??????

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
turion68

??????

Post by turion68 » Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:34 pm

Ok so I have been on CPAP for 6 months and have found out that I am a mouth breather and i need pretty high pressure, avg 18cm. I am just starting on my journey with CPAP and at the moment I am using the Respironics FitLife mask, as a standard FFM did not seem suitable for me due to leaks and facial sores. The FitLife is working and My AHI has gone from 80 to 1. Fantastic and I feel so much better for it so why would I want to change anything? I look like Al Capone in the morning when I remove the mask and it takes at least 4 hours before it disappears. I have looked into the Oracle mask due to being a mouth breather but have heard a lot of negative reviews, so I was wondering , can I take the Hybrid mask and just block off the nasal pillows. I can then get the therapy orally if I use a nasal clip. Is this feasible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

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chunkyfrog
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Re: ??????

Post by chunkyfrog » Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:48 pm

Are you aware that Pad a cheek.com makes a soft fleece liner for this mask?
Protecting your skin is worth a try.
The liner for the Fitlife is not shown, but you can contact Karen for details/ordering.
http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Maskliners.html

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Julie
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Re: ??????

Post by Julie » Fri Mar 27, 2015 5:57 pm

And are you sure you're not overtightening trying to stop leaks? Doing that can actually create new ones...

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chunkyfrog
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Re: ??????

Post by chunkyfrog » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:14 pm

Good catch, Julie!
Turion68, have you read the blog on "Taming the Mirage Quattro"?
The fitting advice there is applicable for many masks, including yours.

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Re: ??????

Post by Goofproof » Fri Mar 27, 2015 7:15 pm

Which Al Capone, do you look like in the morning. Before death or now, I would chose before. Jim
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LSAT
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Re: ??????

Post by LSAT » Fri Mar 27, 2015 8:31 pm

turion68 wrote:Ok so I have been on CPAP for 6 months and have found out that I am a mouth breather and i need pretty high pressure, avg 18cm. I am just starting on my journey with CPAP and at the moment I am using the Respironics FitLife mask, as a standard FFM did not seem suitable for me due to leaks and facial sores. The FitLife is working and My AHI has gone from 80 to 1. Fantastic and I feel so much better for it so why would I want to change anything? I look like Al Capone in the morning when I remove the mask and it takes at least 4 hours before it disappears. I have looked into the Oracle mask due to being a mouth breather but have heard a lot of negative reviews, so I was wondering , can I take the Hybrid mask and just block off the nasal pillows. I can then get the therapy orally if I use a nasal clip. Is this feasible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards


You have been on CPAP for 6 months, but you are just starting your journey with CPAP ?????? I don't understand.

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archangle
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Re: ??????

Post by archangle » Fri Mar 27, 2015 9:25 pm

Why do you want to block off the nasal pillows on the hybrid mask? If you're a mouth breather, you'll probably breathe through your mouth with a hybrid mask, or even a full face mask.

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Re: ??????

Post by 49er » Sat Mar 28, 2015 6:06 am

turion68 wrote:Ok so I have been on CPAP for 6 months and have found out that I am a mouth breather and i need pretty high pressure, avg 18cm. I am just starting on my journey with CPAP and at the moment I am using the Respironics FitLife mask, as a standard FFM did not seem suitable for me due to leaks and facial sores. The FitLife is working and My AHI has gone from 80 to 1. Fantastic and I feel so much better for it so why would I want to change anything? I look like Al Capone in the morning when I remove the mask and it takes at least 4 hours before it disappears. I have looked into the Oracle mask due to being a mouth breather but have heard a lot of negative reviews, so I was wondering , can I take the Hybrid mask and just block off the nasal pillows. I can then get the therapy orally if I use a nasal clip. Is this feasible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards
Hi turion68,

I agree with CF's advice about contacting Karen to make a liner for the mask. In my opinion, if you have a mask that pretty much works overall, I would do whatever was necessary to stick with it.

However, if you still feel you should take a look at the Hybrid mask, I would also as the same question of why you wanted to block off the nasal pillows. Do you breath at all through your nose or is everything through your mouth?

If you totally breath through your mouth and want to explore the oracle mask, I would contact forum member JDS74, who is an experienced user of this product and has generously invited folks to PM him who want to find out more about it. Do a search of the archives for the oracle mask and his name will immediately show up in the search results.

Best of luck.

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Re: ??????

Post by purple » Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:14 am

I use the FitLife mask. I put the bottom of the mask below my chin, which I can do as I have a small nose. This keeps the mask from shifting right and left so much, without cinching down the straps. I have karen (padacheek's) mask liner. When one first gets it, the middle may seem too small, however, Karen knows her stuff and it will stretch out more. The center hole was never small enough to interfere with breathing. Where the mask liner strings are outside the mask, I taped down with postal tape to keep them from obstructing the circular center nozzle CO2 outflow. Karen also makes an Antileak strap. The one she send me that had a hole for the center nozzle, and it kept trying to creep into the area for the out flow. I have found though, that if I put the strap across the bottom of the mask, I do not need the standard head straps, and it the mask holds down better.

Marks: In the morning, I shave shower. then while my face is still drippy wet I apply skin moisturizer. I have used coconut oil, which is inexpensive, and dogs try to lick my face. SunBlock, which is both a moisturizer and has zinc, which kills some bacteria. Bacteria might be some part of red marks. I use a moisturizer which has vitamins and such. My pharmacist said his wife used the most expensive Gold Bond which has Co-Q10 as well as all the vitamins. Takes awhile, but some of the marks become less pronounced as the face becomes more flexible. Naturally all of this oil is not good for silicon, so I use it in the morning, never at night. I probably should scrub my face with a rough cotton wash rag, or a Loofa sponge and soap. Helps to take out wrinkles.

