Nasal Pillow/Nasal Masks work?/Sinus issues and dev. septum

Unfortunately, I am having horrible leaking problems with my Quattro FFX that hopefully will be resolved with a Pad a Cheek anti leak strap.

However, I have started thinking whether a nasal/nasal pillow mask would be a better option when I am ready to replace this mask. I am finding this mask very annoying as I don't like the sensation on my face.

I am also finding it hard to clean due to my visual perceptual and manual dexterity issues.

I didn't pursue this choice initially because I feared that due to having sinus issues and a deviated septum, it would make things worse. But actually, the one benefit I have noticed since starting CPAP therapy is my sinuses are alot clearer. As a result, I wonder if my initial perceptions were misguided.

I would greatly appreciate hearing the experiences of people in similar situations to mine (positive and negative) regarding nasal pillow/nasal masks. I totally understand that I am going to have to try it out at the sleep lab to get some idea if it works or not. But still, hearing your stories would be helpful.

Thanks!

49er

PS - I don't have insurance so I am not working with a DME

I had sinus issues for the first week. There are 4 distinctive points for sinus pain and they almost always in pairs. Check sinus pain on scuba sites for pictures of where the pain is.

I had deviated septum surgery and the nasal pillows cause me sharp pain from time to time so I used a nasal mask.

How badly deviated is the septum?

I've got a "mildly deviated" septum and I've used the nasal pillows style mask from the start. Haven't had any problems with it.

As for sinus issues, if I take care of the congestion problems through using a neti pot, taking an OTC antihistamine during my allergy season, and using Flonase, they pretty much don't bother me anymore now that I'm on CPAP.

@Tim - Thank you for letting know about your experiences. I am sorry you suffered sharp pain from the pillows. I hope the nasal mask is working for you.

@Robysue - Thanks for responding and am glad that the nasal pillow mask has worked for you. I think my deviated septum would probably be considered mild.

Unfortunately, unlike most people, I have not had success with nasal irrigation. I have used an irrigator several times and it has made things worse. And I know I was using it correctly. I have tried breathease and NasalCare to no avail. I also tried adding alcolol which was mildly helpful but not much.

Nasonex has caused insomnia so I am concerned Flonase would do the same as I am very med sensitive. Glad your routine is helping you.

49er

Read what Perrybucsdad wrote here (scroll down to see his comments) viewtopic/p663440/Mouth-Breathers.html#p663440
He has more than a mildly deviated septum and thought for sure he was only going to be able to use a FFM.
He found out that he can easily use a nasal pillow mask.

Since you aren't using a DME and no insurance cost is a factor. The mask I use can be found on EBay in 3 sections. You can build your own and save some money. If you are interested..let me know and I will sort through the deals on EBay so that you get what you need. Sometimes some good deals can be found
Swift FX nasal pillow mask system
Mainly 3 sections...well 4 now if we count the Bella loops...
headgear..over the head...or over the ears (the Bella loops)
nasal pillow(s)
short hose assembly

Pugsy wrote:Read what Perrybucsdad wrote here (scroll down to see his comments) viewtopic/p663440/Mouth-Breathers.html#p663440
He has more than a mildly deviated septum and thought for sure he was only going to be able to use a FFM.
He found out that he can easily use a nasal pillow mask.

Since you aren't using a DME and no insurance cost is a factor. The mask I use can be found on EBay in 3 sections. You can build your own and save some money. If you are interested..let me know and I will sort through the deals on EBay so that you get what you need. Sometimes some good deals can be found
Swift FX nasal pillow mask system
Mainly 3 sections...well 4 now if we count the Bella loops...
headgear..over the head...or over the ears (the Bella loops)
nasal pillow(s)
short hose assembly

Pugsy, thank you so much, I would definitely be interested.

I just tried to take a nap after another horrible night of sleep, including a mask leak and the damm thing starts making whistling noises. It is going to haunt me no matter what.

49er

Okay, I will look for some deals on EBay.
Are you male or female? I might have an extra headgear for the Swift FX...I know I have an extra brand new Small Nasal pillow as well as an extra Large. I do not have any Mediums though.
Are you game to try the Bella Loops? They run around $27 on EBay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/SWIFT-FX-REPLAC ... 84ba1f0e73

Headgear and nasal pillow above...$30 plus $2 mailing....heck of a good deal. Then nasal pillow itself costs $22 online and around $10 to 15 on Ebay.

