Newbie, face pain & leakage issues

[msrsk624]

I have had my cpap machine for a couple of weeks now, and I am hoping to find some help in solving some of the problems I have found already. I have read some of the other threads about various types of masks, but I am not sure what would be best for my particular situation. I have two main difficulties - frequently nasal congestion/difficulty breathing through my nose, and a pain condition that causes me to be very sensitive to pressure - including the pressure of the mask on my face.

When I had my sleep study done, they used a nasal mask on me, but I had EXTREME pain in my upper jaw where the mask pressed tightly against my face. When I mentioned that in the morning, the woman who had placed the mask on me said that it probably could have been loosened somewhat - that it shouldn't hurt to wear it.

They started me on a nasal mask at home, but I still had some difficulty getting the adjustment right to where it did not hurt my face but also did not leak. Then I got a cold and couldn't breathe with the nasal mask. I realized, though, that it is not just an occasional cold that is the problem. I frequently have nasal congestion and difficulty breathing through my nose, so we decided I should try a full face mask.

In many ways, the full face mask has been better for me than the nasal mask, but I still have difficulty achieving a fit where I don't have air leakage into my eyes or around my mouth/chin/cheeks (especially if my mouth relaxes or moves during the night) or where the mask is so tight that I have pain in my face (and my face looks very misshapen in the morning).

I have always been mostly a side-sleeper (although I am restless during the night and change position frequently - but I have to start on my side to fall asleep). I have found that when I sleep on my side, at some point during the night, the mask shifts position and I start feeling air leaking, or it will make a loud "raspberry" sound when the air leaks out around my cheeks/chin. (My face is a bit flabby, I guess, so I think that makes it hard to get a good seal without it being uncomfortably tight.)

I have always had insomnia, and I have been finding it harder than ever to get to sleep with the cpap mask on, especially when I feel like I need to lie on my back - either that, or I end up endlessly adjusting the mask if I try to go to sleep on my side.

Thanks in advance for any help and suggestions.

[N6CRV]

Hello, you might want to look into something like the Hybrid or Liberty mask. I tried both because of the sore nose that I was getting. I have found that the Hybrid does a better job for me. I have just starting trying to use a Nasal Pillow mask as it is not to bad but not what I thought it would allow. Keep working at it you will find something that works.
Don

[OutaSync]

Try a different mask or a different size. And keep trying until you find one that fits better. Every face is different and you may need a different size for a different mask fromt eh same manufacturer. There are hundreds of masks out there. YOu can go to cpap.com and read the reviews and try to get a sense of what might fit for you. I really wish all people would put their photos up for their avatars because it really helps when someone is raving about how great a mask is to be able to see if their shape is anything like yours.

Another good resource for masks is cpapauction.com

Bev