ResMed Ultra Mirage FF Mask Size question

DawnTCB · Post by **DawnTCB** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:50 pm

Hi everyone!

I was given a size medium Ultra Mirage FF Mask to start with my CPAP. While I am making it work, it feels just a tad big on me. When I put the lower part in the crevice over my chin, the top edges are just millimeters from my eyes, and the seal is difficult to maintain there. Thus, in the night, I get a leak on one or both sides and am forever adjusting it down to avoid the dreaded eyeball blowing. The last two nights I have actually found that I have yanked it down in my sleep to hang off my chin. Mysteriously my stats don't show much leaks but my eyes say different in the morning.

So I called my DME and asked if I could try a size small. They said sure, but I have to trade in my medium as part of the 30 day replacement program. I am hesitant to do this as I don't want to give up something that is "working" for something that may not work at all. Of course, I can also return the small, within 30 days, but I am concerned to have even one night with something that doesn't work this early ( <30 days) into my treatment.

Does anyone have both sizes and can tell me the difference in top to bottom measurement? Or anyone who has tried both can say whether the difference is drastic or slight? They are letting me come in tomorrow to trade but the "fitter" won't be in until next week so I am kind of directing this myself.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dawn

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 8:57 pm

that mask is sized measuring from the center of the pupils of the eyes to the center of the chin at the indention with mouth closed. You hold up a ruler in a mirror and find your measurement.

You should know your vertical measurement, then compare that to what your mask measures, the med UMFF measurement is 3-5/8 to 3-3/4. If your vertical measurement is less than 3-1/2, then that is too large.

On the opposite end of the scale, if the mask is too small you can still wear it but it rides down lower on your nose, this can leave a pretty good divot across the bridge of the nose in addition to putting pressure on the nose contributing to nasal congestion. Properly fitting it will ride in the indention at the nose and at the indention at the chin.

DeltaSeeker · Post by **DeltaSeeker** » Wed Jun 20, 2007 9:18 pm

I traded my medium UMFF for a small for the same reason. The chin part rested on or under my chin itself when the nose bridge was in proper position. I tried to make it work, but even though AHIs were good, leaks were bad. So I exchanged it for the small. It's another adjustment as far as how tight/loose, where should the forhead bar be, etc. but it seems like a much better fit. I do have the problem Snoredog mentioned sometimes where the bridge of my nose gets sore, but less leaks and the mask doesn't end up on my cheek instead of my mouth/nose like it did before

You're better off getting the mask part right than to go with something that isn't working for you. Especially at this early stage. I'm on my 4th mask right now and I've only been doing this since April. Tried the Swift nasal pillows for all of 2 nights. I really wanted them to work since they were comfortable and didn't obstruct my view or the ability to wear glasses and read or watch TV in bed. But my mouth fought it's way open throu all the obstacles I put in it's way so I gave up. But it gives me hope for the Hybrid or the Liberty. We'll see.

Best of luck,

Linda

DawnTCB · Post by **DawnTCB** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 9:49 am

Thank you. After a few minutes in front of the mirror with a ruler last night I determined I really needed to try the smaller mask. So I stopped by to get it today. Turns out, they let me keep the medium too ... ???? If they had been in that mindset yesterday I could have gone by YESTERDAY but they said no, you have to bring your medium one in to pick up the small. Whatever. Now today he says, "well, just keep the medium too in case you don't like the small..."

I did ask the DME if there were measurements... could they, for example, measure my face with a ruler? But they said no, it didn't work that way so I just said ok. Just holding it up to my face it appears to be a much better fit. We'll see tonight!

Dawn

WindFlyer · Post by **WindFlyer** » Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:29 pm

Not to steer this thread in a different direction, but I found the same difficulty with the F&P431. No matter what size face-cushion I used, there were good and bad parts regarding the fit of each one. In the end I didn't use the F&P because it leaked at the eyes no matter what. Now with the 432 they may have fixed that, but since I already have the 431 I might try sticking some foam inside the face-cushion at some point to see if I can pull off a "432-ish" design on my own.

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Fri Jun 22, 2007 8:25 pm

Interesting. I told my dme that my medium umff was too big. I could get it to seal at the bridge of my nose or on the chin but never both places. She said she couldn't exchange it for me. I would have to wait until the insurance will pay for another mask.

I just measured and I am slightly less than 3 1/2 inches. Obviously, I need to at least try on a small.

So, I put a post here to try to see if someone wants to trade. If I don't get any takers I'm going back to the dme to be a pushy broad and get them to give me what I need.

Jen

DawnTCB · Post by **DawnTCB** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:17 am

Well when I went to pick up my smaller mask the DME mysteriously suggested I keep my medium as well... I don't know why, as if he had said that the day before I could have just stopped by on my way home. However, he had told me that ResMed has a 30 day guarantee and as long as they send back the old mask within 30 days there is no charge. socknitster- Were/are you trying to exchange within 30 days? Come to think of it, I think I read that on the ResMed website as well. Maybe I will get a chance to look later.

