HOW MANY MASKS DO WE PHANTOMS REALLY HAVE?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Guest

Post by Guest » Wed Nov 17, 2004 1:54 pm

Hi WindFlyer,

Welcome aboard! I live in Georgia now but I was born, raised and lived in Michigan until I was 45.

I know, isn't it wonderful to feel good and not wake up in the middle of the night feeling anxious and your heart pounding 50 times a minute and then going through the next day feeling like a wet noodle.

This board is great and there are so many knowledgable people here that can help, advise and give support and encouragement.

Judy
(An X Michigander)

Guest

Post by Guest » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:04 pm

Last night was my first night since the sleep study on Oct. 28th. I rent a Resmed Spirit set between 9-13 and I use an Activa mask. AHI was 3.8 compared to 1.7 during the sleep study titrated at 12. I am going to set the Spirit for 10-13 tonight to see if I can lower AHI.

Everything worked great and I slept through the night. I feel great today compared to not having the CPAP. I did order a Mirage Swift as my second mask.

garylegg
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Location: Birmingham, Alabama

Post by garylegg » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:36 pm

I have been on cpap since October, 1999. I only found this forum last month. For the first five years, I only had one mask. It was ResMed Mirage, then Ultra Mirage. They both either leaked when not tight enough or irritated my face when too tight. There was no place between too loose and too tight. They overlapped. This November, I got a new cpap. It is the Resmed Auto Spirit. I also got a new mask, the Activa. They are both much better that the old stuff.
I also have given myself permission to have more stuff. I have ordered a Swift mask, a breeze mask with pillows, a heated tube, monitoring software.
Gary Legg

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rested gal
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Post by rested gal » Wed Nov 17, 2004 3:56 pm

WTG, Gary!!

I like the way you put it... "I also have given myself permission to have more stuff."

If we wait for the "professionals" to help make it better, more comfortable, easier to cope with - it just won't happen. We do have to take care of ourselves. This message board is a wonderful resource for getting the information we need to do just that.

Will look forward to hearing how your new goodies work for you when they arrive.

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UKnowWhatInSeattle
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Post by UKnowWhatInSeattle » Thu Nov 18, 2004 2:26 pm

Happy Hosehead since April, 2004

Got me one o'them Remstar Pro machines

Masks:

Comfort Select: leaky and noisy
Comfort Classic: worked OK in titration... leaky and sorta noisy
Breeze: makes me feel like I'm not getting enough air!!! Want it to work for me..
HC407: Nice and quiet. Doesn't fit me at all. A forehead adjustment mechanism would work.
Ultra Mirage: decent comfort and pretty quiet
Activa: Great engineering...

I'm currently mostly using the Ultra Mirage since it is small and seals better against the moustache than the Activa. It's quieter, too.

Jim

jacob

Respronics Mask Repeated Failure and non service of machine.

Post by jacob » Fri Nov 18, 2005 2:19 pm

I had about a dozen masks (Gold Seal Domestic #302355) that had broken in the very same place over the years. I sent them back to Respronics President, John Miclot, to show that their horribly over priced equiptment had a flawed design that easly broke at the strap node over the nose. They sent me 1(another) mask that was similarlyly made (still made of very brittle acrylic palstic instead of the Lexan it should be made of) that would add durability to it.
Also Respronics has not allowed me to send my Remstar machine in for the last 2 Years claiming it was obsolete. I will not buy anything from them ever again due to their lack of support for their products, the consumables/disposables rip off, and to the poor eqpt design.

Another Respronics complaint is that the 1/16 inch thick papet 6" oval filters are $10.88 each. If they were selling sanitary napkins(a thicker version of the paper filter) they would easly be charging about $100 each or $2,400/box.

They are what they do and how they treat us so hell with them. Let old John go down with their ship and wonder what happened.

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    Geocom
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    Post by Geocom » Fri Nov 18, 2005 2:31 pm

    If I bothered to count all the masks piling up in my closet for the past three years, I'd put my self in a position where I'd have an answer this question when my wife asks.

    Is it eight? Is it ten? Twelve?

    Uhm, I dunno.

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    wading thru the muck!
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    Post by wading thru the muck! » Fri Nov 18, 2005 3:04 pm

    Geocom,

    I find a new home for all my rejects so that I avoid the "pile in the closet" - same thing with the machines.
    Sincerely,
    wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!

