Yet another mask selection thread

[tetragon]

I am planning to visit me DME tomorrow to try some non-nasal-pillow masks. I like my Swift FX, but my nose seems to be a bit of a humidity junkie, and in my current weather conditions, even a setting of C5 leaves my nose itchy and my throat dry (my mouth, however, is not dry or uncomfortable, and my leak line is flat and low (past week's 90% is 20.03)). What I'm looking for are some suggestions of candidate masks that fit well at smaller sizes (the size calculator I came across at cpap.com puts my size for the results returned as some version of "small", "petite", and "shallow") and don't have problems with movement.

In both my titration and when my RT was doing my initial fitting, I ended up a bit panicky when the masks selected on those occasions slipped over my lips and blew air all over my mouth when I was wearing them. This is why I got nasal pillows.

If only there were something like cpaplibrary.com in Canada.

[jamiswolf]

Hi Tetra,
I have a very large face so I can't comment on the smaller sizes. But I've used a variety of masks. So we're talking nasal masks. The Respironics Easylife has a double seal that doesn't require much strap tension. Kaiya2465 uses them and she has a small face. Maybe you could PM her. The other nasals I've used are the ComfortGel and ComfortGel Blue. They are great masks for high pressures but are less comfortable then the Easylife.

I know that the F&P Zest nasal comes in petite size which I have seen and they are tiny. A firm inner section with a flap on top of that. The people that use them like them.
Jamis

[chunkyfrog]

My suggestion: try different brands of masks.
I have much better fit with Respironics and Fisher-Paykel masks than with Res-med.
As long as there are only a few sizes, it's good the different companies use different sizing paradigms.

[tetragon]

As seems to be their wont, my DME passed me what seems to be the first thing they were able to grab whilst thinking "petite nose", namely another too-large mask. At least I think it's too large. The cushion isn't supposed to irritate my eyes and eyelids, right? They loaned me a Mirage Micro with medium headgear and medium cushion. This thing is huge; the cushion reaches from where my eyebrows would meet all the way down to a millimetre above my lips. I don't know how they thought this could work, what with the top of the headgear dangling merrily above my head. Or, I can keep the dangling headgear and position the mask lower, with a more conventional top location. Then all I need to do is put up with the cushion resting directly on my lips all night. The only way I've been able to get it to not leak much has been to really tighten it more than I'd like, to the point where it is awkward to put on. At least this mask goes back next week.

[tetragon]

I can't believe I actually decided to use that mask for a night. Now I get to see how long it takes my mouth to get unsquished and for my teeth to feel normal again. Don't they realize that not everyone has huge noses? Why didn't they pass me something smaller to try?

[LSAT]

Child's mask??

[tetragon]

Child's mask??

Interesting idea. Although I would want to find some place that I could try the mask before buying one, and I don't think my DME would be the greatest for that. They don't even stock what I currently wear, just the larger version of it.

[FeelingBetter]

I do really well with Fisher & Paykel. The Acclaim2 is awesome if you're a side sleeper and they also make one called Zest, it comes in a petite.

[queenmac46]

I have a small face, and I guess a small nose. I first used the Opus360 nasal pillows but had problems with nasal congestion. Also, I couldn't get the humidity setting to eliminate the condensation build-up inside the pillows. I could FEEL the moisture there, and it was very annoying. So.... I've been frustrated trying to find a mask that allows me to sleep comfortably without constantly waking up to re-adjust it. I've now almost settled on the EasyLife, especially when I figured out that I don't have to tighten it down very much to get a seal. I also soaked it in very warm soapy water yesterday for about 2 hours - as I read with another similar mask that it helps to "condition" the mask. The silicone liner gave me a red mark across the bridge of my nose, so I have been using a very small piece of padded tape (1/2" by 3/4") to avoid the mask marks and discomfort.

After 3 nights of "almost"uninterrupted sleep, I may have found the right adjustments. It takes a lot of effort to keep tightening, loosening, lifting the mask up to get the silicone inner liner to "puff up" - but I think I've almost got the hang of it. My stats are looking good (Sleepyhead and ResMed3.14 software) - AHI ranging from 1 - 3. My leaks are normal for the mask.

My DME has ordered a couple of ResMed Masks (Activa LT) and another one to try out. The tech brought me a brand new mask from Philips while waiting for the masks from Resmed to arrive - because they are in Australia, he says it takes them longer to get shipments in - vs. PR who is US-based in Pennsylvania. So I'm trying out PR's TrueBlue. Even though the size of the mask that actually covers my nose is the same as the EasyLife, it just feels too small.

I also use an eye mask that fits under the headgear - I've used an eyemask for several years now (along with earplugs) - it helps tremendously to cut out ambient light in the room. I can sleep no matter where I am.
YOu might want to try the EasyLife - and be patient with the adjustments - it's almost counter-intuitive that a looser mask could seal properly on your face.... but it seems to be the trick.
GOod luck!

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

I must agree with what queenmac46 said on the PR EasyLife Nasal Mask with Headgear. It really is counter-intuitive with this mask and when first using it I had to remind myself that tighter was not the way to go with this mask, but very slight headgear adjustments (usually more loose) is more the norm for me in the beginning. I have a large head, but my nose measurement was on the small side so I use both a small inner nose piece and small outer support piece. All the outer piece does is gently sit there and, well, support the mask on your face. The inner nose piece is what actually seals around your nose (I don’t know how it works like it does, but if you have the mask you know what I am talking about).

I find the mask to be extremely comfortable and have had no large leaks or annoying air blow-by to deal with. It has been a wonderful mask to learn CPAP therapy with and except for getting some sort of FF mask to deal with allergies or a cold that would make a using a Nasal mask difficult, I will be using this for my CPAP life (or until Phillips discontinues it or replaced with a newer model)

Give it a try if you can and hopefully it will be a good experience for you, though I know we all have different comfort levels and mask preferences.

John

[chunkyfrog]

2B: I agree on the Easylife as a great choice for a nasal containment mask.
I think it's cool how it snuggles up to my face when the air starts.

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

chunkyfrog,

You are right! The way the EasyLife Nasal 'snuggles' up to faces when the air is turned is cool and I think it makes it seem almost like a living thing. That is why I feel it can be so much looser than other Nasals & Full Face masks. I have never once had any face marks the next morning from it because the RT at the Sleep Clinic said for me to make sure to keep it as loose as possible, so that it would barely rest on my face. She was correct! Some in my group at the Sleep Clinic though were so used to having to tighten up their other masks to keep them from leaking, that they could not get used to the loose fit of the EasyLife. Most of them changed their mask to something else that was more snug/normal to them, and therefore felt more comfortable.

I do have a quick question on Total Face Masks. Would they be better than a Full Face for comfort and leaks? I am looking into possibly getting one to have on hand when allergy season hits or when dealing with a bad cold and a nasal only mask would not be practical.

Thanks,

John

[jetsetter8]

I've been using the mirage micro, small with the regular sized headgear (came with the mask). My problem is that the top strap of the headgear constantly slips off the top of my head and I find myself adjusting it throughout the night as then the mask starts to leak. I've tried numerous masks and this was the only one that even came close to working. So, I'm wondering if maybe I should order a small sized headgear but can find no measurements to tell me what the difference will be and I don't want to spend $31 for a headgear that can't be returned and might be too small. Does anyone use the small? Can you tell me how big (small) it is so I can try to figure out whether or not it will make a difference.

Thanks.