In my opinion, some of the problem with pain, is because the straps have lost their elasticity. I guess for a pressure of 18, there may never have been much help with the elasticity of straps helping to hold the mask, and not have pain, mask marks.

I used to use a Forma mask. I suspect there is a good reason the other face masks (Mirage Quattro, and such) are so much more popular. However, the Forma has a chin cup, which helps to keep the mask from wandering. I think to get the mask to sit properly on (my face) most peoples face is to get all the little odds and ends from Padacheek for adjusting the head piece, the nose piece, mask liner and such. Without those aids, the Forma mask would only fit a few properly. (IMO) That might be true for a lot of masks, that they need some aids to work properly. Not sure If I already posted all of this to you.
Last edited by purple on Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: ??????

Post by CPAP By Proxy » Sat Mar 28, 2015 8:14 am

turion68 wrote:Ok so I have been on CPAP for 6 months and have found out that I am a mouth breather and i need pretty high pressure, avg 18cm. I am just starting on my journey with CPAP and at the moment I am using the Respironics FitLife mask, as a standard FFM did not seem suitable for me due to leaks and facial sores. The FitLife is working and My AHI has gone from 80 to 1. Fantastic and I feel so much better for it so why would I want to change anything? I look like Al Capone in the morning when I remove the mask and it takes at least 4 hours before it disappears. I have looked into the Oracle mask due to being a mouth breather but have heard a lot of negative reviews, so I was wondering , can I take the Hybrid mask and just block off the nasal pillows. I can then get the therapy orally if I use a nasal clip. Is this feasible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards

I totally GET being on CPAP for 6 months and feeling that you are just starting your journey. There's just so much to LEARN about all of this. Have you looked at the Oracle oral CPAP mask that " delivers CPAP therapy through the mouth only?" Looks like it would be perfect for the person that totally breaths by mouth and/or wouldn't mind nasal clips.

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Re: ??????

Post by JV1967 » Sat Mar 28, 2015 12:44 pm

Do you get dry eyes from the fitlife mask?
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purple
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Re: ??????

Post by purple » Mon Mar 30, 2015 8:50 am

Dry Eye associated with Sleep Apnea is from air blowing across the eyes. Almost all sensation of air movement under a FitLife mask is from a leak. A Leak from around the outside of the mask where the cushion is. For the FitLife, no leaks, no air flow. On the other hand, one can turn up the humidity, and the mask becomes like a facial with lots of moisture.

I get dry eye from Diabetes, and now, irritation from Pollen. The better controlled my Diabetes A1C, the less my eyes are irritated. I also take Eye Vitamins (ARREDS 2) Put drops in my eyes, Systane (which one, it is easy, my doc seems to prefer the most expensive, LOL) Doc also writes a script for an antibiotic ointment to put on my eyelids where the eyelashes are. Supposedly helps to eye lids grow hair, and it does.

ALSO: Very important. to put a warm cloth on my eyes twice a day. Or something to that effect. Problem is that as we get older the natural lubricants from the eye do not flow out as they need to be warmed a bit to get the valves to open and for them to flow. As they say, use what you got.

I know some dry eye can come from air continually flowing onto the eye at night. Like a mask where the air comes out of the mask, hits pillow, and is reflected back on the mask The FitLife does not have that problem.

Generally though, for dry eye. Look for other causes as well as air flow from any sleep apnea mask.

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Re: ??????

Post by skullduggery » Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:28 am

chunkyfrog wrote:Are you aware that Pad a cheek.com makes a soft fleece liner for this mask?
Protecting your skin is worth a try.
The liner for the Fitlife is not shown, but you can contact Karen for details/ordering.
http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Maskliners.html
Thank you for that I have contacted Karen about purchasing one.

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skullduggery
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Re: ??????

Post by skullduggery » Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:34 am

LSAT wrote:
turion68 wrote:Ok so I have been on CPAP for 6 months and have found out that I am a mouth breather and i need pretty high pressure, avg 18cm. I am just starting on my journey with CPAP and at the moment I am using the Respironics FitLife mask, as a standard FFM did not seem suitable for me due to leaks and facial sores. The FitLife is working and My AHI has gone from 80 to 1. Fantastic and I feel so much better for it so why would I want to change anything? I look like Al Capone in the morning when I remove the mask and it takes at least 4 hours before it disappears. I have looked into the Oracle mask due to being a mouth breather but have heard a lot of negative reviews, so I was wondering , can I take the Hybrid mask and just block off the nasal pillows. I can then get the therapy orally if I use a nasal clip. Is this feasible. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Regards


You have been on CPAP for 6 months, but you are just starting your journey with CPAP ?????? I don't understand.
Well I am assuming I will be requiring therapy for the rest of my life and as I am 47 years old I hope I have a few more years left in me. I think I am still adjusting to this new way of life and want to make it as comfortable as possible,so I have a lot of learning to do. This will involve a lot more questions from me so I apologise in advance.

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skullduggery
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Re: ??????

Post by skullduggery » Thu Apr 02, 2015 7:40 am

I am using a different username as I had joined the forum twice and didn't realise. I had to pick a different username as the one I wanted was already taken. By me

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