Mirage Swift V Activa?

cpaper · Post by **cpaper** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:46 am

I’m trying to decide whether to buy a Mirage Swift or an Activa. I’ve never tried a nasal pillow device before, but I like the look of them. They seem less intrusive than a mask. Trouble is I want to be able to move freely without leaks appearing and I’ve no idea how nasal pillows are with regards to that. The Activa is good with regards to leaks I believe. I also need the device to be quiet.

Is there anyone who had tried both or who uses either who can advise me?

Cheers,

Gregg

Liam1965 · Post by **Liam1965** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 7:57 am

cpaper wrote:Is there anyone who had tried both or who uses either who can advise me?

I have tried both. I don't seem to tolerate nose-only masks very well, but I liked them both for comfort.

The Activa takes a little while getting used to (especially with CFLEX), because it feels kind of like a little plastic heart beating on your face. It's very weird.

I think the Swift is EXCEEDINGLY comfortable, right up until the point where my nasal passages close enough so that, while I can still breathe, it feels too much like work and I start feeling like I'm suffocating.

Liam, who just realized he didn't help at all, because he liked BOTH.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:21 am

I also like both, Neither is likely to cause problems with leaks. The Swift is said to be noisy at higher pressures but noise level seams to be a VERY subjective subject on the forum. I don't find it noisy at all. If you are looking to get away from the confining nature of the traditional mask, try the Swift first. You will not go wrong with either choice.

lynn · Post by **lynn** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:23 am

Last week (first night) I started with the Comfort Gel. It leaked. I switched to the Activa and think it's great. I am still curious about the nasal pillow idea and may try those.

Regarding noise, I am used to wearing ear plugs (because of my hubby's extremely loud snoring - which has now stopped as we are both on CPAP), I found I still need to wear them as I am so sensitive to any kind noise without them. During my sleep study I had to ask the RT for a pair, and then I had no problem going to sleep.

lynn

cpaper · Post by **cpaper** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:26 am

Hey Liam, does the Swift shift around in your nose when you lay your head sideways on the pillow or does it stay put?

Also

Liam1965 wrote:...my nasal passages close enough so that, while I can still breathe, it feels too much like work and I start feeling like I'm suffocating.

I had this feeling when I first started on my Auto Cpap. I found I had to increase the minimum pressure to get some oxygenated air into my lungs.
I also have to put cotton wool balls laced with Olbas oil near the air intake, and I've recently taken to stuffing a piece of that netting stuff that fruit comes in into the mask and dripping Olbas oil onto that too. Still wake up
with a stuffy nose though.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:29 am

Hi cpaper,

"Quiet" is in the ear of the...beholder? ...behearer? heh.

Both the most popular nasal pillows masks - the Swift and the Breeze (my personal favorite) - do make a certain amount of noise. Probably better described as a "whooosh" sound.

The Breeze is almost soundless on exhalation. It's "whoosh" sound happens each time you inhale.

The Swift is a louder sound, imho, and is a steady "whoosh".

I hardly notice the Breeze's sound any more, and I'm sure the Swift's devotees get used to its sound too. The lighter feel of nasal pillows instead of a mask and less leakiness in general are worth my getting used to the sound.

The biggest problem I had with the Swift and "sound" was that the diffused exhaust spreads out so widely that I kept hearing the exhaust hitting bedcover, arm, pillow that I hug with sleeping on my side, etc. It was too hard to direct the exhaust to an open area.

Either one is good to try for a change from traditional nasal masks. I switch some nights between my Activa nasal mask and the Breeze, using the Breeze most of the time.

Liam1965 · Post by **Liam1965** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:36 am

rested gal wrote:The Swift is a louder sound, imho, and is a steady "whoosh".

This may be pressure related. At my pressure of 9, I don't really hear much out of my swift. No more so than I noticed out of any of the others. There's a mild "whoosh" noise that you'd expect, having air rush through a tube and through small apertures, but nothing unexpected or louder with the swift than with the Ultra Mirage or the Activa, for me.

Liam, who may be going deaf with age.

Liam1965 · Post by **Liam1965** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 8:38 am

cpaper wrote:Hey Liam, does the Swift shift around in your nose when you lay your head sideways on the pillow or does it stay put?

I have not had that problem. I keep being concerned about it, but prior posters on the topic seem to be right. It's surprisingly loose on your head, and yet keeps a surprisingly good seal on your nostrils. (Yes, I know there's another term for the openings, but for some reason that term bugs me, so I don't use it.)

