New user, feeling overwhelmed

[USMCVet]

Welcome to the forum. When I was using the FF dreamwear, it made loud flapping/farting noises as it revved up above 10. That woke me and my husband up. I had to wear liners in order for it to not make obnoxious noises when strong blasts of air hit it. (my highest setting is 20). The liners I have tried are Remzzz ( 30 day supply, disposable, and prone to slip, but insurance will pay for them) & Pad a Cheek (insurance will not pay for them, but they are affordable & washable, & reusable and stay in place with velcro). There are other liners and gadgets available to help keep the mask sealed when that blast of air hits. He may prefer a different mask altogether. Most people go through several different mask or mask variations before they finally "settle" on their favorite, but no mask is "perfect". Every mask may have a minor leak from time to time, it's the blasts of air and noises that are annoying & finding the right mask for your face/head shape, sleeping style, etc... can be a trial & error process for most people. Good luck. This forum is full of helpful information (except when discussing SoClean or any other cpap cleaning machine using ozone or otherwise) (And if you already own one, do not admit it) Soap & water in combination with Disinfecting wipes are all you need to keep your equipment clean.

Thank you for all the Info! I’ll look into these. And that’s funny! My husband keeps telling me to buy this SoClean (whatever that is) because he keeps seeing a commercial about it. I agree, the soapy water seems to be just fine

Here's an article that discusses both major CPAP cleaner companies. I feel it gives an impartial review of both and gives their recommendation. Maybe show it to your husband.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/do-you-n ... in-4171650

[Wifeofasnorer]

I am assuming you have medical insurance. Our family experience is with Tricare & Medicare . Both pay 80% (you pay 20%) and allows a new mask interface (mask, cushion, headgear) every 3 months, a new water tank (humidifier), hose, & chin strap (if needed) every 6 months. I also get 2 filters for my CPAP machine every 3 months. During my experimenting phase for the last year and a half, I tried a new mask every 3 months. I think I have about narrowed things down. I will try the Resmed N30i in October. Then in January 2020, I let my DME know if that is what I keep or I go back to Phillips Dreamwear nasal or try the dreamwisp. I know I am going to stick with nasal because I got it to work by using a chin strap with it, & I like the hose on the head style, so that leaves me with Dreamwear nasal, N30i, or Dreamwisp. I could try a P30i, but I tried the nasal pillow style with the dreamwear and did not care for it. My perfect chin strap (and I tried MANY) ended up being the Ruby adjustable. More cloth on my face than I wanted to end up with, but it's the only one that works for me and allows me to use a nasal mask. Glad to be done with Full face.

Thank you for the suggestions! We have insurance but a very high deductible so we just paid cash for the at home sleep test and for the CPAP machine, so if we get another mask, it will be out of pocket. That’s ok if we need to do this though. I think the straps are sagging on his head from moving around at night and that’s maybe when the mask starts leaking. We’ve just been cleaning the mask/tube with soapy water daily but the wipes are a great idea for travel! Thanks again:)

[Wifeofasnorer]

ANY chance of persuading your husband to sleep on his side? Many CPAP users find that this really improves their treatment and the way they feel during both night and day. It can be hard at first but then start to feel normal. The selling point for your husband would be that this might keep the pressure from going way up and bothering him.

People try all kinds of things to keep from rolling onto their backs. A simple one to start with is a pillow wedged against the back. You can make pockets for tennis balls in pajama tops or t-shirts. Or you can search Amazon using "prevent back sleeping."

Well, he knows it’s worse on his back but he doesn’t realize he’s rolled over on his back, until I nudge him and tell him to roll on his side I’ll try the wedged pillow. Thanks!

[Wifeofasnorer]

If you are going to purchase a different mask without using your insurance, I recommend our forum sponsor, cpap.com. Many of their masks come with free return insurance which means you will have 30 days to try a mask, and can return it for a refund if returned within that period. I tried masks from them when I was trying to decide which one to use. My problem was, I tended to keep them for more than 30 days, then decide I didn't like them. When this happened, I would give the used mask away here on the forum. I did manage to return a few for refund when I knew within one or two nights that I could not stand the mask.

Oh ok, good to know!