Giving the Fit Life a Try

[GaryG]

Night 6. Humidity Setting = 1. Introduced humidity. Had a slight leak which I fixed while tighting bottom straps. Leakage for night from LCD was 0.16.

Looks like humidity may be helping with the seal. I think this will be my mask of choice until I can find something more comfortable with low leakage.

Summary. I would not recommend this mask as a #1 choice for a newbie. it is big. It is bulky. But on the other hand, for mouth breathers who can't get a good seal from a hybrid,and are having difficulty with Quattro, Full Life or other FF masks, this is definitely worth a try.

[rested gal]

Welcome to the message board, Jay K.

is it unusual to have apneas recorded while awake

If you're absolutely 100 % positive you were really awake during that period (it's easy to drift in and out of sleep while totally relaxed and trying to go to sleep) it's probably not very common, but it's also not at all unusual. How's that for a drifting this way and that answer?

As to the second issue (the recorded apneas that occur during or immediately after periods of leaks induced by my breaking the seal to scratch my face) does anyone know how Resmed is scoring this and what triggers it? (I haven't yet read the threads on how Resmed decides there is an event, so if this is all explained there, just let me know that it is and I'll hopefully find what I am looking for in those threads).

This might be a start --
Chart posted by Velbor showing the differing definitions used by the different manufacturers:
April 2, 2009
viewtopic.php?p=356255#p356255

Second, I recently got a bad cold, and still had major congestion and sneezing after using antihistamines. Accordingly, I stopped using my APAP machine for a few days. The result this morning was a rather bad headache. Is there any viable way to use APAP while badly congested and also sneezing? Or do we just go back to the olden days of no therapy for a few days while we recover from the cold?

I'd keep using my machine if at all possible. I've found that almost no matter how congested my nostrils might be, once the pressure is going (and I used heated humidification) quite a bit of the congestion clears, or at least the pressurized air is able to get past it, and I'm ok for breathing on the machine all night. I can be so congested that I would suffocate trying to breathe through my nose on ambient air, but the pressurized air gets through sufficiently well enough. Perhaps the fact that my mask is a nasal pillows mask helps...dunno.

If it really got so bad I could not get air through my nostrils with the machine going, I'd switch to a full face mask and breathe through my mouth. I'd turn the humidification up as high as it could go without causing rainout, as breathing through the mouth can be very drying. I have an Aussie heated hose (sleepzone.com.au "heated cpap tube" ) which controls rainout beautifully.

I couldn't get the Full Life to stop leaking, but will probably try again in the future. Any suggestions or advice about the Full Life that isn't evident from the instructions provided with it?

That seems to have been a very common problem for people who tried the Full Life mask in the mask challenge:
http://mask-full-face-life-quattro.cpap ... C11Results

[GaryG]

I couldn't get the Full Life to stop leaking, but will probably try again in the future. Any suggestions or advice about the Full Life that isn't evident from the instructions provided with it?

That seems to have been a very common problem for people who tried the Full Life mask in the mask challenge:
http://mask-full-face-life-quattro.cpap ... C11Results

Hey, wait a minute. This thread is supposed to be for the Fit Life mask.

[GaryG]

Night 7. Humdity kept on 1. Leakage on LCD = 0.00. I will post results this evening when I get home, but I saw some interesting activity in my last hour of sleep. I had all of these events and pressure didn't adjust. I had never seen this before. I recall being half asleep-half awake, and sleeping very lightly.

But in any case, this mask is a keeper for me. And I recommend to others who are fighting leaks and need a FF mask.

[dkdc]

I have been using the FitLife for a month.

I get low leakage as well, but wake up every morning with marks on my cheeks - which is better than apnea or those nose mangler masks.

One question - that one you hear over and over - I think I sleep just as badly with apap as without it. I think after 25-35 days with this mask (don't remember exactly) I still feel like I usually sleep poorly with any mask on (I have tried 4 different ones). Does it take months to get used to apap masks? (AHI has been going down slowly - usually around 10 with an AI of 1-2)

A couple odd things about fitlife mask - the place where the hose atttaches can come off unless it is snug - just slides right out. A lot of people complain of leaks on the forhead or on the cheeks - sometimes both places. I occasionally have cheek leaks, hardly any forhead leaks. Guess it depends on the shape of your head. I also get itchy nose each night once or twice. Whoosh then it is back on.

(FullLife mask for me had to be pulled so tight to stop leaks that it hurt my nose. 2 of the 3 other masks I used hurt my nose.)

[NoDak Hank]

Hello all,

Just wanted to let everyone know that I tried the FitLife, and it just didn't work for me. So, I've put mine up for auction at: http://www.cpapauction.com/auction-list ... large.html. I hope someone else has better luck with it.

[GaryG]

Follow up. After my chin rubbing healed, I tried the Fit Life again first with trying to put a surgical mask folded over under the mask. Couldn't get a good seal with that, so then tried thye BandAid Friction block product. Well, first night I tried to loosen straps and had leakage. 2nd night, no leakage (well, er 0.04 l/sec), but mark came back.

