Advice on changing mask styles

[WillCunningham]

I have tried a few masks over the years and tried to make due with a few duds till I finally found the Mirage Activa masks. I tend to have a beard so that causes seal problems with some masks and the activa handles it fairly well. I also have some trouble finding headgear that works for me. I have a fairly large head and it is kind of egg shaped. That causes most headgear to slide up my head rather than provide a good fit. The activa headgear is mostly held onto my head by the strap that swings under my hears to the bottom part of the mask. The top strap does not provide much support because it tends to ride up, but the mask remains affixed thanks to the bottom strap. Where the activa works fairly well for me I have been reluctant to experiment and try new masks. I keep running into the "if it isn't broke, don't fix it" mantra.

The mask isn't perfect though and I am at a point where I need to replace my current mask. My father is also on cpap and he swears by the Swift FX Nasal pillow. I am a bit reluctant to make a jump, but I do see how nasal pillows might be a good option. They would not be affected by a beard/mustache and I am thinking that having nasal prongs in my nose would help prevent the mask from riding up my head. I am not so sure about that though and was wondering if anyone had any opinions on that. I am also not too sure how to go about choosing a nasal pillow mask to experiment with. The Swift FX Bella has also caught my eye because of it's unique "attached to the ears" headgear. I like the idea of headgear that doesn't rely on the shape of my head to stay put, though to be honest I can't say the "behind the ears" straps look super comfortable. I would appreciate any advice, I am not really sure where to start with making this decision or even if I shouldn't just stick with the Activa mask and call that good enough. Thanks!

[GumbyCT]

I started with the Flexifit 431 then the 432 bc I was a mouth breather - both leaked terribly but were very comfy. Some one gave me a nasal mask to try which I did and liked it. Then I did try the Activa and it did work good (the seal) but with the BiPap it moved like an accordion and wore a sore above my upper lip.

Soon after I bought a nasal pillows mask made by Aeiomed (Headrest). It was even more light weight and comfy. I think a nasal pillows mask is a great choice for anyone with a beard or mustache. I was willing to shave my mustache when I thought it was causing leaks. To me this stuff grows back and sometimes it is better to start over again anyway.

I had to modify the Headrest - I use a knee high panty hose to hold it on my head. The nylon is strong yet light weight and I tie it to fit my head. It just keeps the mask from blowing away from my face at 18cm. 3pr/$1 at the dollar store. I started using them to keep the mask from blowing off my face when the FFM was leaking.

Any nasal pillows mask is easier to seal bc the contact surface around the nares is so much less than any FFM.

IF I were you I would get dad to let me try one of his extra masks to see just how it works for you. I would hold off ordering until I tried it out. I have heard so many good things about the Swift nasal pillows and the newer Aloha. Both are light weight too.

I use a dab of Lansinoh around the nares to help seal AND reduce the friction so it doesn't cause any irritation. Search for Lansinoh if you have more questions but it works wonders for me and avoids that silicon on dry skin irritation caused when the mask moves (and it will) as you breath.

Whatever mask you use - take 1 finger and lightly press in front just enuff to help it seal. That is where you want to have the knee-high nylon hold the mask. Wrap it around your egghead, knot it, and you shouldn't have any troubles at all.

HTH

[Catnap]

Your assumption that nasal pillows will provide a prong in your nose that will help stabilize the mask is erroneous. Nasal pillows rest outside of your nose and there is only a small air outlet that points into your nostrils. Also, I find that my upper lip (without hair) makes the nasal pillows shift when I move it, so they may or may not work well with a mustache.

If you actually want a prong-style mask, the Nasal Aire is the only one I know of. Even with that, the presence of the prongs doesn't seem to do a lot to stabilize the mask -- maybe a little.

I have the Swift FX with bella loops and as far as the headgear goes, I think it's the best. Headgear that straps all over my head drives me crazy. It doesn't hold the pillows as firmly as the regular FX headgear, but for me it's a great compromise between stability and intrusion.

The most stable nasal pillow mask that I've tried is the Swift LT, and the headgear isn't too bad. It does ride up on my head, though, as does the standard headgear for the FX. If you search the forum, I've seen lots of tips for fixing that issue (of course, can't remember a one right now when I'd like to share it, LOL!)

Good luck!

[Janknitz]

You can improve the stability of straps on any mask you choose by sewing a bit of velcro hook tape (that is the scratchy, stiff side of the velcro) into the back so it "grabs" your hair. It won't slip that way, and it's not uncomfortable, even though it sounds like it should be. That may solve your activa problem and it certainly helps for masks like the Swfit FX or LT.

There's a photo of what i'm talking about here: http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/2010/0 ... sk-tweaks/

[Maxie]

I just switched (on Monday) from an Opus360 to the Swift FX with Bella Loops because the strap on the back of the Opus kept sliding around. I love the ear loops. There is not a bunch of stuff on my face nor sliding around on my head. I thought I might have trouble getting accustomed to my hose hanging down from my mask rather than going up over my head but that has worked out great also!

[avi123]

Mirage Activa is like my mask.

Mirage Activa:

(It comes with large headgear)



I also use a chinstrap like this which I wear under the mask straps. The chinstrap helps keep the mask stady on my head even
if I loosen the mask headgear quite a bit.

