Chemically sensitive to Mirage Swift II material

[klutzo]

Hello everyone,
My DME no longer carries the Breeze nasal pillow headgear, which I love, so I got a Mirage Swift II. I washed it first as instructed, and it fits very nicely, but I have multiple chemical sensitivities, and it is made of some kind of shiny, synthetic material, instead of all plastic like the Breeze.

After only 2 minutes of wearing it, my cheeks are swollen, beet red and burning, all symptoms I recognize from new furniture, laminated wood, shower curtains, vinyl tiles, etc. The last time we got a new bed, I had to sleep on the screen porch for 77 days and have an AET treatment at an alternative clinic, before I could sleep in the bed. We buy all other furniture second hand, and new shower curtains must hang outside for 3 days. I cannot go in stores, unless they are second hand, but must order online.

I am wondering if anyone else has had this problem with headgear materials, and if so, how long it took to resolve.

In the meantime, I am using my old Breeze with duct tape around the leak in my small headgear hose. I also have an even older Breeze with ratty side straps that I can resort to if needed. I am really hoping this material will outgas quickly, since it was the only one of the offered nasal pillow systems I saw that was compatible with my chin strap. I cannot wear masks at all, due to a similar skin sensitivity reaction to the air blowing on my skin. I have severe fibromyalgia, which is the cause of all these hyper-sensitivity reactions.

Thanks for any advice,
klutzo

[jules]

is the problem the nasal pillows or the headgear?

you can pad the headgear or since it is the swift ii there should be old ones around - the original swift and swift ii have same headgear

[Marietjie]

you can pad the headgear

Klutzo- read more about mask pads(scroll down to Resmed - Mirage Swift & Swift 11)
http://www.padacheek.com/Quick_find_guide.html

[kteague]

Can you mix and match your best pieces of your Breeze masks to eek some more life out of them? I can't remember if that small hose comes with the masks and headgear or not.

I remember a discussion about allergies and the different materials various masks are made of, but I'm thinking multiple chemical sensitivities is in a whole different league. My airways have an asthma-like reaction to new masks, and it takes a few soaks in vinegar water to make them tolerable, but I don't have skin reactions. Sure hope you get some input from others with the same things.

[cobra4x4]

I use the swift II as well but without the allergy issue.

As I recall the swift II pillow is made from Latex (Many people are allergic to Latex) so no surprise that you could be allergic to the pillow.

[Craig P]

I would contact your Dr and request a specific prescription for the Breeze, with "Dispense as written" on the script, and present it to your DME. If they can't provide you with the equipment that you need then find a new DME. It should not be their decision as to which equipment you get to use.

[klutzo]

Thanks to everyone who replied and to the one who sent me PMs as well. I am sorry it took me so long to get back and thank you all. I did not get any notifications that there were responses.

I found that the suggestion of a long soaking wash worked, and I did not even have to use the vinegar, just original Dawn, which is what my current DME insists on, and I scrubbed the material with the suds. I tried that first, since I was a bit leery of the acid in vinegar hurting the soft plastic if it soaked a long while, though I normally use a 50/50 water and vinegar solution to clean the pillows each morning, so I guess that is not a problem. I was able to sleep with the headgear with no reaction after it dried.

It may be that it was just sprayed with formaldehyde which came off with washing. I have to do the same with all new clothing as well.

The daily cleaning routine for the Swift II is a major undertaking and I am going to try using the same quick cleaning technique I use with the much easier to clean Breeze and see if I can get away with it.

If anyone reading this uses a Swift II, could you tell me if you really must follow that complicated dismantling of the headgear daily to keep it clean? I have always done that just once a week with the Breeze, but disinfect the pillows with vinegar and water spray and wash the outside of them with Dawn and rinse daily, without taking anything apart.

I also wash my humidifier and disinfect it with vinegar daily, since when I was doing it once weekly, like my DME told me to, I got a pink mold in one and had to replace it because I could not seem to kill it.

