New mask, here we go again!

bairdbeth · Post by **bairdbeth** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 4:56 pm

I have already tried 3 masks. The Flexifit 407 let marks and blister in bridge of my nose. The Comfortgel left a cyst-like sore on one side of my nose and a permanent red sore on the bridge of my nose. The Soyala which is so quiet, but still hurt the bridge of my nose ( although to be fair I may need a medium instead of the small I ordered) I just received my Comfortlite2 from CPAP.com. I tried the simple cushion for a few minutes, but it was hard to get a good seal, so I tried the pillows thinking I would hate them. They didn't seem that bad, but I only tried them for a few minutes.They seemed to seal well. I am going to try the pillows tonight. NYNurse33 I will let you know how this works with the Aussie heated hose.It is very cool here. Hopefully no rainout. I have Ayr gel and chapstick. Is one better than the other? Never worried about it with the nasal masks!

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 5:29 pm

bairdbeth,

Sorry to hear about all the problems with the interfaces. I wish you much luck.

The Ayrl Gel, is a saline gel (meaning salt solution) I would use the Ayrl Gel, if my nose is dry. I would not use Ayrl Gel on sores either, salt on wounds, ouch.

I think the chapstick would be better for sealing.

I hope you have a good night.

NyNurse33 · Post by **NyNurse33** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 7:36 pm

Good luck!! I hope it works for you. I love the pillows. I miss my ol' faithful

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:22 pm

do try a larger mask if you can. Sleep labs have a tendency to send you down the wrong path with mask sizing. They like to fit you with a mask that is smaller for you than you need because it is easier to stop leaks. But that may not be the best for comfort.

After that test is done you are left thinking that you need the size quoted on your sleep study. Problem with that is I found that it pushed on the nasal tissue from the outside and contributed towards nasal congestion for me even with a Rhino saline wash.

So I use a BreatheRight strip every night over my nose under the mask. Where I used to use a Medium or Standard sized nasal mask I went to the next larger size or Large and it is much much better, less nasal congestion, easier to seal up and I can wear my BreatheRight strip under the mask.

I guess every one's skin is different but you shouldn't have to tighten straps up where they leave serious marks on your nose to stop the leaking.

Does the Soyola have a forehead adjustment? I think it comes with spacers and you find the best one that works for you. If that is the case, I would try spacers that move the mask out at the top until it leaks in the eyes then take it back in just enough to stop the leak and no more.

I don't know if mole skin would help you there or not but many swear by it. I could be wrong but I think you apply the mole skin to the cushion and not the skin.

So that mask really as quiet as they say?

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:36 pm

Welcome to the Comfort Lite 2 club!

Feel free to check out the fixes if you should need them--there are others, too. You may wish to do a search for others, such as the twist ties.

Link to Comfort Lite 2 Strap Fix

Fishing Line Fix

I found that the direct seal seems to work a little better than the nasal pillows for me, but we are all different. The nasal pillows kept inverting, and then would not seal well for me.

Best wishes, and hope you love your CL 2.

linda b · Post by **linda b** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 8:57 pm

I have been using the CL2 with simple cushion for 6 months now and absolutely love it. It does need to be stabilized it a little bit, though. I started out using Rested Gal's pantyhose fix. Then I made what I call a half strap. I took a piece of 1/2" wide standard elastic about 16" long and covered it with soft fleece. Then I sewed the "grab" side of velcro onto each end. Then I took a piece of sticky back velcro and stuck it onto the rigid tube as far down as possible, but above where the simple cushion is attached. The matching piece of velcro goes on the fleece/elastic strap at the mid point. Stick these two together. Then, for me, each end sticks onto the headgear just below the V formed by the two straps, just above my ears. This strap can certainly be easily adjusted to get the right tension needed to keep the cushion from leaking.

Or make the strap a little longer and you can 'stick' it on the neckline strap. This serves two purposes: keeping the simple cushion from leaking and keeping the back from riding up too high. I switched to this location about a month ago and have come to like it better than my first strap location.

bairdbeth · Post by **bairdbeth** » Thu Nov 02, 2006 9:09 pm

Snoredog- The Soyala was so quiet, I had to make sure my machine was on! I tried the moleskin, but the part on the nose bridge just seems too narrow and the bottom is touching the edge of my nose. I will probably try this mask again in a medium instead of small, but was intrigued by the CL2 first.
Thanks for all the tips. When I tried them on this afternoon, I did adjust the metal, but it didn't seem to need further adjustment. Of course I may be singing a different tune after a full night test!