Mirage Activa Nasal Mask

[Hoseboy]

hi everybody. does anybody have any info on the mirage activa nasal mask? i'd love to hear from anybody who has used it. when i do the sizing form on cpap.com it says its not ideal for me. i'm wondering if anybody could think why it wouldnt be. if its something minor, i can adjust. right now i'm using a comfortgel i got from my granddad, since he gets a new mask from medicare all the time. the thing is its a large and larges are huge on me. it takes up most of my face!! it fits, but its huge. i'm only wanting to change cuz of the fact that it is pretty big, and that makes it a little awkward.

[WillCunningham]

I have been using the activa for a while now. I am really pleased with the mask so far. I love being able to keep the straps kinda of loose and having the seal made by thier "activecel" technology thing. I think the best way to describe it would be that it acts like an air shock for the mask. The small video in the video section explains it much better than I can. HERE is the link to the video page in case you have not checked it out yet.

I definately prefer it to my old ComfortGel mask. I had problems with the ComfortGel breaking due to overtightening. I also had the Gel part make less and less of a good seal over time.

I use the small face cushion though I would have guessed I would use a large due to having a big head. lol. I have a beard and mustache as well and have been pleasantly surprized.

The ComfortGel put quite a lot of pressure on my upper lip area and felt like it was messing with my teeth. Again, that is mostly due to how tight I had to make the headgear to get a seal. The Activa is 100x looser and still maintaining the seal. It still puts some pressure on my upper lip but it is much more managable.

I find the Activa to be larger than the ComfortGel overall. The part that touches your face is of a similar size, but the shell part that holds the cushion seems larger. It also extends further from your face. I definately prefer it, but would not consider it smaller than the ComfortGel.

I don't have any guesses about why it wouldn't be ideal for you, but I am sure someone else might have an idea for you.

[chdurie2]

if you can go nasal, activa is a great mask. wish i could. i'm not sure the sizing/suitability info on cpap.com is reliable. but love that squooshy activa stuff. go for it. mebbe call a cpap.com rep and ask for help with sizing?

Caroline

[cpapjack]

I use the large Activa cushion and I really love it. Although, everyone says to keep the straps loose, I find that I get better results if I actually tighten them. They are tight enough where I have a sore nose bridge. I have a red mark on my nose and forehead, but they are usually gone by the time I leave the house in the morning. I get up at 5:45 and am gone by 7:00.

My bet is that the large cushion would work for you based on your avatar.

[Guest]

I've went through more than a few mask.... I have came back to the active each time. I think it is the best I have found thus far. ANd got me, it does work best with the straps lose.

[Moogy]

I use an Activa in a size standard. After using it for a while, I tried the small size, since I have a pretty small nose and since the standard mask is pretty large on my face. A lot of people on the forum stated they got a better fit with the small, so I wanted to check it out.

The small Activa felt like a much better size before turning on the pressure, but after turning on my unit, eliminating leaks was way too much trouble. The opening for the small is like a rounded triangle. The standard is about the same size triangle, with the addition of a slot at the top. That slot fits my narrow nose bridge better.

The sizing questions on cpap.com suggest a large for me, but I am going to stick with the standard.

I also have to make the mask snug, but not really tight. I tried the loose straps, and it works for a bit, but then I move and get bad leaks. I have higher pressure than many people, plus a bipap, so that might make a difference in leaks.

Moogy

[Hoseboy]

if you can go nasal, activa is a great mask. wish i could. i'm not sure the sizing/suitability info on cpap.com is reliable. but love that squooshy activa stuff. go for it. mebbe call a cpap.com rep and ask for help with sizing?

Caroline

_________________

yeah i called em and talked to a guy but he wasnt any help. he acted like he was half asleep... i bet he needs xpap...
all he told me was the activa wasnt ideal for me based on my sizes. maybe if i post my sizes and other users post theirs i could get an idea of what might be un-ideal about the mask??

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): activa, cpap.com

[Hoseboy]

if you can go nasal, activa is a great mask. wish i could. i'm not sure the sizing/suitability info on cpap.com is reliable. but love that squooshy activa stuff. go for it. mebbe call a cpap.com rep and ask for help with sizing?

Caroline

_________________

yeah i called em and talked to a guy but he wasnt any help. he acted like he was half asleep... i bet he needs xpap...
all he told me was the activa wasnt ideal for me based on my sizes. maybe if i post my sizes and other users post theirs i could get an idea of what might be un-ideal about the mask??

_________________

well i measured again and now i have all sorts of masks to choose from... dont know what i did wrong before, but now it seems to be fixed. here are my measurements anyway.

length - 1 1/2"
diagonal length - 2"
width - 1 3/8"
depth - 3/4"
full face length - 3 1/4"

the new measurements fit me to a large activa among others....

[Knightfall]

Hoseboy,

I've been on CPAP for about a month now. At the sleep lab during my study, they used a comfort gel (not sure what size) on me. It was tolerable at best. I found this forum, read a bunch of posts and reviews, and came away really liking the Activa.

Unfortunately, just like you, the cpap.com site measuring guide ruled this mask out for me based on my measurements. When I went to the DME to pick up my CPAP, they had me lined up to use a comfort gel based on input from the sleep lab. I asked to try an Activa instead. The RT grabbed a large from his inventory, slapped it on me and connected it to my CPAP to make sure it would work for me (I've got a larger than average beak, not Jimmy Durante, but you get the idea).

