What is UP with CPAP masks?! (Venting)

I try the Nasal Aire II, works great. Use it again the next night, works great. Use it again the next night, nose is so sore in the morning that I can't even touch it.

Switch to the Quattro, works great. Use it again the next night, works great. Use it again the next night and wake up with the seals flapping in the breeze, sounds like a motorboat putting along.

Switch to the Ultra Mirage, works great. Use it again the next night, works great. Use it again the next night and feel like an elephant is sitting on my face.

Back to the NA II, repeat ad infinitum.

It's not such a big deal to keep rotating them, but sheesh...why don't they just ALWAYS work? Surely my face doesn't change that much from one night to the next

When did you change your filter on your cpap machine last?

Catnap wrote:
It's not such a big deal to keep rotating them, but sheesh...why don't they just ALWAYS work? Surely my face doesn't change that much from one night to the next

Hi

If changing the mask after every second night works, then the problem is the masks,

If changing the mask every second night does not work, then it may well be something else.

You could also check if you are doing something different every 3rd day.

Hope this helps.

cheers

Mars

Stick with the nasal mask for a week and see if your nose does not toughen up and get used to it.

Use some lanolin cream to prevent sore nares. I absolutely swear by the stuff. I decided to tough it out one night and my nares felt bruised the next day. Stuff works REALLY well.

I used to rotate among about 4 masks and each one seemed to start leaking like crazy after about 4-5 days. If I switched, it was ok. So I started switching whenever I had two nights in a row with problems (and no, my mask wasn't old enough to ditch and I always clean it every night and used to use KY gel). After awhile, I started going a little longer with each mask until eventually the problem seems to have disappeared or at least lessened.

In the process, there were a few things I found:

CL2 mask: it's easy to get the nasal pillows brace bent which affects the seal -- so I always keep a spare. How I adjust the headgear does matter.
Breeze nasal pillows: since the pillows are inserted "free-form", I sometimes don't get them in at the same angle
Quattro: woke me up in the middle of the night with "mask farts" and did a number on my skin .... until I tried the padacheek, moleskin and now added the REMzzz's.
Nasal-Aire II: haven't decided on this one yet

Mindy

sagesteve wrote:When did you change your filter on your cpap machine last?

How would this cause mask issues? Thanks for the reminder, though; changed it this morning.

mars wrote:If changing the mask after every second night works, then the problem is the masks, If changing the mask every second night does not work, then it may well be something else. You could also check if you are doing something different every 3rd day.

It's not literally every second or third night (poetic license ), but it is a regular pattern -- works for awhile, then develops problems.

snoregirl wrote:Stick with the nasal mask for a week and see if your nose does not toughen up and get used to it.

So far, I'm unable to try this. I used it a night or two, got sore, stopped, used it for a night or two, and so on, until after using it for three nights in a row, the cannula irritated the nasal mucosa so badly that I developed an infection (breaks in the mucosa allowed bacteria to get in). Under a doctor's care for this right now, actually.

ChrisC wrote:Use some lanolin cream to prevent sore nares. I absolutely swear by the stuff. I decided to tough it out one night and my nares felt bruised the next day. Stuff works REALLY well.

I don't know if this would work with the Nasal Aire II, which has a cannula that goes inside the nose (not nasal pillows). My experience when I was using it was that any product in/near my nose caused the cannula to leak and pop out. Granted, I wasn't using lanolin, but other products in an attempt so soothe my nose.

I like the Nasal Aire II and really hope I'll be able to start working with it again after the infection clears up. I like the Quattro, too, but it seems to be a lost cause at this point; it's the one that begins to leak most readily. I suspect that it leaks every night, as I often seem to feel less rested after using it. Have just ordered a data-capable machine, which will definitely help me work this all out. I appreciate everyone's input!

Mindy, re:Breeze. What do mean by 'free form'? The plenum locks in place and the pillows are directional as to the shape/angle of your nares. The only part I readjust is the position of the pillows after wiping them in the morning.

Guest wrote:Mindy, re:Breeze. What do mean by 'free form'? The plenum locks in place and the pillows are directional as to the shape/angle of your nares. The only part I readjust is the position of the pillows after wiping them in the morning.

By "free form", I mean that the pillows themselves are in 2 separate pieces (as compared to, for example, the Swift II or CL2 which are a one-piece assembly). I take the pillows out of the plenum to clean them. I'm on immunosuppressants and need to be very careful about cleaning.

Mindy