Had my first go at the CPAP last night (I did not wear one during my sleep study, so this really was the FIRST go!). I noticed a couple of problems and I'm wondering if they're just typical newbie problems or if I should call my supply provider to try other options. I love the feel of the nose mask, it's really unobtrusive, so I hope I don't have to switch.
1. When the machine is running, I feel like air and drool build up a lot in my mouth, which of course has to stay closed. It's rather uncomfortable, but not unbearable....but then, I didn't sleep with it for the whole night my first try either
2. I kept experiencing the sensation of needing to yawn, or needing to take a really big breath that I couldn't quite catch through my nose. I'm on Autoset right now (pressure range 5-15) so the machine is supposed to match what I need at any given time. I couldn't tell if I really wasn't getting enough air, or if it was just psychosomatic, or possibly a reaction to breathing only through my nose (which I had stopped doing due to the apnea episodes). The thing I noticed most happened when I would drift off. The pressure would ramp up when my airways closed, and this would wake me up with a start (obviously, since I"m not used to it yet) but when I would wake up, I would feel the urge to take a couple more BIG breaths. It was almost the same feeling I used to get when I would wake from an apnea episode not breathing, except I know the machine was working because I could feel it.
Is this just a sensation that I'm feeling because I'm not used to it yet? Or am I really not getting enough air (hard to see how that's possible on an Autoset machine). I tried dialing down the A-Flex so the pressure was more continuous; helped very slightly, but at that point I was so awake that I gave up for the night anyway.
Thanks for any insights. You guys are great.