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[desiderata]

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[Julie]

Everyone's face is very different under the skin and without trying on various ones, how will he know which fits best? Does he mouth breathe when asleep? If so, he may need a full face mask and those need to be tried on lying down, plus any mask needs to be tried for size as well. Some DME's may let you try on a few or many, and when you're happy you've found the right one (for the moment, anyway) Cpap.com sells masks without a script if you're willing to do the assembly (they have graphs, etc. to help you with that). But expect to be not totally happy at first, most of us have gone through various ones over time.

[bonjour]

Mask size is important. Search of mask fitting guide or mask fitting template.


These are printable templates with sizing instructions. They will help with what size of mask.

As stated you have to try masks on. There is no substitute for this. I'm writing a Mask Primer. I'll post a new version shortly. Currently working on sizing templates.

That should help you through the process

[ChicagoGranny]

We can research a good machine (will probably post on that later)

There are three types of sleep apnea - obstructive, central and complex. Different types of machines are required. Around 90% of cases are obstructive. It is likely your partner has obstructive.

If he does have obstructive, forum members can save you some research by recommending one or two machines each by ResMed and Philips Respironics. They can also give you recommendations on finding a machine at a good price. I recently bought a used machine based on recommendations here and am very satisfied and expect to use it for years.

Several years ago my partner had a sleep study that diagnosed sleep apnea. Didn't followed through at that time, and doesn't remember getting a prescription.

Your partner should ask the sleep doctor for a copy of the prescription and a copy of the sleep study summary. The center is required by law to provide this. It's possible they say the prescription has expired and they will not give you a copy. But, the sleep study summary will give you the information you need.

[bonjour]

Please see this post

viewtopic/t115695/Mask-Primer.html

[desiderata]

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[Okie bipap]

Most DMEs will not let you try on a mask unless you have a prescription. As stated before, there are downloadable mask sizing guides available. You can find masks on Craig's List and eBay. I have found several masks on eBay. You can also find masks being sold by members of this forum. Others have been able to buy machines and masks on Amazon with out having a prescription. As you can see, there are several options for getting a mask, but I know of none where you can try on a mask without having a prescription.

[Pugsy]

When I say "you" here I am meaning your friend. It's just easier for me.

Trying various masks without a RX is going to be problematic because online vendors like cpap.com are going to require a RX on file.
Without a RX you are stuck with buying at places where they don't require a RX and while you can do that...sometimes the choices aren't as many. You can of course always buy the replacement parts individually and build your own mask because replacement parts don't require a RX. Down side is when you build a mask this way you can't utilize any return insurance that might be available.

My suggestion would see if the primary care doctor would at least write a RX for the cpap mask of patient's choice.
It doesn't have to be a RX from a sleep doctor..anyone who can legally write a RX for anything can write a RX for a cpap mask.
That way the market is more open with more choices and the advantage of having return insurance available to help with the costs if you end up with something that you absolutely hate and would rather return it.

Amazon is a potential source that doesn't seem to require a RX. Amazon has a lot of 3rd party sellers offering various cpap equipment from machines to masks and don't seem to require a RX to be on file with them...so you might look there for a machine as well.
I have seen some masks offered on Amazon...seems like what I have seen are the more popular masks. Not all models but enough models to get a person started.

As to which mask to start with.
Go to cpap.com and just take a stroll through the various mask types and individual models and see what interests you first. Note that a RX on file is needed to order from cpap.com for the complete mask packages. You can order individual replacement parts and build a complete mask without a RX but there is no return insurance available for this type of building your own mask. If you can get a RX from someone...the return insurance is sometimes free and sometimes at a low cost.
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks.php

If you normally can breathe through your nose just fine and don't need to mouth breathe because of some sort of nasal congestion that you just can't clear up and forces you to mouth breathe....start with the minimal masks because they are easiest to get and keep sealed. The smaller the area touching the skin needing to seal...the easier it is to keep sealed.
These minimal masks are the nasal pillow masks which probably have the least amount of area touching the skin and then the nasal cushion masks.

If nasal congestion presents a significant problem prohibiting nasal breathing and you pretty much breathe through your mouth all the time then a full face mask will need to be used. Otherwise too much therapy pressure gets lost out the mouth when we mouth breathe a lot with a nasal interface mask.

If mouth breathing is intermittent for various reasons and you just don't want a full face mask or would like to avoid one at least to start with. There are ways to limit the mouth breathing which could be explored while using a nasal mask.
Some people can successfully use one of the various ways to help keep the mouth closed and can stick with a nasal mask...some people can't.

You won't know what works for you until you try something.
When it comes to masks (and pretty much everything else in the cpap world) one man's trash is another man's treasure.
What works well for one person may work horribly for the next and while we can give you our opinions on something...there's no guarantee that you will end up with the same opinion.
We can offer our own pros and cons on some of the masks to help you potentially narrow your search and trials but in the end...you have to try something to know if it will work for you or not.

Finally I might have a couple of nasal masks you can have for cost of postage. They were donated by people who tried them and just didn't like them. So they have been used but very minimal usage. I don't remember off hand what I have available...look at cpap.com and if you spot something you would like to try send me a PM and tell me what it is and I will look to see what I have.
I don't have any nasal pillow masks at all. That I am sure of. So if that is where you want to start I can't help.
Those are always the first to go when they get donated.

Post by desiderata on Tue Feb 28, 2017 10:09 am
Will a DME let someone try on masks without a prescription in hand? Will they do this under pressure? Trying on masks without being hooked up to pressure seems only half-useful.

No..they won't even talk to you with a RX.

[LoBattery]

This is a major problem. In my sleep study I was only offered three choices. Fortunately one was Dreamwear, I would not have succeeded without that. Still, I think there might be a better mask out there for me. Certainly this is a major factor in the success rate for CPAP, but is pretty much ignored by the medical sector.