Ultra Mirage FFM Leaks

[knathdrak]

Just looking to see If i'm missing something obvious to help me here.

I've been using Cpap for about 4 months now, I still wake up kind of tired (some yawning but only really have problems falling asleep if i'm bored or not active). Was using a Opus 360, I was having issues with mouth breathing. I was able to use the tape method and get the leak rate down (.16-.22 (machine is set to standard, so no subtraction) most of the time). Even found a boil and bite that worked most of the time with similar leak rate data.

For the next mask I got a UMFF as I have been congested lately and wanted to try the mask and see how it worked for me. The first 3 days were really bad on leaks, I have the upper straps pretty loose (touches my head but not a lot of pressure). But to remove all leaks from the bottom (the cool air feeling on my goatee) I have to have it pretty tight (as in it kind of pulls my jaw back into the TMJ joint). I used the guide and it had me use the Large Standard.

As stated I have a short trimmed goatee and wander if that is the problem. Looking back at my data (this was before I got the software and was just writting down my over night average numbers in excel) my AI's were in the range of .5 - 1, and my HI's were in the range of .6 - 5 so from what i've read here that sounds ok. I just liked the idea of not having to use the mouthguard, strap, and mask if the FF worked for me.

Just wandering if it sounds like I have the wrong size by chance, or its what I can expect and will mostly use the mask when I'm sick, have a cold, more stuffed up, etc. (if It makes a difference I have a problem where I'm stuffed up to a point most days and have to use the Nasal cleanser to fix this most nights).

S8 Elite pressure of 10.
(have EPR set to 2 currently, non epr was not a real issue, but kind of like the relaxed pressure on breathing).
Thanks for the help.

[echo]

hey knathdrak (wowee that's a mouthful )

i'm, er, of the female persuation, so i can't give you any feedback on the goatee issue, but here are some tips that can help with the UMFF:

- Make sure you get the right angle on the forehead piece - if it's too straight or too angled it can pull in all the wrong places.
- Sometimes tightening it a bit more on top can help stabilize it so that it doesn't move and cause leak
- If your mouth falls open while you're asleep, which can pull the mask down and dislodge it and cause leaks, try using a chinstrap or the pap-cap to keep your jaw secure (i use the pap-cap especially with the UMFF so that the mask stays put, and it still allows me to breath out of my mouth, as long as I don't make it too tight).
- Make sure the seal is new and clean. Old or worn out silicon parts tend not to seal well. Even a few days' worth of facial oil can make the seal less sticky
- I don't know how to tell if the size might be too large - I guess the top part should fit well over the bridge of your nose and the bottom part should fit somewhere in your chin dimple. Maybe someone else can throw in their 2 cents worth?

Many people use a FFM as their daily mask, so no need to 'put up with it' only for colds, etc.

Personally I've found the UMFF a nightmare to seal on most nights, so i tighten the hell out of it and use the pap-cap. I tried a liberty, loved it, but turned out I got the wrong size (a large), and I can definintely tell it's too big. Anyway I'm rambling... point is that there are other FFM's out there that might work for you, if you have the means. Do you have a DME where you can go test drive this stuff?

As for the congestion - it could be due to the HH - do you have your humidification turned up too high?
Are you cleaning your equipment regularly and using distilled water in the HH? Mold build-up could also be causing congestion.