The short answer is no, and the longer answer is no, you can’t suffocate while using a CPAP machine. It is scientifically, and medically impossible to suffocate while wearing a CPAP mask, as there’s a valve on the side of the mask that continually lets in air from whatever room your machine is located in. The mask you’ll wear while you’re using a CPAP machine uses a combination of air from the machine and the world around you to help you, and your body regulate your breathing and treat your OSA.
The idea that someone using a CPAP machine could suffocate seems to have been born from urban mythology and is an extenuation and exaggeration of the very real possibility that someone who suffers from anxiety or claustrophobia, could end up having a mild panic attack while using a machine for the first time.
There isn’t even a remote possibility that you could end up being suffocated by your CPAP machine, but if it is something that you’re genuinely concerned, and worried about, don’t take our word for it. Speak to your doctor about it and they’ll happily explain how the machine works in great detail and show you how and why it’s impossible for it to suffocate you. If there was even a remote chance that it could happen, CPAP machines would never have been certified by the AMA (American Medical Association) and you certainly wouldn’t need a prescription to use one.