The upgraded humidifier they gave me when they upgraded my machine is impossible to clean thoroughly and has a lot of hard water deposits as a result. It also causes rainout at any temp below 70! I get a face full of water 3-4 times nightly. Not fun. They tell me no other humidifier fits with the upgraded machine they gave me when mine started making a humming noise. It was pointed out that I already own my machine, so this upgrade was a favor, so I did not complain.

I am not allergic to latex, but I know people who are, including one of my doctor's who had to give up being a surgeon because of it. If not allergic, Latex can be a blessing to those of us with chemical reactions to formaldehyde. My next bed, if I live long enough to need one, will definitely have a latex mattress. They are the most comfortable I've ever tried and have zero formaldehyde or other outgassing materials. They are very expensive, but we ended up with a regular bed that was even more expensive, since we could only find one store that would air out the mattress for a month before delivery, and they only sold Serta Perfect Sleeper, a very comfortable but expensive brand. Unfortunately, they aired it in a closed storeroom full of other mattresses and air-conditioned, so there was no new air coming in. The airing had no effect.

The problem I have now is that the Swift headgear takes about ten minutes to get back on and readjusted so it won't leak when I take it off to go to the bathroom during the night. It also rips off my chin strap when I take it off.

Having irritable bladder from fibromyalgia, I get up at least 4 times per night, and sometimes as much as 8 times, and I cannot just unhook the tubing and walk around with the mask on like my DME rep suggested, or my nose stuffs up completely for the night and no air comes through. I have to take the headgear off.

I am also having a problem with leaking on the left side, and am mouth breathing and swallowing air even with my chin strap for some reason, but I had problems with the Breeze when I first started too and quickly figured out how to resolve them, by getting some good advice on this board, so I will give the Swift II a chance and try to figure out why these things are happening.

I agree that no DME should tell me what I can use. I've been using my present DME for over 3 years and they are far superior to the horror stories I hear from friends about their DME's, so I am hesitant to change, esp. when my own prognosis is for a maximum of another 4 years of life. But, the docs have been wrong before, and I won't be able to make my present old Breezes last longer than that, so I may have to change. Thanks for that idea. I will look online and try to find out if anyone is still offering it with Medicare coverage, which I must have to be able to afford it.

I was given the impression by my DME that nobody is carrying the Breeze anymore, because "while it's following is loyal, it is quite small", and everyone wants to be able to read, watch TV and wear glasses with the machine on, which you cannot do with the Breeze, but can with the newer lighter weight models. There is also the issue of the Breeze blowing air directly on your partner. My husband has not been able to sleep on his right side for over 3 yrs. due to this issue, and he is quite happy that the Swift blows the air down, instead of straight out. I spend way too much of my precious remaining time in doc's offices now, but if I must, I will go back to the sleep doctor and try to get a "dispense as written" script from him. Thanks for the idea.

For the person who recommended combining parts. Thanks also for that idea. I have two old Breezes, and though the small tube is not a separate piece, I can keep using the one with duct tape, and hope regular cleaning will keep mold out of the dark area, or I can switch to an even older one, but take the side straps from the newest one to replace the ratty ones on the oldest one, ending up with one scratched up but working Breeze.

Thanks to all of you for your excellent help.
klutzo

[cobra4x4]

...
If anyone reading this uses a Swift II, could you tell me if you really must follow that complicated dismantling of the headgear daily to keep it clean? .....

Thanks to all of you for your excellent help.
klutzo

No you don't ...2 things I do which seem to work very well are:

1. wash nose/nares just before going to bed (removes skin oils from the area, helps with leaks)
2. every 3-5 days (sooner if nose/face seems oily) I just push the slider on front by exhale port off then unwrap the pillow from the plastic holder (make sure you know which side of the pillow the RESMED Logo is on, used for putting the pillow back correctly) and wash it with hot water & shampoo, wrap the pillow back around the plastic holder and replace the slider.. ..voila your done!

3. Once a month take the whole thing apart and wash the plastic holder and small tube etc.

[klutzo]

Thank you Cobra 4 X 4,
That is VERY helpful info and will make this a lot quicker and easier for me.

klutzo