Mustache on Fire, Comfort Curve Answer?

mrhyak · Post by **mrhyak** » Sun May 15, 2005 12:27 pm

Last night was my third night on CPAP - I have had OSA for years and finally got a sleep study. My DME seems only interested in collecting my insurance payment - They "fit" me with a Profile Lite MS (the profile seems to be the only style they carry) which irritates the crap out of my mustache, particularly right at the base of the nostrils. I really like the sleep I'm getting with the CPAP (Remstar Pro / C-flex) and fortunately this forum helped me get the setup to something usable, but I wake up with fire under my nose. The mask moves around too much, if I tighten the straps, then the mustache just bothers me sooner. It looks like the Comfort Curve will ride against my stache the kind of same as the Profile, but will it move around as much?
Any suggestions?
The lower strap of the head gear I have now changes tension when I move my head. The pillows of the Breeze look like they would bother me also. I don't like having something between my eyes either. The Comfort Curve looks like the answer, but is it mustache friendly? I wonder also about the leaks.
Thank all of you for your past posts - I've learned a lot from this forum. Jim

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun May 15, 2005 1:53 pm

Cool avatar pic, Jim. Is that you?

I'd suggest trying an Activa by ResMed. It's a nasal mask (covers the nose) but is as unlike the Profile Lite (or any other Respironics nasal mask) as you can imagine....in the way the Activa seals beautifully with straps very loose. I've read of guys with moustaches using the Activa with no problem.

Next (if I were you) I'd try the Swift and/or the Breeze. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at how comfortable nasal pillows interfaces are. Mustachioed gents use those successfully, too.

Most people don't like the idea of "something stuck up in the nostrils", but if you'll use nasal pillows that are larger than the size most DMEs would say "fit" you, they barely go inside the nose at all. In fact, larger ones than you'd think you should have, often seal better because more of the nasal pillows is on the outside, and against, the nostril openings.

With nasal pillows big enough, only the tip will barely go inside -- and hardly ever touches anything in there. Unless, of course, your head pillow shoves the whole assembly sideways when you're sleeping on your side. There are ways to prevent that from being as apt to happen.

I'm a side-sleeper. No moustache, though! I use the Activa nasal mask and the Breeze nasal pillows, with no problems. And the Aura (also nasal pillows), but the way I have taken my Aura apart is not for the faint-hearted. One of those, "don't do this at home" projects. What's left of my Aura has made it my favorite mask of all.

Good luck!
_____________________________________
My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field. Those are just my personal opinions. A mask or machine one person loves/hates could be wonderful/awful for others. Finding suitable equipment can be an expensive trial and error experience.

Tumbleweed · Post by **Tumbleweed** » Sun May 15, 2005 1:56 pm

G'day mrhyak!

I too have not only a full mustache, but also a short beard. I started out with a standard type nasal mask and didn't really have any discomfort or leaking problems................. as long as i stayed flat on my back.
The last 2 years, I've been using a NasalAire cannula and am totally comfortable........ even on my sides now. And no trouble whatsoever with the facial hair.

snork1 · Post by **snork1** » Sun May 15, 2005 7:23 pm

I had a mustache for decades until recently.

There are a lot of better choices for the mustache than what you are using, and I think the lists in the other posts aboce cover most of the ones that come to mind, and I believe I have used ALL of those interfaces at one time or another with a mustache.

They all work pretty good with the mustache, although the activa might be the biggest problem unless you shave a tiny bit JUST below your nose, but they all have their own tradeoffs too.

About all you can do is start with that list, find a good source of reasonable prices, and hope you are lucky and the tradeoffs of one works for you before you have to try them all. Its pretty much luck of the draw.

rpalmer · Post by **rpalmer** » Sun May 15, 2005 10:13 pm

Boy, this subject paints a vivid picture in my imagination!

I started out with a nasal mask a few years ago, sounds like we shared the same DME vendor. The one who initially set me up with CPAP was pretty useless, and of course I didn't know back then even what questions to ask. Sure would've been nice to know about CPAPtalk & CPAP.com from the beginning.

I'm a mouth breather plagued with sinus congestion for as long as I can remember. So with the nasal mask I would wake up with the Mother of all dry mouths, tongue swollen to the size of a baseball bat, etc. And the Mother of all head colds. So bad I sometimes couldn't go to work in the a.m.. When I complained to my Dr & he raised Hell with the DME, they said "well, maybe you should try a humidifier." Well, Duh! Again, I didn't even know then such a thing existed.

Still problems with the nasal mask though, so earlier this year I bought a ResMed Mirage FF mask from a Yahoo auction (suggested by a post on this forum explaining eBay's new policy). Huge improvement from the nasal mask, but also lots of leakage problems.

Turns out the seller I bought the mask from is a really good guy - very sharp & is actually a respiratory therapist. I've learned as much from him in the past few weeks as I have reading the posts on this forum. If any readers are interested, email me direct & I'll send you his email address.

