Ok, I'm turning here for help. there is just no way this is how this was intended to work. I have tried readjusting/refitting multiple times with no luck. Any time I put it on, and ramp starts to kick in, this thing blows my mouth open like a dog on a highway. When it first starts, breathing is perfect. Exactly what I'm looking for, when I breath in the air flows, breath out and it exhausts from anti-asphyxia vents. But once again the ramp starts to kick in, the anti-asphyxia vents are forced open, and a constant stream of air builds up so strong it forces my cheeks to the side of the mask and my face is blown out. Trying to exhale is a joke, and air is not expelled through the vents. The pressure is beyond overwhelming and I have to rip the darn thing off gasping for air. It was not like this in the clinic when they had me try it, so something I must be missing. My pressure was prescribed to me at 12, and I normally use nasal pillows. But during cold and allergy seasons, I need something different. I have turned down the pressure to 10 and raised the ramp time, even set ramp to auto. Nothing seems to help keep the anti-asphyxia valve from working like it should. I'm literally being suffocated by too much air. Any clues tips or tricks would be wonderful. I'm desperate. This is exactly what I feel like.(http://giphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com/media/OFIsBxe3v7mKI/giphy.gif)
I'm having a similar problem with my new mask which is the Resmed F20. I'm recently diagnosed with Central and a little bit of Obstructive and recieved a Phillips DreamStation Auto-Pap with a range of 5-15. Once it gets over 10 my face just turns into 'chipmunk cheeks'. When I called respiratory they said it was from the pressure and I have an appointment to change masks, in the meantime I'm stuck with this one and have to do 4 hrs a day of use to satisfy insurance. I'm trying tonight to breathe through my nose and see if it helps. I think someone really messed up on the design of these, I thought maybe the F30 would be better when looking at alternatives.
I struggled for decades with various masks. I would begin the night with good intentions only to find my mask on the floor or elsewhere in the bed when I woke. My bed also looked like a warzone. My CPAP was on a pre-set setting. A friend told me to try setting the machine to automatic on all possible settings. This has changed my world. My sleep scores which really never existed before have just to great scores of 80-90 most nights. I think I was unconsciously doing exactly what you describe because of the set number. The automatic settings adjust to my needs throughout the night.