Rested Gal or vetrans help!

Princess · Post by **Princess** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:25 pm

I'm new here, and I've been on a CPAP for 2 months. I'm on my 3rd mask (Resmed Ultra Mirage, F&P Infinity, SNAPP) and while it's more comfortable than the horrible Infinity, it's so LOUD. Is there a fix for this? My machine is a F&P CPAP SleepStyle200 Ambient Tracking Plus humidifier - the # on the bottom says HC233JHU.

The rainout was so bad I've had to lower my setting to 1, and fill the tank low. I think a higher # would be better, but I'll have to get a hose cover. I know I won't keep this SNAPP mask, but what would the next mask option be? It seems the NAII has gotten good feedback.

I have to try and use the SNAPP until I can get another mask or know what one to get next. The main problem is it's so loud I can't hear my young son call for me, the only other option is to just be non-compliant like I have been. Any suggestions are very welcome!

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:07 pm

Have you looked at the Respironics CL2 ? - it has 3 different types of fitting and can be purchased with them all if you want to try them.

I am not sure how it compares with the SNAPP in use (I have both but haven't tried the SNAPP yet) but it should be quieter as the SNAPP has very narrow tubes going past your head (ears). The CL2 passes the air over your head.

DSM

Patrick A · Post by **Patrick A** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:15 pm

I went thru about 4 masks and a lot of blisters on my forehead from having the mask tight enough. So that it would not leak.
I use a respironics comfort lite-2 now have had it for about 3 weeks. I still am not used to it yet, but it seems to better a lot quiet er than the other masks I had. I have bot the nasal pillows and the simple mask. I like the mask best but I'm trying to get used to the nasal pillows.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): respironics, Nasal Pillows

Princess · Post by **Princess** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:24 pm

It's not the size of the tubes that created the noise, it's the exhaust hole. I have a small fan by the bed (for when I have those night sweats from the OSA) and it's 3x louder than the fan is. It's like a semi-quiet hairdryer!

The DME suggested when insurance will pay for another mask (Feb 07), to try the CL2. I've read the modification of the elbow from Rested Gal. I'm a little hesitant since I don't have the scavanged masks to use, as each one that doesn't work gets sent back, with the exception of the original one. The DME lets me "try" ones that have been returned for various reasons and they have thoroughly cleaned, and I have to send my failed "trials" back to them for their trial stock. This is nice, but I just want to get some sleep!

preemiern · Post by **preemiern** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:28 pm

Have you thoughtof trying an activa mask? I love that one!!

Princess · Post by **Princess** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 11:41 pm

I can't remember if it's an Activa, but my first mask was a Resmed Ultra Mirage and it covered my nose area. It worked ok for a week or so, until I could tell that moving around at night made it press on my skin and leave marks. I stopped using it when I had a welt across the bridge of my nose that lasted for 2 days.

I'm willing to benefit from the experience of anyone out there, not just particular people. In my newbieness, I directed this topic to vetrans and didn't mean to imply that others won't have valuable information that can help me! Thank you for your suggestion.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:40 am

Hi Princess,

Don't be put off from the Respironics ComfortLite 2 mask because of what I did to mine. Probably works fine for many people "as is". You've evidently been reading a lot on here, so you know how apt I am to chop and hack at just about any mask I've got. Doesn't mean they don't work ok the way they are, for most other people.

I know what you mean by the noise of the SNAPP. I used one for about 5 minutes.

If you don't sleep on your back much at all, the Breeze with nasal pillows is a good one, imho. About the only sound I ever heard from it is a soft shuuusssh sound only when I inhaled.

ComfortLite 2 is good for me.

My favorite is the Invacare Twilight NP...used to be called Aeiomed's Headrest, and before that was called Aeiomed's Aura.

Invacare markets it for Aeiomed now, and changed the name to Twilight NP (for Nasal Pillows.) Not to be confused with yet a DIFFERENT mask by Invacare called just the Twilight...no "NP" tacked on the name. The plain "Twilight" is their nasal mask that covers the nose.

