Full face mask, itchy nose

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R1200ST
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Location: Halfway between Comfort and Welfare, Texas

Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by R1200ST » Thu Oct 01, 2015 9:13 am

OK, this is just killing me at night.

3 hours max sleep, then I wake up with my nose feeling like it is covered in ants. Do I have my mask too tight so I am cutting off the blood to my nose? Is it the moisture? I have the machine set to 0 now and I do not see any moisture in the mask and I am not waking up with dry mouth.

I am working on reviewing the sleepyhead data and will post my first run from last night.

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SleepyCarey
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Location: North Carolina, USA

Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by SleepyCarey » Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:07 am

Dry skin will itch, itch, itch! Are you using the humidifier?

Check out these earlier posts related to nose itching:

viewtopic/t40588/Itchy-nose-with-CPAP.html
viewtopic/t75468/Itchy-nose-No-rest-for-the-weary.html
viewtopic/t98984/Itchy-nose.html
viewtopic/t107309/Itchy-nose-wakes-me-up.html

Just a tip, also -- if you want to search this forum for a particular subject, I find it easiest to search Google and limit my results to this site only. How? When searching Google, enter your search term(s) and follow that with "site:cpaptalk.com".

For instance: itchy nose site:cpaptalk.com

That's how I found the links above. And by the way, this works for searching on any site!

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Go figure - I can walk while chewing gum but apparently I can't quite grasp breathing while sleeping.

R1200ST
Posts: 101
Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 2:04 pm
Location: Halfway between Comfort and Welfare, Texas

Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by R1200ST » Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:33 am

thank you very much.

I feel like I have sooooo much to learn.

R

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SleepyCarey
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Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by SleepyCarey » Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:43 am

I totally understand. It can be very overwhelming. I'm still tweaking and trying to figure everything out. It's like once I get one issue resolved another one crops up, over and over and over. In fact, I've been pretty frustrated the last couple of days. I just keep remembering that over time it will get better and better. I realize I'm ridiculously impatient and want it to work perfectly TONIGHT AND EVERY NIGHT AFTER TONIGHT, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!

Please know we've all been there. You're not alone. Keep coming back here & reading & asking questions. I honestly probably would have given up by now if I didn't have the help this forum has provided, and it's been less than a month for me so far. Although I've only asked a few questions, I've had dozens of others answered by searching Google & finding previous posts by other people.

At this point I consider it almost like a ridiculous test of my will and patience and I've dug my heels in and simply refuse to give up. I WILL CONQUER YOU, CPAP THERAPY.

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Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Comments? Is this where I put my thoughts on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?
Go figure - I can walk while chewing gum but apparently I can't quite grasp breathing while sleeping.

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by ChicagoGranny » Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:57 am

R1200ST wrote:Do I have my mask too tight ...?


Probably. It's a common mistake of newbies.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/hans-r ... eviews-tab

How did you choose that mask? It's not very popular and the reviews are not very good.

R1200ST
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Location: Halfway between Comfort and Welfare, Texas

Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by R1200ST » Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:32 pm

The is one of the only style full face mask the VA Kerrville offered me.

I can probably ask them to order me a different one. I see the Quattro is pretty popular.

R

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by ChicagoGranny » Thu Oct 01, 2015 2:37 pm

R1200ST wrote:The is one of the only style full face mask the VA Kerrville offered me.

I can probably ask them to order me a different one. I see the Quattro is pretty popular.

R
You can review different masks on our forum host's website - https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks/full-face-cpap-mask.php

The ResMed AirFit F10 FFM is a fairly new mask that is getting good reviews and has been popular in its introductory phase - https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... atures-tab I haven't tried one myself, but will probably order one soon.

The Innomed Hybrid mask, https://www.cpap.com/productpage/RespCa ... atures-tab , which I have used for over three years, allows you to scratch your nose without moving the mask. You also have a full field of view while the mask is in place. I tried a couple of other traditional face masks, but really love this one. It can be a little tricky to get adjusted properly, but I have found that once you have it adjusted properly, it stays in adjustment for weeks or months.

Maybe some others will comment on masks they recommend. One thing to remember is that every mask made has users that love it and users that hate it. Masks seem to be a very individualized preference. However, for a newbie, I recommend only trying popular masks that have good reviews.

