Do you switch between masks?

Fellow Night Warriors,

New to CPAP, I am. Maybe 3 weeks under my belt. But now, I'm getting red spots from chaffing on the bridge of my nose & around the sides of my nose from my FFM. I haven't been able to use a nasal mask w/chinstrap because the chinstrap is like a giant rubber band & I really can't sleep with it on. Do you recommend experimenting until I can find a 2nd mask in order to switch between 2 masks to avoid red/sore spots?

Does anyone use the Gecko or Boomerang nose pads? I haven't reached CPAP nirvana yet. Barely slept last night, but I got a decent night of sleep a few nights ago.

Thank you!

It doesn't take anything special, usually a bandaid will protect until your nose gets tough. Mole Skin works well for padding ask you RX. Maybe you are cranking the mask down too hard. I use a Comfort Gel, Nasal and FF mask both. Keep spares! Jim

I am a two-months new user of cpap therapy, and the first few weeks, I did just that - switched between two masks. My two were (are) the Airfit P10 nasal pillows and the Wisp nasal mask. Each had minor irritations but major benefits, so I switched back and forth, using each for several days at a time. I found that Lansinoh lanolin cream (found in the baby/breastfeeding section of stores, or online) helped the chafing I was experiencing. You need just a tiny bit. Now I am more permanently settled with the P10, but glad to know I can switch to the Wisp if I need to. I think it's a great idea to experiment with, and get used to, several different masks. I think that kind of flexibility -- being able to sleep well with more than one model mask -- will serve you well in the long term. Good luck with your therapy -- hang in there, keep working the problem. It really does get easier and you will feel better!

I don't switch between masks but many people do.
Do whatever works out best for you.

It's hard when first new to therapy to get a chance to try the available masks out there in hopes of finding a mask that doesn't cause a problem of some sort but if you can try something else...try it. You never know but something else might be a better option.

You are using the full face mask the F20....AirFit.
Did you know that there is a different type of cushion that will fit that frame and you might like it better. It's called the AirTouch and it's made with memory foam.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... -mask.html
Your DME might be able to get you just the replacement cushion so no need for a complete new mask package. Cpap.com doesn't have them yet but they are available if you look on the internet. I just got one to send overseas to someone wanting to try it.

Check with your DME about mask swapping...all the major mask manufacturers offer 30 days on their masks...now most of the time the DME will maybe let newbies swap once but that is because they are too lazy to do the paperwork for them to get credit for giving you another mask.
Your insurance will only pay for one mask per whatever the mask allowance might be with your insurance but the DMEs can get credit for any extra masks they give you that insurance won't pay for if they would just do the extra paperwork. Some will do it and some won't ....ask your DME.
They often make up their own rules and they can and will.

You might also look at the Amara View Full Face mask...nothing touches the bridge of the nose to cause problems.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... -mask.html
I have a big problem with any mask going across the bridge of my nose (long story) and the Amara View has been the only full face mask I could successfully sleep with. YMMV but might be worth looking at if you haven't seen it yet.

Finding the right mask is probably the hardest part to this whole cpap therapy process IMHO. We all have our own little individual preferences and needs and simply have to keep trying masks till we find one that clicks off all those preferences and needs without negatives.

You might also check into using a mask liner (you can buy them or make your own)...it might help with the lines on the face.
Sometimes the mask is too tight but sometimes it's just the person gets lines on their face really easy. I am one of those people. A wrinkle on the pillowcase will give me a line on my face if I lay my face on it.

I haven't heard much good to say about those Gecko type of gel pads. YMMV....everything in terms of cpap stuff comes with a big YMMV sticker.

There are lot of masks out there...I wouldn't "settle" for any mask that caused red marks or abrasions or discomfort but that is just me...no mask that fits properly to your face should ever do that and I would just keep trying something till I found something that suited me...but then I have little patience for stuff like that. I also don't hold to "the skin will toughen up" thing....we shouldn't have to develop scar tissue to wear a mask.
Now if using a mask liner or something along those lines makes the mask acceptable and you like the liner or whatever...then that's fine.
Mask liners are loved by many people but some people don't do well with them....another one of those YMMV things.

I have well over a dozen masks. I am almost 7 years into hose head land. I just got my newest SleepWeaver 3 D a week ago. I still have a brand new mask in reserve that I got at my 6 month mark. I liked the original but it irritated my nostrils and I switched to something I liked better. My favorites have been Circadiance SleepWeaver masks. I have every model they made. I also like the Wisp and the F&P 431 FFM. Most of the others are just waiting around for hell to freeze over before I use them again.

bwexler wrote:Most of the others are just waiting around for hell to freeze over before I use them again.

I got rid of those real fast. I hoard enough cpap stuff besides keeping masks that won't be used until hell freezes over. I refuse to have to use more than one plastic tote (and it's not small either) for my own personal stash.

I have only actually returned one mask to the DME (they let me try a new one for 60 days and keep swapping it until I find one I like) and that was the Wisp.
I used it for only 90 minutes and it was the longest 90 minutes of my life. but that is another story.
I swapped it out for another P10...wasn't up to anything else new at the time and I didn't want to abuse the swapping thing even though they encourage me to try new stuff if I want to.

Some stuff I have tried and kept thinking I might use it again but in reality I don't and I usually end up giving those away to someone who can better make use of it. I hate to see them go to waste.
Sometimes I loan them out...and ask for them back because I might want to play with them again..like the Brevida I tried. I loaned it out but I want to mess with the back strap a bit to see if I can make it work better. Since it involves surgery on the back strap I am willing to wait to get it back but I am not totally done with it yet.

If the F20 mask is causing red spots or sores on your nose, I would recommend you try the ResMed F10 mask. It is wider across the bridge of the nose than the F20 mask is. When I was using a mask that irritated my nose, I would use a piece of molesting on my nose at night. It can be purchased at Walmart or a drug store in the foot treatment area. It can also be purchased in large rolls on the internet. The first RT I worked with recommended it to me. She said her husband used it every night.

For some of us, "THE" mask is elusive, and we are forced to try anything, including alternating,
to make cpap work until, miraculously, the perfect mask is found.
I used a band aid on my nose because one mask needed a "break-in" period.
If a chin strap is torture, try a foam neck collar-- or even TAPE,
If plain tape is too scary, check out Chin up strips.

For me the secret was a mask liner. I could NOT tolerate having the rubber/silicone on my face. Buying a mask liner (Pad-A-Cheek) was the key to making it work. There is at least one company, Circadiance, that makes a cloth based mask called the Anew, but I have not tried it.

I'm a switcher. I switch between Dreamwear and Swift. When I have sinus problems, I use Circadiance SleepWeaver masks (nasal ones). I really love the Dreamwear but I sometimes get sore on the upper lip. When that starts to happen, I switch to the Swift. The Swift was my original mask. I set it aside for awhile and gave the P10 a good long try but had to give it up because the headband is simply too tight.

Petrodon wrote:For me the secret was a mask liner.

+1

WOW - thanks everyone! I made a list of all your suggestions.

This'll keep me busy for awhile

Will let you know if/when I find CPAP nirvana.