Day 2 and desperate

Thank you for this forum. It has really helped me during this process.
After complaining for a year to my doctor that I was exhausted, I finally was able to have a sleep study. AHI 75.5 and O2 82%, no REM. At my titration study they could not find a mask that fit thanks to incredibly thin nose. They used an XS for her mask (forget brand), but I had air shooting into my eyes all night. Also, although my nose is XS, the rest of my face is pretty normal so the mask came right next to my mouth. The technician predicted I'd never find a mask.

My DME was excited to fit me with an Amara View small because it avoids the nose bridge. However, I don't think it will work: the first night I adjusted for two hours before falling asleep despite the leaks. Slept for four hours, ahi 9.6, eyes in a lot of pain from leaks.

Last night I spent three hours trying to eliminate leaks. Finally determined that I can't eliminate leaks at sides of my nose even by holding mask with no straps. My nose is just too thin to seal on sides. Slept without CPAP.

Has anyone else experienced this type of problem? What do you recommend? I know my mouth falls open at night, but I don't think I'm a mouth breather. (However, I also had no idea I stopped breathing at night so, obviously, not super sleep aware.)

Thank you.

Check out hybrid masks. I think you'll like one of them. Best of luck.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=hy ... sk+reviews

Even if you are not breathing by mouth at night, jaw drop will interfere with the fit of any FFM and cause leaks.
Try a soft cervical collar to support your jaw at night and see if that helps.

I was attempting to find a mask for my dad (he was diagnosed a few months ago). His nostrils are narrow and long, so the DME initially fitted him with a full-face mask. But claustrophobia was an issue, so we started looking at nasal pillows for him. Pugsy (long-time very knowledgeable poster and probably the most experienced forum member re: masks) suggested that we try the Pilairo Q nasal pillows mask. It didn't end up working for Dad (his nostrils are just too long for a pillows mask), but I have to say that it seemed like the most forgiving nasal pillows mask I've seen, as there are latex "flaps" on either side of the pillows to cushion the nose. I would think they would help with leaks. The latex was very soft, and I would think the mask would inflate and seal well because of that. Check it out here: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fp-pil ... -mask.html

If that one isn't to your liking, do some searching on cpap.com and look at all the masks that are available. There's more info about each mask, too (below the basic description), like Specifications, Features, User Reviews, etc., to help you make a more informed choice.

Keep in mind that none of us knows which mask is right for us until we try it. What works for 90% of other people might not work for you, and vice versa (what works great for you might be a lousy mask for most others). It's trial-and-error for all of us in finding the perfect mask. (And even then, some of us don't stop looking for a better option. )

BTW, my dad's DME was horrified when I asked him if we could try the Pilairo and swore up and down that it was the worst nasal pillows mask he could think of. He said his opinion was based on how few of these masks he dispenses. So he was basing his opinion on popularity, not what might work for any given individual. (Typical DME.) In other words, don't take anyone else's opinion as gospel (especially a DME's).

Good luck!

I don't know if it would work for you, but an Airfit P10 nasal pillows mask has had the best nasal pillows fit for me, out of numerous masks I've tried in the past 5.5 years. I have found the nasal pillows to be very durable and have used the same ones for 1.5 years without nasal pillows collapsing or otherwise causing problems. I can't even tell there is airflow with these nasal pillows, the fit is so good. I just feel like i am breathing with the machine, a level of comfort I had not previously attained. I move the nasal pillows once in a while just to make sure the blower is blowing, and it is. The headgear is lightweight.

There is a "For Her" version of that mask that I am told has different nasal pillow sizes than the selection of 3 that came with mine, so there may be a size nasal pillow that might work for you.

There are also full face mask versions of Airfit, but I am not familiar with them. The Airfit masks are relatively recent. I think they has been out for about 2 years (?), so you DME should be familiar with them and stock them.

Before the Airfit, my favorite nasal pillows mask was a Breeze, which I would still be using if it was still made.

Finding the right mask is one of the hardest parts of starting CPAP treatment, and we are all different. Good luck in finding a mask that works well for you.

When I began this journey in Feb. '14, I experienced leaking out the wazoo! It sounded like a whoopee cushion and I couldn't stand it. Then I discovered mask liners, and they were a game changer for me! No more noisy face farts, and while they didn't eliminate the leaks, they did tame them to the point of not bothering me much. The data shows very few large leaks, and most of the time those leaks don't wake me. I use a full face mask, and they are the leakiest mask, given the larger footprint on the face. Two good sources for these are Pad-A-Cheek and RemZzzs. The latter are available from most DMEs, and P-A-C are available online, some are carried by our sponsors at https://www.cpap.com, or you can get them from Karen's website at http://www.padacheek.com, where the entire line of liners, strap pads and hose covers is available. Both are good products, and many of the forums use one or the other of them.

Being a newbie myself, I can't really help you with masks. However, since you are able to manage at least some of the leaks, consider going to Walgreens and getting their sleep mask. That will at least protect your eyes until you find a successful fit.

I believe there are masks with nasal prongs. I have never tried one, but perhaps there may be such a mask that might help you, if your nose is too thin for all sizes of nasal pillows. Here is one such mask. I think the last picture thumbnail shows the "prongs."
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/innome ... e-kit.html

MarylandCPAPer wrote:I believe there are masks with nasal prongs. I have never tried one, but perhaps there may be such a mask that might help you, if your nose is too thin for all sizes of nasal pillows. Here is one such mask. I think the last picture thumbnail shows the "prongs."
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/innome ... e-kit.html

I was such a fan of the original NA. The NA 2 is garbage. I got one and it always collapses inside the nares. The only difference between the 1 and 2 is in rigidity. They both can also be painful in the nares. Takes a loooong time to build up to the pain Pillows are so much nicer and soft!