tips on getting used to nasal mask

[zackds]

i have been using a mirage quattro since i got my cpap machine a couple of weeks ago. i actually dont mind it much but the lining of it seems to have softened even in the short time that ive had it, which has caused it to leak here and there during the night. not huge leaks, but i can feel the air testing my face in different areas throught the night. i was given a nasal mask resmed p10 as well, which i havent really been able to use because i havent had a humidifier tank lid for my machine (i ordered one and it should be here today). i have a couple of questions about both masks. first, is there anything i can do to selvedge the mirage quattro so i can still use it as a back up? i admit i didnt wash it for a few days when i first got it and maybe that was why it soften, although it seemed to soften very quickly. second, do you guys have any tips on getting used to the nasal mask? i know part of it is to due with not having a humidifier and hopefully its arrival today will aid in helping me sleep but a weird thing happens only with the nasal mask where my top and bottom teeth manage to find each other and rest uncomfortably when i wear it. i prefer wearing the nasal mask if i can find out how to properly use it. any tips are appreciated

[hummer3d]

Try a resperonics dream wear nasal mask. It has worked and been the best nasal mask I've used over all the years using CPAP. It comes with several different sizes of nose piece to get the best fit. It also has no hard parts other than hose connection .

[Pugsy]

Last chance effort for mask cushions when they are otherwise headed for the trash can.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74686&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... il+cushion

I don't know what you are doing with the nasal pillow mask to alter your teeth/bite. It shouldn't be doing that. Watch the fitting videos again to see what you might be doing wrong. Teeth meeting or not meeting isn't a prerequisite.

[zackds]

Last chance effort for mask cushions when they are otherwise headed for the trash can.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74686&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... il+cushion

I don't know what you are doing with the nasal pillow mask to alter your teeth/bite. It shouldn't be doing that. Watch the fitting videos again to see what you might be doing wrong. Teeth meeting or not meeting isn't a prerequisite.

ah sweet i will try it
i just got my lid today so ill see how having the humidifier will be as well
btw, is it necessary to change the water for the humidifier each day or even at all until the water runs out?

[zackds]

Try a resperonics dream wear nasal mask. It has worked and been the best nasal mask I've used over all the years using CPAP. It comes with several different sizes of nose piece to get the best fit. It also has no hard parts other than hose connection .

yea i was looking at that mask just browsing and it does look comfortable. how is it for rolling around at night as far as staying snug goes?
it seems like it would stay on well

[Pugsy]

Do whatever makes you feel comfortable with the water chamber.
I use distilled water primarily because I am on well water and it's terribly "hard" in terms of mineral content and it forms a hard film on the plastic rather quickly which means I have to clean the crude off and I am lazy and don't want to do any cleaning unless I just have to.

I normally use up at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the water each night so I top it off nightly with more distilled.
I don't dump it daily when using distilled. If I was using tap water I would because my well water has a LOT of minerals in it.
I dump and clean/wash the water chamber when I happen to think about it ..which isn't particularly often now. Back when I first started therapy I was a lot more religious about my cleaning routine. Not so much now after 9 years...in fact only took maybe 6 months into therapy before I quit the religious cleaning. I am fine with it. I don't have to answer to anyone.

You get to decide what it is that you are fine with and there seems to be a wide range of what is acceptable to people.
Some people it really bugs them what might be going on in the water chamber (or hose or mask or whatever) and some people could care less. You get to decide where you are in that group of people.

As for the P10 and movement. I toss and turn most of the night. I have back problems and simply can't stay in one position very long.
The mask never moves until the headgear starts getting really stretched out and loose. When it does I wash in really hot water to shrink it back up....when that no longer works I swap out for new headgear.
It's actually a very stable mask considering all the moving around I do and mask movement leaks are usually minimal.
Last weekend finally had to do the hot water trick again...mask was blowing all over the place and woke me and hubby up. Bought myself a few more months with that headgear (which is probably 6 to 8 months old as it is).
The P10 does NOT have to be tight to seal though. Don't make that common mistake that nasal pillow users make.

[zackds]

Do whatever makes you feel comfortable with the water chamber.
I use distilled water primarily because I am on well water and it's terribly "hard" in terms of mineral content and it forms a hard film on the plastic rather quickly which means I have to clean the crude off and I am lazy and don't want to do any cleaning unless I just have to.

I normally use up at least 1/2 to 3/4 of the water each night so I top it off nightly with more distilled.
I don't dump it daily when using distilled. If I was using tap water I would because my well water has a LOT of minerals in it.
I dump and clean/wash the water chamber when I happen to think about it ..which isn't particularly often now. Back when I first started therapy I was a lot more religious about my cleaning routine. Not so much now after 9 years...in fact only took maybe 6 months into therapy before I quit the religious cleaning. I am fine with it. I don't have to answer to anyone.

You get to decide what it is that you are fine with and there seems to be a wide range of what is acceptable to people.
Some people it really bugs them what might be going on in the water chamber (or hose or mask or whatever) and some people could care less. You get to decide where you are in that group of people.

As for the P10 and movement. I toss and turn most of the night. I have back problems and simply can't stay in one position very long.
The mask never moves until the headgear starts getting really stretched out and loose. When it does I wash in really hot water to shrink it back up....when that no longer works I swap out for new headgear.
It's actually a very stable mask considering all the moving around I do and mask movement leaks are usually minimal.
Last weekend finally had to do the hot water trick again...mask was blowing all over the place and woke me and hubby up. Bought myself a few more months with that headgear (which is probably 6 to 8 months old as it is).
The P10 does NOT have to be tight to seal though. Don't make that common mistake that nasal pillow users make.

im glad to hear its not necessary to use distilled water in the chamber
i dont think i have hard water here, so ill just try regular water for now
i dont have too much of an issue with the p10 leaking but i notice sometimes the straps
move from being on the pillow
i probably need to do what youre talking about and soak them in hot water
do you soak them and if so how long?

