Can't Use Full Face Mask (charts posted)

[D-Rob70]

Man! I have been sick and my nose was stuffed up terribly, so I used the FF mask my brother-in-law gave me and WOW!!! I CANNOT use that thing! Terrible sleep and my mouth was dry as hell and my lips were so chapped!!!

Just look at the difference in my numbers below.

Here is my chart from the Full Face...



And here is a normal night with my Nasal Pillows. (What A Difference!!!)



I would assume this is not the norm???

[TalonNYC]

Well, if you like the nasal pillows under normal circumstances, there's always the Hybrid or Liberty masks. They have nasal pillows, but also cover your mouth, kind of best of both worlds. It could help with the mask-fit issues.

Mind you, the dryness may mean you have to turn your humidifier up while on the full-face mask or hybrid. I noticed I had to crank mine up a notch when I switched from the nasal mask.

CPAP.com has both the hybrids, if you're looking for what they look like.

[Julie]

How did the mask feel in terms of being fitted properly? Were you unaware of any leaks before falling asleep? Every mask is different and so is every face, and what works for you does not mean it'll be good for anyone else. A good idea would be to go to a DME when you're better, make an appointment and take some time to find the right mask for you, if only so you'll have it for next time you're sick. But expecting that your brother-in-law's mask would incidentally work was maybe asking a lot. There are many FF masks out there... see Cpap.com's site, so you shouldn't have trouble getting the right one for you.

[D-Rob70]

Well, if you like the nasal pillows under normal circumstances, there's always the Hybrid or Liberty masks.

Mind you, the dryness may mean you have to turn your humidifier up while on the full-face mask or hybrid.

I like the idea of the Hybrid, but I REALLY love the pillows and hate the mask. It seems very intrusive to my sleep.

And I had that sucker cranked up to 5. Still dry. I think it's just the air blowing across my lips and in my mouth.

Oh well, I just won't get sick anymore...

LOL

[TalonNYC]

I do agree that I need chapstick now =)

[D-Rob70]

How did the mask feel in terms of being fitted properly? Were you unaware of any leaks before falling asleep? Every mask is different and so is every face, and what works for you does not mean it'll be good for anyone else. A good idea would be to go to a DME when you're better, make an appointment and take some time to find the right mask for you, if only so you'll have it for next time you're sick. But expecting that your brother-in-law's mask would incidentally work was maybe asking a lot. There are many FF masks out there... see Cpap.com's site, so you shouldn't have trouble getting the right one for you.

The mask felt like it was doing what it was supposed to be doing. And sounded similar to the way the air moved when I use the nasal pillows. I made sure there weren't any leaks. My sister-in-law actually just gave me a couple nasal masks as she scores sleep studies.

I should probably look for a different FF mask for instances just like this.

Thanks!

[Wulfman]

Well, if you like the nasal pillows under normal circumstances, there's always the Hybrid or Liberty masks.

Mind you, the dryness may mean you have to turn your humidifier up while on the full-face mask or hybrid.

I like the idea of the Hybrid, but I REALLY love the pillows and hate the mask. It seems very intrusive to my sleep.

And I had that sucker cranked up to 5. Still dry. I think it's just the air blowing across my lips and in my mouth.

Oh well, I just won't get sick anymore...

LOL

You're supposed to keep your mouth shut and breathe through your nose.
Any time you're breathing through your mouth, you'll get a dry mouth......no matter what kind of mask you're using.

Are you also aware that TOO MUCH humidity can also cause more congestion? Maybe you need to turn it way down or Off.

Are you doing nasal cleansing before bedtime?


Den

[D-Rob70]

Well, if you like the nasal pillows under normal circumstances, there's always the Hybrid or Liberty masks.

Mind you, the dryness may mean you have to turn your humidifier up while on the full-face mask or hybrid.

I like the idea of the Hybrid, but I REALLY love the pillows and hate the mask. It seems very intrusive to my sleep.

And I had that sucker cranked up to 5. Still dry. I think it's just the air blowing across my lips and in my mouth.

Oh well, I just won't get sick anymore...

LOL

You're supposed to keep your mouth shut and breathe through your nose.
Any time you're breathing through your mouth, you'll get a dry mouth......no matter what kind of mask you're using.

Are you also aware that TOO MUCH humidity can also cause more congestion? Maybe you need to turn it way down or Off.

