It's no bed of roses...

[hoseknows]

http://m.flickr.com/photos/twistymedium/4509122329/

So here is what I look like tonight after almost two weeks with CPAP. First mask (nose only) gave me this lovely blister. Switched to full face last night and even using a band aid and comfort gel pad, the mask made it worse. I'm trying not to get frustrated but I'm going to have to take a break for a few nights to let it heal. Yuck!

Have any of you had a problem like this?

[Jay K]

To avoid the "bridge of the nose" problem, I use as my primary mask the Respironics Fitlife (not to be confused with the rather inferior Respironics Fulllife) which covers the entire face (as one of the flight attendants on one of my flights said--I was wearing it during part of the flight--it looks like a fighter pilot's mask). In any event, I have not had any significant problems with it--e.g., it rarely leaks-- and would recommend it as a possible alternative. The only caveat is it does make an indentation mark around your whole face that tends to disappear after a couple of hours; I'm a side sleeper and the mark tends to be more substantial on the side I am sleeping on.

[Brenpbb11150]

Hello,
Wow..you have a bright red nose...when I first started CPAP I would get a red ring around my nose that was really sore. I had a nasal mask and then I switched to nasal pillows and it helped so much so maybe that would be another option or maybe the mask was too tight but it looks more like the redness and blister is in the center of your nose so maybe its an allergic reaction to the material in the mask. Hope it heals soon for you and you can get some good sleep.
Bren :

[kteague]

OUCH! I had a mask make a pressure sore on the side of my nose once. I could not possibly tolerate the same mask, as it obviously didn't fit, and my nose was too inflamed to keeping irritating further. For a blister, maybe that invisible skin type product for use in place of a bandaid would offer some protection. Also, a piece of moleskin from the foot products section could be stuck on the mask at the point of pressure, so the soft side is against your skin. There are also mask liners that can be purchased, or you can make one yourself out of a soft thin t-shirt, so that there is a buffer between the mask and your skin. Again, OUCH!

[hoseknows]

To avoid the "bridge of the nose" problem, I use as my primary mask the Respironics Fitlife (not to be confused with the rather inferior Respironics Fulllife) which covers the entire face

Wow I have never seen a full face mask before, nor was it offered as an option to me. I'm curious...where did you find that mask? Is that something you had to order online?

I'm going to let this heal up and give my new mask a chance to work with the comfort gel thing. If I had had that little device to begin with, I may not be having that problem.

Thanks for the suggestion!

[SleepingUgly]

http://m.flickr.com/photos/twistymedium/4509122329/

So here is what I look like tonight after almost two weeks with CPAP. First mask (nose only) gave me this lovely blister. Switched to full face last night and even using a band aid and comfort gel pad, the mask made it worse. I'm trying not to get frustrated but I'm going to have to take a break for a few nights to let it heal. Yuck!

Have any of you had a problem like this?

Oh yes, yes, indeed. Been there, done that. Was it the Quattro that did that to you? It won't heal if you keep putting a mask on the exact same spot. It needs to heal before you can have another go at it, even if you're using some kind of protection. If you don't have an alternative mask, I'm not sure what to tell you because I wouldn't want to advise you to not use the CPAP if you need it. As noted, there are many, many products to deal with this, as well as many techniques. What works for one person doesn't work for another. It's a trial and error thing, and it sucks. Once you have healed, I would use something like moleskin on your nose prophylactically with every mask until you're sure it won't do this to you.

[Jay K]

Wow I have never seen a full face mask before, nor was it offered as an option to me. I'm curious...where did you find that mask?

Since I buy everything on the internet, I just ordered it. One possibility: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... ab=reviews.

Note there are only two sizes, and most people need a large (as opposed to small).

As you can see from the reviews, not everyone agrees on whether this mask does the job, but it does for me. I should also add that my pressure runs around 10 and lower, and it is at this sort of pressure that the mask doesn't leak in my experience. I believe a couple times when my auto went up to around 13 I started having some leak problems, although I'm not sure they were significant.

Incidentally, I am a side and stomach sleeper (with my head to the side), and this doesn't present a problem although I do use a special pillow such as this one: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/papill ... illow.html. Without a special pillow, it is a bit more problematic using the mask when sleeping on the side or stomach.

[Madalot]

Oh, I feel your pain on this one!! Here's what I ended up doing.

I think the key, for me, was that I needed to let that area heal. I kept using my machine, but loosened the mask and just let it leak for a few nights. I also use a PLASTIC bandaid over the spot (still do every night -- I bought 3 boxes of these bandaids off the internet). The other thing that helped me a lot was taking an acne astringent (once it's starting to heal and not quite so sore) and putting it on the spot to help it along. I still use that astringent every night before putting on the bandaid.

My nose was just as raw as yours appears -- but it doesn't even hurt now. Once the spot healed, it seemed to "toughen up" and I'm pretty good now. I just keep using the acne astringent and put a plastic bandaid over the spot every night.

I tried to the entire face mask too, but it wasn't very comfortable for me so I didn't keep it.

I hope some of this helps!

[jdm5]

I would definitely consider a nasal pillows interface; the new Swift FX - https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html is getting very good reviews (though I haven't tried it yet), I use the AEIOMed Headrest https://www.cpap.com/productpage/aeiome ... rface.html which I like a lot, since nothing touches my face at all (no straps or anything on the face).

The key to success with CPAP is definitely finding the mask that works for you. It's a very personal thing, the "best" mask for someone may be someone else's nightmare; it's totally dependent on your facial structure and personal preference. I think the consensus is that most DME's don't spend enough time w/ patients evaluating different masks. Generally the manufacturers allow you to return a mask within 30 days if it doesn't work for you, but again I don't think most DME's tell patients this. I would contact your DME and request something else. Many people go through 3, 4, 5 or more interfaces (masks) before finding the right one for them. Don't be hesitant to keep trying until you are satisfied.

Good luck!

[montana]

I love the Full Life some hate it. The mirage Quatro leaked too much around my nose. One thing to do when it heals. Use a lanolin cream on your nose. I get mine a CVS. It is for nursing mothers nipples. It is kind of sticky and helps with seal and nose problems. I still get a small redness but it goes away right away.
ALSO: VERY important: Soak you mask in warm water and a soap such as Purell for at least one hour to condition any mask. I found once I took time to fo this simple step it helped a lot.

[newhosehead]

[quote="Madalot"]Oh, I feel your pain on this one!! Here's what I ended up doing.

I think the key, for me, was that I needed to let that area heal. I kept using my machine, but loosened the mask and just let it leak for a few nights. I also use a PLASTIC bandaid over the spot (still do every night -- I bought 3 boxes of these bandaids off the internet). [quote]

My nose looked just about as bad as yours for awhile also and I know how you feel. I did pretty much what Madalot did, loosened the mask and let it leak a bit and used bandaids to let it heal. Then I got the comfort gel pad that you have and that has been the cure for me. I know not everyone likes it but I would not be without it. Wishing you the best,

Jeanette

[Maple Leaf]

To me it looks like the location of your sore is kinda low on the nose. Mine seemed to be a bit higher up in the bridge area. Perhaps your mask is to small, causing pressure due to improper fitting? Just my unofficial opinion. Hope you get things under control and start enjoying your treatment!

Rick

[BlackSpinner]

Maybe the Hybrid mask which doesn't sit on the nose but still covers the mouth would work better.

[roster]

If you are using a full face mask, then you probably mouthbreathed during the sleep study. So ignore the advice to get a nasal mask or nasal pillows.

The Hybird mask is a FFM that has nothing touching the nose bridge. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/RespCa ... -Mask.html

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