Mask suggestions please

[drgmeh]

I cant find the right mask for me. I live in Maine and been dealing with a local medical suppy company. I feel they are a bit fed up with me. After trying these masks they dont have any more suggestions. My insurance covers these but I need a new perscription for every new mask I try.
I have tried the Mirage Activa - could not handel the bouncing up and down on my low presure and being so big covering my lips.
The next one is Ultra Mirage™ II Nasal Mask - good fit but sore nosebridge and red around my nose for days.
Next is the OptiLife - cant get a good fit, too tight hurts my nose, too loose and it comes off.
Next is the ComfortGel - good fit too but sore nosebridge and red around my nose for days.
Next IQ Nasal CPAP Mask , too small for me, only comes in one size, too bad its a great mask for people with small noses.
Next ComfortLite 2, its great on the nose but the hose on the head is hard for somebody like me who toses and turns alot, feels like somebody is pulling on my head.
I have played with the adjustments on all of these many different ways. I loosen them up and they leak, I tighten so they dont leak and I get sorness and red around my nose that lasts for days.

[MichelleFL]

Hello I wonder if this one might be a good choice for you.. I posted a question about it to see if anyone else has tried it and see how it worked out for them. Looks like it would resolve alot of the issues faced with masks.. I am new here and will have my titration done on Monday..

http://www.cpappro.com

[Guest]

Hey my name is Laura and I work for a home care company helping patients with this same issue... I have a couple of suggestions for you...

We have allot of patients that does good with the new OPUS mask it is a nasal pillow but very soft and sleep labs in VA like it allot, maybe that is an option for you.. that way you can just replace the pillows when they need it instead of having to get the whole entire thing..

Also instead of getting the doctor to write something specific on a rx get them just to write a rx that says cpap mask that way the rx will be good for a year no matter what kind of mask you get....

Not sure if this will help but wanted to let you know ....
Good luck!

[gasp]

I cant find the right mask for me. I live in Maine and been dealing with a local medical suppy company. I feel they are a bit fed up with me. After trying these masks they dont have any more suggestions. My insurance covers these but I need a new perscription for every new mask I try.
I have tried the Mirage Activa - could not handel the bouncing up and down on my low presure and being so big covering my lips.
The next one is Ultra Mirage™ II Nasal Mask - good fit but sore nosebridge and red around my nose for days.
Next is the OptiLife - cant get a good fit, too tight hurts my nose, too loose and it comes off.
Next is the ComfortGel - good fit too but sore nosebridge and red around my nose for days.
Next IQ Nasal CPAP Mask , too small for me, only comes in one size, too bad its a great mask for people with small noses.
Next ComfortLite 2, its great on the nose but the hose on the head is hard for somebody like me who toses and turns alot, feels like somebody is pulling on my head.
I have played with the adjustments on all of these many different ways. I loosen them up and they leak, I tighten so they dont leak and I get sorness and red around my nose that lasts for days.

Perhaps using a pad, that you may be able to easily make, or buy on http://www.padacheek.com for those masks that fit and function for you but leave marks or have sore spots.

I use the ComfortLite 2 and have just started using the Travel Buddy hose hanger, which manages the hose. I turn from my left side to my right side, and even lay partially on my stomach and the hose hanger keeps the hose from being in the way or dragging on the mask. https://www.cpap.com/productpage/travel ... ystem.html

I used the ComfortGel in the past and found if I had the forehead piece to tight it was uncomfortable too - but that if I wore is loosely, the forehead piece touched when I moved in a way that the mask needed something to stabilize against.

[lmmo]

When I first started with the nasal pillows, my nose hurt for days but it got better. I used chapstik and just pushed through. It is similar to anything new, it just takes time getting used to. Look at the Swift 2 or swift LT. Your nose will be sore near the cartilage in the middle between the nostrils. I even had a blister. After a while it was more tolerable. The LT does not need to be as snug. It has been almost 3 yrs and I call it my fountain of youth now. I sometimes do not even notice the mask is on and I have to check to see if I took it off. Please hang in there...Lisa

[bdp522]

If you remove that hard elbow at the top of the comfort lite 2, it makes it much easier to toss and turn without the hose pulling each time. Here's a link for how to remove it;
viewtopic.php?t=8493
Makes a huge difference!
Hanging the hose on the hose buddy or headboard helps too. Here are some links to hose hangers;
viewtopic.php?t=10640

Brenda

[LoQ]

The next one is Ultra Mirage™ II Nasal Mask - good fit but sore nosebridge and red around my nose for days.

Next is the ComfortGel - good fit too but sore nosebridge and red around my nose for days.

You say you get a good fit with those two. Do you still have either of those? If so, may I recommend the following?

I put a piece of Johnson & Johnson's Secure Comfort Tape on the bridge of my nose, and sometimes some around the rest of my nose where the mask fits. I cut it in half so that it is 1/2 inch wide rather than 1 inch. It does a great job of keeping my skin from turning red. It sticks pretty tight, so if removing it in the morning hurts, you can try either using a warm wet washcloth to remove it, or you can reduce the stickiness before applying it.

Also, the comfort gel has an adjustment where the lower part fits into the forehead piece. If you reach up between your eyes and squeeze the mask together at that place, you can change the angle between these two pieces. It may help to pull out a bit there (after squeezing) to transfer some of the pressure from the bridge of your nose to your lip. When you get the angle right, let go and move it slightly until you hear it click into position.

Then I recommend that you use the Mack's silicone earplugs. Roll a lump of this out into a very small rope, fit it around the part of the mask that makes contact with your face, and press it in. It forms a pretty good gasket that will help to prevent leaks, and you'll find you don't need to keep the straps so tight. The less you handle the silicone, the better it will seal.

If you use the silicone gasket, you may find that you don't need the tape at all because you may be able to loosen the straps on your headgear. But try them both together. It works really quite well for me.