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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on April 7, 2011 at 2:55pm

It's worth the increase in price if you can use the machine.  Can your DME rent you one to try out for a month or two and see if it makes a difference?  It helps some people a lot.

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Permalink Reply by Chris H on April 9, 2011 at 2:37pm

Hi Bex , Is this happening after ramping up to pressure? How long Is your ramp time?  Good Sleep,Chris

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Permalink Reply by Bex on April 9, 2011 at 7:18pm

Hi,

It can happen before or after ramp-up, when I wake in the middle of the night. My ramp setting is 4.0.

 

Thanks

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Rooster on April 9, 2011 at 8:40pm

Exactly which machine are you using and what are your pressure settings? Which mask are you using?

 

What was your diagnosis? Any comorbidities?

 

(What you have described actually indicates it may become worse with a BIPAP.)

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Permalink Reply by Bex on April 10, 2011 at 12:30am

I use "Swift For Her" mask, which I find pretty comfortable, I am not sure what my current settings are except for ramp at 4.0. I do know that the BiPap will have settings of 7-18.

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Permalink Reply by Rooster on April 10, 2011 at 2:53pm

Reply by Bex 14 hours ago

I use "Swift For Her" mask, which I find pretty comfortable, I am not sure what my current settings are except for ramp at 4.0. I do know that the BiPap will have settings of 7-18.

Without knowing your current setting I would not comment on a switch to a BIPAP or recommend a different mask.

 

You could also be experiencing problems during the ramp stage but again without knowing your pressure settings this is just guess work.

 

I can recommend you get deeply involved in managing your therapy. Posting here is a first step. Next is learning about your machine, its capabilities, and what your settings are and getting a copy of your sleep study and learning what it means. Ask your doctor to review it with you and also ask questions here.

 

Professionals can help us with a diagnosis and some prescriptions but to a greater extent effective CPAP therapy is DIY with the help of this forum!

 

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Permalink Reply by Bex on April 10, 2011 at 10:26pm

I will actually be renting the machine.

Mary Z said:

It's worth the increase in price if you can use the machine.  Can your DME rent you one to try out for a month or two and see if it makes a difference?  It helps some people a lot.

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Permalink Reply by Bex on April 10, 2011 at 10:31pm

I am using a cpap machine with the humidifier and do not have any comorbidities. My pulmonologist believes that the Auto BiPap will be more effective for me because it will be able to anticipate each event and ramp up accordingly. 

Rooster said:

Exactly which machine are you using and what are your pressure settings? Which mask are you using?

 

What was your diagnosis? Any comorbidities?

 

(What you have described actually indicates it may become worse with a BIPAP.)

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Permalink Reply by Bex on April 10, 2011 at 10:41pm

I consider all masks to be Darth Vader masks d/t how ugly I feel wearing them. I have not heard of Bernoulli’s Principle, but there could be something to it, as I have a very small nose.
I will ask my sleep doctor, he is very supportive and helpful.
Zack said:

After looking into several other alternatives to the Darth Vader mask, I have concluded that having air pushed into my nose is the best remedy. HOWEVER, it is so disturbing when I wear the mask and feel like I cannot get enough oxygen, that I pull it away from my face to take breaths.

Hi! Do you mean that "can't get enough oxgyen" sensation is something that happens with the mask you like ( direct nasal mask) but not the one you were prescribed (Darth Vader Mask)?

 

Its possible there is a reason you were prescribed that mask, that you cannot take in air through your nose well. The smaller the passage the air has to go through, the more resistance, and this can be a problem for some people, especially people with small nasal passages. Then come into play something called the Bernoulli’s Principle, where fast air makes a passage close up, and often this kind of stuff causes the "not enough air" or suffication sensations you are talking about.

 

A lot of the time, this is solved by a good mask fitting, where you can where a mask you can open your mouth with but are still comfortable. A couple I might recommend if you have an issue with the bulkiness of the " Darth Vader masks: are the Mirage Liberty and the Quattro FX.Also make sure you know all about humidity...which  can cause nasal resistance problems and all your suffocation sensations as well. 

Bi Pap for your problem might work, but might be overkill. And if you do get yourself a BipPA machine, you definitely want a re-titration and mask fit to go with it.

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