So I was diagnosed with sleep apnea and am required to use the cpap machine. I just received the machine this Monday and am having a horrible time with it. I have the mask that covers the nose only and I feel that the pressure is way too much for me, so much so that everytime I exhale there is no way out for the air to be released out of the mask (does that make sense?). The technician who came to help me set it up said that it will adjust according to my breathing so give it a few minutes and it should adjust before u fall asleep. That's the problem, I cannot sleep! Everytime I try to swallow, my ears pop. Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning in oxygen. I barely got any sleep that first night and last night I had it on for only an hour and took it off to get sleep.

My surgery is set for Monday so I'm highly frustrated with this. Anybody else experienced this?

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Yep. CPAP machines suck. They can get it adjusted. It takes time to get used to things. They will do another sleep study after you lose weight. At that time they will determine if you still need the machine. I'm thankfully off mine. Hang in there.

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Hi I'm annie I'm 25 I have severe sleep apnea I sleep with a cpap machine every night I've been using one for almost a year. I can relate to exactly what your going through. The first night with the machine I couldn't sleep . How am I suppose to sleep with this crap on my face right it's weird and uncomfortable ? It felt like I was suffocating . I started having a panic attack . I first had my machine put on when I went for my sleep study and I almost ripped it off lol it was so weird lol . Now I use the same mask every night. There are many diffrent types of masks and many diffrent types of straps it may sound stupid but the material also matter . So make sure you have yourself a good mask one you feel comfortable with . Fit it are around your face while the person is there play around with it

Adjust the straps the mask wants to sit firmly on your face but not to the point where you feel like it too tight. Also the only masks that I have found comfortable for me personally to wear have the gel on the inside . The others ones are way to ruff and uncomfortable they gel ones are a little softer you might want to ask the pulmonigist if he has on with the gel inside

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this is actually my mask with the Blue gel inside I hope this helps these are the only ones I have found to be comfortable this one has lasted me for a year good luck Hun

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Edited January 12, 20179 yr by anniecorda

@@moe_2175 It's so hard to get used to a cpap, but you definitely need to use it. The damage you do to your body with the apnea is no joke

Does your machine have a ramp button? It allows the airflow it start at a lower pressure, then work up to what your machine is set for. I put mine one when I'm ready to fall asleep, hit the power and then the ramp...it doesn't bother me at all any more but I struggled at first.

@@anniecorda is right on about finding the right mask. I started with a full-face, hated it, tried one that just covered my nose, hated it too. Now I use a nasal prong mask, which I originally thought I couldn't use because I had been a nighttime mouth breather for years, but it's worked fine. Apparently I was mouth breathing because of the apnea, and when I wasn't having apnea, I stopped breathing through my mouth at night. The company who helped you do the original set up can give you different masks to try. Don't give up, you need to use the machine!

I was diagnosed in 2009 and tried to adjust to the CPAP. I tried every mask they had and was just to claustrophobic. I ended up having the best success with what they called at the time " nose pillows." They go in your nose slightly and have minimal head straps. Honestly, I never did adjust to the machine and it has sat in the closet all this time. I was diagnosed with CHF and told to get on the machine or risk a stroke or heart attack. I'm giving it another try with hopefully a newer sensitive machine. My appt is later this month. I completely understand the suffocating feeling. There was a good article that I googled that talked about how to get adjusted slowly without the air going at first to get use to the mask of your choice. There are so many different masks, but the only slight success I had was with the nose pillows. Good luck. Hang in there best you can.

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I thought I'd be less claustrophobic with the nose mask but I couldn't master it. I switched to mouth and nose and it was way easier

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Mine has a ramp button that makes the pressure lower n raises up a little at a time.. Makes a big difference..

Munky

Definitely the ramp button. To lower the pressure requires a new rx from your doctor. Your supplier can not legally lower the pressure, they have to supply according to the rx.

FYI you don't get oxygen from a cpap. All you are breathing is 21% room air. When you go to sleep the muscles around your airway relax causing an obstruction. The cpap (Constant Positive Airway Pressure) reinflates your airway to keep it open. Picture it like a balloon.

Your ears popping is most likely because eustachian tube is swollen in your ears. The popping is occurring because of pressure in your ears just like when you change elevation. If the problem continues you really need to see an ENT.

FYI #2 most insurance companies follow Medicare guidelines for cpap which is you need to use it 4 hours per night for 30 days in a 90 day period.

I had to start using a CPAP in September after my sleep study showed very mild apnea. I absolutely hate it.

