masks

[woodpigeon22]

I am getting a mask shortly for my sleep apnea, i have heard that the GoLife nasal pillows are one of the best. Can anyone tell me is this mask easy to use and is it comfortable to wear?

[Pad A Cheek]

Hello woodpigeon22,

Each person's face is different and the tolerance for a particular mask is different. The nasal pillows interfaces are light weight and less obstructive of your vision, however some people cannot stand the pillows and the feeling of air forced into their noses. The GoLife has an odd stabilizer piece that fits on the cheek bone. It is a wire covered with some fabric that I find scratchy. You may not think that.

The best suggestion I have is to try several masks and be sure to remember the the manufacturers allow you up to 30 days to decide whether it will work for you. Your DME should be willing to freely trade out masks for that month until you get the one that works best for you. You do not have to purchase the first mask that you try.

Good luck and you may find that the GoLife is the one for you, but you really need to try several for your own peace of mind.

Karen

[dizzyhead]

I've only been on a CPAP (PR Auto 60 w/ humidity) for 10 days.

I've been trying the PR TrueBlue Gel Nasal CPAP Mask and the GoLife. So far I find the nasal mask more comfortable than the GoLife but I think I'm feeling slightly more rested with the GoLife. However, the pillows do make my nose sore. How long does it take for skin to adjust to pillows I wonder typically? I have it adjusted fairly loose and I'm not getting any significant leaks.

The GoLife doesn't seem to be a popular choice and the rating on cpap.com is not the highest so I've been thinking about the Swift FX (4.6 rating and accounts for a whopping 35% of nose pillow purchases but my RT doesn't think highly of it - she said she can let me try one though)and the Opus 360 (recommended as an alternate to Resmed by a cpap.com consultant). Maybe they'd all make my nose sore to begin with but I like the concept of the pillows over the mask for some reason.

[aevans410]

I started on a Phillips Comfortgel Blue nasal mask. I found it leaked too much and woke me up so I asked my DME to fit me for nasal pillows. They gave me a ResMed Swift LT and I love it. My nose doesn't get sore at all, and I sleep most nights.

[Pugsy]

How long does it take for skin to adjust to pillows I wonder typically? I have it adjusted fairly loose and I'm not getting any significant leaks.

The skin at the nostril area is pretty much "virgin" territory. Never had anything rub up against it so it can be a little tender for a while. It shouldn't ever be anything more than "a little tender" though. Anything more usually points to wrong size of nasal pillow or the straps are simply too tight. If you look in the mirror and your nose looks sort of like a pigs nose...you have the strap too tight. We call it piggy nose.

For minor nostril tenderness get some Lansinoh ointment. This ointment is used by breast feeding mom's to help with sore and cracked nipples. It does help. Use liberally during the day and small amount at night on the nostril area (inside and out). Don't use too much at night or your body heat will turn the ointment to goo and the nasal pillows will slide right off your face and end up in your ear (I did that).

I have never used the GoLife but I have tried several of the other nasal pillow masks.
My preference is the Swift FX...minimal stuff on my face but the Aloha and the new Pilairo are also quite nice.
Padacheeks makes a really nice comfort feature called the barrel cozy for the nasal pillows. I originally bought it to help with rain out in Feb 2011 and immediately realized that I wanted to use it year round. The material is just so soft and comfy next to the skin.
http://www.padacheek.com/PACSwiftII_Barrel_cozy.html
It will also help with the minor tenderness that is just from something being next to the skin.
Nothing helps a sore nose from straps being too tight except loosening of the straps and they can be quite loose. I can put both my hands under my straps easily. I can put it on and remove it with one finger.

I have also tried the Bella Loops for the Swift FX...its about 50/50 which way I wear it...sometimes the Loops and sometimes the traditional headgear.

Back to your original question..how long does the tenderness last? If no piggy nose and nasal pillow is correct size so it doesn't move around a lot....2 to 4 weeks I would suppose. Mine lasted about a week but then I was using the Lansinoh. Some of my tenderness initially was simply that I had the straps way too tight.

I recently tried the Pilairo and had a bit of nostril tenderness till I move the strap just a bit so it wasn't quite so snug.

I do think that the Aloha would be a great choice for a newbie...a little more stable probably than the Swift FX and still very comfortable. It ranks a very close second behind my Swift FX in my preferences.
For me the "less on my face" thing outweighs any minor instability issues I might have with the Swift FX. Yeah, it sometimes has the back straps slide up a bit but the nasal pillows don't move much and most of the time it rarely even wakes me up to put the back strap back down in place.

Find a nasal pillow mask that you really like and then get the Padacheek barrel cozy and you won't want to look any further.