Throat closes during exhale

[terriergal]

a lot of us do actually have exhale resistance.  most of the machines measure something called flow limitation, and raise the pressure to reduce that.  but, the machine apparently only registers the flow limitation based on INHALE flow.  I have seen instances where registered flow limitation is zero, but the patient still complains that the airway collapses during exhale.

one solution is to set your minimum to the level you can tell you are not collapsing on exhale.  it is sort of a shot in the dark, because the parameters usually reported don't show you when you have adjusted correctly.

I will post a close up of an restricting exhale versus a normal exhale if I can find them, as an example. (by editing the post).

Hope you will be able to find some relief soon.  Getting SleepyHead or another software to visualize detailed flow may be a must to home in on best treatment.

Just going to ask this: does your throat close during exhale even when awake?

I am new here but I have the same problem. Yes, mine does, if i relax my throat.  I know I semi consciously open my throat on exhale sometimes when i am awake.  Sometimes it does it when I am upright, even.  I cannot talk and keep my nasal passages open when reclined,  I sound like my nose is blocked.

 I have the same trouble others have talked about during dental work too, I can't exhale very easily at all.

My sleeping positions are limited by neck arthritis also.  So I have comfortable position, or the ability to breathe, or neither, but rarely both. (except on my face with my head straight forward chin on neck roll so i can still breathe through my nose, which causes pressure sores in my mouth from my lips pressed on my teeth.... this also isn't comfortable on my neck for too long).

I am asking for a MAT positioning system out of desperation for nights I just cannot stomach the idea of putting the darn thing on (headache, stuffy nose, neck pain, or whatever) it allows you to be positioned comfortably on your stomach with your face on a cushion that is similar to a massage table's face cradle so you can breathe. They run about $160 so i hope it works.

[terriergal]

I am asking for a MAT positioning system out of desperation for nights I just cannot stomach the idea of putting the darn thing on (headache, stuffy nose, neck pain, or whatever) it allows you to be positioned comfortably on your stomach with your face on a cushion that is similar to a massage table's face cradle so you can breathe.  They run about $160 so i hope it works.

It didn't work - hard as a rock.  I do have a massage table with face cradle that's only slightly more comfortable. So I do use it on occasion to rest when i have a migraine or other bad headache, since I can't use CPAP when my head is throbbing.  And sometimes when I just can't get comfortable otherwise, I try the massage table.

[RichardVT]

My throat closes on exhale when I bring my chin down to my chest. Even while awake, if I’m exhaling and bring my head/chin down, it gets to the point where I cannot exhale.

I had to experiment to get the min/max pressures tweaked to prevent that. I found that 17.8 minimum eliminated it completely and adjusted the maximum to 19.2 as that was the highest I could make maximum before leakage occurred when my mask is adjusted for perfect fit at 17.8 minimum.