Full Masks

Im a full Masker. Currently using a Resmed airfit F-10. It leaks constantly. Drives me nuts. Im a side sleeper. Is this pretty much true for all full masks? I have an appointment to get refitted from my supplier but not sure what would work best for me. I think at this point its the leaks that more than anything that are disrupting my sleep. I am constantly adjusting it, the tightness, shifting it.

ANy suggsetions?

snostorm wrote:Im a full Masker. Currently using a Resmed airfit F-10. It leaks constantly. Drives me nuts. Im a side sleeper. Is this pretty much true for all full masks? I have an appointment to get refitted from my supplier but not sure what would work best for me. I think at this point its the leaks that more than anything that are disrupting my sleep. I am constantly adjusting it, the tightness, shifting it.

ANy suggsetions?

Maybe a different bed pillow is actually what you need.
Are you sure it's the right size?


Den

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sizing could be an issue...im a big dude and have a big head but she sized me as small face....I have woken up with my mouth open and the bottm lip on the out side of the mask.

snostorm wrote:sizing could be an issue...im a big dude and have a big head but she sized me as small face....I have woken up with my mouth open and the bottm lip on the out side of the mask.

Then you need to do something about that.

Den

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No... it is not like that for all full face mask. If you think you are a candidate for full face mask(s) (versus, nasal pillows, hybrids, total, etc...), then there is a full face mask out there that will fit you, be comfortable and not leak. The trick is finding the one for you. I get a kick outta some folks here that cannot understand why folks have trouble their mask - that's perfect for them. All our faces are different, so masks will fit everyone different. Your F10 is probably the most popular mask on the market, but that doesn't mean that the mask is for you. The only thing I can suggest:

- go to cpap.com and write down the names of the full face masks ranked by popularity
- go to your DME with your list and your pillow
- hook up a mask from the list, to a display cpap machine - set at your prescribed pressure
- tell everyone to get outta the way
- get on the floor and roll around (to see if one starts leaking) - measure the comfort-level
- know that you'll eventually find the mask that is perfect for you, but it will be a trial and error thang'

Sheriff

I have a Resmed Airfit F10. I got it a month ago and the DME hurriedly gave me a L size. I got the template from Resmed UK website and sized myself to be on the boundry of M and S. So I went back and got a M size. I have been sleeping very well with it. It didn't seem like it when I got it first but I sleep great with it and my peak unintentional leak is always less than 7L/min. I am an active side sleeper. I use a firm memory foam pillow and I keep the mask a bit loose. It works well. I also use homemade mask liners (cut out of an old worn out tshirt).

You need to give it 4 weeks and keep adjusting things until you get it right. Hang in there.

Another Airfit F10 user here, in a size small. Mine fits perfectly if my mouth is open -- I can flip from side to side just fine. If I close my mouth and breathe through my nose, it has to be perfectly placed or it either leaks out the top or out one or the other bottom corner. My next trick is to try a mask liner, and also try an x-small, although I suspect that's going to be too small. Also, I have to mess with the straps every week or so -- they do stretch slightly over time and the mask will eventually get too loose.

So, yes -- your mask shouldn't fit that badly. I go most nights with basically no leaks at all anyplace outside the vent holes.

My leaks are like 38 to 40L...my AHI last night was 2.8. Its been as high as 4 lately. I have been noticing dreaming lately though and people say I look different. I think therapy is working for me im 3 weeks in. If I can just solve this leak issue.....

snostorm wrote:My leaks are like 38 to 40L...my AHI last night was 2.8. Its been as high as 4 lately. I have been noticing dreaming lately though and people say I look different. I think therapy is working for me im 3 weeks in. If I can just solve this leak issue.....

What's your pressure setting? Do you have the leak rate graph for your mask? That leak rate is pretty "normal" for a pressure of about 10 - 12 cm of pressure. If you're using a range of pressures with an Auto, you'd need to look at your average pressure to see what it was and then do a little mental calculating.

Do you actually "feel" leaks from around the seals or are you just going by the numbers you're seeing?


Den

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I do feel the leaks my pressure is 14 but when I go into "efficiency data" on my resmed VPAP S it says like 11.8, 12. Not sure how that works unless it is calculating the pressure with the leak data.

snostorm wrote:I do feel the leaks my pressure is 14 but when I go into "efficiency data" on my resmed VPAP S it says like 11.8, 12. Not sure how that works unless it is calculating the pressure with the leak data.

If you're using EPR with a setting of about "3", that would make sense and calculate about right.


Den

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snostorm wrote:I do feel the leaks my pressure is 14 but when I go into "efficiency data" on my resmed VPAP S

snostorm wrote:My leaks are like 38 to 40L...

If your were using a Respironic machine that leak rate would be probably what we would expect to see because those machines report total leak which includes the vent rate

but for the ResMed machine what you are seeing reported is excess leak only as the machine removes a generic vent rate prior to reporting the leak.
ResMed says that leaks up to 24 L/min the machine can compensate for and above that number things start getting iffy and the farther you go the iffier it gets.
I assume you are reporting the 95% number which means at OR below that number for 95% of the night so we don't know how below you went or how long but it's high enough to sit up and take notice because over 30 L/min and the machine starts losing sensing ability.

In other words the leak graph itself needs to be evaluated to see just how much time you spent over 24 L/min...30 minutes probably isn't the end of the world but 2 or 3 hours might be.

yikes pretty confusing. But Im thrilled that I at least use the machine now. Last night I think I got like 9 hrs of sleep. I woke at 6 AM briefly and rolled over as it was Saturday for some extended sleep and woke again at 9 am...lol. But i do recall waking and adjusting the mask because of leaks through out the night.

You could also try using mask liners. They help with leaks as well as absorbing facial oils. While they don't eliminate leaks (nothing will eliminate them completely) they can tame and quiet them. For me, they were a game changer. I sleep through most of them, and rarely does a leak wake me... or if it does, I am able to get right back to sleep after a quick adjustment. If leaks do start waking me frequently, it's because the cushion is worn out and time to get a new cushion, which is about every 3 months. One thing that doesn't happen since I started using liners is that the noisy face farts are not present, and that alone was problematic for me when I started therapy in Feb. 2014. Go here for Pad-A-Cheek liners: http://www.padacheek.com , or for RemZzzs, go to https://www.cpap.com or your DME.