Anyone Tried Respironics Total Face Mask?

[lawdognellie]

After having tried ever nasal mask on the market and finding none fit my nose, I'm looking for alternatives. Has anyone tried Respironics Total face mask? Does it dry our your eyes?

Sarah

[babydoss]

My hubby is using the Respironics ComfortFull 2 size L. We are still new to this, just at nite 6. The mask seems to be doing well, no leakage that I can see, but he has the famous red spot on the bridge of his nose. He is using a bandaid tonite. I think he started out with the mask WAY too tight. Oh well, we are all learning. This board is GREAT and the people are SO nice and helpful.

Good luck to you!

Lee

[jskinner]

Has anyone tried Respironics Total face mask? Does it dry our your eyes?

Funny that you should ask as I just picked up one of these for trial today from my DME (at my Resperologist request). I have it for thee nights and will report back my experience. Unfortunately my nasal passages are swollen from using my 407 nasal mask a few times in the past week but hopefully it will be a fair trial anyway. It sure doesn't _look_ very comfortable.

[John, RN]

he looks like an astronaut..........

[lawdognellie]

Do keep me posted jskinner. It looks like it can double as a Halloween costume--reminds me of Jason from Friday the 13th.

Sarah

[bookwrm63]

You mean like this, Sarah???? lololol... scroll down a few entries..

viewtopic.php?t=16946&start=0

Mary

[rotoplooker]

I tried a total face mask, it is the worst mask I have tried and I have tried pretty much every mouth breathing option on the market.

the 'one size fits all' idea was a bad idea as it doesn't fit all...thats about the size of it (no puns intended there

It smelled awful too I seem to recall, chemically speaking!

Also it made me sweat a little too, which really ticked me off

sold it on UK ebay, thank goodness they let me sell my old masks

it didn't seem to be a problem with eyes or drying them

Roto

[jskinner]

Do keep me posted jskinner.

So I strapped myself into my loaner "space helmet" mask last night and headed to bed. Here is my mini review after only one night:

- Its big, clumsy, and award. Still it wasn't too bad. It was fairly comfortable and I fell asleep quite quickly
- Leaks are a major issue. I'm not sure one could ever control leaks with this mask. Its too bad the mask doesn't have a foam cushion like many masks these days. I think that could help a lot.
- Despite this large side its very non claustrophobic.
- Getting at itches are hard. Normally I can push a finger up under my mask to scratch an itch but not with this baby on. Had a bit of a panic in the middle of the night before I realized what was going on.

So when I woke up this morning I realized that I had slept for over 11 hours! I knew that was a good sign. Laid in bed for a while before getting up because I actually felt good for a change. Checked my numbers and only had 21 events all night. Thats awesome for me! That gave me an AHI of 1.9. Thats the best I have had in weeks or months.

It doesn't make sense to me but this mask just doesn't seem to put as much pressure on the nostrils. Normally due to my nasal congestion I am very swollen my morning when breathing though my nose. This morning not very much at all. Technically it just doesn't make sense to me (anybody got an explanation?) In many ways it felt a lot more like normal breathing. When falling asleep I was a bit worried that it wasn't going to treat the apneas at all (when in fact it seemed to do a good job)

Of course this is just one night. We'll have to see how it works out over a few more days before I can reach a real verdict.

I'm pretty sure any chances at having a girlfriend while using this mask are low

[Snoredog]

I'm pretty sure any chances at having a girlfriend while using this mask are low

LOL since we dissected your before and after pictures over and over...

looks like you need to loose a bit more hair before your leaks will be under control That sure is a large canvas, you could do some major artwork with that thing.

I would think the UMFF would do a better job for you than that thing (even if it leaked). I guess the red strap is to rip it off your face in a hurry if need be?

Too bad you couldn't arrange to try a UMFF and a PB-420e from your DME. I think you need very low Min. pressure (like 6cm or 6.5) then higher applied at the right time and you need a machine that better avoids any CA events.

I would certainly ask your DME if they have one for you to trial, then when you get it PM me on how to set it up. I think from reading your reports your condition is very close to RG's and mine.

My reports did nearly exact same thing as hers with the changes made to disabling FL on the 420e (only machine you can make those changes on), afterward it cuts the events seen in half and in her case the pressure in half.

You can clearly see how it "settles" down her condition in the report.

If you compare RG's two 420e reports you notice that pressure is delivered in a stair step fashion as it goes higher, hers looked like a series of Rocky Mountains. After the change her pressure was much sharper up and down. That delivery of pressure seems to help those with conditions like ours.

It is what I call treat the obstructive events and AVOID the centrals. So far it seems to be working for me anyway.

[Alisha]

From cpap.com:

In House Comments
Adult only mask with headgear. One size fits most adults. NOT for side sleepers but work well for users on their back.



The reason I haven't tried this mask is because I'm a side sleeper. James, do you sleep on your back, side, both? If it really doesn't touch your nose, that part I would like.

I tried my UMFF again several nights ago and could only use it for an hour. Even wth the top straps loose, it puts pressure on the top of my nose.