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    rbv24
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    Post by rbv24 » Fri Nov 18, 2005 3:08 pm

    Hi my name is Rob and I've been a hosehead for a year now.

    My first machine was a Remstar Pro (with HH & Aussie heated hose) set at 8cm, but after 4 months I felt worse than before CPAP so I set it to 10 which helped. After gathering information on this forum I went to see my ENT so that I could get a script for a Remstar APAP which is set at 8-12 cm.

    The initial mask was some generic pillow type that the DME had on hand. This felt like someone had two fingers up my nose ala Moe with Curly and Larry. Because of the pain and my allergies keeping by sinuses blocked I switched to an Ultra Mirage FFM and had to deal with the leaks and the bridge of my nose getting chewed up. After about 4 months the swivel broke off in the middle of the night so I had to get a replacement Ultra Mirage.

    After reading Sharons review I've been using the Hans Rudolph FFM for 3 weeks now and love it. I had to cut the rip cord off and add additional padding in the rear of the headgear. By far this has been the best mask for me so far.


    Colorado Jan

    Post by Colorado Jan » Fri Nov 18, 2005 4:17 pm

    I've only been Cpap-ing since mid-August. But I have two machines....a PB420E gotten through insurance and a Resmed Autoset Spirit that I bought myself. Have the software for the PB420E and will get the Spirit software sometime soon.

    And four masks....a Comfort Lite that the DME sent me home with (actually not that bad of a mask), a Swift which I like a lot, an Aura which I WANT to like a lot, and now an Activa, which seals really well, but it takes some getting used to. Rather like having a jellyfish on your face breathing in and out. And leaves the worst marks on my face. But it SEALS the best. Hmmm.

    I know, only 3 months on CPAP, but if I've got to do this, then I need my toys. Lots and lots of toys.

    Jan in Colo.


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    Amigo
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    Post by Amigo » Fri Nov 18, 2005 5:15 pm

    1. Since October, 2003...every night & all night. I have so much energy now it's scary...lol.

    2. Nasal pillows regularly. Also have a full nasal mask which sits in the drawer as it felt as though I wasn't getting any air...perhaps the pressure has to be higher for these(?).

    3. Only one machine...the RemStar Pro with C-Flex. I don't bother with software and just "go with the flow" as I told rested gal. As long as I feel this good, I don't care about the details.

    I am also looking carefully at CPAPman's site as I'm considering the CONJO headgear "supplement" to my Adam Circuit (which I love).


    bert

    masks

    Post by bert » Fri Nov 18, 2005 6:37 pm

    2 yrs as a hosehead- 4000 hrs on windmachine best mask so far -Infinity 481 nasal. had turbinectomy and septoplasty in july 05 that really helped-
    although at times still get congested

    i am thinking about getting a add on humidifier--more moisture. anyone know anything about these things


    tater pie
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    Post by tater pie » Fri Nov 18, 2005 9:00 pm

    Been on cpap since November of 2004. I have one machine, Fisher & Paykel HC 221 LE straight cpap, and 3 masks. I got the Fisher & Paykel Flexifit 405 Nasal Mask first and hated it. It leaked all the time and it was really uncomfortable. I then got the Breeze Nasal Pillows and loved them and still use it as my main mask today. I also got the Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask and try to use it but I haven't had much luck with it. It leaks a lot and the straps are really uncomfortable. The Fisher & Paykel Cpap machine is a great little straight cpap machine but it doesn't have software so you can monitor yourself. That's my only complaint about it.


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    Jere
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    Post by Jere » Fri Nov 18, 2005 9:41 pm

    3 months on with only 2 masks: the Swift (which works great for me) and some comfort gel mask that I borrowed from my sleep doc and never gave back (I should give it back since I never use it). Oh well.

    I have a Res Med Escape 8 and another (same machine) that I bought new on a Yahoo auction for the price my DME charges my insurance company for 1 month rent. Go figure.

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    rested gal
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    Re: masks

    Post by rested gal » Sat Nov 19, 2005 2:40 am

    bert wrote: i am thinking about getting a add on humidifier--more moisture. anyone know anything about these things
    Hi Bert,

    The heated humidifier I like best is the Fisher and Paykel HC 150. It's a separate heated humidifier so can work with any machine. I don't have the extra cost of buying an integrated humidifier for each machine that I try, if I change machine brands. The separate F&P humidifier can be hooked to any machine I decide to use.

    I also like having a heated hose to use with a heated humidifier. sleepzone.com.au has that....the "heated cpap tube".