Several Questions

[Pugsy]

I never tried the Somnifix at all.
I gave up taping about 3 months after I starting cpap once I realized that my mouth was staying shut for the most part.
The only time I have done it since then was to figure out where a consistent big leak was coming from when I was trying a new mask and I didn't know if I had it fitted correctly or not.
So I have really never needed anything but the cheap blue tape.

Though I hear others saying the Somnifix works very well for them.

Once it was determined that my mouth breathing was rare and it never woke me up and I didn't spend huge amounts of time deep in large leak territory I just sort of kept forgetting to tape until finally I said "why bother". I just accepted a less than perfect leak line on occasion.
Once I started with the Bleep and the fact that it never moves for me...I quickly realized that a lot of the leaks I was seeing with other nasal pillow masks were mask movement leaks. My mouth breathing leaks are few and far between with the Bleep. I am sure they were few and far between with the other masks but what I was thinking was mouth breathing on the other masks was in reality mask movement leaks.

[golfgame]

Pugsy,
I just returned from a week away from home. I elected not to take Bleep along and reverted to WISP. In addition to taping, I also started using a makeshift chip strap. My results have been the best that I have ever experience in two yrs. I have had an average of 1L/min and 1 event P/hr. In addition, my wife has said that was the quietest period of nights she has experienced since I started therapy, normally she wears earplugs to not have to hear leaking air, not this time, however.

I truly have wanted Bleep to work for me but have not had the success that I expected. Once again after returning home I attempted Bleep. I utilized your suggestion in determining if there were leaks after applying the ports. I covered the ports and tried inhaling and exhaling, there were no leaks. However, when I tested with the machine on there was noticeable noise of air being passed from someplace, the exhaust vent I suspect. We both found that annoying so I turned back to the WISP.

How do you muffle any air sound? Your thoughts pls.

[Pugsy]

The vented air shouldn't be making much noise unless it is bouncing off something but unfortunately it's hard to keep things so the air doesn't bounce off something.

So I use a homemade diffuser. I just cut a ResMed filter a little bit so that it can be slid up to the vent holes and act as a diffuser so the vented hair can't bounce off anything and thus it is silent.
In the planning stages is a plastic clip on diffuser to hold some sort of diffusing material in place but it's not ready for the public yet.
Gauze will work but it's hard to get it to stay in place.

Let me see if I can find a picture of the ResMed filter. Palerider came up with the idea. I think he posted a picture in the big review thread.

[Pugsy]

Have you seen this? It's rather worn and right after I took this picture I got a new filter out and cut a new hole that wasn't quite so big and it stays right up next to the vent holes but I don't have a picture.
Let me go find Palerider's picture.

bleepdiffuser.JPG

[Pugsy]

Check out 3rd post down in the review thread

viewtopic/t174807/BleepDreamPort-nasal- ... eep+review

[golfgame]

The vented air shouldn't be making much noise unless it is bouncing off something but unfortunately it's hard to keep things so the air doesn't bounce off something.

So I use a homemade diffuser. I just cut a ResMed filter a little bit so that it can be slid up to the vent holes and act as a diffuser so the vented hair can't bounce off anything and thus it is silent.
In the planning stages is a plastic clip on diffuser to hold some sort of diffusing material in place but it's not ready for the public yet.
Gauze will work but it's hard to get it to stay in place.

Let me see if I can find a picture of the ResMed filter. Palerider came up with the idea. I think he posted a picture in the big review thread.

I have seen this defuser item in the past. I will try that again but I actually feel that the noise I heard was much more than air from the vent. I( really feel that the leak was from some part of the mask. Trying to determine where is almost next to impossible. To me making the attachment to the ports is much harder than it should be. I would hope that Stuart will address that.

[Pugsy]

If you hear noise and it's not the venting....it's from something not being attached properly.
There is simply no other explanation.
I do agree that for noises that aren't in your face loud and obvious that it can be difficult to figure out where they are coming from.

I am sorry you are having such difficulty attaching the ports and I suspect that is a likely culprit in noticeable air noise in your situation.
Are you testing the seal and that includes adhesive and port attachment prior to hooking the hose up to the machine?
That's what I do every time I put the mask on.

1....attach the ports to my nose
2....attach the ports to the mask
3....put the palm of my hand over the end of the hose so that it seals and then I take a few breaths. If I can move the air then I know I need to redo the port attachment.

Djams adds another step...after he attaches the ports to his nose he puts a finger over each port hole and tries to breathe to make sure no leaks in the adhesive. Then he attaches the mask. I don't do this step as I can pretty much eyeball the adhesive seal and know if it is good or not. I never have a leak at that level but I do sometimes have to re-attach the port to the mask.

Another potential leak area is the silicone cushion groove to the plastic frame but that leak is normally not very loud and usually its either felt or just shows up on the leak graph.

[golfgame]

If you hear noise and it's not the venting....it's from something not being attached properly.
There is simply no other explanation.
I do agree that for noises that aren't in your face loud and obvious that it can be difficult to figure out where they are coming from.

I am sorry you are having such difficulty attaching the ports and I suspect that is a likely culprit in noticeable air noise in your situation.
Are you testing the seal and that includes adhesive and port attachment prior to hooking the hose up to the machine?
That's what I do every time I put the mask on.