[prodigyplace]

I separate the headgear from the mask
I normally wash with liquid soap and water and then rinse well. I soak at least 5 minutes and them allow to thoroughly air dry before using.

[Pugsy]

I throw it all in the sink and run really hot water in the sink with a splash of whatever liquid soap I have handy.
I let it soak until the water has cooled down or 30 minutes or an hour (whenever I finally remember it) and then I wash everything like the pillows and the little mesh screen with my hands and a tooth brush (to clean the little mesh part of the frame where the air vents).
Then a final hot as my hands can stand rinse...then air dry.
Some people remove the headgear stretchy part and will even wash in the washing machine and the dryer. I haven't ever done that but I could if I so wanted.
I don't disassemble the headgear from the frame but I do remove the nasal pillow.

No set in the stone type of routine for anything for me.

The headgear strap sliding a bit...especially up the back of the head from moving on the bed pillow.
Common complaint.
If too annoying ResMed sells some little clips to take up the tension a bit (or brand new masks come with them included in the package)...or someone could stitch up that strap just a little.

Back straps sliding up the back of the head has been a problem with a lot of nasal pillow masks that use a similar strap. Just not much there to hold it in place. Some people with hair just pull the hair over the strap to help keep it in place. Some people add a bit of velcro to the strap so that the velcro sticks to the hair and prevents sliding.

I don't do anything because for the most part the mask doesn't slide up the back of the head for me anyway. Not enough to wake me up very often so not enough for me to do anything about it. I do wear that lower back strap way down the back of my skull close to where the skull and C spine join.

[zackds]

I throw it all in the sink and run really hot water in the sink with a splash of whatever liquid soap I have handy.
I let it soak until the water has cooled down or 30 minutes or an hour (whenever I finally remember it) and then I wash everything like the pillows and the little mesh screen with my hands and a tooth brush (to clean the little mesh part of the frame where the air vents).
Then a final hot as my hands can stand rinse...then air dry.
Some people remove the headgear stretchy part and will even wash in the washing machine and the dryer. I haven't ever done that but I could if I so wanted.
I don't disassemble the headgear from the frame but I do remove the nasal pillow.

No set in the stone type of routine for anything for me.

The headgear strap sliding a bit...especially up the back of the head from moving on the bed pillow.
Common complaint.
If too annoying ResMed sells some little clips to take up the tension a bit (or brand new masks come with them included in the package)...or someone could stitch up that strap just a little.

Back straps sliding up the back of the head has been a problem with a lot of nasal pillow masks that use a similar strap. Just not much there to hold it in place. Some people with hair just pull the hair over the strap to help keep it in place. Some people add a bit of velcro to the strap so that the velcro sticks to the hair and prevents sliding.

I don't do anything because for the most part the mask doesn't slide up the back of the head for me anyway. Not enough to wake me up very often so not enough for me to do anything about it. I do wear that lower back strap way down the back of my skull close to where the skull and C spine join.

i think the only reason ive noticed it is because ive not been able to sleep as well with the nasal mask
due to the air being uncomfortable
i have the humidifier set up for tonight so ill try the nasal mask tonight

[hummer3d]

Sorry I'm not sure about the fit of the dreamwear nasal mask side sleeping as I am a back sleeper.

[zackds]

I throw it all in the sink and run really hot water in the sink with a splash of whatever liquid soap I have handy.
I let it soak until the water has cooled down or 30 minutes or an hour (whenever I finally remember it) and then I wash everything like the pillows and the little mesh screen with my hands and a tooth brush (to clean the little mesh part of the frame where the air vents).
Then a final hot as my hands can stand rinse...then air dry.
Some people remove the headgear stretchy part and will even wash in the washing machine and the dryer. I haven't ever done that but I could if I so wanted.
I don't disassemble the headgear from the frame but I do remove the nasal pillow.

No set in the stone type of routine for anything for me.

The headgear strap sliding a bit...especially up the back of the head from moving on the bed pillow.
Common complaint.
If too annoying ResMed sells some little clips to take up the tension a bit (or brand new masks come with them included in the package)...or someone could stitch up that strap just a little.

Back straps sliding up the back of the head has been a problem with a lot of nasal pillow masks that use a similar strap. Just not much there to hold it in place. Some people with hair just pull the hair over the strap to help keep it in place. Some people add a bit of velcro to the strap so that the velcro sticks to the hair and prevents sliding.

I don't do anything because for the most part the mask doesn't slide up the back of the head for me anyway. Not enough to wake me up very often so not enough for me to do anything about it. I do wear that lower back strap way down the back of my skull close to where the skull and C spine join.

hey is mouth taping frowned upon as a means for getting used to cpap?
i notice at higher pressures even with the full face mask my mouth comes open sometimes
or is it just because im not used to higher pressures and over time i will adjust?

[Okie bipap]

A lot of people tape their mouth at night. I couldn't make it work, but others have.

[zackds]

A lot of people tape their mouth at night. I couldn't make it work, but others have.

did you eventually adapt to not having your mouth come open?
i wouldnt be averse to buying a chin strap or something if it worked well for me
i ideally, using nothing would be great which is why im wondering
if people just adapt to it, with no open mouth issues after a while
ive been on cpap for a couple of weeks now
it seems it happens with higher pressures only
9 and up or so

[Okie bipap]

I tried chin straps and found them to be too uncomfortable for me. I use a firm foam cervical collar to keep my mouth closed. I have never been able to adapt to a nasal pillow mask and have decided to just continue with my full face mask, of which I have tried several and have settled on two that I alternate as the mood strikes.