Silicone, Hybrid, Nasal Pillows, Pantyhose and Sweaty Chin!

[birdshell]

I have recently switched to the Hybrid mask to see if it would cause a silicone contact dermatitis. The Breeze DreamSeal (which I came to REALLY like) and the ComfortLite 2 Direct Seal (which explains the irritated nares) both did so.
So far, so good with the Hybrid silicone.

My problem has been the nasal pillows reaching and sealing to the farthest tips of my nares. Now, don't ask me why this happens because my nares are not that big and my nose is smaller than many. However, those nares are slotted, so maybe I need a more slotted set of nasal pillows? Until the mask suppliers figure that there is another need, I am probably out of luck in that department.

I tried the lanolin coating that had worked so well with my CL 2 Direct Seal; that lanolin may have prevented a large part of the irritation from the silicone sensitivity with that interface. Some things are just meant to be, aren't they?

Anyway, I was reading on the forum recently and someone suggested a pantyhose strap to help stabilize and increase contact with another mask's nasal pillows, possibly the Swift. I decided that sounded like a good thing to try, having known of the many applications for Rested Gal's straps made from tights. However, the tights leg was too much; I was in danger of either carbon monoxide poisoning OR blindness from the shifting of the strap over the exhaust holes or my eyes.

Thus, I thought of the many pairs of unused pantyhose in my drawers and tried cutting off the leg of one of those. Putting this lighter strap of pantyhose just under the tip of my nares with the nasal pillows trapped, too, and tying the starter knot higher up on the back of my head was a winner. The whole Hybrid mask seems to be stabilized and there is no danger of blindness or the unheralded slippage into CO obliviousness.

Next experiment: taping the chin flap up as a precursor to performing a chin-flap-ectomy. The whole thing feels so stable WITH the REAL pantyhose strap AND the chin flap that I hate to cut the thing off prematurely.

Should the chin flap be essential to the stability, the next thing will be a Pad-a-Chin of some type to avoid that sweaty chin. It is starting to appear that the forces of the universe are meeting in the conference room to make me sleep with a sweaty chin in the summer. Last summer, it was the sweaty and rubbery smelling Tiara Ruby chin strap that did the dirty, hot deed.

I shall keep everyone posted on the progress of this great experiment in xPAPping. The only snafu now would be developing a silicone sensitivity to the Hybrid cushion and nasal pillows.

[Catnapper]

Hi birdshell

I have read before that you use milk of magnesia to prevent the tape on your mouth from injuring your skin. Would that help with the silicone irritation too? How about during the day trying that to see if the mask can make a good enough seal with it? It may provide just enough protection to your skin to prevent the silicone contact irritation.

[birdshell]

Wow, what a great idea! Thank you for that observation.

My only concern is that whenever I've had the offending masks on, I have also had respiratory symptoms (sore throat, coughing, phlegm, itchy and runny nose, watering eyes) for a day or so afterward.

It is tough to put milk of magnesia into the lungs.... Doesn't that interfere with the absorption of oxygen?

Still, what a great thought and one that I had totally overlooked. It would certainly solve the problem of contact as well as allowing a seal to be established. In fact, I think the lanolin on the DirectSeal did mask the sensitivity that I was developing by forming a barrier.

I may have to try it just for the sake of interest. I hope this will help someone else. The more we think together, the happier we will all be. Thank you, Joanie!

[roster]

Here are some instructions that worked well for me in getting the Hybrid sized and adjusted properly. They assume the chin flap is cut off or taped up.

viewtopic.php?t=14422&highlight=

[birdshell]

Thank you, rooster.

I have used some of those tips, but will need to do more. I had done all the reading about the Hybrid and wanted to try one. It took a while for me to get mine and I was then trying to find the hints, tips, and fixes that had been posted.

I had tried to search for that posting lately, but hadn't sorted out which of myriad that popped up that one might be. Had I recalled that it was authored by a relative, so to speak, it would have been easier.

Rooster, are you my dad? --birdshell

So far, I have been using the Large cushion with chin flap, and medium nasal pillows cut apart. Trying the other sizes just hasn't seemed to be as comfortable, and taping the chin flap out of the way made the whole thing feel as if it would shift. It certainly feels more stable with the chin flap to me, although the sweaty chin is still a problem.

Thanks again.

Karen

[roster]

[quote="birdshell"]......

Rooster, are you my dad? --birdshell

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