Waking up with ice cold nose using Swift LT!!

[Geminidream]

Hello all,

I recently switched from a Comfort Gel Nasal mask to a Swift LT nasal pillow, mainly because the Comfort Gel felt so heavy and cumbersome on my face. I was getting great results with it, but I was having too many claustraphobic feelings with it and it fel like it weighed down my face. The Switf nasal pillow has given me some good results, but not as good as the Comfort Gel and on two occasions I have woke up out of a sound sleep with my nose feeling ice cold. I take the mask off for a few minutes and warm my nose, put it back on and go back to sleep. My room is a comfortable temperature and I never used to have this issue before cpap. I had a uncomforable, strange night last night too. I may go back to trying the Comfort Gel again, but before that.....any ideas?

Thanks in advance!

[bap40]

Hello,
I too used a comfort get and then about a year ago got the Swift LT For Her and love it. Several things come to mind. The first one is to make sure you are using the right size cushion. I was told by my RT that I should be using the size small. I never questioned it and used that size for a long time despite occasional leaks around one nostril. Finally I decided to try the SX size cushion and low and behold that size worked much, much better. I kicked myself in the butt for listening to the RT and not checking out sizes myself. The next thing I noticed is that if the air coming out from the mask is blocked in anyway like by a blanket or sheet it will blow cold air back into your face. The next thing I did was to use a reptile heater cord on my hose under a hose cover I made. I also made a shorter hose cover for the small hose coming from the mask. By doing all of these things I have made this mask work very well for me and has become my favorite mask out of the many, many I have used.

Good Luck!

[ozij]

My solution to the cold nose problem (and for rainout) was the heated hose (aka heated tube) from http://www.sleepzone.com.au. Mine has been going strong for more that 4 years.

O.

[pmcall57]

+1 on the heated hose.

[secret agent girl]

.

[Geminidream]

How warm is your room at night?

Do you use a humidifier (pass-over or heated)?

Heated humidifier.....the last couple of days the room has been warmer (because the weather has been warmer) but before that it was cold outside and the bedroom temp was about 65.

[Geminidream]

Hello,
I too used a comfort get and then about a year ago got the Swift LT For Her and love it. Several things come to mind. The first one is to make sure you are using the right size cushion. I was told by my RT that I should be using the size small. I never questioned it and used that size for a long time despite occasional leaks around one nostril. Finally I decided to try the SX size cushion and low and behold that size worked much, much better. I kicked myself in the butt for listening to the RT and not checking out sizes myself. The next thing I noticed is that if the air coming out from the mask is blocked in anyway like by a blanket or sheet it will blow cold air back into your face. The next thing I did was to use a reptile heater cord on my hose under a hose cover I made. I also made a shorter hose cover for the small hose coming from the mask. By doing all of these things I have made this mask work very well for me and has become my favorite mask out of the many, many I have used.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the idea on the nasal pillows. I have sz small on it now...the DME said that 85% of patients wind up using the medium size. She gave me the mediums when I got this mask. Maybe I will try that tonight.

[bap40]

This mask comes with 3 sizes of pillows, small x, I think it is called, small and medium. You SHOULD have been given all 3 sizes. They come with the mask. I really hope you got them all because if not they are stealing from you. I had this same problem when I started my therapy 23 months ago. They were witholding the sizes that I was not using. After I was told by this board that they cannot do that. I fired my first DME, gave my machine back to them and went to another place who gives me all the pillows included with the mask AND the machine I wanted. Not the one they wanted to give me. It took some courage to do this but I did and am much so happy I did.

[allinknots]

+2 on the heated hose.

In addition, I found that I need to keep my bedroom temp about 2 degrees higher than normal or I get a cold nose. I just bump up the thermostat, and sleep with one less blanket on!

All in Knots

[rmtemail]

I learned from the setup at the Sleep Clinic at Mayo. I was having rainout issues along with the cold nose - I like to keep the bedroom cool at night. Then I remembered at the Sleep Center they had the ResMed in the DRAWER of the nightstand next to the bed. The hose was pretty much downhill from me at all times there.

I cleared out the drawer of my nightstand and moved the ResMed into the drawer - means leaving the drawer open a few inches but this solved rainout and it also solved the occasional problem of me rolling over and tugging the machine to the edge of the nightstand.

[Geminidream]

This mask comes with 3 sizes of pillows, small x, I think it is called, small and medium. You SHOULD have been given all 3 sizes. They come with the mask. I really hope you got them all because if not they are stealing from you. I had this same problem when I started my therapy 23 months ago. They were witholding the sizes that I was not using. After I was told by this board that they cannot do that. I fired my first DME, gave my machine back to them and went to another place who gives me all the pillows included with the mask AND the machine I wanted. Not the one they wanted to give me. It took some courage to do this but I did and am much so happy I did.

After trying the medium nasal pillows, there is quite a bit less leakage. I am not shocked about not being given all three sizes to start with, but I do not have a lot of choices of DME unless I can pay out of my pocket for everything. Insurance dictates these things for most of us, unfortunately.

[rested gal]

Casting my vote for the Aussie heated hose, too.

LINKS to discussions about the Aussie heated hose - to prevent rainout
viewtopic.php?t=5305