Recommendations for a back-up full face mask to my DreamWear

I use the DreamWear nasal cpap mask and love it. Have had it about a year. A couple weeks ago I had the flu and decided I need to get a full face mask for those few times when a nasal only option will not work like having the flu or cold. It was hell being so sick and then not sleeping well either! I have the prescription to get on and will just buy one outright as I don't think insurance will cover this and keep covering the DreamWear. Sooo, any suggestions on full face masks? I will say I really dislike the idea of them (but I feel like I will be ok in those situations when I can't breath otherwise). I have never looked at them. The Dreamweaver seems like something I might like but has mixed reviews.

Thanks Everyone,

Lynn

First thing you need to know is to try FFMs on while lying down - your face changes a lot then and it matters with the masks. Second thing - go to Cpap.com and look at the variety they have, look at the pix, reviews, etc... peoples' faces are very different (inside) and what works for me or someone else won't necessarily work for you... you have to try things yourself.

kcl wrote:I use the DreamWear nasal cpap mask and love it. Have had it about a year. A couple weeks ago I had the flu and decided I need to get a full face mask for those few times when a nasal only option will not work like having the flu or cold. It was hell being so sick and then not sleeping well either! I have the prescription to get on and will just buy one outright as I don't think insurance will cover this and keep covering the DreamWear. Sooo, any suggestions on full face masks? I will say I really dislike the idea of them (but I feel like I will be ok in those situations when I can't breath otherwise). I have never looked at them. The Dreamweaver seems like something I might like but has mixed reviews.

Thanks Everyone,

Lynn

Since you use and love the Dreamwear (me, too), I'd consider the full-face version of the same design (under-the-nose cushion),the Amara View. I started using the Amara View and then moved to the Dreamwear, so I keep the Amara View as my FF backup.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... eviews-tab

I also give a vote for the Amara View. I'm about 6 weeks into beginning my cpap journey,
And I also started out on the Dreamwear mask. I got along fine with that from day one, but
Was also thinking ahead since I can get pretty congested during the winter. I picked up a View
mask, and lucky I did too! Less than two weeks in I could feel it coming on- just your average
Head cold from hell. If not for the ff mask, I would not have been able to stay on the machine.
Sometimes it pays to plan ahead, good luck!

I also have the Amara View for emergency use in case I simply can't use my nasal pillows. It is really the only full face mask that I have actually been able to sleep well with through the night.

Insurance will pay for it but only if you get it during the allowance period for a new mask and when you do you don't have to keep buying it...next mask allowance period you can go back to the DreamWear. Insurance doesn't care which mask you get...only that you get them within the replacement schedule period.

Or if you want to buy it yourself...use cpap.com. It comes with free return insurance and if it simply is not usable for you it can be returned (within 30 days so try it immediately) and you get your money back.

I can't guarantee that you will like it but it's worth trying and you can try it without losing money and being stuck with someone you just hate.

I wear Dreamwear too. I am a medium, but I was fitted with a large and used that for a month before finding my right size. When I have nasal problems I switch back to the large. Just something you might try when you are on the edge of a major problem. I am also looking for another mask for those times.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will look into that Amara mask

kcl wrote:Thanks for the suggestions. I will look into that Amara mask

Just want to be clear, there is an Amara mask not to be confused with Amara View.

I switched from the Dreamwear nasal to the Amara View FFM around a couple of months ago when it seemed I'd started frequent mouth-breathing (terribly dry mouth on waking, loss of symptom improvement). I'd say it's worked quite well with fairly low leak rates, save those times I seem to get tangled up in the hose. Would love it if I could find a FFM having a top swivel mount like the Dreamwear, though that's probably not technically feasible. I guess the Amara View is good enough for now.

BleepingBeauty wrote:

kcl wrote:I use the DreamWear nasal cpap mask and love it. Have had it about a year. A couple weeks ago I had the flu and decided I need to get a full face mask for those few times when a nasal only option will not work like having the flu or cold. It was hell being so sick and then not sleeping well either! I have the prescription to get on and will just buy one outright as I don't think insurance will cover this and keep covering the DreamWear. Sooo, any suggestions on full face masks? I will say I really dislike the idea of them (but I feel like I will be ok in those situations when I can't breath otherwise). I have never looked at them. The Dreamweaver seems like something I might like but has mixed reviews.
Lynn

Since you use and love the Dreamwear (me, too), I'd consider the full-face version of the same design (under-the-nose cushion),the Amara View. I started using the Amara View and then moved to the Dreamwear, so I keep the Amara View as my FF backup.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... eviews-tab

I'm desperate. The Dreamwear is the only mask that I don't hate. However, after the tech read the data in the machine, he said I open
my mouth A LOT. I tried chin straps and air gets clogged when I EXHALE. Doc said get a sleep study (my 3rd). Pointless, I think. I'm
considering getting a FF (I've tried SO many - all disappointing). If this has the same nasal piece (meaning no pillows),
then it may work. That's my question. Is the nose hole the same as the Dreamwear? Thanks.

DeeCPAP wrote: Is the nose hole the same as the Dreamwear?

Pretty much the same. Give me a few minutes. I will get a couple of pictures and show you what it looks like facing the inside so you can see the nose hole.
It will take me a bit to get them on the phone, then on the computer then into imgur.

Okay...here goes.

DeeCPAP wrote:

BleepingBeauty wrote:
Since you use and love the Dreamwear (me, too), I'd consider the full-face version of the same design (under-the-nose cushion),the Amara View. I started using the Amara View and then moved to the Dreamwear, so I keep the Amara View as my FF backup.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... eviews-tab

I'm desperate. The Dreamwear is the only mask that I don't hate. However, after the tech read the data in the machine, he said I open
my mouth A LOT. I tried chin straps and air gets clogged when I EXHALE. Doc said get a sleep study (my 3rd). Pointless, I think. I'm
considering getting a FF (I've tried SO many - all disappointing). If this has the same nasal piece (meaning no pillows),
then it may work. That's my question. Is the nose hole the same as the Dreamwear? Thanks.

You could be mouth-breathing or it could be your Dreamwear isn't fitted properly, causing a lot of leak. Were you experiencing a very dry mouth (a sign that you probably *were* mouth-breathing)? Are you monitoring your own data or relying on the tech's interpretation?

Not sure what you mean by "air gets clogged when I exhale" with the use of a chinstrap.

Yes, the Amara View's cushion is similar to the Dreamwear's in that it sits under the nose (with a comparable "nose hole") and has the added benefit of the larger opening below it that covers the mouth.

And thanks to Pugsy for posting pics of the mask.

Pugsy wrote:Okay...here goes.

Yes, these are great photos. Thanks! Is it a heavy mask? One of the things I like
about the DreamWear is that it's light weight!

DeeCPAP wrote:
Yes, these are great photos. Thanks! Is it a heavy mask? One of the things I like
about the DreamWear is that it's light weight!

No, it's not heavy at all. I used the Hybrid mask for many years. When I tried the Amara View, it was like night and day (no pun intended). The chin cup on the Hybrid (one of my favorite features of that mask) makes it a lot heavier.

Pugsy posted earlier in this thread:

Pugsy wrote: ...if you want to buy it yourself...use cpap.com. It comes with free return insurance and if it simply is not usable for you it can be returned (within 30 days so try it immediately) and you get your money back.

I can't guarantee that you will like it but it's worth trying and you can try it without losing money and being stuck with someone you just hate.