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What are usual pressures set at for mild sleep apnea?
Sorry for so many questions tonight, but it is all new to me.
What are the normal pressures set for mild sleep apnea? I read that too low might not be good. Is 5 too low? My ramp is set at 4 for 45 minutes, and then it should go to 5. It is an auto CPAP ResMed S9. The doctor wanted it set between 5 and 10. Are those #'s good? I felt I could not breathe correctly, felt like I was suffocating. Especially found it difficult breathing out. Afraid of breathing in since I felt I was filling up with air. Is this normal?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 99 on
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relax and give it time so you will adjust when is your next doctors visit, it shoud be shedled 4 weeks apart from the first visit to see how you are doing
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Permalink Reply by Mary Callahan on
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99 said:relax and give it time so you will adjust when is your next doctors visit, it shoud be shedled 4 weeks apart from the first visit to see how you are doing
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I don't have a doctor's appointment scheduled. He wants me to use the machine for 30 days and then the RT will send him the info from the machine. Don't know what happens at that point. So new to all this.
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it is important to see your RT followup and get some dialogue going how is the mask that needs to be sorted before the thirty days to be able to exchange or discuss problems you may experience pronto
as the mask is the key to it all working properly
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I called the RT the next morning, and all he said was give it time. I am using a nasal pillows mask so I would feel the least claustrophobic. When I was at the place picking up the equipment, he did not offer any other nasal pillows mask. We did try a nasal mask, but I could not tolerate it. Other than the swift fx is there any other nasal pillows mask that might make a difference that would work with the res med S9? Thanks.
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you should tryt as many as you can within the 30 day deadline to find the best one for you
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Jeff, I don't mind breathing in, it is the breathing out that I have great difficulty with. And then I just have to take the mask off and do a huge deep breathe which I can't seem to do with the mask on. I know it's only been 3 nights, but I have not felt this badly in over 6 years. I wake up with a hollow feeling in my head and very dizzy. And I feel like crap and look like I've been beaten up. If this exhaustion keeps up, I'm likely to have an accident of some sort.
j n k said:It does take a few nights to get used to the sensation.
Don't be afraid of breathing in. It may feel like a lot of pressure, but it isn't. And once the brain gets used to the sensation of breathing out against pressure, it doesn't rebel against it but starts to embrace it. Once your brain associates that feel of pressure with good nights of sleep, it will actually crave the pressure, not resist it. Let that process happen. You'll be glad you did.
-jeff
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Can I ask how I am to try as many as possible for 30 days? Does insurance allow for that, or do I have to buy all of them?
99 said:you should tryt as many as you can within the 30 day deadline to find the best one for you
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Permalink Reply by Judy on
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You might ask your doctor for an anti-anxiotic to help you RELAX and adjust to the mask and pressure. VERY FEW people can breathe adequately at 4 cms of pressure. It just isn't enough for most to feel comfortable.
The Resmed S9 AutoSet is an EXCELLENT auto titrating CPAP (we tend to refer to auto CPAPs as APAPs). With your AutoSet pressure range from 5 cms to 10 cms w/a Ramp of 4 for 45 minutes, your AutoSet starts out at 4 cms of pressure and takes 45 minutes to work its way up to 5 cms of pressure. During that 45 minutes your AutoSet does not respond to or record any "events". The Ramp is usually set for the length of time it usually takes you to fall asleep. However, if you aren't getting enough pressure you will feel like you are suffocating and can't get enough air to breathe.
Once Ramp time has run out your AutoSet runs at 5 cms of pressure and gently raises pressure as needed to respond to any "event". W/a pressure range of 5-10 cms it can't provide more than 10 cms of pressure. However, it does try to compensate for a large mask or mouth leak by raising the pressure.
It is rather confusing. You say that you felt like you were suffocating (not getting enough air to breathe), but found it difficult to breathe out against the pressure and you then were afraid to breathe since you felt like you were filling up w/air (too much air to breathe comfortably).
I would strongly suggest that you take your AutoSet into the living or family room during the day or early evening, don your mask, turn your AutoSet on and get acclimated to it while you read a good book or magazine, work a jigsaw or crossword puzzle, watch TV, whatever. The idea is to use it whilst having something to occupy your mind from something besides "I've GOT to get to sleep".
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Judy, thanks for all the info. I may try and take the ramp off if I can figure it out tonight. I usually fall asleep in 5 minutes, my problem is that I don't stay asleep. I think the RT got confused when he set the ramp time at 45, I guess he felt since I also have insomnia, that I take a long time to fall asleep. He obviously wasn't paying attention, probably just wanted to go home as it was late.
Yes I was afraid to breathe since I felt all the air going into my stomach, not that it was too much air to breathe comfortably. I was extremely gassy all night. And I actually sit in my bed with the mask on and read for about half an hour before I go to sleep so I can get used to the mask and the breathing coordination -- breathing correctly doesn't come easily to me (I am a real shallow breather). I work during the day so I have no time to 'play' around with it before I go to bed. I have a long commute so I get home eat, and then get ready for bed as I try to be asleep by 9:30-10. On weekends I have been cleaning out my mom's house since she just recently passed.
I will just keep trying, as the sleep doctor said if I was compliant, it might cure my PTSD which he feels causes my insomnia. And I would do anything not to deal with that either.
Thanks again!
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