One of his suggestions was Benzoin Tincture - an over the counter product sold by most druggists. You put a light coating on your face (with a Q-tip, or whatever) where the mask hits & it leaves a slightly sticky coating, sort of like putting Post-It note adhesive on your face. The idea is that it helps hold the mask in place & keeps it from moving around while you're asleep, change positions, etc. AND THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT REALLY WORKS! And just washes off in the a.m. Its real use is to form a coating over mouth sores to help them heal. Obviously if its real purpose is to apply it to recurring canker sores inside the mouth it's also non-toxic.

In another life, I did a lot of scuba diving & an old trick divers with mustaches used to use was a thin coating of Vaseline on the mustache to keep the face mask from leaking (water) & it worked pretty well. Might be worth a try with your CPAP mask, too.

Good luck. Let us know if either of these work or you find other solutions that do. You learn pretty quickly reading through these posts that we're all pretty much confronting the same issues.

Rol Palmer

WillSucceed · Post by **WillSucceed** » Mon May 16, 2005 7:23 am

I have had a 'stache and beard/goatee on and off for years. I'm currently having good success with Breeze, Swift and the Respironics Comfort-Lite. All of them are 'stache friendly.

Good luck!

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Mon May 16, 2005 7:35 am

The aura is the MOST facial hair friendly interface. It makes contact with NO part of your face (except the nares of course).

Disclaimer:
Keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and that the aura may not be the "answer to your prayers" It may even frighten you if you are new to cpap.

(the above disclaimer is for those who feel they cannot make a decision for themselves and need someone to make them aware of the obvious. All others please disregard.)

mrhyak · Post by **mrhyak** » Mon May 16, 2005 10:19 am

Wow! Thanks for all the replys! The Avatar pic is indeed me running Pistol Creek rapid on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River (Idaho), c.2002 - 108mi of river through the largest contiguous wilderness in the lower 48.

Isn't it sad that an OSA sufferer can't go to a DME and try on as many sizes and types of interfaces as needed until a fit is found (using all of Rested Gals excellent suggestions - bring your pillow, lie down, etc.)?

Anyway, my nares are shaped more like keyholes than cheerios, so I still have my doubts about the nasal pillows. Although there are conflicting replys about the Activa, I'm thinking of giving it a try. I don't think Vaseline is safe for anything rubber or many soft plastics, but I have already tried some KY type stuff and it helped a little. I've tried a piece of moleskin and I have left it in place because it helps (the irritation seems due to the hair sticking and being pulled by the mask).

Anyway, it seems I'm left with the same struggle as the rest of you, finding a fit that works well enough to stick with - repeat here the paragraph above about DMEs. I haven't seen any replys about the Comfort Curve - is this thing made of Unobtainium? Seems a proper sized O-ring would fix the elbow leaks.

Thanks again, everyone!

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Mon May 16, 2005 8:26 pm

I have a full beard and stache and the comfortcurve seals just fine. It doesn't contact anything but the nose, unless you are very bushy you should be just fine with it

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Mon May 16, 2005 10:49 pm

Nares are supposed to be shaped like keyholes, I thought. Mine are, anyway, so surely everyone else's should be, too!

Nasal pillows interfaces rule!

_____________________________________
My disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, nor have I ever worked in the health care field. Those are just my personal opinions. A mask or machine one person loves/hates could be completely the opposite for others. Finding suitable equipment can be an expensive trial and error experience.

mrhyak · Post by **mrhyak** » Tue May 17, 2005 10:54 am

I began my journey down the road to ruin and ordered my first try at "comfort", a Swift. Hopefully, my junk drawer will never be as full as Rested Gal's - BTW, I just saw your cool hack on the Aura, RG, thanks for sharing. I've been accused of not owning anything which hasn't been modified so I expect at some point to join your efforts.
Jim

UKnowWhatInSeattle · Post by **UKnowWhatInSeattle** » Tue May 17, 2005 12:44 pm

Jim,

I haven't seem my upper lip in 25 or more years... I switch off between several masks, but the Swift is the most stache-friendly of the bunch. The Breeze works pretty well, but there's a hard part of the assembly that smashes the stache a little. I also use a couple of nasal masks (usually my UltraMirage) and they leak through the stache a little and smash it down, but work "OK". I do find that I have to put lotion just below my nose in the morning to de-irritate it somewhat. I also sometimes put unscented cream rinse on it after shampooing the stashe in the morning. Too much information?

Jim too.

mrhyak · Post by **mrhyak** » Wed May 25, 2005 9:33 am

Just in case anyone is still interested, my results with the Swift have been good. The first night was rough, though, because sometime early in the night I took off the interface to get a drink and then put it on upside down! About 1:30 AM I woke up with a sore nose and realized my mistake. The swift is indeed mustache friendly and the last few nights I actually got some nice 3-4 hour sleep periods - Oh how nice it is! Also I forgot - the second night I didn't have the humidifier on max and woke in the am with a nasty headache and very dry sore sinuses. Humidity seems much more important when using the nasal pillows (vs mask).I also bought a Mirage FF mask for when I'm congested - haven't wore it all night yet but it feels pretty good. Next test is 4 day fishing trip on battery power (with solar charger) - I'll make a new post if I learn anything - Thanks again for all the input- Jim

Mustache on Fire, Comfort Curve Answer?

Mustache on Fire, Comfort Curve Answer?

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Mustache on Fire?

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