Anyway, he did tell me that my insurance covers a new mask every 30 days and I was at ALMOST 30 days so they probably did it that way. I guess I'll find out when the bill comes.

Dawn

DawnTCB · Post by **DawnTCB** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:30 am

Just realized that I didn't actually post any results. My new smaller mask seems to be just right. My leaks went down 66% during the last two nights. It is lighter and there is less area to keep sealed. I think this was the right move.

I did have one minor freakout when I first went to connect it to the hose and it would not fit.... turns out there was some sort of adapter for a smaller hose than mine which was easier removable but in the darkened room I felt like smacking my DME for not hooking it all up for me to try. Once that problem was solved it was smooth sleeping.

Dawn

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 10:27 am

[quote="DawnTCB"]Well when I went to pick up my smaller mask the DME mysteriously suggested I keep my medium as well... I don't know why, as if he had said that the day before I could have just stopped by on my way home. However, he had told me that ResMed has a 30 day guarantee and as long as they send back the old mask within 30 days there is no charge. socknitster- Were/are you trying to exchange within 30 days? Come to think of it, I think I read that on the ResMed website as well. Maybe I will get a chance to look later.

Anyway, he did tell me that my insurance covers a new mask every 30 days and I was at ALMOST 30 days so they probably did it that way. I guess I'll find out when the bill comes.

Dawn

DawnTCB · Post by **DawnTCB** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 11:16 am

Ok I have been browsing around about where I read that and it was from this post:

http://www.apneasupport.org/viewtopic.php?p=63541#63541

(Thanks Google Desktop!)

Perhaps someone can find that documentation so you can take it in...?

Sorry, I was sure I had read it on their website but I am not finding it now. My DME did confirm that over the phone, at least that he could return my ResMed mask for a refund, which was why I had to bring it back rather than keep them both for a while.

Dawn

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 11:31 am

Dawn,

I scoured the resmed websites and couldn't find that policy. I emailed them, but won't expect a reply until next week. I'm just going to have to be a bitch when I go to the DME monday and insist I get the correct size.

I hate it when people make me bitchy. If I were a guy, I would just be demanding.

Jen

jennmary · Post by **jennmary** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 1:31 pm

lol jen.....I know what you mean. If you are a woman and demand proper treatment you are just bitchy. When I had my daughter I was a high risk pregnancy and delivery. We had to stay in the hospital for 4 days. I looked at my chart on the second day and saw they had written "problem patient" in there. lol mostly because when they tried to do things to me or my baby that I didnt approve of I would jump in and speak up for us. Like a nurse trying to bottle feed her when I was trying to nurse, or them trying to make me take stool softeners that I didnt need.
I guess it is just a pain in the ass for us to expect decent care in the world of medicine. I hope they exchange that mask for you. They should.
I use the same mask in a small and am pretty happy with it.

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Sat Jun 23, 2007 7:36 pm

Yeah. Had the same iss when I was learning to breastfeed. Those hospital nurses are always trying to sabotage breastfeeding with bottles instead of helping us get the old boob in the mouth the way God intended.

I'm just sick of mask issues. I want to be compliant. I do. But all the ff masks don't fit/aren't comfy and I wake up when my jaw drops open (towards early morning hours) when I use nasal-only. Tried taping, tried polident strips, tried chinstraps. Still blowfishing and drooling no matter what I do. It doesn't help if you are waking up anyway and staying in stage 1 sleep because you have no control over your own jaw! It doesn't seem to matter if my actual mouth/lips are open or not.

I'm going to keep trying various combinations until I can a.) get a smaller size umff or b.) my order from cpap.com arrives and my hans rudoph and liberty (and a diff type of chinstrap) get here.

I gave my hybrid one final try last night and took it off and went back to optilife after 20 mins of trying to get it to fit, not leak and not be painful. I'm not going to fall asleep when in pain!

Argh. Sorry for the rant. Obviously I am frustrated. But I have a lot going for me too. My hours are building up and I'm feeling better. I'm averaging 7 hours a night and my leak rate is acceptable even with the optilife.

Gotta keep trying combinations til I find one that works.

Jen

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:41 am

Just wanted to follow up with this in case anyone else has the same issue.

I did get the dme to give me the size small umff mask.

It didn't work any better for me.

I don't think I will be trying any more ff masks of this style. I'm hoping to get my liberty and hans rudolph today, which are totally diff and hopefully will work better with my facial geometry.

Until then, what is working for me is optilife, chin strap, tape. I'm sleeping AWESOME with this combination, though I feel like a mummy and I don't like the fact that I can't talk to my husband. We have adopted some sign language!

Jen

topher · Post by **topher** » Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:56 am

I had the same problem, I was given a large mask (they didn't even take measurments), called and got a medium, what a differance, no leaks

ResMed Ultra Mirage FF Mask Size question

ResMed Ultra Mirage FF Mask Size question

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Additional Comments: Started CPAP and my new life 5-25-07