How can I be sure my mask is venting properly?

debstieb · Post by **debstieb** » Tue May 01, 2007 12:48 pm

I am using a fisher and paykel mask, and sometimes I feel that I am suffocatiing. I turned up the minimum pressure on the ramp setting from 4 to 6 and it seems a bit better. There does not seem to be much ventilation compared to other masks I tried, but this one is more comfortable than the others. Sometimes when I switch positions it seems to get better also........any suggestion would be greatly appreciated..

Deb

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue May 01, 2007 1:08 pm

Using the ramp is probably the problem, 4 cm is a failure mode, too low for comfort, my low pressure ia 11 cm, and some nights it feels too low. Unless someone has had your mask apart and put something together wrong it's probably venting ok. Jim

The ramp is just there to help people who can't take the air flow. I started at 14 cm no ramp, it gets you attention for 45 seconds, later in the night you wonder if the machine turned off.

WearyOne · Post by **WearyOne** » Tue May 01, 2007 2:18 pm

I used the ramp for about four days at the beginning and then stopped. It was taking me two hours to go to sleep anyway, so the ramp really wasn't helping. I feel like I'm suffocating at anything lower than 7 and my set pressure is 8.5.

I really think it's the lower pressure that was causing your problems. Four is really very low and most people seem to have a problem with it there.

Pam

bdp522 · Post by **bdp522** » Tue May 01, 2007 5:30 pm

I also started xpap using the ramp. After reading here that it isn't hard to get used to the pressure without using the ramp, I stopped using it. By the 3rd night I didn't even miss it!

Brenda