Are you doing nasal cleansing before bedtime?


Den

Can't breathe thru my nose when it's stuffed up so badly. If I could I would just use my nasal pillow mask.

I have tried every setting on Humidifier (including OFF) and still end up with one stuffy nostril when I wake.

And, yes, I have a nasal rinse bottle from NeilMed that I use 2-3 times a week. Should I use it daily? My wife seems to think it will mess up my nose

[Janknitz]

Your chart makes NO sense. It's almost solid OA, but no significant leaks. Seems like you'd be gasping for air the entire 3 hours you wore the mask. I don't see how you could sleep that way!

Is it possible that you have the mask settings on your machine (System One Resistance Settings) for nasal pillows? I've never known that to make a difference, but otherwise I cannot see how your chart could look that way. What was your pressure? If you have a very low pressure, perhaps there's a problem with a FF mask.

[Wulfman]

Can't breathe thru my nose when it's stuffed up so badly. If I could I would just use my nasal pillow mask.

I have tried every setting on Humidifier (including OFF) and still end up with one stuffy nostril when I wake.

And, yes, I have a nasal rinse bottle from NeilMed that I use 2-3 times a week. Should I use it daily? My wife seems to think it will mess up my nose

I would. In fact, I DO nasal cleansing before bedtime every night and at other times during the day.
I guess if you're sick, you're doing about as much as you can. It's just that with the very few times I've had to deal with that since I started, I've felt that the cool "passover" humidification works well. (but, then I use that all the time anyway)
I also used to take a couple of "sniffs" from a nasal inhaler (Mentholatum), too.


Den

[D-Rob70]

Your chart makes NO sense. It's almost solid OA, but no significant leaks. Seems like you'd be gasping for air the entire 3 hours you wore the mask. I don't see how you could sleep that way!

Is it possible that you have the mask settings on your machine (System One Resistance Settings) for nasal pillows? I've never known that to make a difference, but otherwise I cannot see how your chart could look that way. What was your pressure? If you have a very low pressure, perhaps there's a problem with a FF mask.

Believe me, I felt like crap the next day after that chart. But i DID sleep. LOL.

I have no idea how to set the resistance on my machine. I did find info to get to the special menu and enabled some things (don't worry, I refuse to alter my prescribed pressure), but I didn;t see anywhere to set whether or not I was using Pillows or FF.

My pressure is 12 cmH20, BTW.

Thanks, everyone, for your feedback so far.

[Wulfman]

What full face mask (exact brand and model) were you using?

Were you sleeping on your back during the night of the top report.


Den

[D-Rob70]

Can't breathe thru my nose when it's stuffed up so badly. If I could I would just use my nasal pillow mask.

I have tried every setting on Humidifier (including OFF) and still end up with one stuffy nostril when I wake.

And, yes, I have a nasal rinse bottle from NeilMed that I use 2-3 times a week. Should I use it daily? My wife seems to think it will mess up my nose

I would. In fact, I DO nasal cleansing before bedtime every night and at other times during the day.
I guess if you're sick, you're doing about as much as you can. It's just that with the very few times I've had to deal with that since I started, I've felt that the cool "passover" humidification works well. (but, then I use that all the time anyway)
I also used to take a couple of "sniffs" from a nasal inhaler (Mentholatum), too.


Den

My normal setting for my humidifier is the passover setting, that is 0, right?

I will start doing a nasal cleaning before bed every night to see if this helps my stuffiness.

On a slightly different note, I do get stuffy every night about an hour before I go to bed. But I am clear the entire day prior to that. I suspect that I might be allergic to something in my house. (will a nasal rinse help that?) And I have been using the kleenex with vicks in them.

Thanks for the input... it is much appreciated.

[D-Rob70]

What full face mask (exact brand and model) were you using?

Were you sleeping on your back during the night of the top report.


Den

The mask info is the last thing in my sig. And my wife tells me that I slept on my back more than usual while I am sick. I presume it was just when I wore the FF because it bothered me while sleeping on my side.

[Wulfman]

OK. Missed the mask in the lower "Additional comments" section.
I thought it looked like you were sleeping on your back. It's not uncommon to see reports that look like that when the person is sleeping supine.
I'd suggest trying it again and sleep on your side.


Den