It's really a wonder that super nice Twilight NP/Headrest/Aura can survive all the name changing. LOL!! Or that anyone can find it!!

Just keep prowling around the message board and you'll find discussions about other masks that people like. You're lucky that your DME has a stash of used masks and is letting you try some of them.

I guess you've already bought a pair of pantyhose tights and have cut the leg off.... have it ready to use as an extra strap across the front of masks. I couldn't wear any of my favorites -- Twilight NP, ComfortLite 2, or Breeze nasal pillows -- without that homemade extra strap to stabilize 'em.

Good luck!

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 5:15 am

Hello Princess

How do you have the tubing that you get rain out? Is it over your head or down?

Can you cover the hose and see if that makes a difference. I am not getting any rain out during the night with a humidity of 3 or 4. This is for about 6 hours.

So that you can be compliant and hear your son, until you find a more suitable interface that you like, can you use a monitor (the baby ones). (They are so sensitve, that you may hear the noise from your room.)

I am no expert myself and still looking for a mask that does not leak.

Even though I had problems with the comfort curve leaking, it was a quiet interface when not leaking.

I find the swift to be a louder interface even when not leaking. The exhaust is loud.

Does the DME let you try interfaces then return them?

oldgearhead · Post by **oldgearhead** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:47 am

For me, the CL2 makes less noise than all the others I've used this year:

UMFF, HC431, Adam Circuit, and Hybrid

meister · Post by **meister** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:16 pm

Many of us use nice, inexpensive Ear Plugs and/or a White Noise
machine. I didn't really want to hear my mask, or my wife's
snoring!

Princess · Post by **Princess** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 12:46 pm

Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm new to using computers this way, so alot of what you write doesn't mean anything to me. IMHO - ? No, I haven't cut up any tights yet because I didn't know what fix that was for. I don't really understand what part an interface is - the masks, or the machine?

I only have the one machine and the DME hasn't yet mentioned switiching it. From what I've read here, I know I'm so blessed to have a few option of "try outs" from the DME. I knew I'd get some great ideas by writing in here and each mask has it's good points, but I wanted some "been there done that" experience without having to get it firsthand.

A baby monitor is a great idea to hear the little guy. We're adopting him and he's 2 1/2, so we never thought about buying a baby monitor. As for the white noise - that's also what the little fan is for. My husband says I've ruined him and he can't sleep without the the thing anymore. (I have made sure that the fan doesn't blow anywhere near the hose though.)

Since I've turned the numbers down to 1, I don't have the condensation buildup anymore, but I have the machine sitting about 1 foot off the floor on a little stool, the hose usually goes up over and under part of my pillows (to anchor it) and down to the floor.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 1:06 pm

You're doing great, Princess.

IMHO - "in my humble opinion"

interface - the mask

leg cut off a pair of pantyhose tights - used as an extra strap placed over the front of a mask and tied behind your head to keep many masks more steadily in place...like this:

A few more acronyms and abbreviations you might wonder about on the message board:

LOL - laughing out loud, or lots of laughs

ROTFL - rolling on the floor laughing

cm - pressure
example: My pressure is 10 cm (centimeters H20 -- the amount of air pressure it takes to raise a column of water 10 centimeters.)

DME - Durable Medical Equipment - we use "DME" as ungrammatical shorthand to refer to local home health care stores and/or the employees that work for them.

Examples:

"My DME is Apria." (a store)

"My DME tried several masks on me." (an employee)

Alisha · Post by **Alisha** » Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:23 pm

Hi, Princess. I could empathize when you said: "I'm new to using computers this way, so alot of what you write doesn't mean anything to me. IMHO - ?"

My niece referred me to the site below, I copied it (had to scroll down the page to see which list I wanted), and use it when there's an abbreviated term that I don't know in a post.

http://www.assessmentpsychology.com/int ... ossary.htm

Hope this helps you as much as it has me.

Machine

Machine	Mask

Rested Gal or vetrans help!

Rested Gal or vetrans help!

Great solution for you!