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Problems with CPAP machine
Hi Everybody,
Yesterday I was diagnosed with Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnoea and I was given a F&P ICON CPAP device + full face mask. So far so good but the last night when I tried to use it the following problems happened:
- I had troubles with feeling too hot from the mask - I was using temperature setting 4 of the humidifier and I reduced to 3 which introduced dry mouth problem and didn't solve the problem. It is kind of hot these days so I guess that I will get used to this but it would be great if you can share how you deal with this problem.
- The device have fixed pressure settings of 10 according to my sleep study, however I was still snoring all the time - my nurse said that I need to go for adjustment/increasing of the pressure but this leads to my biggest problem 3.
- I have problems with exhaling the air, I practically stop breathing sometimes while trying to exhale which leads to waking me up. Having the mask on with constant pressure of 10 increases this problem tremendously - without a mask I wake up 2-3 times per night, with the mask this increases to every other minute! Furthermore I feel extremely exhausted after 4 hours of using the device fighting with constant pressure of 10, this is practically my limit. I explained that to the nurse but she said that I need to get used to it.
Does somebody have some tips about those problems. For 3. I think that I need to use BiPAP machine (something needs to actually help me to exhale considering that my throat is completely blocked sometimes), but how to convince the nurse that I need it. I'm willing to try to get use to the constant pressure but the problem is not while I'm awake rather then while I'm getting asleep so I can't control it. If I was able to control it I won't have sleep apnoea in the first time...
Views: 203
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on
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Hi Milen. Good to hear your severe sleep apnoea got diagnosed and that you were given the CPAP quickly. I'll try to help with your points:-
- The timing of you using being new to CPAP is unfortunate due to the high temperatures we've been having here, and even a lot of seasoned users of CPAP have struggled. Sounds like you need the humidity for the dry mouth so perhaps you could set up a fan in the bedroom.....this has worked a treat for me. If you feel you do need to turn it down then the Xylimelts can help with the dry mouth http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/xylimelts-dry-mouth-discs.html
- Yes, it does sound like you need adjustments.
- The nurse is correct that it can take some time to get used to breathing against the pressures, and sometimes when people are new to CPAP they get interruptions to their sleep in a different way instead (like you're experiencing) but this does usually settle down in time. There are occasions when people need BiPAP, but it's a much more expensive machine so is usually only provided for people with other conditions, like severe asthma, COPD or other medical respiratory conditions. Most of the machines do have some form of exhale pressure relief though, so it would be worth checking if yours does.
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Permalink Reply by Milen Tenev on
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Hi Kath,
Thank you so much for your reply. Unfortunately with me the things got much, much worse. So for the first night I realized that I just didn't close the lid of the machine properly so I was getting much less pressure than my settings. This explains my snoring and struggling. However last two nights I closed the lid properly but now the following happens - I somehow manage to remove the mask while sleeping!!! I can't imagine how this could be possible because it is fairly difficult to remove the mask. And this is nothing that I can control, it just happens without wakening me up and I realize what is happening when I need to go to the toilet.
Even stranger, my wife told me that during last night she saw me how I stand up and stay in a sitting position on the bed and that my mask was making funny noises (probably exhaling from somewhere) and she explained that I was sitting in this position for a very long time doing nothing. Normally I'm very active while I sleep but I was never sleepwalking and I'm afraid that now I'm doing it and probably this explain how I manage to get the mask off.
I will go to see the nurse today, however I'm very depressed as I need this therapy to work so bad and the things are getting out of control :(.
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Sorry to hear of these struggles Milen, and there are certainly lots of people new to CPAP that unintentionally remove their masks, and get very frustrated about this. Again, it does usually settle down as the body becomes acclimatised to wearing the mask. There may be a few tips for you on this link http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/desensitisation-tips-for-new-cpap-and-v...
Try not to get depressed, and accept that this is very new to you, and you are doing the best you can in these early days. Hopefully you'll get more help today from the nurse as well. Let us know how it goes.
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Hi Kath,
Thank you for the advice it helped. I'm getting used to the machine but still have a major problems. I couldn't visit the nurse last Friday because of emergencies at work so I will go this Friday instead. Until then I'm snoring even with the mask which means that I need higher pressure. However even now with this settings the mask is leaking. I even purchased this - http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/silent-night-mask-liners.html but it is not helping much. I'm wondering if there is a mask for sleep active people like me? I'm also a pillow huger so this contributes further to the mask problem.
The other thing that I would like to ask is it normal to wake up from suffocation when inhaling while using the machine? Last night I did that and I actually inhaled as harder as I can through the mask and it was incredibly hard to do so even with the positive air pressure of the machine.
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That's a shame you couldn't get to the clinic last Friday, and it's rare to hear the mask liners aren't helping, so perhaps you can get the clinic to check you have the correct size. The bed pillow can be a problem with the masks and it's better to sleep on the edge of the pillow and perhaps have another pillow as a pillow hugger, and a softer pillow can also help as firmer ones (including memory foam) tend to knock the mask out of place.
The mask leaks could be the problem with the feeling of suffocation as the machine may be blowing higher pressures than you would need without leaks. Good luck with the appointment this Friday and hope you get some good help.
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Hi Kath,
I really think that the mask is the problem, last night I found it again off my face, I really don't know how I manage to take it off. In that regards what is your opinion on this - http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/dreamwear-nasal-cpap-mask.html which I intend to use with a chin strap? Also it is mentioned in the reviews that it could be purchased under NHS, how can I do this? I can see a nose measurement paper on the video for this product but from where I could get one for myself?
Generally I really get used to the pressure while exhaling but I just can't get used to the mask, it is just too bulky and can't provide proper sealing. The nurse said that I'm between Large and Medium so she opted for the large one, which seems to be ok while I'm awake, but I'm just too active while sleeping so my face surely hit the pillow, the mattress, sometimes my wife :) and pretty much everything around me.
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Hi everybody, I would like to happily share that I finally got used to the pressure while exhaling. Now I even don't feel it so I often check if the machine is working :). Also I decided to use a chin strip and a nasal mask. I will share the results when I got those. Also tomorrow I will 100% go for the pressure increment as my snoring increased when using the mask.
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That's great news Milen. I honestly remember when I first got my machine thinking I would never get used to it. The pressure at the time was on fixed 12. Now my pressures (on VPAP) are 25 for inhale and I don't even notice it. Onwards and upwards for you.......
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Hi All, I finally sorted everything out and I will write a long post here full of useful tips for people who just start the therapy.
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That's good to hear Milen, and yes you writing of your experience will hopefully help others. We also have a webpage full of tips for people struggling and believe me I too struggled in the beginning - many years ago when there was not much help here in the UK http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/tips-for-problems-sleeping-with-cpap-or...
Milen Tenev said:Hi All, I finally sorted everything out and I will write a long post here full of useful tips for people who just start the therapy.
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Hi Kath, I think that I will be able to add a few things to the webpage with the tips, but lets see, I will create a new discussion rather than using this one.
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