Nasal Pillow vs. Full Face Mask

I've been on CPAP now for about 10 days and I've been using the Mirgage Swift Nasal Pillow. Although this is comfortable, I'm just not sure it's working properly. It seems to fit against my nostrils a little too closely and it feels as if the air isn't blowing in my nose as much as it should be. If I loosen the straps, then it doesn't fit against my nostrils as well, hence air leakage. I've been thinking about switching to a full face mask, but I don't want to have all of the strap marks and sore nose bridge and whatever else come with. Anyone have ideas or thoughts on this?

I've never used a nasal pillow type mask, but I have been using a full face mask for about a year. I like the full face mask. It will take you a couple nights to adjust it properly to fit your comfort, but once you've tweaked it, you'll be fine.

I would say that applies to just about any mask. It will take some adjusting and tweaking until you get it just right. I'll bet you'll get your mask tweaked soon. Just give it some time and play around with the various straps and settings.

I have used the Swift for 4 months now. Trust them. They are working. If you loosen it and feel leaks then if they are little tighter all that air, 9cm H2O for me, is going straight up your nose and down your trachea and into your lungs, if your mouth is not gaping open that is.

I know, you can't feel it, which to me is good. Comfort is good. If you want discomfort there are plenty of ways using an xPAP and various interfaces to get all the discomfort you want. Sounds like you might believe in the "no pain, no gain" theory of life .

David

Got my ResStar Auto about 2 weeks ago. Got an Ultra Mirage FF mask with it (I'm a mouth breather). Fiddled with that for about 5 days and could never get a correct fit. It would work fine for the first half of the night then about 4 hours into the night (when the pressure got up to about 15) I always developed a leak that I couldn't stop.

Ordered a Hans-Rudolph and it worked fine with the exception the bridge of my nose. I could not stop the leaks there. Same time I ordered the Hans-Rudolph I got a Fisher & Paykel HC405. Same deal as with the Ultra Mirage. Could never eliminate the leaks.

Figured I'd try a ComfortLite 2 Nasal Interface. Used it Saturday night with great results. I taped my mouth shut (remember I'm a mouth breather) with paper surgical tape. Slept like a baby until the tape started coming off about 5AM.

Sunday night I did the old tape trick again (see someone does use the search function here). About an hour after I went to bed I coughed and about blew my eyes right out of thier sockets! Ripped the tape off coughing and gagging.

Ordered a chinstrap today and will try that tomorrow with the ConfortLite. Tonight I'll go back to the FF for a day.


I guess the moral of the story is keep trying things till you find the right combination. I have no doubt I'll find the right combo soon

I agree with Snoozin - - when my nasal pillows are perfectly placed, I don't feel any air. I often move them to get some leakage so that I can confirm that the air is working.

cpapjack wrote:I've been on CPAP now for about 10 days and I've been using the Mirgage Swift Nasal Pillow. Although this is comfortable, I'm just not sure it's working properly. It seems to fit against my nostrils a little too closely and it feels as if the air isn't blowing in my nose as much as it should be. If I loosen the straps, then it doesn't fit against my nostrils as well, hence air leakage. I've been thinking about switching to a full face mask, but I don't want to have all of the strap marks and sore nose bridge and whatever else come with. Anyone have ideas or thoughts on this?

LOL...hey, I'm not laughing at you, but with you. Well over two years ago I went through some of the same issues with my Breeze nasal pillows.

Very quickly, however (somewhat longer than 10 days!), I LOVED the fact that I could not feel all that air rushing into my nasal passages (pressure 14). That combined with a C-flex setting of '2,' has made this therapy a huge success for me.

By all means if you can tolerate a FFM give it a try (I couldn't), but I think you'll find just as many issues, if not more, to deal with.

I agree with the others, cpapjack, give yourself a little more time to adjust to the pillows.

c-papjack I too have experiecenced the feeling of air being shut off w/ my swift nasal pillows & have awakened & pulled them upo to see of air was in fact still blowing - it was. I am finally taking my smart card to my DME folks & am looking forward to see if that has been a problem. I think they will be able to tell me what's up? I currently have a bi-pap pro 2 w/ heated humidifier. Good luck as I'm still trying to master this stuff!