my cpap mask keeps falling off :( please rec. a new one

[sad]

im using a Respironics

Profile Lite Gel Mask with Headgear

it comes off while im sleeping or i remove it!!!! its making me angry and sad because i wake up feeling dumb if i dont use my cpap machine. i need a mask that will strap on and stay on. anyone recommend??? please help :~(

[dllfo]

I like the Mirage Swift mask. It is nasal and it stays on me pretty well. I also like the Breeze and Comfort Lite II. But so far, the Swift is the one I keep coming back to.

It can be frustrating, sorry you are having these problems. We have a lady on here who is really good at figuring out how to make a mask work. Heck, she seems to be good at all things CPAP.

I am not sure what you could search under, but someone will be on here today who is more proficient with the links than I am.

Good Luck, hopefully we will have you an answer by bedtime tonight.

Oh..one more thing, if you register, we can see what machine, mask, etc you are using. That is usually handy for us to know.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): breeze, mirage, swift, CPAP

[LikwidFlux]

im using a Respironics

Profile Lite Gel Mask with Headgear

it comes off while im sleeping or i remove it!!!! its making me angry and sad because i wake up feeling dumb if i dont use my cpap machine. i need a mask that will strap on and stay on. anyone recommend??? please help :~(

What xPAP machine do you have? I was doing the same thing, but I have a Remstar Auto, once I turned on the alarm I would wake up and put the mask back on.

[Born Tired]

Sad,
In the beginning I think alot of us pulled our masks off without knowing it. Don't get discouraged. Reading the posts here will help you learn which masks are well liked and those that are not. But everybody has there own favorite.

Rested Gal offers great help and is one of the most knowlegable people on this forum. I think she has just about every machine and mask that has ever come out. She also is a great "lab rat" and offers hints on how to fix a mask so it will fit you better. Probably her best known fix is the "Pantyhose fix" (that would be "Mantyhose" for the guys.)

This link should (hopefully) take you to some pix of how she uses pantyhose.

viewtopic.php?t=14990&start=15

I don't think Rested Gal is very fond of the Profile Lite Gel Mask.

My favorite is what used to be called the Aura. They have changed the name many times, but it is the mask in Rested Gal's link above.

Things will get better. It just takes a while. Then you can change your name to Glad.
Esther
--

[Snoredog]

pretty common when you first start out, the ProfileLite isn't at the top of any of my lists.

The ComfortGel is much better and has better forehead support and adjustment, might stay on better. It is also more comfortable than the Lite. But it is also noisy just like the ProfileLite (noisy due to swivel elbow found on most Respironics masks are the same).

Noise can be a factor when first starting out, so the more noisy things are the the more difficult it can be to fall asleep. Same goes for the Swift, Breeze, NasalAire and the like, they are noisy compared to other masks.

If you can wait a few days I'll let you know how the new SomnoTech Soyala is, I have one on its way, it is supposed to be a very good mask and one of the quietest nasal masks on the market. Now if leak control and comfort are good this could be a winner, but I won't know that until I try it a few nights.

The SomnoTech Soyala is a bit more expensive ($99) than other nasal masks.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Soyala ... dgear.html

ComfortGel:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/comfor ... onics.html

Then there is the Activa or the MirageII, but Resmed has overpriced them past their worth in my opinion:
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... allow.html

[ozij]

Like they said, in the beginning of therapy, many of us remove our masks.

Sleeping with all that plastic and silicon around your face is really a very strange experience when we start.

I doubt a properly fit mask can really "fall off" - so, unless you're keeping it very very loose, much looser than it should be - you're removing it because you're too uncomfortable.

Mask fitting is as individual as shoe fitting, and I have discovered that for me, the nasal pillows masks - those that fit your nostrils - are much better than the nasal masks (those that go all around your nose). Now, the first time I saw a picture of a nasal pillows mask, I thought "no way I'm going to wear that". That's not to say which would be the right solution for you, only that you have to try. You will find that all masks are loved by some, hated by others, and many of the most favorite masks need some tweaking to make them truly comfortable. The people who invent masks probably never sleep with them.

One thing that makes mask wearing much easier, for many of us, regardless of mask type, is having the hose hang down to your face from a scrunchie, connected to a hook in the wall, about a foot or so above your head. Try it.

Do you have a humidifier? Lack of humidity bothers many of us, and that too might cause you enough discomfort to remove the mask.

This forum is full of tips by people who've "been there, done that" and slept well to tell about it. Take the time to browse, have the courage to try - you'll find the right solution eventually - and we're all here to help.

Good luck!

O.

