mask issues

[deerock]

i have mild to moderate sleep apnea. i have tried 4 different masks, a full face, dreamwear, amara view, and another full face. all masks leak, all masks come off after a few hours, my AHI rarely goes below 5. i was told maybe the mask is the wrong size but they are fitted to me by a tech. i am so tired all of the time and its driving me bonkers. any suggestions? my doctor just says keep wearing your mask you need better control of your apnea but im not sure how to do that since it keeps falling off or leaking.

[Julie]

You are more intimately acquainted with your face than any tech, and full face masks need to be adjusted while lying down in any case.. something you have to do and adjust on your own. Don't let someone else decide the right size or set up for you.. only do understand that the mask should not be overtight on you or it can even create new microleaks, but it should be adjusted to stay on when you turn over. Do you think you can try once more with whatever masks you can try to really get one of them working? You can try masks from Cpap.com x 30 days - a few do require a small fee, but only some, not all... and you can see what a large choice is available there. I happen to wear one that comes in an odd size (small shallow) that other masks don't but I found it by looking at many and by lying down when trying them on myself.

[Janknitz]

Were you sitting up in a chair or lying down in your bed when the tech fitted you? Were you hooked up to a machine, or did the tech fit you without air pressure?

These are important considerations. The mask needs to be fit with the machine on and you lying in your usual sleeping position and at your maximum pressure (using a "mask fit" feature on your machine). All the manufacturers have websites with videos on how to fit a mask. Go to the videos for your current masks and learn how (yes, they show the fitting taking place sitting up--stupid isn't it--but now you know to do it LYING DOWN with the machine on).

[jmsnyc]

That is my issue. I have the Resmed Airfit mask and the Resmed Airsense S10 Cpap. Once the pressure increases while I sleep I believe the mask leakage increases. I always throw the mask off in the middle of the night.

[2kittymom]

I'm a side sleeper, and very restless. I do a lot of turning over during the night. I have tried a lot of different masks, and the one that seems to stay put and is pretty comfortable is the N10. It comes with several different size cushions too. It's a Redmed mask, and it's a nasal mask. I see you've tried the Dreamwear. I thought I loved that one, but in truth I find when I turn over, I often have to adjust it a bit. I have been alternating the two.