The issue you're having where it feels like you can't get the air through when you exhale - I was having that and I read somewhere that it can be due to moisture build-up either in the tube or in the filter (read it on a forum). So what I do now is make sure that every day I hang the tube up so it has a chance to dry out and I take the air filters out and let them sit on the counter and completely dry out as well. Since I started doing that I haven't had the issue where it feels like there's too much pressure coming back at me. I also was not able to use the nose only mask I have to use the full face mask.

But 4 months out now I still rip that thing off pretty much as soon as the four hours passes several days a week. I cannot wait until I lose enough to do another sleep study and be off this thing. Especially since he said my apnea was so mild it was kind of on the fence as to whether I actually needed the stupid thing anyway. Yet another motivator for losing weight!

The only good thing is that my husband says when I do wear it I don't snore. So at least he is sleeping better while I'm using it

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Edited January 12, 20179 yr by SarahSleeve

As others have said, if you have a ramp button, use it.

One trick I used when I was first diagnosed was to sit in bed and watch TV for an hour or two with the mask on. I was awake and could tell myself that I can breathe fine, I'm okay, and eventually would stop having to think about it and could go to sleep.

Please use your machine! I had a friend in college who died from sleep apnea (just stopped breathing in her sleep one night).

Does your CPAP machine have an auto, bi-level or c-flex mode? These options all make it easier to exhale. I was unable to use a machine without a c-flex mode but with it have been using one for 15 years.

Practice wearing the CPAP while awake during day just to get used to the feel of it ! I've been using CPAP for 14 years now

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Yep. CPAP machines suck. They can get it adjusted. It takes time to get used to things. They will do another sleep study after you lose weight. At that time they will determine if you still need the machine. I'm thankfully off mine. Hang in there.

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Thank you! Yeah I will have to get mine adjusted, there is no way I can get used to that feeling. Hopefully I wouldn't need it long- fingers crossed.

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Hi I'm annie I'm 25 I have severe sleep apnea I sleep with a cpap machine every night I've been using one for almost a year. I can relate to exactly what your going through. The first night with the machine I couldn't sleep . How am I suppose to sleep with this crap on my face right it's weird and uncomfortable ? It felt like I was suffocating . I started having a panic attack . I first had my machine put on when I went for my sleep study and I almost ripped it off lol it was so weird lol . Now I use the same mask every night. There are many diffrent types of masks and many diffrent types of straps it may sound stupid but the material also matter . So make sure you have yourself a good mask one you feel comfortable with . Fit it are around your face while the person is there play around with it

Adjust the straps the mask wants to sit firmly on your face but not to the point where you feel like it too tight. Also the only masks that I have found comfortable for me personally to wear have the gel on the inside . The others ones are way to ruff and uncomfortable they gel ones are a little softer you might want to ask the pulmonigist if he has on with the gel inside

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Hi Annie!! Yes, it is totally uncomfortable. I'm going to try different masks as you suggested and see which works best for me. The material of the mask I have is also gel. I believe the major factor of my discomfort was due to the pressure being way too high for me. Thank you!

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@@moe_2175 It's so hard to get used to a cpap, but you definitely need to use it. The damage you do to your body with the apnea is no joke

Does your machine have a ramp button? It allows the airflow it start at a lower pressure, then work up to what your machine is set for. I put mine one when I'm ready to fall asleep, hit the power and then the ramp...it doesn't bother me at all any more but I struggled at first.

@@anniecorda is right on about finding the right mask. I started with a full-face, hated it, tried one that just covered my nose, hated it too. Now I use a nasal prong mask, which I originally thought I couldn't use because I had been a nighttime mouth breather for years, but it's worked fine. Apparently I was mouth breathing because of the apnea, and when I wasn't having apnea, I stopped breathing through my mouth at night. The company who helped you do the original set up can give you different masks to try. Don't give up, you need to use the machine!

You're definitely right about having to use the mask as it can be harmful otherwise. That's the scary part. Initially when I did the sleep study at home I had the nose prong thing and it was so uncomfortable for me. I guess that's because it was my first time sleeping with a breathing machine! I did not sleep much at all during that sleep study and kept having nightmares everytime I actually did fall asleep (so strange I know lol).

The machine I have is the philips dreamstation and it has two buttons. The power button and a ramp button (I'm assuming) that goes from 1-5. The technician who set it up told me I could increase/decrease but when he tried to it didn't work. He said it may be because the dr had prescribed it to that level. Still waiting for a call back from my dr to address these concerns

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