feel like I need to continually inhale and this leaves me feeling as though I'm over-breathing. Could it be an air flow issue, a mask problem, or just me with needing to learn not to inhale every bit of air?

Could be any of those. Or a combination of them.

As for the sensation of feeling like you "need to continually inhale" and felling like you are "over-breathing", some of that could just be the fact that it's all still really new. But it is also worth finding out whether the tech who set your machine up turned on the Flex (exhalation relief system.) If the Flex is turned OFF, turning it on may help make this sensation dissipate. If Flex is turned ON, experimenting with the Flex setting (turning it both UP and DOWN) may help. If none of the Flex settings feels comfortable, then turning Flex OFF might help.

Not sure of your machine, but if you have Apap exhalation/inhalation relief it can make a significant difference in feel overall.

Also, perhaps your pressure is a bit high, you might experiment a notch lower if your already fairly high (12+) and watch the
sleepyhead data to see if the apap is going over that number as needed. If not, then chances are you dont need to be so high.