My Ruby chinstrap:



Before settling on this combination I tried about 20 masks including nasal pillows.

None of them gave me low leaks. These leaks ruined my treatment for almost a year.

If I was you I would get rid of the beard and stay with the Mirage Activa plus a chinstrap.

[DreamStalker]

My beard and mustache is somewhat more full than yours and I tried lots of masks early on FF, nasal, hybrid, and pillow types.

I've only shaved my facial hair twice in my whole life and I doubt there will be a third before I die. When the Swift LT came out I quit messing with changing masks.

I use Bret's PapCap as a foundation/chinstrap that keeps my jaw from slacking and the PapCap itself keeps the Swift straps from sliding around and anchors the hose to the top of my head so I can toss n turn all night long without ever losing the seal.

[deerhound]

When I first started I used full face masks and willingly, if not happily shaved everything except mu mustache in order to sleep. I then switched to nasal pillows and I now can let my facial hair grow wherever I want. Since I am quite bald anyways I now shave my head in order to stop my back strap from riding up my head. It is not a complete success, but it doesn't move near as much as when I had some hair growing. I am glad I can wear a beard or goatee, whichever I am in the mood to have. Good luck with the pillows.

[chunkyfrog]

In 27 months on Cpap, I have tried 19 masks, of which only 3 are consistently leak-free and comfortable.
It is good to have a back-up style, as Murphy's law dictates that your favorite ANYTHING will someday be discontinued.

[SleepyToo2]

It is easy for those who are clean-shaven to tell those of us with facial hair to shave and it will solve all problems! However, I believe there is a mask somewhere that will answer all your problems. You just have to find it. For me it is the Aloha nasal pillows. The head gear is minimal and has a design that allows adjustment but not a great deal of movement. The pillows also have some adjustment so that it is possible to get the angle just right. I use mine along with a Ruby chin strap, and it has definitely helped get my leaks under control. With a 1.1 AHI over the last 60 days, and most of the events that do occur being "centrals" (probably caused by changing position), I think the combination is as close to perfect as I am going to get. Now I just wish I could get more hours in bed, and get some of the stresses and allergies out of my life (fat chance!) so that I could really sleep like a baby! So, if you have a beard, try nasal pillows - start with the Aloha, then really investigate why that does not work for you if it does not. Ask a few questions on here that might lead to the next mask to try, but give each new mask at least 3 weeks of all night, every night, use before you give up on it.

[GumbyCT]

It is easy for those who are clean-shaven to tell those of us with facial hair to shave and it will solve all problems!

Guess that really depends on where your priorities are. To me one can live w/o hair but no one can live w/o O2 AND sleep.

Ps. everytime I ever shaved - it always grew back.
The amazing things are the diff sensations you will feel AND the air even smells diff

[WillCunningham]

Thanks for all the replies, I really appreciate it! I had heard of using pantyhose to compensate for mask headgear issues, but for some reason never thought to apply it to my situation. Of course my first mental image was of wearing them like I was going to rob a convenience store.

I am not attached to the beard at all, in fact I have a system where if my beard or hair gets annoyingly long I just break out the clippers and turn it to stubble. I then let it grow out again till it annoys me enough to bother shaving it off again. If shaving were my only option to sleep I would end up doing it. Thankfully the Activa does get the job done for me even with the beard and mustache so I can avoid the daily hassle of shaving.

I just feel like I should consider experimenting with other styles of masks to make sure I don't miss out on something that would work better for me. I was pretty focus'ed in on nasal pillow masks as my dad swears by them. I tried a Hybrid mask when they first came out. I loved the idea of an oral/nasal mask on the off chance that I was mouth leaking or had a cold. The headgear straps were not quite long enough so I switched back to activa pretty quick. I am leaning towards giving the swift FX bella nasal mask a go and perhaps ordering some replacement activa parts to have a better back or in case I don't like the bella.

[lazerguy]

Yikes, Chunkyfrog, 19 masks so far ! Do you pay retail? Suppliers in my part of town need a doc's RX.
I'm now using the ResMed Quatro FX, but after 1-2 months it leaks, so trying to get new seal today.
Lots of info @ this forum.

[WillCunningham]

I wanted to post a quick update and thank everyone for the comments. I got my new Swift FX Bella nasal pillow mask this afternoon and gave it a quick test. I have to say I expected to have more trouble getting used to it than I did. It fit pretty well and worked great. The behind the ears straps were surprisingly comfortable too. I have not yet slept in all my common sleep positions, but I am anticipating no problems. I took a 2hr nap sleeping on my back and didn't have problems with leaks. I do tend to sleep on my stomach part of the night so I am hoping that does not gum up the works.

I really expected it to irritate my ears but it felt very comfortable, almost not even there. I have been so used to the larger and kinda bulky Activa that it really made the contrast between the two masks very noticeable. I will need to sleep the night through to see how it handles position changes and what not, but my initial impressions are that I am going to love it! I am glad I decided to try something new rather than just replace my Activa. I still love the Activa but I suspect I will prefer this new mask. lol, I can't wait to go to sleep tonight. Thanks again!