Feeling of suffocation with CPAP. Normal????

Well, I had to get the CPAP after all. Good news is that I am renting it at $20 a month. YAY!  Anyways, I have the nasal pillows and I tried wearing it the first night and I felt like I was suffocating.  I inhaled in okay but when I tried to exhale through my nose I felt like I couldn't get the air out because there was a constant flow of air pushing it all back in.  I wore it for about an hour and then I couldn't take it anymore.  I am a mouth breather normally and I asked the respiratory therapist if I should have a mask and he said to try the nasal pillows first.  How long should I try the nasal pillows?   Is what I am experiencing normal? All he said was that it would take about 2-3 weeks to get used to it.  I seriously felt like I couldn't breathe. 

your reaction to the cpap is not an uncommon one.   Are you using the "ramp" feature on your machine?   it gives you a lesser pressure when you first put the mask on, and gradually increases over a period of about 20 minutes or whatever it is set for.   You can repeat the ramp feature as many times as you need, it is designed to allow you to fall asleep before the full pressure comes on so you are not as aware of breathing against it.  

If you are usually a mouth breather at night I'm kind of surprised they did not fit you with a "full" face mask.  They must have supplied you with a chin strap, feeling that would be effective instead.  

Good luck with your cpap, if you need help or have questions feel free to message me, I've been using cpap for about 20 years and may be able to give you some suggestions for a better experience.

Lizzie S in OR

I didnt know anything about the ramp feature.  I will look into that!  Thanks!

I have the nasal pillows for my C-Pap too.  It is supposed to be less intrusive on your face.  I am a mouth breather too so I thought I would have issues too but I really did not.  I agree with the poster above.  Make sure your C-Pap is set up to start slow to give you time to fall asleep first. 

No chin strap needed.

I didnt like the nasal pads, I have the mask for over the nose and I love it , cannot even nap without it, took me a good 2 mos to get used to it. That was 2,years ago and I can't sleep without it, good luck it does get better

I was a mouth breather too.  It may take a few tries to find the mask you like.  My first one wasn't that comfortable.  Then I tried the nasal pillows and I like those until they started irritating the skin under my nose.  My third try is a mask and I love it (not full face, do not think I would like that, I feel it would be too claustrophobic).   Couple of questions..... Do you have a warm air humidifier built in your machine?   Also, my sleep Dr. gave me a sleeping pill (said non addictive, ambien)  and said I could take my clonozapam I took already to sleep.  I've had insomnia for years  but I've never slept as good as I do now!   

Also she gave me a prescription for a nasal spray  to use before bed.  She said I may still need my Cpap after I lose weight, skinny people need them, which is fine with me.   I wish I had listened to my doctors years ago and gotten the sleep study, but I thought it was a money making thing.

It has a humidifier in it.  I thought that might be part of the problem.  I turned it up so that the air was warmer. 

That is good you figured it out 

Hi

 

I had the same problem when I first had my cpap!  It was hard to get used to.  My husband got the cpap a few weeks after me and he had a tech come to our house to set up his machine so I was telling him how I had a very hard time with breathing out...it was like I was fighting to get my air out....so he told me you can set the machine to decrease the pressure while you breath out...he set it up for me and I don't know how to do it....but it was so much better...no more fighting to get my air out!!  Maybe you can figure out how to adjust the machine.  I hope everything works out for you!  

My doctor set at the office and can adjust from the office if need be.  My machine also starts in a slower mode the first 20 min (which I can extend f I want, but haven't had to).