Just heard from DME

[Perrybucsdad]

I just heard from my DME and the two devices (ResMed S9 and Respironics S1) are in for me to compare tomorrow and hopefully take one home tomorrow.

Now the tough part, the mask.

Any suggestions in what I should pay attention to? Let me describe a few things about me first.

• * I am a mouth breather and I have a deviated septum so breathing through my nose is a little harder than by the mouth. As such, I'm sure I'll need a FF mask.
  * I have a goatee
  * I like to sleep on my side and sometime stomach
  * Gel or no Gel??

Thanks everyone... I really appreciate all of your help in finding all the right questions to ask, and things to look for. Now hopefully I can begin to enjoy sleep again, feeling healthy and more importanty, my wife can also get a good nights sleep.

- John

[Slinky]

Consider the Quattro FX full face mask. Make sure they "walk you thru" the proper fitting for this - or any mask you try. Many come w/fitting instructions, some even including a CD.

Keep in mind that Resmed, Respironics and Fisher & Paykel will all replace most any of their masks FREE to the DME providers if the providers will fill out a form and return mask and form W/IN 30 DAYS. So don't let the DME provider bully you into "only one exchange" or any other BS. Just remind them they really should take part in the manufacturer's offer if they try to hand you any horsepuckies about mask exchanges.

[Perrybucsdad]

Thanks for the info on the FX. I was actually looking at the Mirage Quattro FF (not the FX) on the parent site here and it seems to be a very popular model. What advantages does the FX give?

Another that I saw, that looks like it is beard friendly is the F&P FlexiFit HC432. This looks like it goes under the chin (not sure if that will help with the goatee).

On the ResMed Quattro masks... is that an Air fit mask or Gel? Which is more comfortable? Which gives a better seal?

[Pugsy]

Well trimmed goatee? or bushy?
If me I would want to consider the Hybrid. Nasal pillows and over the mouth in one unit. Nasal pillow part easy to seal with facial hair. The other part maybe not so easy but it is going to be work with anything that covers the mouth.
Well trimmed goatee (short) will of course be a bit easier to seal but the hair will make it more work.

There are 2 types of nasal pillow & over the mouth full face masks.
ResMed Liberty and the Innomed Respcare Hybrid. Both similar but not exactly the same and sometimes one works better than the other for some people.

Whatever you look at the least surface to come in contact with the facial hair.. the better.

[Perrybucsdad]

When I sleep, if I force myself to breath through my nose, I feel like I am breathing through a straw and get very uncomfortable quickly, so I don't know if the nasal pillows would work for me. I guess I could try them, but duno.

Yes, the goat is trimmed very short.

[jabman]

I do not use a full face mask but I do have a goatee and I have no problems with mask seal or leakage. The mask sits on my mustache which is not trimes about 40% of the time.

[Pugsy]

Yes, the goat is trimmed very short.

You are just going to need to experiment. We all have to do it anyway...even us girls with no facial hair.
The hybrid with the nasal pillows also covers the mouth so you can breathe easily through your mouth if the need comes up without losing therapy. I suggest it because it at least eliminates the surface area contact with the over the nose part of the full face masks. Simply put...the more surface are to touch the skin (or hair) the more potential area for leaks to occur. Depending on where the goatee is trimmed to you may not have much mask surface touching the facial hair.

If you cannot breathe normally though your nose only during the day, then a nasal mask (either over the nose or nasal pillows) is probably not a good choice for you but the Hybrid type of mask still offers the over the mouth part. So it is technically a full face mask (includes over the mouth interface). A mask like I use probably would not be a good choice. Now if the problem with breathing through your nose only happens at night.....then there might be some options to try. If you have chronic nasal congestion that means mouth breathing during the day or something like a badly deviated septum...then stick with a full face mask. I thought I was a mouth breather but I found out it was only at night and more habit from gasping for air. I rarely have nasal congestion during the day.

[Sheriff Buford]

Check my mask. I was looking the other day about the recommended cleaning instructions, and I noticed that Phillips selling point was for men with beards. I am a mouth breather and have a partial plugged nose, so hybrids and nasal masks are out of the question. One look at my mask and you probably would know if you would like it or not. I've heard some bad remarks about my beloved mask (yes... I have feelings too!! ), but cpap.com says they can't keep them on the shelf. It really is like the Ford-Chevy-Dodge debate... or like shoes... you may hate the boats I wear, but they may be comfty for me. Try a bunch of masks at the DME. Try it on with a cpap machine set at your pressure. Bring your pillow from home with you, lay on the floor and roll around and see if you can control the leaks at the DME. If you can't control them there, you may not be able to control them at home.

Sheriff

[Perrybucsdad]

Sheriff... are my eyes fooling me or does that go over your eyes and everything? If so, don't your eyes get all goofy with the airflow? Looks kinda like a torture device, but I guess I have to have an open mind and try it before I knock it.

[jabman]

Sheriff... are my eyes fooling me or does that go over your eyes and everything? If so, don't your eyes get all goofy with the airflow? Looks kinda like a torture device, but I guess I have to have an open mind and try it before I knock it.

Humm, I have an old full face mask from my Painting days that look simular, I wonder if I could convert it into a CPAP mask

[jabman]

Sheriff... are my eyes fooling me or does that go over your eyes and everything? If so, don't your eyes get all goofy with the airflow? Looks kinda like a torture device, but I guess I have to have an open mind and try it before I knock it.

Humm, I have an old full face mask from my Painting days that look simular, I wonder if I could convert it into a CPAP mask

[Pugsy]

are my eyes fooling me or does that go over your eyes and everything?

Your eyes are not fooling you.. Sheriff does use a mask that covers pretty much the whole face. We normally shut our eyes when asleep so the airflow doesn't seem to bother the eyes (from what others have said) partly because the airflow is diffused over the whole face and not directed in one straight stream directly to the eyes.
Sheriff gets some mighty fine leak reports with that mask and does quite well with it.
If for some reason the airflow was bothersome to the eyes then a simple eye mask under the mask would block the flow.

[Perrybucsdad]

So how does Sheriff's "welders" CPAP mask work for side or belly sleeping? I'm not a back sleeper, and wonder if it would pop off my face easily due to the size (or is that an asset)?

[Pugsy]

So how does Sheriff's "welders" CPAP mask work for side or belly sleeping? I'm not a back sleeper, and wonder if it would pop off my face easily due to the size (or is that an asset)?

We will have to wait on Sheriff or someone else who uses this mask to respond. I have never used anything but a nasal pillow mask (have tried many of those though). My mask is easy to sleep on your side or stomach with.

[robysue]

I just heard from my DME and the two devices (ResMed S9 and Respironics S1) are in for me to compare tomorrow and hopefully take one home tomorrow.

Just make sure the ResMed S9 is an ELITE or an AUTOSET and NOT the Escape or Auto Escape. Likewise make sure that PR System One is either a System One REMStar CPAP Pro with C-Flex Plus or a System One REMStar Auto with A-Flex and NOT the similarly named System One REMStar CPAP Plus with C-Flex.