[GoofyUT]

Dog-

I'm VERY interested in hearing your impressions of the Soyala. Though I sleep REALLY well with my Activa, I do find it to be relatively heavy. And, tho I LOVE the light-weight and non-intrusiveness of the Swift, and the fact that I can wear my eye-glasses with it, I don't sleep as well with it.

So, I'm curious about how you find the Soyala, especially with regard to its weight, and whether it will accomodate glasses.

Thanks!

Chuck

[lferrel]

Hi Chuck,

I have been using the Soyala nasal mask from Somno Tech for a couple of weeks now. I have about 12 different kinds of mask, and I think this one will become my favorite. For 10 years, I used the Profile Lite mask, and I think it is a good basic mask. However, the Soyala is much more on the cutting edge. It is comfortable, has numerous functional adjusments that work well, vents the air up and not into your partner's face, is extremely quite, and its compact size is well suited for traveling.

Now, as to the initial issue of headgear sliding up. I have found the headgear on the Soyala works best if the top is folded over and over until it overlaps the lower band. Then, I used a heavy duty stapler and stapled it good from the inside out. Now, the headgear stays in place all night and I never have to tweak it during the night because it moves up on the back of my head.

Lowell

[Snoredog]

My Soyala just got dropped off by the mailman, sure glad I had them send it US Mail vs UPS, or I'd still be waiting another 4 or more days for it.

Wow, very nice mask, has the most unique design (looks to be German made, distributed from Monroe, PA in USA). The swivel elbow doesn't just swivel it swivels in ALL directions just like a steering ball-joint on a car. The exhaust port appears to come around from possibly the same ball joint elbow no noticeable holes that I can see for exhaust, if I push in on the elbow it will leak where you can hear it, hope it doesn't do that during the night, but other than that it is near silent, can hear that noisy M come up right through the hose. It has another swivel for the hose to swivel in the other direction to keep twists out of the hose, it seems very simple and well designed, actually nothing looks flimsy with the design anywhere, the 4ea quick release clips look to be very simple yet functional, look to be sturdy. This mask is going to be so easy to clean.

Reading that the Somno Tech sizes seem to run a tad smaller and I wear a Medium-Standard UltraMirage Full Face, so I ordered a Large and it appears to fit my nose perfect.

The cushion doesn't appear to be anything fancy, just silicone with a stiff skirt and soft inner flap for good functional design so it should seal up good. I just tried it on with the machine for 10 minutes or so, feels very comfortable, no intentional leak seen anywhere, the flow chart says it has about 25L/m @10cm, which is much less than what I'm used to. Mask has 2 oxygen ports capped with a silicone cover at the top.

Nosebridge/Forehead adjustment: This is very cool, you just squeeze it and move it from one slot to another to change the mask pivot, again simple yet functional. The forehead support also has its own adjustment, just squeeze and the forehead cushion bar moves in/out. The cushion is very soft.

The fragile parts in the pivot area you find on most masks are not fragile looking at all on the Somno Tech, they look to be made from a PVC like plastic so they are soft and should bend instead of breaking like the hard plastic parts we are used to.

Headgear is velcro with a net mesh connecting the upper and lower straps together, seems very comfortable, I was able to adjust it with ease.

Of course you don't know how well any mask will perform until you use it for several nights at full pressure during the night. But so far it looks like a keeper, can't wait to give it a try tonight. Got the tape all ready on the night stand should I need it (don't worry its waterproof tape ).

[Snoredog]

Well I used the SomnoTech Soyala last night, have to give it 2 thumbs up or a 9 because no mask is a 10.

1. It is the quietest mask I have ever used period. Absolutely silent compared to a UMFF, very little or even difficult to figure out where the exhaust is coming from.

2. Probably the most comfortable non-leaking nasal mask I have ever used.

3. I did get some rainout last night, had humidifier on 3 because it was cool in room last night, this mask also seems to retain more CO2 than other masks, so that probably is contributing to it, so I turned off the humidifier and it was great the rest of the night, still used 1/2 tank of water from the M series, but no puddle this morning.

4. I did have a small red mark across the bridge of my nose this morning, I think I could have adjusted the mask better, will try again tonight to move it out more.

5. Headgear was fine, not has thick as Resmed's but it doesn't need to be, would compare it more to Respironics headgear but with a screen mesh on the back. I didn't have any problems with the headgear riding up.

6. Mask was very comfortable, more comfortable than the UltraMirageII, ComfortGel and any other mask I've used except for the UMFF. Very easy to seal and stop leaks, seems to stay put when sleeping on side.

Overall, I like this mask, it is definately a keeper. I highly recommend it.

I didn't sleep very good last night do to dogs stirring around waking me up because they were nervous of the storm that had rolled in.