Good luck and if you see a mask you want to try, ask about it and you will get some comments from people who have actually used it.

R1200ST
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Location: Halfway between Comfort and Welfare, Texas

Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by R1200ST » Thu Oct 01, 2015 2:59 pm

I made an appointment with them next week. I think they had a hybrid mask on the shelf, but I don't think they had it in my size, so I went with a full face. I will go and see if they can order me a hybrid. I know that I need the full face, but I did talk with my ENT and he didn't think there would be any issue with me using some type of nose pressure, like the hybrid.

Thanks for the advice.

R

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by ChicagoGranny » Thu Oct 01, 2015 4:11 pm

R1200ST wrote:I think they had a hybrid mask on the shelf, but I don't think they had it in my size, so I went with a full face.
A hybrid mask is also considered a FFM because it covers both the nose and mouth.
R1200ST wrote: I will go and see if they can order me a hybrid.
Be sure to order the Innomed Hybrid like in the link. ResMed has a mask, Liberty, that many call a hybrid (lower case 'h'). With the Innomed Hybrid you don't have to worry about sizing - it comes from the manufacturer with all three sizes of nasal pillows and all three sizes of mouth cushions. The ResMed Liberty comes with only one size of mouth cushion, so you have to be fitted in advance.

There are some other advantages of the Innomed Hybrid over the ResMed Liberty. If I can find the post listing them, I will add the link here.

library lady
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Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by library lady » Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:30 pm

I use a FF mask, AirFit F10, and previously used Quattro Air... I keep a package of bendable plastic straws on a shelf of my nightstand. If my nose itches, I turn off the machine and pull the hose connector off the mask and use a straw to scratch it. I'm not familiar with your mask, but I think most masks do have hoses that can be disconnected.

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R1200ST
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Location: Halfway between Comfort and Welfare, Texas

Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by R1200ST » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:16 am

thanks you all for the great comments.

Another night, another fight with itchy nose. Like one post mentioned, it is just humorous. I get about 2 hours sleep then BAM I am wide awake with my nose going off like a swarm of ants is running over it. I shut everything down, pull my mask off, scratch like a dog with fleas, put the mask on, and two hours later, here we go again.

So I am going to start working through the advice, the Benadryl, the other topical creams mentioned in the other posts, and then next week I am back to the VA to see about a FFM with nose pillow instead of the total nose covering. It is only my nose that itches, not my full face so hopefully this allows me to dial in better on that full nights sleep.

But happily I can say that I am able to fall asleep with the mask on. So that part of the hurdle is overcome.

R

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by ChicagoGranny » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:24 am

Until you get another mask, here are two other tips.

- Wash your face before masking up with a non-comedogenic soap like this - http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cetaphil-Gent ... t/35137767 Be careful because they have similarly packaged and labeled soaps which include moisturizers. It's best to use only this soap for washing your face - night or morning.

- Just before masking up, rub your nose with a clean dry wash cloth. This tends to temporarily deaden the nerve endings.

R1200ST
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Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 2:04 pm
Location: Halfway between Comfort and Welfare, Texas

Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by R1200ST » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:39 am

thanks. That is what I did last night. I washed my face (dove soap) and dried it nicely. Then right before bed I scrubbed my nose to deaden the nerve endings.

I will pick up this soap and the other creams and see how that goes.

Love the cornucopia of advice here.

R

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by ChicagoGranny » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:47 am

R1200ST wrote:cornucopia of advice
Yeah, you have to sort through and figure out what works for you.

R1200ST
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Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 2:04 pm
Location: Halfway between Comfort and Welfare, Texas

Re: Full face mask, itchy nose

Post by R1200ST » Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:17 pm

OK so here it goes tonight. I stopped and picked up the Cepisel (sp?) soap and washed my face very well. I have put the Benadryl cream on my nose (it actually feels better already, maybe just a placebo effect, but it was damn sore from all the itching) and cleaned everything including the nose pad so that we can all start fresh.

I also picked up the Lanolin cream if the Benadryl does not do the trick, but I am only doing one cream at a time to make sure which one works best.

Wish me luck. I am sure looking forward to at least more than 2 hours sleep at a time.

R