Regards,

Alisha

[SleepySandy]

What is the advantage of this mask as compared to a regular full face mask like the UMFF?

James - why did your Respirologist want you to try this mask, or have you already tried a regular FF mask?

Sarah - why are you looking at this mask rather than a Full Face mask?

It doesn't make sense to me but this mask just doesn't seem to put as much pressure on the nostrils.

Not as much as what type of mask? Nasal pillows? Nasal-only? I don't remember what your "regular" mask it.

FWIW, something that has always puzzled me is the fact that the air pressure coming out of nasal pillows feels much stronger than the air pressure coming out of a FF mask. Logic makes me think it's because of the difference in size between the 2 masks. But, then I don't understand why a larger mask doesn't require more pressure to compensate for the difference in size. My DME as well as posters here say there's no need to change pressure when you change mask sizes. I don't understand it. I just accept it and go with the flow

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): DME, Nasal Pillows

[bdp522]

James, I'm thrilled for you! How nice for you to finally get some sleep, and with such a low AHI! I hope this is just the start of good things for you.

Brenda

[jskinner]

looks like you need to loose a bit more hair before your leaks will be under control

I'll just have to wait a few more years at the current rate

I would think the UMFF would do a better job for you than that thing

I own a FlexiFit HC431 Full Face Mask. Do you think the UMFF would be much different than that? Strangely the 431 causes me nasal irritation just like the nasal 407. I don't really understand why this Total face mask didn't (its only been one night however so I shouldn't put too much weight in one night) The thing that really supprised me was the lack of feeling of pressure when using this thing.

I guess the red strap is to rip it off your face in a hurry if need be?

Yep.

The reason I haven't tried this mask is because I'm a side sleeper. James, do you sleep on your back, side, both?

I'm a stomach (preferred) and side sleeper. Never been able to sleep on my back and now I think its was probably because of the OSA. When I got on CPAP for the first time every I was able to sleep on my back a bit which surprised me.

This mask is definally a challenge with respect to sleeping position. I did manage on my side most of the night however.

If it really doesn't touch your nose, that part I would like.

Yeah that is nice. I think the biggest challenge (besides it hideous looks) are its bulk and its ease of leaks.

What is the advantage of this mask as compared to a regular full face mask like the UMFF? James - why did your Respirologist want you to try this mask, or have you already tried a regular FF mask?

Yes I already have a FF mask and it didn't help. He wanted to try it because he said something about the pressure being spread over the entire face was easier to tolerate and made breathing more natural. I should have asked him more because I didn't really understand.

[Snoredog]

jskinner wrote:

I own a FlexiFit HC431 Full Face Mask. Do you think the UMFF would be much different than that? Strangely the 431 causes me nasal irritation just like the nasal 407. I don't really understand why this Total face mask didn't (its only been one night however so I shouldn't put too much weight in one night) The thing that really supprised me was the lack of feeling of pressure when using this thing.

It may not be any different but if you can tell a difference it may be from the physical outside pressure applied around your nose. I had the same problem with nasal masks that were too small for me, they would apply too much pressure on the outside of the nasal "area" and actually make me congested.

Take your thumb and index finger and apply pressure from the outside of your nose nare area (more on the cheek area), not "pinching" your nares together but only applying pressure where a nasal mask might land. If you do that with your fingers and it feels more congested, that can happen with a nasal mask if it is too small. I guess the same could happen with a full face.

That great looking mask you have now obviously doesn't put any physical external pressure around your nose area, that may be why it feels better.

This is the same reason I went to a Large Soyala nasal mask vs. the Medium which is the size I am supposed to use, the Large puts the footprint of the mask clearly on the outside of my nose and doesn't seem to contribute to any additional congestion. If your nose is already compromised with deviated septum or similar it won't take much pressure from the outside to add to congestion.

I might also add I use a BreatheRight strip under my mask and that offers a noticeable difference. I had a deviated septum fixed many years ago.

Mouth Breathing: Our anatomy is different but I found the other day while experimenting why is it I don't mouth breathe and other times I do. I had my Soyala on and the cpap machine running. I found I could open my mouth wide and no cpap pressure escaped. I tried to figure out why with a mirror and flashlight, was surprised to see my soft palate down against the tongue making the seal. The Uvula was behind it, couldn't even see it.

Now we use a Full Face mask and we breathe through our nose. It seems it doesn't take much pressure from the nasal area to seal that palate against the tongue (again we are all different). You would think that using a Full Face mask you could simply open your mouth and breathe through it. But again, I think the pressure as it flows into the nose overcomes that pressure coming in from the mouth. It may work when we are totally asleep in REM, but all I ever seen was more leaks during that time on the reports.

[shippy]

Skinner

GEEEEEEEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!!!

Where on earth did you get that thing ?????

As a safety trainer at work I have to train employees how to properly put on a Full Face respirator and how to fit test it before using it each time. And as snoredog said the hair under the seal would cause a major leak. What a monster (the mask, not you ha! ha!)

Dale