I really like this mask; matter of fact I'm planning on buying a second one out of pocket soon from cpap.com as a backup (my insurance only covers one every 6 months). For me there was (and kinda still is) a learning curve in using it. Strap tension is critical; too tight and you distort the inflatable cushion and cause leaks. Too loose, and as an active sleeper, I end up with the mask getting pushed to one side and leaking.

I talked about leakage; on the whole its been minimal, with my numbers normally around 0.04 to 0.08 L/s. It has been extremely comfortable to use, and is making staying compliant fairly easy so far. I highly recommend it!

[mtsarpilot]

Knightfall, I'm with you. I really like the Activa. Specially with the mod I just did that quiets it down (see the posting at viewtopic.php?t=12357 for that info). Instead of ordering a 2nd Activa, I decided to try out a ComfortLite 2 as a 2nd mask. I figure having two different types of masks might work well in case there are pressure points that develop. I too am an active sleeper, moving around a good bit at night, so I wanted to try some nasal pillows based on what I've read around here. And the CL2 gives you multiple interface options as well. It should arrive today, I'm looking forward to trying it tonight, specially knowing I have the Activa to fall back on that works so well.

BTW, I too spent a good bit of time those first few nights playing with strap adjustements and the forehead support setting to get it tweaked in. I also have a large beak to fit in there even though my face/head is small (my 12 year old neice uses my ski helmet). Nothing is perfect, but it's really nice now. The straps are pretty loose as you noted. When I move I sometimes knock it enough to break the seal. I simply have to pull it off my face a touch and let it re-seat and all is great again.

[GoofyUT]

Lots of folks have posted here about being informed that the Activa was NOT suitable for them after using cpap.com's sizing guide. They then went on to use the Activa VERY successfully. I'm not questioning our host's sizing guide, but it rejects so many people that one has to wonder.

A VERY well respected member here has posted that, after he conversations with a ResMed customer service RN, she was informed that most folks do well with the "shallow" cushion, rather than the standard. It apparently isn't really shallow, but simply has a slightly wide and a more U shaped cut-out at the top of its cushion to accomodate the nose bridge more successfully.

I started with an Activa, but switched to the Swift after a week because I found that I was awakening during the night when I'd switch position, and the mask's frame would shift and would close a nostril. That was with the large cushion. Later I got another Activa with the shallow cushion, and found that it corrected that problem to a degree, but it did wear a sore on the bridge of my nose, which healed after a few days. However, I still had the probllem of the mask shifting and closing off a nostril, but to a lesser degree. I've now asked my DME to get me a large cushion again, and I'm going to try playing with the straps to see if I can fix the problem.

I find the Activa to be a really good mask, and I certainly sleep with more dreams (that I am aware of) when I use it (thought this may mean that I am awakening during REM, which is NOT good). I consistently get my best numbers with the Activa. Its "Active-cell" membrane is really nice and forms a GREAT seal with leak rates around 0.02L/s, with very loose head-gear straps. Its very comfortable to wear, though noticeably heavier than the Swift. It is MUCH more comfortable than any other nasal mask (not pillows) that I've tried.

But at the end of the day, I LOVE THE SWIFT like none other.

Hope this helps.

Chuck

[lvehko]

Hoseboy --

You can buy *just* the cushion on CPAP.com to see how it fits you, you don't have to buy the whole mask. The cushions are $40, which is a lot better than the $100-plus for the whole works. The mask frame will accept any size cushion, so once you find the right size cushion you can go back in and buy the frame and all the attachments separately (although it's cheaper to buy everything all together -- I guess you could save the extra cushion for when the first one wears out).

I too got a reading of "not recommended" using the CPAP.com sizing guide, but I took the plunge anyway, and the standard mask works good for me. My nose measurements are slightly longer and narrower than yours, and I use the standard cushion, so you might be able to use the large. I like to have the top of the mask riding slightly lower on the bridge of my nose, and when I get it where I like it, the large is too low on my upper lip. I could use the large if I didn't mind having the top of the mask fit right into the curve above the bridge of the nose, but when I do that it's too close to my eyes to be comfortable. Man, I'm starting to sound like a pointy-nosed, beady-eyed geek, aren't I?

On a side note, I'm still trying to modify the headgear so that it keeps the mask lower on my nose bridge... but that's another story. All in all, the Activa is the best mask I've tried, and I've tried a LOT.

Min

[Knightfall]

Instead of ordering a 2nd Activa, I decided to try out a ComfortLite 2 as a 2nd mask. I figure having two different types of masks might work well in case there are pressure points that develop.

mtsarpilot,

I think you make a very good point here. Eventually (about a year from now per my insurance company) I hope to have a mini-collection of about 4 masks to choose from, so if I need to alternate for any reason, that option is there. I have been considering other style masks, specifically the nasal pillow type, with my top two choices being the Breeze and the Aura Headrest. But fear of the unknown tells me to stick with the tried and true (for me!), which is the Activa. Would be interested in hearing how you compare the Comfort Lite experience with the Activa.
Ken

[sbouchet]

I Like the activa mask. My only issue is that it is a little heavy and the hose could be secured to the head gear to keep it out of the way.
Stephen

[Moogy]

I Like the activa mask. My only issue is that it is a little heavy and the hose could be secured to the head gear to keep it out of the way.
Stephen

I sometimes attach the hose to the top of the Activa headgear with a panty-hose strap. Buy a cheap pair of panty hose, cut off the legs, and voila, you have two stretchy straps. Loop one strap through the top of the headgear and tie around the hose.

Moogy