First time with a FFM - Hours Per Night and AHI Down

[kimbo]

I just picked up a Quattro FX FFM last week. It's been a battle sleeping well in this mask. I'm averaging 5 hours per night in the Quattro FX, my prior stats were 7 hours per night on my Swift FX. I think i've gotten the leaks figured out - got a padacheek and I have very low leak #'s. Does it take awhile to acclimate to new masks? Can I ever expect to sleep 7 hours regularly in this mask like I used to with the Swift FX? Just curious if I need to give it more of a chance -- I'm absolutely exhausted at this point from a week of bad sleep, zero energy.

What amazes me is that my AHI is so low with the FFM vs the Nasal Pillows. I never broke 4.0 with the pillows, now i'm averaging 1.x every night, just feel lousy due to the 5 hr avg per night.

I guess i'm trying to figure - when is the right time to throw in the towel on a mask, how many nights of poor sleep do you usually give it?

[Pugsy]

Low leak #s but are those leaks (even small) causing you to wake up more often during the night and have to fiddle with the mask?
Wondering if that AHI is low because of fractured sleep...if you don't get much sleep those pesky apnea events don't have much time to rear their ugly little heads. Some of my "best" AHI nights were when I slept poorly for whatever reason. Simply because I didn't get enough sleep for the little buggers to show up.

5 hours of sleep compared to 7 hours...well you know what that will do.

Any idea why you can only sleep 5 hours with it? Why the major wake up that causes you to stop sleeping?

[kimbo]

nights were when I slept poorly for whatever reason. Simply because I didn't get enough sleep for the little buggers to show up.

Good point. I think I started waking up from leaks the first 3 nights I had the mask. Then my padacheek arrived and I was able to sleep 6.5 hours, now i'm down to 5 hours. I was wrestling with the mask all night before I got the padacheek - now i'm able to at least make it through a night (but 5-6 hours just isn't enough). The big problem is that once I wakeup there's no chance of getting back to sleep with the mask on - I find that I can get back to sleep with the mask off. Just wish I could make it 8 hours! The mask is quite tight, it leaks like crazy when I attempt to use lower tension (as Resmed recommends) - i think it's b/c i'm on an auto vpap. The other thing i've found is that I have to wear the mask much higher on my nose with the padacheek on (otherwise I have eye leaks) -- almost feels like my lower lip is coming out of the mask it's so high on my nose.

[Pugsy]

Maybe give the mask a rest for a few nights so you can get caught up on your sleep and feel better.
Revisit it later ...and you know it may not be the right FFM for you.
Higher pressures and the changes with bilevel and add in auto changing pressures...into an already tough to seal mask...makes for a making things harder to fit initially and anticipate what pressures you may end up with in the middle of the night.

[hyperlexis]

Don't worry about it. You will get used to it eventually and the Quattro FX is pretty comfortable and has one of the quietest vents available -- however it is not as stable as other masks because it lacks the forehead support and has a smaller cushion area compared to the older Quattro. So you may get more leaks if you sleep on your side or stomach, because the FX can get pushed around while you sleep. I like my FX but I know that I'm probably going to have some seal breaks and leaks, etc when I wear it, esp. up by the nose/eyes if the mask gets pushed upwards when I roll around in bed.

Good luck!

[hyperlexis]

nights were when I slept poorly for whatever reason. Simply because I didn't get enough sleep for the little buggers to show up.

Good point. I think I started waking up from leaks the first 3 nights I had the mask. Then my padacheek arrived and I was able to sleep 6.5 hours, now i'm down to 5 hours. I was wrestling with the mask all night before I got the padacheek - now i'm able to at least make it through a night (but 5-6 hours just isn't enough). The big problem is that once I wakeup there's no chance of getting back to sleep with the mask on - I find that I can get back to sleep with the mask off. Just wish I could make it 8 hours! The mask is quite tight, it leaks like crazy when I attempt to use lower tension (as Resmed recommends) - i think it's b/c i'm on an auto vpap. The other thing i've found is that I have to wear the mask much higher on my nose with the padacheek on (otherwise I have eye leaks) -- almost feels like my lower lip is coming out of the mask it's so high on my nose.

Oh wow -- how did you size this mask? Did you use the official Resmed sizer or template? I always felt the FX ran a bit small but yours may truly be too small for your face, if you feel your lip is riding out of the mask and all.

If you have problems with the mask riding up on you so badly, then perhaps another model would be better. The Fisher & Paykel FFMs cup under the chin, as does the Hans Rudolph V2, and the PR FullLife has an under chin strap which does the same thing.

Good luck

[kimbo]

Thanks HyperLexis -- sizing just might be my issue. I used the sizing tool and I seem to be in between a medium and a large but my DME sized me for the medium. Might try going up a size to see if that helps before my 30 day exchange period ends! I'm going back to taping & nasal pillows tonight, feel horrendous after a week of lousy sleep.

[zoocrewphoto]

nights were when I slept poorly for whatever reason. Simply because I didn't get enough sleep for the little buggers to show up.

Good point. I think I started waking up from leaks the first 3 nights I had the mask. Then my padacheek arrived and I was able to sleep 6.5 hours, now i'm down to 5 hours. I was wrestling with the mask all night before I got the padacheek - now i'm able to at least make it through a night (but 5-6 hours just isn't enough). The big problem is that once I wakeup there's no chance of getting back to sleep with the mask on - I find that I can get back to sleep with the mask off. Just wish I could make it 8 hours! The mask is quite tight, it leaks like crazy when I attempt to use lower tension (as Resmed recommends) - i think it's b/c i'm on an auto vpap. The other thing i've found is that I have to wear the mask much higher on my nose with the padacheek on (otherwise I have eye leaks) -- almost feels like my lower lip is coming out of the mask it's so high on my nose.

This mask will leak more if it is tight, so you may need to play around with it and find the right amount of tension to allow the seal to inflate properly.

Also, leaks around the eyes, means that the mask needs to sit lower on your nose, not higher. I haven't used a liner with mine, so I'm not sure how that affects things, but it sounds like you are moving it higher, which is not ideal. This mask is designed to rest about the middle of your nose, not up high.

[49er]

The big problem is that once I wakeup there's no chance of getting back to sleep with the mask on - I find that I can get back to sleep with the mask off.

That has sadly been my experience with every full face mask I have tried during my year of pap therapy. It is like I am destined to have a 3 hour limit. What is that about?

Unfortunately, due to my chronic nasal congestion that is not responsive to the usual remedies, this is all I can wear but that is another post.

I hope you get the situation resolved.

49er

[Denial Dave]

The Quattro FX lasted about 30 days for me... I got "tired" of waking up to re-adjust it on my face to get rid of leaks that had developed.

The Quattro is much more stable for me...Even after all of my tossing and turning, it stays in place all night.

good luck.... it's takes a while to find just the right mask.