mask hell

KBee · Post by **KBee** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:04 am

I had a mirage quatro full faced mask for 6 months. It was leaky and caused pressure sores on my nose. So, yesterday I got a Flexi-fit 432, still have a red nose. I think it's the anatomy of the bridge of my nose, there's a little bump there that I never noticed before. I have tried padacheek, mole skin, band aids, the silicon ear plugs, and am out of ideas, they either don't work or make air leaks. Does any one have any other ideas I can try ? I did try the hybrid full faced nasal mask at the respiratory therapist office (I forget the name.) but it didn't work around the chin, too leaky. (They only have 3 full faced masks to try, so I'm limited.)

otiose · Post by **otiose** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:09 am

I never used a full face mask. I started off with the optilife. It doesn't touch the bridge of your nose at all. Might be worth a try.

jsmythe · Post by **jsmythe** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:38 am

I too tried the Quattro, was extremely leaky. I have also tried 5 others, they leaked terribly as well. And now, I have come to realize, that it may have been the size they gave me to try. Because I wore a Small in a nasal mask, they (DME) gave me a Small in a Full Face mask. That is not the way it is. I need a Medium in a Full Face.

So maybe your issues with leaks may be because the size you have is wrong. And if it leaks, we automatically tighten it to stop leaks which in turn can cause a really sore nose bridge! I also could not wear a Med. Standard in the Ultra Mirage, leaked like a sieve! But, when I tried the Med. Shallow, it works a little better. I am still tweaking it, but it does not leak half as bad as the first 3 sizes I tried.

RipVW · Post by **RipVW** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 8:44 am

I had the same problems with my Quattro--went back to my Ultra Mirage Full Face mask--no leaks, no sore bridge of nose. Of course, it's all a matter of personal preference and what fits/works. But, the UMFF is still my primary mask of choice. Good luck!

ww · Post by ww » Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:35 am

[quote="KBee"]I had a mirage quatro full faced mask for 6 months. It was leaky and caused pressure sores on my nose. So, yesterday I got a Flexi-fit 432, still have a red nose. I think it's the anatomy of the bridge of my nose, there's a little bump there that I never noticed before. I have tried padacheek, mole skin, band aids, the silicon ear plugs, and am out of ideas, they either don't work or make air leaks. Does any one have any other ideas I can try ? I did try the hybrid full faced nasal mask at the respiratory therapist office (I forget the name.) but it didn't work around the chin, too leaky. (They only have 3 full faced masks to try, so I'm limited.)

pjwalman · Post by **pjwalman** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 10:23 am

I have no solutions but certainly will commisserate with you!!! I've tried the small Quattro, the medium Quatrro (medium more comfortable but tons of leaks in both), the Hybrid (can't handle the nasal pillows -- woosy nose, I guess), and yesterday I got the Flexi-Fit 432 to try also. Yup, back to red, sore nose...and now I have welts in the back of my neck from trying to tighten the danged thing up enough that it wouldn't leak at the chin. I'm going back for the Mirage on Monday when the DME opens again. It looks so similar to the Quattro that you wouldn't think there would be any difference, but I've seen a LOT of people here that think it is the best, so that will be my next attempt at finally getting something comfortable. Not many more to try after this, so I'm getting kind of scared about the possibility that I will have to spend the next 50 years with welts, rubbed spots, and bruises. So I definitely hear ya!!!!

Let us know how your next mask attempt goes, and hang in there!!

Peggy

xyz · Post by **xyz** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 12:01 pm

I've used, as far as I know, _all_ past versions of the Ultra Mirage, for years. I now use a Quattro. Not only does the Quattro leak less than the Ulra Mirage, it leaks _far_ less. With the UM I used to wake up with leaks from the bridge into my eyes. This has never happened with the Quattro. Not once, never!

Each morning I take the cushion off the frame and rinse it with warm water to get the skin oils off. (So I get a better seal the next night.) About once or twice a month when the machine starts at bedtime, the sound that I hear "doesn't sound right". I stop the machine and look at the mask. In each case I have found that I didn't put the cushion back on the frame correctly.

On rare occasion, when I read the card in the morning, I will see that the max leak or 90% leak is high. It's peculiar that the avg leak doesn't vary much though. I plot my numbers each day in an Excel spreadsheet. There is no correlation between high max leak or 90% leak and AHI. On the four highest max leak nights, my AHIs were 1.4, 0.7, 0.6, and 0.8. And I didn't wake up because of leaks. That's my ultimate measure of a mask.

Getting the mask right is one of the biggest problems with OSA. It starts with getting the right mask for you. Then getting the right size. Then getting it adjusted correctly. Getting it adjusted right does not occur on the first night that you wear it! Or even maybe the first few nights. Adjust, adjust, adjust. And finally, putting it back together correctly at bed time every night.

