CPAP Not For Me

[Peaceful sleeper]

Rockncountry, the other posters are right, but they've neglected to mention some things that might help. Do you know about mask liners? I could not control my leaks with my FF mask, but when I learned about those from the kind people here, I ordered some, and by golly, they were a game changer for me! Headgear adjustments can also help with leaks, because if it's too loose or too tight, you will have leaks. If the straps bother you or leave marks on your face, strap covers will make a difference in comfort too. You may need a different mask, FF vs. Nasal vs. Pillows... or a different style of what you are currently using... I forget which you said you were using. Some people have to try many masks before they find the right one...

It takes perseverance to master this thing called CPAP, and it's partly because when you first start using it, it is an alien on your face... takes time for your brain to recognize it, but it's only going to work when you've worked out the kinks; the first thing you need to do is figure out what the kinks are and how to fix them.

PadACheek has excellent mask liners and strap covers; go to http://www.padacheek.com. Another good mask liner is RemZzzs, available from many DMEs or from the sponsors of our forum, at https://www.cpap.com. I've tried both of these with success, but I'm more comfortable with RemZzzs; the fabric is different, and so is the style but the style isn't as important to me as the fabric.

Rockncountry,
What Librarylady says is true. A good mask liner can make a huge difference! One of my first posts on this board was about leaks and mask troubles disrupting my attempts to sleep. That was a few weeks ago now. After I posted, though, one of the folks here suggested a mask liner. I decided to try Remzzz's and got them in the mail a couple of days later. They made a MAJOR difference in my experience. No more whistling and strange noises blowing up from under the mask. No more blown out eyes in the morning from the leaks. The liners work great! Others here recommend padacheek. It looks like a good product, as well.
One thing about remzzz's though. Read the directions and then read them again. It's important to pull it taught once you have your mask on. The first night I forgot that and woke up with half of it in my mouth part way through the night. It went in the trash immediately and the next night I read the directions again. Adjusted it properly and have had no problems since. They are kind of expensive but I have been able to make one last a week. It is washable and I throw it in my CPAP dryer every couple of days. By the end of the week, though, it is stretched out a bit too much to continue on. Great product. I would not be without it.
I have been using the CPAP for almost a month. Every day gets a bit better!
Best wishes!

[library lady]

.

library lady - do you know how the RemZzzs compare to the Boomerang Gel Pads? I had thought the gel would give the best protection but still got sores when using it with my Wisp mask.

curems - I've not used any gel pads. Remzzzs is just a thin piece of cloth that covers the edges of the cushion. Nothing like padding, but a barrier between skin/cushion. I've actually started cutting my own liners to the shape of RemZzzs, from old t-shirts... I still have a bunch of unused RemZzzs that I pull out when another gets worn to a frazzle, so that stray fabric ends start to tickle me. Takes a long time for that to happen, they are pretty sturdy. RemZzzs instructions say to use them only once, then throw them away... but I wear them once, then put into a mesh wash bag and put them in the laundry, lay them flat to dry and then iron to keep their shape.

[library lady]

Rockncountry, the other posters are right, but they've neglected to mention some things that might help. Do you know about mask liners? I could not control my leaks with my FF mask, but when I learned about those from the kind people here, I ordered some, and by golly, they were a game changer for me! Headgear adjustments can also help with leaks, because if it's too loose or too tight, you will have leaks. If the straps bother you or leave marks on your face, strap covers will make a difference in comfort too. You may need a different mask, FF vs. Nasal vs. Pillows... or a different style of what you are currently using... I forget which you said you were using. Some people have to try many masks before they find the right one...

It takes perseverance to master this thing called CPAP, and it's partly because when you first start using it, it is an alien on your face... takes time for your brain to recognize it, but it's only going to work when you've worked out the kinks; the first thing you need to do is figure out what the kinks are and how to fix them.

PadACheek has excellent mask liners and strap covers; go to http://www.padacheek.com. Another good mask liner is RemZzzs, available from many DMEs or from the sponsors of our forum, at https://www.cpap.com. I've tried both of these with success, but I'm more comfortable with RemZzzs; the fabric is different, and so is the style but the style isn't as important to me as the fabric.

Rockncountry,
What Librarylady says is true. A good mask liner can make a huge difference! One of my first posts on this board was about leaks and mask troubles disrupting my attempts to sleep. That was a few weeks ago now. After I posted, though, one of the folks here suggested a mask liner. I decided to try Remzzz's and got them in the mail a couple of days later. They made a MAJOR difference in my experience. No more whistling and strange noises blowing up from under the mask. No more blown out eyes in the morning from the leaks. The liners work great! Others here recommend padacheek. It looks like a good product, as well.
One thing about remzzz's though. Read the directions and then read them again. It's important to pull it taught once you have your mask on. The first night I forgot that and woke up with half of it in my mouth part way through the night. It went in the trash immediately and the next night I read the directions again. Adjusted it properly and have had no problems since. They are kind of expensive but I have been able to make one last a week. It is washable and I throw it in my CPAP dryer every couple of days. By the end of the week, though, it is stretched out a bit too much to continue on. Great product. I would not be without it.
I have been using the CPAP for almost a month. Every day gets a bit better!
Best wishes!

Peaceful Sleeper, I wash my RemZzzs in a mesh wash bag with my laundry, lay them flat to dry, then iron them. Not only do they seem to retain their shape better, but ironing makes the need to "stretch" them out less necessary. I position the liner on the cushion, put my face down on the mask and fasten the headgear. I haven't bought any new liners in about a year, and they are still going strong. I've also experimented with success at making my own from a t-shirt I bought at Goodwill. No sewing needed.

One thought -I don't know what mask you use, but mine is a FF and if you use a nasal or pillows that might make it harder to position a liner without needing to pull it out a bit.

[Sir NoddinOff]

Takes a long time for that to happen, they are pretty sturdy. RemZzzs instructions say to use them only once, then throw them away... but I wear them once, then put into a mesh wash bag and put them in the laundry, lay them flat to dry and then iron to keep their shape.

I wash used Remzzz in a laundry bag too. I don't bother to iron them, I just put a couple of clean dinner plates on the kitchen table and then take the Remzzz out of the washing machine (no dryer) and spread them out flat on the plates, each plate holds about six Remzzz. In half a day they dry flat and don't require any ironing. Once dry, I stack them in a pile and put a heavy flat object like a book on top to keep the edges from curling. I just lift up the book and pull out a clean Remzzz. I've been using the same 30 for at least a year. Probably time to buy some more

One other thing I forgot to mention: I don't wash my used Remzzz every day. What I do every morning is use a squirt bottle of rubbing alcohol on the one I just used, I get the cloth wet, then pat up the any drips with a paper towel. Again, I flatten it on a tiny plate on my bedstand and the alcohol drys out in a few hours. This gets me by for about three of four days on one Remzzz - then they go in the washing machine. It takes me less than 20 seconds every morning. I think why some people's Remzzzs get threadbare and frayed is because going thru too many wash cycles in a machine wears them out. Like I said, mine last a year or so. BTW, Remzzz are cut from baby jersey cloth made of cotton, they are very soft and comfortable. I think Remzzz company is still offering free samples.