Feeling of drowning

I was recently diagnosed with sleep Apnea. I have the ResMed Air10 with the full face mask. It starts at a low air flow which is tolerable. My question is that when I'm sleeping sometimes I will get a blast of air pressure so strong that it pushes my lips and gives me the feeling of drowning. It feels like I can't catch my breath. Thanks for any advice or input. BJV

Hi @BJV2016. It sounds like your machine is ramping up to a prescribed pressure (or range of pressures if you are on APAP) during the night in order to keep your airway open. Do you think it is the air pressure that is waking you up, or do you think that because you are waking up you are more aware of the pressure? Do you know if you are on CPAP, APAP or some other therapy? For patients who are new to CPAP, it can sometimes take time to adjust to the feeling of the air pressure when you wake up and experience the pressure at a high level. Practice slowly breathing in and out can help with this. You might also ask your equipment provider if they have pressure relief turned on. The ResMed machines can be set to offer a bit of relief during exhalation to help with the feeling of excessive positive air pressure. Hope this helps, and please post any additional information you think might be helpful! -Dan