mask fitting

I have had some upper lip disscomfort and i have talked to a few people and they told me that i need to get refitted. I never realy got fitted, they called it a fitting but they just gave me a mask. is there a fitting i should know about? What they gave me was a fisher & paykel flex fit mask and called that good i guess. Should i expect more

when I went for my sleep study ,the tech made the mask I wanted too tight so it's not the one I went home with ,however when I was due for a new mask ,I had them send me the original one that I wanted ,I adjusted it myself and am still using it ,even though the head gear needs replaced. try loosening it up a little ,not too much or you'll get all kinds of leaks ,just al little bit and see what happens ,you have to experiment with it a little ,good luck!

Wow, Jersey Girl...you have a super cooperative, good DME to work with. That's great that they let you try so many masks and continues to let you try others that you're interested in as time goes along. Sounds like a most unusual DME. A real "good'un"!!

The right mask is the #1 key to being able to "do" CPAP therapy, imho. I'd venture a guess that most CPAP therapy drop-outs are because of uncomfortable, even painful, masks that don't allow the person to sleep. If every DME were as helpful about masks as Jersey Girl's DME is, more people would be able to stick with CPAP treatment.

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Jonesy, welcome to the board!

If a mask suits you "ok" and you like it, but there are little problems about the mask... check out the Lab Rat fixes:
LINKS to Lab Rat Trophy awards
viewtopic.php?t=15104

Look at fixes even for masks not like yours. Sometimes a fix for another brand or type of mask entirely can be adapted to what you're trying to "fix" on your own mask.

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Hanging the main air hose overhead to keep it from tugging on your mask when you toss 'n turn can help:

LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose
viewtopic.php?t=10640

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Here's a link to Mile High Sleeper's great article about masks and mask fitting:

http://smart-sleep-apnea.blogspot.com/2 ... oices.html

About halfway down the page at that link is her advice about how a proper mask fitting should be conducted at the DME's office.

They should let you try the mask out while lying down in your normal sleeping position(s) AND while using a CPAP machine blowing your prescribed pressure.

I'd take an old sheet and my pillow to the mask fitting appointment. If the DME doesn't have a bed or couch you can lie down on to put the mask through its paces, I'd put the old sheet and my pillow on the floor and lie down right there. Yes, on the floor! In front of God and everyone! Getting a mask fitted right is too important to let dignity stand in the way.

You're there where a treasure trove of masks are! Take full advantage of trying out as many masks as they'll let you. Trying them out in YOUR sleeping positions. Not just sitting up in a chair.

Have a notebook and pen with you. Jot down the brand, model, and size of each mask you try on, EVEN IF it's one you don't like. It can be useful later to have as much info as possible about each mask...even for the ones that didn't work for you.

Good luck!