1 Year and quick question on masks

[KrisasMan]

I hit my 1 year mark on the 8th! My Dr looked at my laptop with a full year of SleepyHead data and said she probably doesn't need to see me for 2 years unless I have any issues.


My quick question is this, my daily mask is a Mirage FX and it has worked pretty well for me but my wife has complained that as I got more used to CPAP therapy and started to lay on my side more I got more 'leaks' that wake her up. I think some of these are leaks and others are just the vents hitting the bedding.

Is it worth looking into a different mask type, nasal pillow or prongs? Are they any better for leaks? Are the vents any better located?

I am also concerned about comfort, I have a backup FFM in case I get sever congestion but have had issues getting it to fit right. Do nasal pillows or prongs leave your nose raw? Any other side effects of these types of masks?

[avi123]

Try the nasal mask that I use to see if it makes a diff.

[hopingitworks]

I have no issues with nasal pillows as they work great for me, with the exception of mouth breathing. I have to tape my mouth with Micropore tape. And occasionally I will drool which loosens the tape and the mouth breathing can still occur. But the nasal pillows are extremely comfortable and I have had no issues regarding venting.

I recently tried a hybrid mask (Mirage Liberty). I had no success because of leaks, no matter how I had it adjusted. But that is only my opinion. Others may have different viewpoints. I really can't see myself using any form of FFM in the future.

[Tino2You]

I like my Swift FX. The headgear is minimal and no face farts! I sleep on my back, side and started sleeping on my stomach again
The vent allows cool air to go out the front, but I build a pillow barrier to protect my wife Actually, I use two pillows when I sleep on my side so one is always there to redirect the vent...shhh don't tell her that

-tino

[KrisasMan]

I went to my DME supplier today and explained the same issues above and she suggested the F&P Eson. They had a demo unit in the store and it fit great and the Q Cover they put over the vents should get rid of the vent problem. Unfortunately they were out of stock at the store so they are going to FedEx it from their warehouse on the other side of town.

I asked about switching to nasal pillows and she said people either love or hate them. Considering the issues I have had with a FFM I decided to stick with a style that works for me.

Has anyone here suggested something like the Q Cover before? It is simply filter material held over the exhale ports to break up the air stream. I have had problems in the past with an air stream from my Mirage FX hitting my hose just right and getting loud, much less what my wife deals with if I roll onto my side and the jets hit the bedding. I figure you could tape an old intake filter over the exhale ports on many masks and get the same result.

[Bon Bon]

I've never heard of a Q Cover. Does it work on all/most masks?

[KrisasMan]

It is built into the F&P Eson and Zest Q series masks best I can tell. I think someone could retrofit filter material onto many masks, it all depends on if you have a concentrated vent holes or if they are spread all over the mask. I would imagine if you machine's intake filter is large enough to cover the vent holes you could just tape one over the holes and see how it goes. As long as you don't feel like the outflow is restricted it should work fine, breaking up the air streams to make it quiet.

[jencat824]

Another option if that doesn't work for you might be the SleepWeaver Elan, see the cpap.com site for details on this mask. I use it as a back up mask, but I do love the feeling of only cloth on my face. My favorite mask remains the Piliaro, but if you are having loud leaks, it might not work for you, since the exhale port can be kind of loud. I think I might be the only Piliaro lover around the forum now, and I think it is just a fluke that it fits me well.

I'm currently using either the Piliaro or Elan, switching to nasal pillows Swift FX at times. I'm using a chinstrap, since I'm mouthbreathing. As you can see, a variety of options are available and I like having options. I sounds like you are on the right track if your wife is hearing leaks, it may be just the exhale port. If your numbers are not showing leaks, maybe getting a mask with quieter exhale port, that is still comfortable for you, is a good compromise.

Good luck with your new mask, theF&P Eson, maybe it will be the one for you,
Jen

[KrisasMan]

maybe it will be the one for you

Nah, I am a tech geek, always looking for something better, but as long as it doesn't irritate my nose it will probably be my nasal mask for the year.

The only 'The one' for me is my wife, you only pick them once, and I picked a good one .

[jencat824]

Glad to hear that 'the wife' is the good one, I always love to see a great 'love story'.

[pudzzy]

Fisher & Paykel - Eson
http://www.fphcare.ca
The name is “nose” spelled backwards!
This has been met with favourable reviews.
The most unique feature of this mask is the
port holes where the exhaled air comes out
has a filter, therefore your spouse will no
longer experience cold air flow from
your mask
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CPAP machines, and accessories. This includes ResMed’s patented technology ClimateLine
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