Newbie with questions.

[Flowerchild423]

Hi, Just starting on the cpap machine, I chose the nasal mask, it feels like I am trying to hard. My pressure starts out low, because my pressure through the night gets higher. I try to relax and think of different things, but my mind goes back to if I am breathing right. Any suggestions. Thank you

[hpm08161947]

I know what you are talking about. Mine ramps from 4-18 over 20 min. It has taken me about a month now, but pretty sure I am getting used to it. I suspect it might be easier for me if it ramped from 8-18. So I suppose it just takes time.

[billgamble]

You could do what I did and turn off the ramp and start with the pressure at its normal level right away. You just have to get used to the pressure. It's going to make you feel like it's filling up your lungs with air but that's what it's suppose to do. Lots of good advice on this blog and the people are great. Good luck!!

[jim22]

Welcome! The folks here are extremely helpful. The typical questions are: what machine are you using? What are your pressure settings? Are you using the ramp feature? 4 is very low, and 18 is very high. If your machine is an APAP, your doctor may have set the range from low to high wide like that to let the machine figure out what you need. If you have trouble because you don't have enough air at 4, you can adjust the low pressure up to 8 or so. Then the machine wont take so long to get to the pressure you actually need either. Try to fill out your profile info for us, including the equipment and setting.
Jim

[palerider]

but my mind goes back to if I am breathing right. Any suggestions. Thank you

the suggestion is to just forget about it.

you ARE breathing right... in, out, in, out, at your own rate... the machine will follow you, even if you might think occasionally that it's being contrary, just ignore it and it'll get with the program

[palerider]

I know what you are talking about. Mine ramps from 4-18 over 20 min. It has taken me about a month now, but pretty sure I am getting used to it. I suspect it might be easier for me if it ramped from 8-18. So I suppose it just takes time.

get a copy of the manual, and change the ramp start, it takes, literally, a minute

[Sheriff Buford]

I say turn the ramp off and leave that dang thing off. You'll eventually do it anyway.

Sheriff

[karen773208]

I'm new to CPAP, too, after completing just one month. It's a little frustrating sometimes in the beginning, but I can tell you for me it was totally worth it!
When I had my sleep study, I tried the nasal mask, and I actually almost had a panic attack with it! But they switched me to the nasal pillows, and I have found that they work great for me. I don't even notice the air blowing into my nose. I still have to remind myself to breathe in and out through my nose, but in the past week or so I've noticed that I don't have to concentrate on it as much. But I had to make myself not panic about it. Just breathe in and out, like palerider said, and eventually you will get used to it.
My machine is very quiet, and I can't sleep with quiet like that, so I always turn on a fan just to have some white noise, something else to listen to besides my breathing.
I will say that last night I felt like I couldn't get my nose pillows to be in the right position. I kept messing with them and getting more and more frustrated, and I finally just had to tell myself to stop it, I took the mask off and put it on again, and started breathing.. I was asleep in minutes.
It's a change for sure, but I used to really have issues with falling asleep at my job, and basically just going through my life tired. And after 30 days it's just not like that anymore!
Don't know if this helped any. Just wanted you to know that I understand what you are going through, and so do lots of others on here. Hang in there and keep in touch!