Question . . . .

[katcw]

Which is better: Sleeping through the night (or maybe waking up once) or waking up every 1.5 hours throughout the night? The first is without the mask, and the latter is with.

[STL Mark]

Better to treat the apnea even if you awaken on occasion. Oximeter readings should assist you in making your decision. Consider a new sleep study if you feel that you no longer need the machine.

[bdp522]

I think it's always better to sleep with the mask. If you're waking every 1 1/2 hrs there is a problem. What is it that is waking you? Discomfort, leaks, pressure changes?

Brenda

[Mary Z]

Katcw. It's always better to sleep with your CPAP and mask. You don't say how long you've been using the machine, but hang in there. It takes some of us longer than others to get used to wearing the mask all night. As was asked, do you know what is causing your awakenings? We don't like to turn to drugs, but maybe a mild sedative or sleeping pill for a short time would help you get through the night. If you were diagnosed with even mild sleep apnea to avoid further health problems down the road, please try to sleep with your mask. Maybe you could start with four hours a night and gradually increase the time until you're making it through the night. Good luck.

[katcw]

I've been at this more than two years, and rarely have had more than a few nights that I wasn't frequently awakened by leaks. RT fitted my Quattro FX so it worked great -- for two weeks, and now I can't get it to stay sealed. Discouraging. Yes, I am better off with CPAP, when it works, but it works so rarely!

[Janknitz]

FF masks leak more because there's so much more surface area and facial contour that has to seal.

Any chance you can try a nasal pillow mask? They are much less likely to leak because there's very little surface area and contour to deal with. If mouth breathing is the issue, there are ways to deal with that.

You need to keep trying with masks because that's what's interfering with getting good therapy.

Let me guess--are you tending not to use your machine so you can get better sleep??? That's a bad idea. You have to be persistent at tackling the mask issue and using the machine. Two years is a LONG time to go without adequate treatment.

[robysue]

I've been at this more than two years, and rarely have had more than a few nights that I wasn't frequently awakened by leaks. RT fitted my Quattro FX so it worked great -- for two weeks, and now I can't get it to stay sealed. Discouraging. Yes, I am better off with CPAP, when it works, but it works so rarely!

Piggybacking on JanKnitz's comment: You need to get the mask problem solved and you need to make a commitment to yourself that you won't take the easy way out when the going gets tough. Because every time you sleep (reasonably well in a subjective sense) without the mask, that makes it much, much harder to climb back into the saddle and mask up for the night when you're worried about whether the mask is going to give you fits.

Right now, what can you do? Well, since you were happy with the Quattro FX for two weeks, it seems to me the first step is to figure out what happened to that particular mask. So, have you sat down and really analyzed what happened to make the Quattro FX quit sealing after two weeks?

First, is it as simple as a worn out cushion? In which case the fix is simple: get a new mask cushion. Yes, you'd expect the cushion to last longer than a couple of weeks, but there are users of the Swift FX nasal PILLOWS mask who have to replace the pillows every couple of weeks. It's quite possible that the cushion on the Quattro FX is as fragile and as short-lived as the FX nasal pillows are.

Second, at some point did you take one or more of the straps off the mask and then not manage to hook it back in with the correct degree of tightness? (I mark the correct spots for the velcro tabs on my Swift FX's backstrap so that I don't have to struggle with figuring out where those tabs should be put every time I disassemble the mask for cleaning.)

Third, did you disassemble the mask for cleaning for the first time? And reassemble it where something didn't quite fit together correctly? Or couldn't quite figure out where the RT had set the straps?

Or have you not actually tried to disassemble the mask for washing for fear that you'd make it leak? In that case, the leaks could be caused by a very dirty mask cushion that's in bad need of being thoroughly cleaned.

Best idea I can think of is this: Go back to the DME and tell the RT what's happened. Have the RT first refit the mask for you and be sure to try it out at full pressure to make sure there are no leaks. Then ask the RT to watch you disassemble the mask (as if you were going to wash it) and then reassemble it and refit it for yourself and let you know as soon as the RT sees you doing something not quite correctly. And after YOU get the mask reassembled, again try it on at your full pressure to make sure things are working well. And if they're not, work with the RT again and see if he/she can fix the leak. But don't leave the DME until you know that you can take the mask apart and put it back together and refit it so that there are no leaks. Take notes about exactly what to do and put marks on the adjustable parts of the mask so that you know how tight to adjust them.

And once you manage to get that Quattro FX sealing correctly again, then start using the mask every night. And when it quits sealing again??? Then take the time to work your way through the process of refitting the mask very, very carefully. And if necessary, contact that friendly RT att the DME who fit the mask so well for you AGAIN. And again and again if need be.

[codinqueen]

I say try a Swift Fx for Her nasal pillow mask. I could not tolerate the full-face mask of 15 years ago, and gave up, & went for the nasal, tonsil and palate surgery instead, which didn't help for long. I went a long time before i tried CPAP again, and the Swift Fx for Her is a God-send.