1....attach the ports to my nose
2....attach the ports to the mask
3....put the palm of my hand over the end of the hose so that it seals and then I take a few breaths. If I can move the air then I know I need to redo the port attachment.

Djams adds another step...after he attaches the ports to his nose he puts a finger over each port hole and tries to breathe to make sure no leaks in the adhesive. Then he attaches the mask. I don't do this step as I can pretty much eyeball the adhesive seal and know if it is good or not. I never have a leak at that level but I do sometimes have to re-attach the port to the mask.

Another potential leak area is the silicone cushion groove to the plastic frame but that leak is normally not very loud and usually its either felt or just shows up on the leak graph.

"3....put the palm of my hand over the end of the hose so that it seals and then I take a few breaths. If I can move the air then I know I need to redo the port attachment."

Would there not be a 100% seal at this stage as the vent would pass air?

I experimented this afternoon and managed to get a hook up that did not leak any air. To my wife's demise I have left the parts attached to my nose so as to not waste a pair. Its late in the afternoon, that's kind of goofy, eh?

How often have you been replacing the mask assembly?

[Pugsy]

"3....put the palm of my hand over the end of the hose so that it seals and then I take a few breaths. If I can move the air then I know I need to redo the port attachment."

Would there not be a 100% seal at this stage as the vent would pass air?

Venting is mainly under pressure and all we are testing is port to QR clip attachment. There is enough 100% seal to verify if the ports are solidly attached or not. If they are attached properly it will be difficult to move any air if you do the palm to the end of the hose trick.

How often have you been replacing the mask assembly?

I got my first and only complete mask in mid December last year. I have not yet needed to replace the mask frame or hose assembly portion of the mask. Used it pretty much every night since then. I do have a spare complete mask package available in case something happens to the mask frame I am using.....I do have dogs and cats and while they normally don't bother my cpap stuff....I don't ever totally trust them.
There is simply no need to replace it yet. There's nothing wrong with it. No tears, holes or anything like that. It has changed in color ever so slightly as all silicone will when left out in the air (turns a bit yellow) but that doesn't affect the function and I can't see it when asleep.
I wash it when I think about it which isn't all that often...maybe once a month or two.

[2crystalship]

I'm a newbie only had my machine for a couple of weeks and I really loved it. I have the pillows nose mask and I think what's happening is that when I move around at night the headgear is pulling and causing the pillows to come a little bit away from my nostrils. when my husband pokes me and says it's making noise I just reach up and reposition them and it stops. But does anybody know how to keep them from moving and the first place?

[Pugsy]

I'm a newbie only had my machine for a couple of weeks and I really loved it. I have the pillows nose mask and I think what's happening is that when I move around at night the headgear is pulling and causing the pillows to come a little bit away from my nostrils. when my husband pokes me and says it's making noise I just reach up and reposition them and it stops. But does anybody know how to keep them from moving and the first place?

What color is your P10 head gear? Color relates to the size of the head gear. Maybe you need a smaller size.

Are you aware that you can snug the straps up a bit by changing the distance between the top strap and the bottom/back strap?

What are you doing with the long hose that is attached to the P10 short hose? How are you routing the long hose from the machine?
I am wondering if tossing and turning is causing the long hose weight to pull on the mask just a little bit and dislodge it.
Lots of people use some sort of hose management system (you can make one or buy one) to keep the hose from tugging on the mask so much.

You might need a smaller or larger nasal pillow...that's a thought also.

[jimbud]

To my wife's demise I have left the parts attached to my nose so as to not waste a pair. Its late in the afternoon, that's kind of goofy, eh?

I am pretty sure you meant dismay.
I got a good chuckle out of it anyway. Thanks.

Besides I promised ChicagoGranny I would practice.

JPB

[Pugsy]

To my wife's demise I have left the parts attached to my nose so as to not waste a pair. Its late in the afternoon, that's kind of goofy, eh?

I am pretty sure you meant dismay.
I got a good chuckle out of it anyway. Thanks.

Besides I promised ChicagoGranny I would practice.

JPB

You know I wouldn't make a good member of the grammar or spelling police posse (Granny would though) because when I read something like that which is either a typo or incorrect word choice I don't see the error...I see what the person probably intended to say.
I totally missed the "demise" part and in my head I saw "dismay". Oh well...no one is perfect. It's why I rarely correct typos...or incorrect wording....I simply don't see it.
It's also why I often miss my own typos or poor word choices....I don't see them because I see what is in my head instead.

[jimbud]

It's also why I often miss my own typos or poor word choices....I don't see them because I see what is in my head instead.

Me too.
I am very thankful for Spell Check.
Mine is probably due to be greased again.
It gets alot of use.


Sorry for the interruption golfgame.
JPB

[golfgame]

To my wife's demise I have left the parts attached to my nose so as to not waste a pair. Its late in the afternoon, that's kind of goofy, eh?

I am pretty sure you meant dismay.
I got a good chuckle out of it anyway. Thanks.

Besides I promised ChicagoGranny I would practice.

JPB

You know I wouldn't make a good member of the grammar or spelling police posse (Granny would though) because when I read something like that which is either a typo or incorrect word choice I don't see the error...I see what the person probably intended to say.
I totally missed the "demise" part and in my head I saw "dismay". Oh well...no one is perfect. It's why I rarely correct typos...or incorrect wording....I simply don't see it.
It's also why I often miss my own typos or poor word choices....I don't see them because I see what is in my head instead.