Short hose assembly...[urlhttp://www.ebay.com/itm/Redmed-Swift-FX-Short- ... 216d109url] 18 plus 5 mailing...$23 total.

This is the Bella Loops I was talking about.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Resmed-Bella-FX ... 4cfe218018

or with headgear $43..http://www.ebay.com/itm/Resmed-Bella-FX ... 35b93090d2

If you are male....don't be put off by the pink...you can't see it with eyes closed.

The headgear...pink back strap for Her...is a bit smaller than the headgear with the dark blue back strap.
I can wear the dark blue headgear but I have to pretty much tighten it up to the last available.
Since I am female with a small head the pink for Her headgear allows me to have more adjusting options.
There is no reason that a man couldn't use the pink for Her headgear though...it will adjust out far enough to accommodate a male sized head.

Pugsy wrote:Okay, I will look for some deals on EBay.
Are you male or female? I might have an extra headgear for the Swift FX...I know I have an extra brand new Small Nasal pillow as well as an extra Large. I do not have any Mediums though.
Are you game to try the Bella Loops? They run around $27 on EBay.

Female.

What is the advantage of Bella Loops?

How do I determine my nasal pillow size?

49er

49er wrote:What is the advantage of Bella Loops?

Nothing over the head at all. No straps to tighten.
The loops have their pros and cons just like any other mask.
I like them. It's different. I like trying new things. Some brand new to cpap users have jumped right in and tried them and love them. See the Bella Mask thread on the front page of the forum posts to see the reviews. I think 14 pages now of comments..not all from users but many of the later comments are from people who tried them.

49er wrote:How do I determine my nasal pillow size?

Trial and error. I can use the XSmall and Small sizes pretty much equally. Size of the nostril opening determines size needed. Being female..doubtful that you will need a Large. The medium is the most commonly used size over all between men and women. If playing the odds...you probably would need either the Small or Medium.
The online package for the For Her...$127..includes the XSmall, Small and Medium pillows.
When shopping EBay...we have to make a decision on size or get one of each and try them. If you find you absolutely can't use a certain size...we have the Great Pillow Exchange thread here at the forum and we post there for trading the unneeded size for a needed size.

The online package For Her that includes the Bella Loops is $137 I think.

The headgear...will last a long, long time and the short hose assembly even longer unless the dog or cat decides it is a play toy. So frequent purchase of those items is not needed. The nasal pillows do get tired and need to be replaced. How long depends on facial oils, cleaning and just luck. I get months of use out of my nasal pillows. I always have, even with the Swift LT. Other people are lucky to get a couple of weeks. All I do is wash them once a week and trade it out with another one so that the recently washed pillow sits for a week. So I rotate them. Works for me. I don't know why. Seems like the week long rest seems to give the pillows extra life.

All the suggestions above are great... I would only add that *if* you find you can breathe freely through your nose while your mouth is closed, you could try out a nasal or nasal pillows mask through the Mask Trial program at http://www.cpaplibrary.com/mask-trials.html

For $14 you can try out a mask for a week and see if it works for you.

The mask trial program is a great idea. The only drawback is the limited number of masks and sometimes the waiting list for a popular mask is long. The mask models are pretty much limited to one each and if you are number 5 on the list for a certain mask it is going to take a while.
I do believe that the Swift FX and Swift LT are popular models.

Pugsy correctly points out that the Mask Trial Program doesn't have every mask. I have used the program a few times and did not wait more than a couple of weeks for a mask, but if you are looking to acquire and start using a new mask within a few days it is definitely not the best option.

However, if you are unsure whether you can even tolerate a nasal or nasal pillow mask which would require keeping your mouth closed, it is a low cost option to try one out before spending the money on a new mask that you might not even be able to use.

I have used the anti-leak strap from Padacheek (OP mentions in post) and can vouch for its success with the Mirage Quattro; together with the mask liner from Padacheek they solved my leak issues.

Randy and Pugsy,

Thanks!

Let me think about it.

Right now, I actually feel some energy from taking a nap without my cpap. Sorry, I know I shouldn't but I need sleep. So I am anxious to get some things done before my energy runs out.

49er