@ Nuance Pro Users

I've been using a Nuance Pro for a few months now but have never figured out how long to go before changing the pillows... been changing them once a month. Comparing one I've used a month vs a new one they look pretty identical but it seems at some point they just don't seal right.

Just wondering how long other users are going before changing out the pillows?

I am coming up on a year with my pillows. I do drop them in boiling water with baking soda in it every 3 months or so. Still sealing and working fine.

HoseCrusher wrote:I am coming up on a year with my pillows. I do drop them in boiling water with baking soda in it every 3 months or so. Still sealing and working fine.

Wow had no idea they lasted that long maybe I should try using them longer then.

I just posted the same question on another board and the response was twice a month. I've been using my first one for just over 3 weeks so I replaced mine today (although there didn't appear to be any wear and tear, it still looked just like new). Last week my sleep clinic/DME gave me two new pillows and told me to come back in two months so they seem to be fine with once a month.

It also depends on your insurance and what they will cover. I hear Medicare covers twice a month. Twice a month could get expensive without coverage.

novatom wrote:I just posted the same question on another board and the response was twice a month. I've been using my first one for just over 3 weeks so I replaced mine today (although there didn't appear to be any wear and tear, it still looked just like new). Last week my sleep clinic/DME gave me two new pillows and told me to come back in two months so they seem to be fine with once a month.

It also depends on your insurance and what they will cover. I hear Medicare covers twice a month. Twice a month could get expensive without coverage.

I do have Medicare and yes they do pay for two a month but I can get by with using one a month. I was just wondering if anyone stretched it out further than that.

novatom wrote:I just posted the same question on another board and the response was twice a month.\

it depends on who you answers you, engineers, or salespeople.

the engineers may say 6 months, the salespeople say 2 weeks, because $$$$.

replace 'em when there's a problem. I used my mirage quattro cushion for about 5 years... then I got a pillow mask to try... the ffm is still there for when I need it. I bought a spare cushion 5 years ago when I was new to this, listening to the "oh, must be replaced all the time" bs.... I never had to open the spare.

Hosecrusher- I was told not to boil my Nuance Pro pillows because they are gel and they might melt, so I had to change back to my Swift FX mask because I can't afford new Nuance pillows. They started leaking within a few months of use. Do your pillows melt at all when you drop them in boiling water? I miss my Nuance Pro mask but have lousy insurance, so I can't use it unless I can revive the pillows with boiling baking soda water. I have extra Swift Fx pillows and even those leak within days, sometimes hours of use. I also used my Swift LX for a few days before that cushion gave up the ghost with leaks.

For the original poster, a lot of people don't change their pillows or masks until the seal gives out, and then there are those of us who attempt to revive them with a drop in boiling water for about 15 minutes (pot not still on the heat source when you drop the pillows into the hot water) 'cause sometimes that helps to perk up a tired cushion and squeeze a few more weeks of use out of it. Some of us have crappy insurance and can't afford the co-pay or have the meet a high deductible to get new pillows/masks when needed. All pappers should have a back-up supply of at least one extra everything, since you never know when the hose or mask or filter currently in use is going to break, and if it breaks at night when the DME is closed and you have no back-up item to use, you will need to sleep in a recliner chair the rest of that night, or stay awake all night.

Oops, no one told me not to boil them...

I have done it several times and they are still working fine.

However...

The gel part has a green tint to it. Still soft and pliable but it has changed color a little.

I have been bringing the water to a boil, then drop the pillows in and let them boil for a few minutes, then I shut the heat off and rotate them in the water for a few more minutes, then take them out and I am done.

I didn't use the Nuance Pro long enough to get a feel for how long of a life they have but I bet I would get what I have always got with the other nasal pillows....most recently the AirFit P10 Nasal pillows that I started using in Jan 2014 I just retired them the last of October 2014....so 10 months using one set (I didn't even rotate them).
I think in most situations (with a few exceptions) most people can get a lot longer life out of these nasal pillows than their insurance allows replacement.

I am going on 11 months with the original P10 pillow, washed every day with baby shampoo. Going on two years with my climate line hose and humidifier tank, both washed weekly with baby shampoo. Everything gets soaked and washed monthly with Contol III.

I don't assume that everyone can get these extended usage times, but I think manufactures replacement schedules are profit driven, not based on real world usage.

I just began using the Nuance Pro Gel Pillow Mask. The gel reeks of the monomer used to make the polyurethane gel material. The vapor that comes from the gel surface is irritating to my nose and throat and I can taste it the morning. Anyone noticed this problem? Thx.

Waldo- you might try getting some Aromatic oil from CPAP.com. They have different fragrances, I prefer Clear and it opens my sinuses, it changes the odor of the air I get. You out the oil on a wafer they also sell and a little cardboard tray to hold it up, and leave it in front of the air vent on your CPAP machine. My allergies drive me crazy if I don't use it every night. Its about $25 for the oil, and I don't know much the little wafers and the cardboard stand cost anymore, you don't need to buy the wafers very often because they are reusable for a while. I probably buy a large bottle of Clear oil about every 6 months. They used to have a sample kit so you could try lots of different fragrances, I am not sure if they still have it. It was originally made & sold by Pur-Sleep and they used to sell it, but they now have CPAP.com stock it & sell it for them. Some people put Vicks on a cotton ball near the air vent, just don't put any Vicks or scented oil in your humidifier water. Good luck!

Update:

The night before last I had difficulty getting a proper seal while turning my head. I would get things just right, then would start leaking if I moved my head.

I decided that my pillows had reached the end of their life. This set lasted me about 14 months. I now plan to replace them every 6 months just to keep them fresh.

The gel ended up with a green tint. Originally it was blueish. This change was caused by me boiling the pillows from time to time. The cause of the leaks was because the tip of the pillows were no longer standing erect. They had caved in at a couple of places on each pillow. The new pillow seemed a lot softer so the old ones had lost some of their flexibility.

As always, your mileage may vary. I tend to over clean my equipment but don't know if that is a benefit or detriment. Still I think it was a pretty good run.