full face & leaking

tulajane · Post by **tulajane** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 3:28 pm

I just started cpap and have a Fisher & Paykel full face mask. I just got this mask on Monday and while it works better than my original mask (which was too large), it still leaks by the corner of my eye and the corners of my mouth.

I woke up at 5am today to discover that I had taken my mask off sometime in the night - probably because of the whistling or the "raspberry" sounds that the leak was making. Don't remember doing it...

Anyway -- does anyone have any advice about how to keep this mask from leaking? It actually fits pretty well around my face and doesn't press too hard on the sides of my nose like the old one did. Is it possible to take the soft mushy part off? Would the mask be comfortable without the soft part? I think the leaks occur because this part gets a wrinkle in it.

For information, my machine is set at 16 so I know that it's blowing pretty hard and this is probably part of the problem, but isn't that why I got a full face mask to begin with? Because of the gale-force wind?

Thanks for your help!

tulajane

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 4:51 pm

Hi, tulajane......welcome! Do you have the FlexiFit 431? That's what I have. Used to have serious leaks too, but thanks to a suggestion made by a truly kind and helpful person here, a solution has been found......Moleskin.....made by Dr.Scholls's for the feet........also superb for fixing mask leaks.......just please, please DON'T put the stuff on your face......stick the stuff to your mask.......Now me ( Gidgie), pro2 and the 431 are all in tune, and having many happy nights.........Don't mind me, even when I'm not feeling so good about life right now, my mouth has a habit of running away on me.......

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Thu Apr 13, 2006 5:51 pm

tulajane,

You know how pressing lightly with your fingertips against the front of a mask sometimes is all it takes to stop leaks? The bit of extra support the homemade strap provides accomplish the same thing -- that little tad of extra help in keeping the mask more against the face.

An extra strap strategically placed can work wonders with a lot of masks...FF, nasal, and nasal pillows.

You might give this a try as an add-on to your mask:

Cut off the leg of a pair of stretchy tights. Try tying that completely around your full face mask. Use a "double start knot" as shown at this webpage to tie it behind for easy adjustment and quick removal - stays tied securely and lays flat at the back of the head.

Might need to use some adhesive backed velcro dots on the front of the mask to keep the homemade straps from slippin' and slidin' on the plastic.

krousseau · Post by **krousseau** » Tue Apr 18, 2006 11:11 pm

Found stretchy velco straps at the local home construction superstore that would do very nicely for the extra strap you described Rested Gal-called velstretch.

cpapabuser · Post by **cpapabuser** » Wed Apr 19, 2006 7:49 am

Also make sure you have each strap adjusted the same on each side, if not it will cause the mask to sit unevenly on your face resulting in some leaks. I also found out that with the flexifit 431 that trying some of the extra sizes they include in the box helps out.

meister · Post by **meister** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 1:07 pm

http://www.sleepsense.com/pages/product ... cessoryId=

tulajane · Post by **tulajane** » Mon Apr 24, 2006 8:59 pm

Thanks for all the advice!! I'm going to get the extra band and maybe I can back off the straps on my nose a little. I'm getting are permanent mark there.

At least I'm feeling more like a live person -- even if I'm leaking a little!!

tulajane

Mask

Mask

full face & leaking

full face & leaking

Source for velstretch?

full face & leaking