Newbie question - nasal cushion and nasal pillows

[Videoshade1]

Greetings all....

I am new to the world of cpap. I received my equipment on July 23rd and have used it every night.

I didn't realize that I was not getting a good nights sleep until I had been on the machine for a few days.
What a difference.

I have gone through 2 masks because my the skin on my face is sensitive and reacted to the Ultra Mirage II mask I started with. I am now using Profile Lite Gel mask and its seems to be working with not skin irritations.

I was a side sleeper before cpap but now I am trying to adapt to sleeping on my back. I've been reading a lot on this site about side sleepers using nasal pillows. At the sleep lab I tried Mirage Swift II but after 45 minutes I had to go to a mask due to the headache the nasal inserts.

My questions are:

1.Is there certain pillows that work better with masks?
2.Whats the difference between nasal cushion and nasal pillows?
3.Which of the above does the Mirage Swift II fall under?

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Slinky]

The Mirage Swift II is a nasal pillows interface (mask).

Many people have success w/a good down pillow allowing the mask to sink into the pillow.
Others really like the PAPpillow for side sleeping.
Others have successfully purchased and used some pillows from K-Mart, Wal-Mart, etc. but darned if I remember the type!!! Hopefully, others who use them will pop in and tell you what they are.

The nasal cushion interfaces (mask) are those that cover your nose from bridge to bottom.

The full face masks cover from bridge of nose to the chin.

I've had good luck w/the Respironics Simplicity for sleeping on my back or side. But I'd been on CPAP for several months and been thru the Breeze nasal pillows (during titration study), the Mirage Swift (first mask thru the DME, also a nasal pillows, forerunner to the Swift II) and the ComfortLite 2 nasal pillows. The CL2 comes w/both nasal pillows and simple nasal cushion OR w/nasal pillows and nasal seals (the seals are like pillows except less invasive into the nostrils, rather they lay against the bottom of the nostrils to seal) so it is like getting two masks in one.

I found I liked the CL2 simple nasal cushion better than the nasal pillows I had tried. So I tried some nasal cushions: the HC 407 Flex-Fit, the Aclaim2, the ComfortGel, a couple of others I tried "in house" but didn't try sleeping with and found that I did best w/the Simplicity.

But like I mentioned earlier, by the I had been on CPAP for sevral months and had learned a few tricks about fitting and adjusting the various masks. I strongly suspect that I would do just fine w/the HC 407 Flex-Fit as it is a size smaller than the 407. But I haven't been too inclined to try it because the Simplicity is lighter weight and I am doing good w/it.

[itchysmom]

I tried the Swift II, which I know is a favorite here, but also had severe headaches with it. I am now using the Fisher & Paykel Opus nasal pillows and I am doing great with it.

My leak rate most nights is 0.00 with an AI of only 0.4. You might want to ask about this one.

[DreamStalker]

Always wash the cushions or pillows before using (even if they are brand new) to help reduce chance of skin irritations.

[JZ]

Videoshade1,

Welcome to the forum. Just to add a little to Slinky's information about bed pillows. Side sleepers generally want either a pillow that is soft and shapable that they can bury the side of their face in without dislodging their mask. or a pillow that allows them to hang the front part of their face off the edge of it so as not to disturb the mask. For the former, I have seen posts about down, artificial down, and buckwheat hull pillows. For the latter, I have seen posts about the papillow, the Target Shapable pillow or a good memory foam pillow.

If you want to use a nasal pillows interface, there are some considerations for side sleepers. Mask preference is very individual and depends on numerous factors such as head and face shape and size, sleep position preference, nostril shape and size, cpap pressure setting, ease of cleaning, and many more. Some people with small or narrow faces who are side sleepers have trouble with the Swift and Swift II dislodging. But many people love the Swift. There are a variety of nasal pillow interfaces where the air tubing comes down the side of the head (can be problematic for side sleepers) and a number where the tubing comes down the middle of the face. And, a number of people make modifications to their masks that can be minor such as adding a stretchy strap around the head for stability or serious deconstruction modifications.

And, a number of side sleepers successfully use nasal masks and full face masks. By the way, a member of this forum makes and sells padded covers for the straps of a number of masks. They add comfort and help eliminate strap marks on the face. Her website is http://www.padacheek.com

You can get a lot of information here about people's mask preferences. The important thing is for you to not settle for a mask that irritates your skin, gives you headaches, or leaks. Be willing to research, ask questions here, and make sure your durable medical equipment company will let you try various masks until you are satisfied.

Good luck.

Janna

[Videoshade1]

Thanks for all the input.

I have found a mask that appears to be working without irratating my skin.

I now know when I go to sleep with the cpap I will wake up the next morning feeling ready to face the day instead of wish for a day off.javascript:emoticon':D'