So I'm gonna have to give up on the FIt Life as well. Went out and bought me some Lanisoh nipple cream (thanks LinkC) and am prepared to revisit my Liberty Hybrid.

[Jay K]

I have now been using the Fitlife for a few months (my first mask) and things seem to be going fairly well. I have minimal problems with leaks, but do wake up with a ring around my face (where the mask seals) which I hope doesn't lead in the long-term to scarring. I suspect for back sleepers this would not happen, but I sleep on my side and/or stomach and this puts additional pressure on the area of the seal (and then on my face).

I still have to unseal the mask a few times a night owing to itching on my nose or face, but this seems to be a bit less of a problem with higher humidification.

Also, Rested Gal, thank you for your earlier detailed response to certain of my questions. I didn't respond and say thanks earlier because I was traveling at the time and lost track of things for awhile. I still find a higher rate of supposed apneas while I am awake (e.g., during the first 10 minutes after I put the mask on, or immediately after a bathroom break during the night) but this seems to have diminished somewhat.

[GaryG]

Jay, understand your concern. The marks around the face seem to go away for me. I get pains sometime in my jaw or my teeth after a night of the Fit Life, so I vary my masks on occasion.

I'd be concerned about awaking due to itching, and wonder if there's something else going on. I see you have the software. How are your numbers, and more importantly, how do you feel?

[Autopapdude]

Again no leakage. What I find interesting is that my AI is way down, and there really is no pressure change in my CPAP machine when I experience HI's. Does this mean that I'm at my optimum pressure?

Anyway, two nights, no leakage (pretty good, huh Rooster and Carbonman?). Mask leaves some marks on face, but these go away and NO PAIN NO DISCOMFORT. But folks, I gotta warn you. This is one big mask. I mean REALLY BIG. Makes the Quattro look like a small mask. This is working for me, but I gotta say unless you really require a FF mask, and other ones don't work, you might not want to try it, as its quite large. But it is easy to fit, and I've had to make no adjustments during the night, unlike the other masks I've tried. Now I'm not feeling terrifically wonderful (yet), but I expect this will take time. Hate to overreact here, but after two nights, I may have found my mask. Also, although I'm typically a back sleeper, I did try sleeping on my sides and the mask tolerated it, and as you can see no leaks.

So far, I'd say I'd recommend it to folks that can't use a nasal mask, or have had probs with other FF. Not sure I'd recommend it as a first mask, due to the size.

If anyone has any questions, comments, fire away.

Numbers look great, Gary. Your AHI is good, as most of the events are hypops, as opposed to Apneas. I think you're doing nicely with the pressure settings and this mask looks like it works for you. How comfortable is it? That would be my only question.

[GaryG]

Numbers look great, Gary. Your AHI is good, as most of the events are hypops, as opposed to Apneas. I think you're doing nicely with the pressure settings and this mask looks like it works for you. How comfortable is it? That would be my only question.

While using, it is fairly comfortable. However, in the morning after usage, sometimes the chin area is sore, and my teeth hurt a bit, so I wonder if its doing a number on my mouth. But its the best FF I've found so far. Still pull out my others on occasion.

[Jay K]

Gary:

Most of the itching occurs within a few minutes of when I put on the mask. I don't think I am waking up from the itching although it is possible I am occasionally. I should add a couple of years ago I did have a severe itching problem that specialists--allergists, dermatologists, and internists--on 3 continents (yes, I travel a lot) could not figure out. The best we could come up with is an allergy to dust mites but the allergist I saw did not think this would have resulted in the severe symptoms I was having. Fortunately, they have largely gone away.

My numbers aren't great from what I understand, probably averaging an AHI around 6.5 but with apneas at about 1.0. However, I suspect the AHI number is inflated both as a result of how the Rescan machine apparently tracks hypopneas, and also because there are more recorded while I am still awake (i.e., in the first 5 or ten minutes after putting on the mask), and also during or immediately after air leaks (the majority of which occur when I reach under the mask to scratch an itch).

I am feeling noticeably better with more energy than before, although I suspect because I have been traveling internationally quite a bit recently, I still am a bit tired at times. I'm guessing I'll have a better sense of the effectiveness of the therapy in a few months, or, at least, after I stay in one place for a while.

[GaryG]

Jay, went thru this link Rested Gal posted tonight
viewtopic.php?t=14746
and found this gem

This tip was given to me by RedThunder94: In the first few months, it seemed that I was always getting 'itchy' places under my mask - very annoying, because you needed to 'sneak' a finger under the mask to scratch it! RT94 suggested, and it worked: rub your face vigorously before putting on your mask...it worked! I think my face is 'trained' now; rarely have that problem.

Worth a try.

[Jay K]

Thanks Gary. I'll give it a try.

[dkdc]

I have now been using the Fitlife for a few months...wake up with a ring around my face (where the mask seals) which I hope doesn't lead in the long-term to scarring. I suspect for back sleepers this would not happen, but I sleep on my side and/or stomach and this puts additional pressure on the area of the seal (and then on my face).

Me too. Using moleskin on the mask seems to lessen the marks. Now they go away in about 2-3 hours. before they ended up lasting all day.

I also have another mask I can use so I can alternate.