Alternatives to Comfort Gel Nasal Mask?

[trudytwilite]

Hi all,

New user. My Comfort Gel mask is SO much more comfortable than the mask that I used during my titration night.

The problem is that it broke where the mask connects to the head strap.

After perusing this forum, it appears that that is a common and will be an ongoing occurrence.

What other masks do folks prefer? I'd like to try something different while I'm in this "rental" period.

[Goofproof]

They do break, a lot of the time it's due to not using the connector correctly. you have to move the ball up, not force it out. Another error is adjusting it too tightly. They can be repaired with epoxy, if careful. Your mask has a replacement period and warrenty, save replaced masks for parts.

You might want to try a FF mask as your machine collects no useful treatment data. I now only use that mask, even if it breaks once and a while it works for me and that's what counts in the long run. Jim

[rjonz]

Try the Respironics Profile Lite nasal mask. It's still the blue gel but with regular head straps with no quit disconnect. You might like it better. It gives you a better shape around the nose. Good Luck, rjonz

[SleepyT]

..What other masks do folks prefer? I'd like to try something different while I'm in this "rental" period.

trudy,
i'm a fan of the Swift LT for Her nasal pillows mask. i didn't think i would be able to tolerate it at first...but it is a great mask. no leaks for me! might as well try it...less stuff touching your face...lighter. good luck!

t.

[Bigburd2008]

They do break, a lot of the time it's due to not using the connector correctly. you have to move the ball up, not force it out. Another error is adjusting it too tightly. They can be repaired with epoxy, if careful. Your mask has a replacement period and warrenty, save replaced masks for parts.

You might want to try a FF mask as your machine collects no useful treatment data. I now only use that mask, even if it breaks once and a while it works for me and that's what counts in the long run. Jim

Is this correct? With a Nasal Mask I will get no usefull treatment information.

[pagetc]

Hi all,

New user. My Comfort Gel mask is SO much more comfortable than the mask that I used during my titration night.

The problem is that it broke where the mask connects to the head strap.

After perusing this forum, it appears that that is a common and will be an ongoing occurrence.

What other masks do folks prefer? I'd like to try something different while I'm in this "rental" period.

Sorry to hear you are having trouble already. Out of the many masks I have tried, I have yet to try the Comfort Gel. When I go to the sleep clinic, I sometimes see people who have been years with only one mask, but more often than not they spend a lot of time and money finding the right mask for themselves. I don't mean to depress you so soon, but maybe I can let you learn from my experience. Yours will undoubtedly be somewhat different though.

Nasal cushions, like the Mirage: They may be hard to keep in place to avoid leaks. They may cause a dramatic irritation to the bridge of the nose. You may need a humidifier.

Full face masks. I found the Quattro to be the best out the 3 or 4 I have tried. It adjusts to reduce the bridge of the nose problem, but wasn't working for me. When I got it loose enough to not irritate, it leaked and vice versa. A lot of people like this mask, and if I hadn't found one the worked better. This would be my choice. Full face masks may press so hard on your cheek that you get a new wrinkle that makes you look and feel 10 years older. I didn't need a humidifier with any full face mask.

Nasal pillows. These worked pretty well for me, but I needed a humidifier. It is a pain to have an extra element to clean and fill with water every night, especially since I travel a lot. You will probably need a 5 to 10 days to adjust to them because they will give you sores at the opening to the nostrils. You can diminish this by using your Comfort Gel as a reserve every few days, if you can get it back to operating condition.

Hybrids. I use the ResMed Liberty as my day to day mask. The hybrids have a cushion around the mouth and pillows in the nose. It comes with 3 sizes of pillows and you have to experiment a lot with the different sizes and strap adjustments to get it to work. Get the sleep clinic to help you with that if this is your choice. Same problem with the sore nostrils, but only for a short time. My major problem with the Liberty was that the strap over the top of the head has no velcro adjustment, so I used a safety pin to fix it to the correct adjustment. Again, no humidifier needed on my part.

I hope this helps. I wish I had had all this information when I first started to have a better idea of what to expect. Good luck to you.

[Goofproof]

They do break, a lot of the time it's due to not using the connector correctly. you have to move the ball up, not force it out. Another error is adjusting it too tightly. They can be repaired with epoxy, if careful. Your mask has a replacement period and warrenty, save replaced masks for parts.

You might want to try a FF mask as your machine collects no useful treatment data. I now only use that mask, even if it breaks once and a while it works for me and that's what counts in the long run. Jim

Is this correct? With a Nasal Mask I will get no usefull treatment information.

With a Nasal Mask, IF your leak rate is too high, such as Mouthleaking, You can lose the treatment you need, due to not being to hold enough pressure in your airway, to keep it open. With a machine that collects full data, you can see better what's going on, and if your treatment is effective. Jim

[socalmonkey]

You might look at the Mirage Activa LT Nasal mask. For years I used the Comfort Gel, but became fed up with the plastic breaking. The Activa LT is an amazing mask, that might work for you coming from the Comfort Gel. I find the Activia LT much more comfortable than the CG. Check it out.