Reading the posts here on the boards I notice some ppl might wonder about what it's like to breathe pressurized air all night long. My experience has been as such: I always put my mask on and then start my CPAP machine right up at full pressure. At first it's a bit awkward exhaling against pressure, but if I take a few deep breaths and exhale it helps. Usually within the first two minutes my lungs get used to the change and I don't notice the pressure anymore. Every morning when I wake up I find I'm respiring completely normally and were it not for my mask on my face I wouldn't even know I was breathing pressurized air. So, for me anyways, breathing the higher pressure air is pretty much a non-issue.

Anyone else care to comment for the "newbies" out there?

You know, that's exactly how I fell.

When I first started (3 weeks ago) I had to use the ramp up setting to get on it. Now I can put it straight on with full strength and take a couple of breaths and I'm fine.

Lynne

I think it's much easier to do this with a mask than a nasal intface where the air is more concentrated.

I am still pretty new -- 1 month, but I HAVE to use the ramp feature, I feel like a fan is blowing in my face at high speed if I try to put the mask on at full pressure (and mine's only 8 cm).

Ramping is the answer for me and I'm usually asleep before it hits 8. But if I awake during the night, I have to turn on the ramp again to fall back asleep.

Different strokes for different folks I guess... thank goodness for the ramp feature for me right now... maybe in the future, it won't bother me as much. Right now, it's nice to have the option.

I too have to use the ramp feataure on my CPAP, as I very senstive to pressure in my nose. I am on 8cms as well but it seem that my machine is doing more then 8cms at times, as I often catch it with 5 lights on, instead of they usual 4 lights on [rectangle lights] I wonder if my CPAP's mulfunctioning or not.

But I use the ramp and I too sleep like a baby......I sleep long heavy and soundly, alot better before I started the CPAP treament for sleep apeona. I like wearing the mask, but after a few days the mask gets a bit stinky! I have to wash it before I get it put back on my face after 3-4 day's time.

I am another so called "Hose head" OR in my terms, "Snorkle mask user".

Is a mask easier to breathe with when compared to a nasal system as far as the strong air flow?

I never was able to use the Ramp feature on my REMstar Pro with C-Flex. So I turn it on straight to the pressure prescribed for me. It's not a struggle too long with the C-Flex feature turned on.

As I said before I don't use the ramp up anymore. I tried last week to use it, I felt like... really wierd. I do notice that my cat likes to sit in front of me and breath the air coming out the exhale hole (at full strength) whenever I let him...very strange.

Lynne

No ramp for me anymore, full blast, it makes my Activa seal up nice, like a parachute opening.