Swift FX leaking around nose

I notice i wake up a lot at night to my swift fx leaking around my nose. I can hear it. When it's not leaking and the air is coming out of the vent normally it doesn't make to much noise. When it is leaking, i hear the air. I just rock the mask around a bit (wiggle it), it seals and all is better.

AM i using the wrong size pillows? I do not have my mask to tight.. i could tighen it up a lot more. I've done the offical mask check when i lie down and it pumps solid high pressure cpap at me, and it passes. It doesn't leak. I must toss and turn a lot at night and whack the mask out of it's seal.

So what can I do?

My ahi scores lately are in the 5 and 6 range.

I am a one week expert I have been using different pillows and built a DIY hose hanger to try to sleep more comfortable and stop leaks. Good luck this forum is awesome

I use this mask also. I find if it's a little snug, it stays put better. Also make sure the headgear doesn't slide around on your hair - this was my biggest leak cause, so I use a PapCap chinstrap when wearing the FX so the cloth keeps it all in place.

I also use the Swift LT and this one is a little firmer in the fitting and tends to stay in one place better IMHO, but I switch between those 2 and a SleepWeaver.

You could try a smaller size pillow to see if that helps also.

Any experimenting will get you closer to the perfect night's sleep

Cheers,
xena

Does smaller = less leaks? or does larger = less leaks?

I have the small. I can try it.

Should i be hanging the hose over my head or something. I just have it tossed on the bed with me.. when i move it moves.

By the way, i've been on auto bipap for over 3 weeks now. No problem what so ever keeping the mask on all night. nothing uncomfortable about it what so ever. So at least i'm good there. I just want to get the leaks down and my ahi's down.

If i need to hang the hose overhead, i feel that I will need a longer hose. Can you hook 2 hoses to each other? My DME is pretty good. I asked them for more medium pillows and they sent them right over. Should i ask them for another hose or a longer hose?

Certainly NOT an expert here but I have found with my nasal pillows that the small is too small and the medium is a bit too large. The small feels great but I don't feel like I get enough air through them. With the medium I have to do a bit more adjusting and I found that I can just wiggle my nose to get a good tight fit. I wash the pillows in warm water prior to putting them on and maybe they are still soft and mold a bit better to my nose. You might try it.

Like xenablue, the sliding headgear is problem for me but I have worked out a way to stop that. I do keep it a bit tighter than when I was trying to use a face mask.

The medium certainly feels better to me. But i can used to anything. If the small will leak better then i'll use the small.

I have yet to see a definite answer from anyone about what leaks more? A pillow that is too small or a pillow that is too large?

I see there is something some new pillow system out.. maybe that will leak less. I'm sure my dme can get me anything i want. At least i have amazing insurance and a really good dme.

danjfoley wrote:I notice i wake up a lot at night to my swift fx leaking around my nose. I can hear it. When it's not leaking and the air is coming out of the vent normally it doesn't make to much noise. When it is leaking, i hear the air. I just rock the mask around a bit (wiggle it), it seals and all is better.

AM i using the wrong size pillows? I do not have my mask to tight.. i could tighen it up a lot more. I've done the offical mask check when i lie down and it pumps solid high pressure cpap at me, and it passes. It doesn't leak. I must toss and turn a lot at night and whack the mask out of it's seal.

So what can I do?

My ahi scores lately are in the 5 and 6 range.

Try Lansinoh/lanolin around your nostrils. It'll help seal the pillows. Works great for me and most everyone else on the forum. You can pick it up at Target, CVS, etc... in the baby section.

Good luck,

-Z

danjfoley wrote:I have yet to see a definite answer from anyone about what leaks more? A pillow that is too small or a pillow that is too large?

There isn't a definite answer. What works best for one person doesn't necessarily work best for another.

I use a small, sometimes an xsmall. They both leak occasionally around my nose. I lightly pinch them back in place and go back to sleep. My leaks show nothing significant. I don't even think about it.

Try the small nasal pillow. You won't know if it is any better or worse than the medium until you try it.
I can use both the XSmall and Small with pretty much equal results. I do think that a nasal pillow that is just too small would tend to be harder to keep a good seal than one that is perhaps a bit too large.
Everyone is going to be different and amount of tension is going to make a difference also.

If the Medium is very comfortable and you have some wiggle room regarding tightening the top strap without causing discomfort.. tighten it up one notch to see if that helps with leaks. And yes...as we move around during the night the pillows can be dislodged a bit. I do a lot of tossing and turning (back pain issues) so it is just something I live with. I think that with time and experience we tend to "fix" the leak and not remember it. I know that now I often see a few spikes and obvious short term leaks but I don't remember them but it is obvious from the reports that I must have addressed the issue.

The Lansinoh ointment does help also..just don't use too much or your body heat will melt it enough that everything slides around all over the place.

Oh...regarding hose length.. don't put 2 of the 6 ft hoses together...but you can buy 8 foot hose to use and it won't impact therapy pressure.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/8-foot ... -ends.html
or even a 10 ft
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/10-foo ... -ends.html
bear in mind that extra length will mean extra weight but if using some sort of hose management system it won't matter.

Some people like having the hose routed over their heads....some people don't. Again..something you will have to try to see what works for you. Me? I don't like it but that doesn't mean much...only that I don't care for it. Whatever works for you is what is important and you won't know if different thing won't work or not until you try different things. Don't be afraid to try but we can't tell you what will for sure work for you because everyone is a bit different in how they do things and how they perceive things.

Just talked to my DME, they are going to let me try the new Aloha system:
http://www.devilbisshealthcare.com/prod ... low-system

or the swift LT.

Due to the fact that they both mount the hose over head. So.. i'll get to see if they work better.

I didn't ask, but i hope they aren't going to take my swift fx back. I want them both!

I used the Swift LT as my first mask when I started therapy. I used it until the Swift FX was released.
I did not use it secured over my head..I didn't care for it that way but it does have that handy little clip for those that do. You might like it. It probably was a little (stress little) more stable for me than the Swift FX is but the "less on my face" with the FX was so worth it to me. The bulk of my FX leaks from pillows sliding out has been the movement of that back strap.. It slides up a little and I have my hair very short so nothing to slow it down. Still not enough to worry about and not enough for me to do anything to try to secure it. Not enough of an issue for me to mess with.

Well my DME just called, said they are shipping me out a swift LT to try. I get both of them. In probably get it in 2-3 days, and i'll give it a try. And i get to keep the swift fx too.

danjfoley wrote:Does smaller = less leaks? or does larger = less leaks?

I have the small. I can try it.

Should i be hanging the hose over my head or something. I just have it tossed on the bed with me.. when i move it moves.

Ahhh! YES!! I use the velcro strip to keep my FX tubing in place above my head so it stops the pillows from being tugged during sleep - another reason I use the PapCap with the FX.

Initially I was using XS and S pillows as I have very small nostrils, however M gives me less leaks and seemingly more air.

Cheers,
xena