I believe that some people give up on a mask before they've gotten it adjusted right. And then they blame the mask. :)

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 12:52 pm

KBee wrote:I had a mirage quatro full faced mask for 6 months. It was leaky and caused pressure sores on my nose. So, yesterday I got a Flexi-fit 432, still have a red nose. I think it's the anatomy of the bridge of my nose, there's a little bump there that I never noticed before. I have tried padacheek, mole skin, band aids, the silicon ear plugs, and am out of ideas, they either don't work or make air leaks. Does any one have any other ideas I can try ? I did try the hybrid full faced nasal mask at the respiratory therapist office (I forget the name.) but it didn't work around the chin, too leaky. (They only have 3 full faced masks to try, so I'm limited.)

KBee, I've gone through several brands of full-face masks during the time that I've been on CPAP. Constant leaks and a sore nose appeared to be just part of the treatment, no matter what mask I wore. I think the F&P 432 was probably the worst for me because of the soreness and the fact that I just couldn't stop it from leaking around my chin, no matter what I tried.

I read about the Zzz-Mask on cpap.com and decided to give it a try. Because I couldn't get it through my insurance (not enough time since the 432), I decided to cough up the eighty-five bucks and purchase it myself. Best decision I ever made. No more sore nose and very few leaks. I usually sleep on my back or left side and it works well in both positions for me.

We often say around here that there is no such thing as a perfect mask for everyone. But I can tell you that, in my case at least, the Zzz is about as close as it gets.

OCO

pjwalman · Post by **pjwalman** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 2:14 pm

OwlCreekObserver, I was happy to see what you had to say about the Zzz mask. I actually had one in my shopping cart the other day but was waffling about whether to cough up the extra 30-some bucks for the insurance and then had a Windows update that closed everything out overnight and haven't gotten back to it.

Have you noticed any of the whistling that people have talked about? And how do you feel about not having the forehead support? You said you don't have a sore nose bridge anymore, so it sounds like it seals well without having that forehead adjustment.

Thank you! I appreciate your input! Three of the masks I've tried have been through the DME so that I can say "no go" and take them back, but I did shell out $127 for the Hybrid and found it wasn't right for me, so any input I can get before I buy the next one is greatly appreciated!

Peggy

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:01 pm

pjwalman wrote:OwlCreekObserver, I was happy to see what you had to say about the Zzz mask.

Have you noticed any of the whistling that people have talked about? And how do you feel about not having the forehead support? You said you don't have a sore nose bridge anymore, so it sounds like it seals well without having that forehead adjustment.

Peggy

Peggy, I've read about the whistling on the Zzz, but haven't experienced it myself. Actually, I think this may be the quietest full-face that I've had. I suspect the whistling may be because the mask itself is flexible, including where the hose hooks to it, and I suppose if you don't get the elbow seated properly it might result in an air leak at the connection.

No, I haven't missed the forehead support at all.

I think I've read that some folks don't like the straps, but they work fine for me. The top one splits into two straps around the back of your head. I put the lower one just above my years and the top one just a couple of inches above that. Some have had problems with the clips on the lower strap but as long as you use just enough pressure to slip them onto the pegs on the mask shell, they clip on and off very easily.

The first time I washed the mask I took the whole thing apart. I quickly decided that was way too much effort so now I just take off the straps and then wash the whole thing without taking it apart. I'm still around so I guess that's clean enough.

Nobody can guarantee that the Zzz will work for you, of course, but after struggling through several different full-face masks (ComfortFull 2, Ultra Mirage, F&P 432 and Hybrid), this is the first one that I can say really works for me.

Regards,

OCO

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:38 pm

OCO! ... great to see ya back on the forum.

I do recall your mask troubles and I'm glad you finally found a good mask.

Limestone · Post by **Limestone** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:53 pm

I'm back on the 432 after a several month rocky relationship with the Liberty.I am a medium in most FF masks and because of the bridge of the nose agony from the 432 I switched to a large and with the seal riding higher on my nose it was fairlycomfortable, but I continually fought leaks with it.Last week I picked up a MEDIUM foam insert(better suited to my face) and am using it with LARGE seal (better suited to my nose)and have recorded a record low mask leak (for me) of just over 41 LPM.It's an odd combination ,but so far I love it.

pjwalman · Post by **pjwalman** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 5:52 pm

OCO, I don't expect any guarantees, and I promise I won't yell at you if I don't like it , but I sure do appreciate your input on it and think I will likely try it. At least it is not as hard of a financial hit if it doesn't turn out to be my "dream mask"!

Again, thank you for taking the time to give me your take on it!!

Peggy

OwlCreekObserver · Post by **OwlCreekObserver** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 5:52 pm

DreamStalker wrote:OCO! ... great to see ya back on the forum.

I do recall your mask troubles and I'm glad you finally found a good mask.

Why thank you, DreamStalker! I guess I haven't had much to complain about lately.

OCO

alnhwrd · Post by **alnhwrd** » Sat Apr 26, 2008 11:59 pm

Kbee,

The only other suggestion I could offer would be to try a nasal or nasal pillows for a while and seal your mouth closed with tape or polident strips. At least that might give your nose a chance to heal.

mask hell

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Re: mask hell