Wisp vs. Airfit P10

Hi, everyone:

I started therapy 6 months ago and have been using the nasal pillows. I don't think I've had a good night's sleep since starting, for the following reasons: I often have a stuffed up nostril (at least one, and I never had this issue before), and using Afrin longer than two consecutive nights was scaring me; The tubing issue was so distracting. I could not comfortably turn to either side because the tubes would dangle (then pull) off the bed, and tucking them under the covers created even less freedom with my arms/movement while turning. Nothing helped with this problem, and the little pulleys I bought were garbage. My sleep has been non-stop interruption every single night.

I went back to my clinician and had a long talk. She suggested I try the Wisp that has the tubing threaded above the head strap to allow more freedom/movement. However, she warned about how much more cumbersome it would be. She was right! While I liked having the ability to turn to my side without tubes strangling me, I felt like I was wearing a helmet. It's been a week and the mask has caused a headache every single morning, without fail, along with slight discoloration/bruising along the bridge of my nose.

I'm so discouraged and nearly resigned to the fact that I will not find something that works. The last option my technician suggested was turning up the humidity to level 5, which I've done, and go back to the larger nasal pillows (if the Wisp doesn't get better after another week).

Thoughts?

Many people here have been giving the Dreamwear mask high reviews. The hose connects at the top of the head which most of them seem to prefer.

I can't answer specific to either the Wisp or the Airfit, nor have I ever used nasal pillows. I currently have the Mirage FX but am currently considering between the Respironics Dreamwear and the Airfit N10 (full nasal, not pillows; I've read that nasal pillows tend to cause more nasal irritation than regular nasal masks).

But what I can suggest from my experience are two things:

1) If the mask is bruising the bridge of your nose, then you have the headgear waaayy too tight. The same goes (to a lesser degree) for the "helmet" feeling. In the 3-4 different masks I have used over the past 15 years (all nasal, not pillow), I tend to make sure the bottom straps are tight enough that it stays against my face but that I can pull the mask a 1/4" away from my nose without too much resistance. With my older (larger) masks, I used to be able to leave the top straps really loose so that the top support didn't even touch my forehead; my current mask has a flex "butterfly" forehead support that just wants to touch my forehead no matter what and I have had to get used to that...but still, it just barely has to touch. Leaks and adjustments depend on whether or not you have facial hair and they depend on you having the right sized mask.

2) As you've found, you cannot just lay your hose to hang off the bed. Some people use a hose hanger like one of the HoseBuddy suspension systems, which lifts the weight off the hose but still let's you move around freely. I haven't tried that. I just snake the hose up behind my bed, between the mattress and wall/headboard, with about two feet sticking out to connect to the mask and still give me some freedom to twist and turn. This method (as with the HoseBuddy) takes the majority of weight off the hose and is a good option for most hotels regardless of which method you use at home. Yes, when you turn over at night, you will often need to swing the two feet of hose from one side to the other as you turn, but you pretty quickly are able to just do it automatically "in your sleep" without getting tangled or waking yourself up.

FWIW, the Dreamwear mask is uniquely designed with the hose connection on top of your head so that the mask itself is not being pulled off your face by it. It is like a regular nasal mask in that it doesn't have to be stuck up your nostrils, yet it is like a pillow mask in that it only sits under your nose instead of over the bridge of your nose.

All that said, mask fit is different for everyone. It is especially hard when you're just shopping online and aren't able to really try the masks before buying, but many websites (including our host site) offer 30 day return trials on many of their masks if you don't like the way it fits. I find the following links interesting because the lists of best-selling and best-reviewed masks give me a good idea of what works for other people, even though I know my own mileage may vary:

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-user-preferen ... ar%202016)
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-user-preferen ... ar%202016)
The above show for the last quarter; click on "CPAP Line GraphView All Quarters Line Graph" to see overall trends of each mask.

And I found these links to be an interesting overview of currently popular masks (even though some are older, they remain as favorites):
http://bestcpappricecom-sleepguy.blogsp ... nasal.html
http://bestcpappricecom-sleepguy.blogsp ... nasal.html

Hope that helps...
Howard

I used the wisp for a long while before switching to the DreamWear mask and the DreamWear is so nice for exactly the reasons you mention--the hose naturally attaches overhead, it's not in the line of vision, the mask is lightweight, snug, stable, very easy to move in (I use a hose hanger).

BUT, there are some nights when I'm just too congested for any nasal mask. I still have to wear a full face mask sometimes. They are very difficult to use, heavy, uncomfortable, and leaky. But at least I can breathe on those stuffy nights when no amount of irrigation or medication can get me completely clear.

I don't mind the Wisp but prefer the Swift FX I have now

A hose hanger can make a world of difference. I use this one for less than $12: http://www.amazon.com/North-American-He ... 0034CHMRU/ You want the hose hanging down from right over your head with enough slack in the hose to allow you to turn left or right without pulling on the hose at all. Hose management is an important part of cpap therapy and like everything else, you have to find the one that works best for you. Many people like fancier, more expensive hose hangers - it's your choice.

The AirFit P10 nasal pillow mask seems to work best for me, but we are all different. Note that our sponsor, cpap.com, has free or cheap return insurance on some of the most popular masks. This is a terrific advantage because the damned masks are not cheap!

I tried nasal pillows masks the first six months of CPAP and my nose is just too sensitive, it felt like hamburger all the time.
I have a collection of about a dozen masks. My all time favorite is th Circadiance SleepWeaver Élan. Next in line is th Wisp, which I switched back to a few days ago when the elbow mechanism pulled out of my Élan in the middle of the night.

A distant third place is F&P 431 Full Face Mask. I don't use it often but if my nose is stuffy and I need a FFM this is my go to mask because of the chin rest, which prevents the mask from sliding up where the bottom of the mask winds up in my mouth like a bit in a horses mouth.

Some day I will try the Dreamwear and the Amara View. They are both on my list but not high priority yet.

Try the Airfit N10 it is very comfortable and I liked it much more than Airfit P10