Liam, NARY a word on the other term for nostril openings.

gailzee · Post by **gailzee** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:19 am

I use the Swift. The straps are what I find scratchy. I've tried everything. I must use a chin strap. Or my mouth flops open like an old fish (so quoted the sleep tech--lovely picture of that idea)...anyway, sleeping on my side is dicey, it does shift, and you can expect to hear a whoosh sound. I agree with the exhaled air on the swift, I play with moving the nasal interface, to direct it away from my face, more straight out in the room, it's a nightly switching and changing..

But guess what!? For the first time, I took mask off, DO NOT REMEMBER IT, and was sleeping on top of it. So what other people have experienced, so have I. I guess I am a true hoser now. But I got up and put my swifty back on, and went back to sleep.

My husband has become my ''number checker'' thru the night. I do not hear or see him and his trusty flashlight checking my #'s. (I did not ask him to do this).....But now that I pulled the beast off and have no memory whatsoever, I'm glad he reported to me this morning, what my numbers were and at what time he noticed me, still masked up as he calls me.

Sign me: going to tackle the software today. I've got to see how I'm doing.

cpaper wrote:I’m trying to decide whether to buy a Mirage Swift or an Activa. I’ve never tried a nasal pillow device before, but I like the look of them. They seem less intrusive than a mask. Trouble is I want to be able to move freely without leaks appearing and I’ve no idea how nasal pillows are with regards to that. The Activa is good with regards to leaks I believe. I also need the device to be quiet.

Is there anyone who had tried both or who uses either who can advise me?

Cheers,

Gregg

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:26 am

The woosh sound of the Swift is definately pressure related. At 6-9cm it is very quiet. By the time you get to 12cm it's wooshing plenty. Just another reason to have an auto and keep your pressure low as much as possible.

Liam1965 · Post by **Liam1965** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 9:27 am

wading thru the muck! wrote:The woosh sound of the Swift is definately pressure related. At 6-9cm it is very quiet. By the time you get to 12cm it's wooshing plenty. Just another reason to have an auto and keep your pressure low as much as possible.

So I guess it'd be intollerable if you got the pressure high enough to inflate the hose, eh?

Liam, who thinks Wader *MUST* own stock in an Auto-PAP algorithm.

Janelle · Post by **Janelle** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:01 am

Don't understand about putting the oil on the "Air intake" Do you mean where the filter is on the machine, because that is the only air intake there is. If you mean on the mask. Those holes are the exhaust. If you are suffering from stuffy nose you need to get a RX for a steroid nasal spray. They are not habit forming, you will not get rebound like the OTC ones and they make a world of difference when used at bed time.

Yes, the Swift can take moving around and the pillows stay in place. If you get too much leakage when pressing your barrel into the pillow you can hang your mask over the edge of the pillow so there is no contact, you can try the larger nasal pillows or you can adjust the bottom strap a bit tighter. I have found the Swift pillows to remain in place much better than the Breeze's

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:14 am

Liam wrote:Liam, who thinks Wader *MUST* own stock in an Auto-PAP algorithm.

I wish! Most of the cpap company stocks have more than doubled in the last two years... Beats working for a living.

Sleeping With The Enemy · Post by **Sleeping With The Enemy** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 10:44 am

I have been using the Swift for about 3 nights now. I notice when I wake up in the morning that one side or the other is kind of jammed into the side of my nose, depending on which side I was laying on.

However, I seem to be sleeping and know my pressure on a CPAP is 12. I don't have the software for my Remstar Auto with C-Flex so I don't know what is really going on. I was having problems with bloating, but soda pop may have been contributing to this as I would drink a can before bed. My old gem of a MD told me to set my pressure 4-12 and I have not had any problems with this since changing the pressure settings.

Noise does not seem to bother me with the Swift. At least I'm not waking myself up SNORING anymore. I used to snore so loud no one in the house could get to sleep!!

UKnowWhatInSeattle · Post by **UKnowWhatInSeattle** » Tue Feb 15, 2005 11:44 am

For me, the noise of the Swift (at pressures 4-8!) is totally intolerable. I can get used to the Breeze at these pressures, but don't think I can handle the Swift. That's too bad, since I really like the light, small feel of it.

Mirage Swift V Activa?

Mirage Swift V Activa?

Re: Mirage Swift V Activa?

Re: Mirage Swift V Activa?

WOOSHING!

Re: WOOSHING!

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Additional Comments: i love resmed stuff!

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