HumblePi
DP Veteran
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2018
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- Liberal
The VA gave me my sleep study, and sure enough, a few minutes in, they came in and tried to fit me with a C-PAP.
It triggered an immediate reaction which I can only describe as what I would imagine would be a reaction to being waterboarded.
I had no control over my airway, and it triggered a fight or flight reaction.
I would love it if I could find a C-PAP that had enough sophistication that it could detect my normal inhale-exhale cycle and just add a little bit of gentle assistance. The unit they tried on me felt like a vacuum cleaner.
I wish I could sit down with you as a consultant to navigate through the choices.
It sounds as though your pressure settings were too high. It's difficult at first because your mouth has to be closed in order for the CPAP to work. 'CPAP' stands for 'continuous positive airway pressure'. The pressure settings are actually a prescription that's determined by the sleep lab when the sleep study is done. The pressure should only be high enough to keep your airway open. You may have just needed a pressure setting adjustment. You could also try 'nasal pillows', they're less claustrophobic. But I've known many patients that only use a full face mask. I'll put the images here to see the differences. Finding the right mask for you is going to help with compliance of using it. Your respiratory company will help you try several types to see what fits best.