having trouble with masks

[bwindrum]

Hi everyone, I am a new user and am having a terrible time with my different masks.

I started out with the nasal mask with headgear but couldn't stop it from leaking.

Next was the Quattro full face and the sealing problem was worse.

Now I have the small nasal plugs which I love, but they blow air down into my mouth after awhile, disallowing any sleep.

I am using the S9 with all the features.

Does anyone here have any suggestions ??? I really want/need to use this and have been trying everything I can think of.

Thanks in advance for any help r advice.

[Michelle P]

Sorry, I can not help because I am having mask problems too. So, I will be watching the responses that you receive. I do have one suggestion, have you had a mask refit appointment with your DME? I am still struggling but found that to vbe very helpful along with using the different mask liners.

[Sheriff Buford]

There are three masks. Nasal, full face and total. The nasal mask is less intrusive and I believe if you can adapt to it, you are probably better off with a nasal mask, but you can't breath thru your mouth. I have a plugged nose, so I have to breath thru my mouth. Full face masks and Total face masks allow you to breath thru your mouth and still get benefit of full therapy, but they are very intrusive and more likely to leak because they have more surface area of the face that can and will leak. I have zero leaks rates with my mask. Most nasal mask users use a chin strap of sorts to keep their mouth closed while using the mask. You can get one from your DME or online. I have heard some folks use a strip of panty hose... and tie it under the chin and around the head to keep their mouths closed at night. Some folks also use a mild tape to tape their mouth shut. My wife would love to do this and volunteer every night to install the tape and make sure it is secure.

Sheriff

[Pugsy]

The trick to keep the air from going up your nose and down the airway and trying to sneak out through the mouth is to use your tongue as a barrier. Keep your tongue positioned in the roof of your mouth. Easy to do while awake but when we go to sleep the tongue gets lazy and forgets...practice keeping the tongue in position and you have a good chance of creating the habit for it to stay in place while asleep.

[mcpascaln]

Some folks also use a mild tape to tape their mouth shut. My wife would love to do this and volunteer every night to install the tape and make sure it is secure.

Sheriff

Sheriff, you are way too lucky a guy to have a wife who is there for you.

[herefishy]

There is also the hybrid mask - what is it's design?

[b360155]

There is also the hybrid mask - what is it's design?

A hybrid mask is a subset of full face masks that has a hard plastic mask portion that covers your mouth combined with silicone nasal pillows that come out of the top of it, thus a hybrid. There are 2 manufacturers, the Resmed Liberty and the Innomed Hybrid. Great concept if you are a mouth breather or mouth leaker since it's less obtrusive, however I tried both and could never get the nasal pillows to retain a good seal all night long.

[Sheriff Buford]

There is also the hybrid mask - what is it's design?

It's falls under the full face mask category. A full face is a mask considered a mask that covers the nose and mouth. I have always considered a hybrid different. There is also oral masks, but they a rare. Sheriff

[xenablue]

Nasal pillows with a chinstrap worked great for me in keeping my trap shut, stopping the air escaping my mouth. Finally after 2 years, my brain understood what I was trying to do, and now I don't use the chinstrap.

Cheers,
xena

[Wulfman...]

Hi everyone, I am a new user and am having a terrible time with my different masks.

I started out with the nasal mask with headgear but couldn't stop it from leaking.

Next was the Quattro full face and the sealing problem was worse.

Now I have the small nasal plugs which I love, but they blow air down into my mouth after awhile, disallowing any sleep.

I am using the S9 with all the features.

Does anyone here have any suggestions ??? I really want/need to use this and have been trying everything I can think of.

Thanks in advance for any help r advice.

WHAT "features"?
Your profile lists a S9 Autoset. Is it set to a range of pressures? If so, what is the pressure range setting?

Are you using software to monitor your data? If not, you need to know what is causing the leakage. Is it pressure increases?

Your profile also shows you are using a Respironics (REMstar) humidifier with a ResMed machine........how is that possible?

Machine: S9 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine
Mask: Quattro™ FX Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: REMstar Heated Humidifier

I'm going to take a guess that your leakage problems are being caused by runaway pressure increases, but that's something YOU need to figure out (by using the software). The masks and problems you've listed can be caused by using improperly sized (or adjusted) masks or nasal pillows.

Bed pillows can also make a HUGE difference in mask leakage. "Standard" (fiberfill) pillows can push the masks out of alignment as the head sinks too far into it.

Bottom line is you have to do some analysis (deductive reasoning) of WHY you're having these leak issues.


Den

.

[Becky at RemZzzs]

Hi everyone, I am a new user and am having a terrible time with my different masks.

I started out with the nasal mask with headgear but couldn't stop it from leaking.

Next was the Quattro full face and the sealing problem was worse.

Now I have the small nasal plugs which I love, but they blow air down into my mouth after awhile, disallowing any sleep.

I am using the S9 with all the features.

Does anyone here have any suggestions ??? I really want/need to use this and have been trying everything I can think of.

Thanks in advance for any help r advice.

Hi, bwindrum.

I work for the company that makes RemZzzs CPAP Mask Liners. I am really sorry that you are struggling have had to switch masks so many times. You sound miserable and frustrated. I believe that our liners might help ease some of your struggles. I would love to send you a complimentary sample to see if they might be a good fit for you. If you are interested, just PM me and I can get a sample sent out to you straight away. :O)
Thanks.

Becky Bennett

[2kittymom]

I tried many masks before I found the Sleepweaver Advanced. I absolutely love it. It's so lightweight that I barely know I am wearing it. And, once you have it adjusted to the right fit for you, it seldom needs readjusting. I had to learn to keep my mouth closed, with the tongue behind teeth method, so I don't need a strap (which I got but couldn't stand). I also tried the Sleepweaver Elan, but couldn't stop it from blowing air into my eyes. Good luck. Finding your "forever mask" is the biggest hurdle to this therapy.

[bjcyorkiemom]

I too use the SleepWeaver and I love it. I work for a DME / HME so I have access to all the variations of masks and have tried several different masks, and the SleepWeaver is the most comfortable and more quiet than any other I tried. I use a sized Ruby chin strap most of the time. One problem is I bury my face in the pillow and the cloth mask gives and still pretty much says put, plus I am a mouth breather, but I am spending some time and effort in making sure my nose stays open because I don't want to have to wear a full face mask, i.e. saline nasal rinses 1 - 2 x daily, decongestants and whatever is necessary to keep my nose open. Sleep gets better and I feel better every week.

[BlackSpinner]

There is also the hybrid mask - what is it's design?

A hybrid mask is a subset of full face masks that has a hard plastic mask portion that covers your mouth combined with silicone nasal pillows that come out of the top of it, thus a hybrid. There are 2 manufacturers, the Resmed Liberty and the Innomed Hybrid. Great concept if you are a mouth breather or mouth leaker since it's less obtrusive, however I tried both and could never get the nasal pillows to retain a good seal all night long.

Most of us who use them put an extra piece of elastic/lycra/women's tights across the pillows to keep them in place.