Tired - Physically and figuratively

[Sleepy Taz]

danimal71,

You should search fixes for the hybrid mask as that is similar to the liberty. There are those who swear by the use of panty hose and other ideas. From the sound of things when you use the nasal pillows you are mouth breathing which will affect your therapy. For that many use tape to keep their mouth closed while others find a chinstrap to be enough. If you are going to use the pillows I would suggest the Opus 360 as it stays in place real well for me and is extremely comfortable. I tried the swift and it just never worked right for me. Also be careful with the use of Afrin as it will have the reverse effect of what you are looking for over a period of time. There are several prescription sprays that will do a better job such as Flonaise that you should talk to your doctor about.

[danimal71]

robysue - Thanks for that. I didn't know. I should keep an eye on that. I have a set of Small that came with the mask that I don't need.

ched03 - Thanks. When I put the lanolin on I did lossen up the bottom\back strap a little. I had a slight headache back there but when I touched it it almost felt like an ingrown hair starting (little bump). I get them sometimes back there anyway but usually don't get a headache from them. Maybe I just had it too tight like you suggested...I really wanted to have a Large leak free night. I have to keep reminding myself that overtightening can cause leaks too.

I really like the mask and the design of it. I am a pretty active sleeper as I switch from side to side or to my stomache. I think the headache could be in part from the new pillow too. It is still getting broken in too. I know my last memory foam pillow took a while before it got comfortable......so many different factors that could be the cause. All I know is I feel pretty good this morning.

BTW I get my jabberjaws from my mom. Sorry about that.

[danimal71]

danimal71,

You should search fixes for the hybrid mask as that is similar to the liberty. There are those who swear by the use of panty hose and other ideas. From the sound of things when you use the nasal pillows you are mouth breathing which will affect your therapy. For that many use tape to keep their mouth closed while others find a chinstrap to be enough. If you are going to use the pillows I would suggest the Opus 360 as it stays in place real well for me and is extremely comfortable. I tried the swift and it just never worked right for me. Also be careful with the use of Afrin as it will have the reverse effect of what you are looking for over a period of time. There are several prescription sprays that will do a better job such as Flonaise that you should talk to your doctor about.

Thanks Sleepy Taz. I did see those fixes....I have to make a decision here in a day or so about which mask I am going to keep (Liberty or Quattro). I have a feeling that it will be the Liberty. My main issue with the Quattro was the nose leaks by the bridge and that is eliminated with the Liberty. I think with the different modifications that are listed out there that I will be able to work something out.

Thanks for the recommendation on the nasal spray. I really don't have much experience with Afrin or other sprays. I don't like to take medicine unless I really need it, so I am trying to go without the Afrin unless my nose gets really bad like it was last night.

I appreciate the advice from everyone....and the support. It really is nice to be able to talk to people who have BTDT (been there done that) before. Things may not work very every person but they can lead to other modifications or solutions.

[danimal71]

Well I haven't updated this in a few days and it's been a roller coaster. I haven't s;ept like I thought I would with the LT. Part of it was I thought I was having leaks with it only to find out that I was hearing the air coming out of the exhaust port. I know it was this because when in total silence I covered the port with my finger it got totally quiet. The noise I had been hearing that had been waking me up went away. After discovering this last night I think I got into a good deep sleep....to the point that I awoke to having air coming out of my mouth several times. I think I was so tired and relaxed that my mouth opened. Now if I can get my mouth to keep shut then I think I will have a good night sleep. I'm not going to try the taping method. If anything the DME said she'd send me a strap. I might try something make shift at home first and if that doesn't work then I will see what they have to offer otherwise I'll look at my options.

[DoriC]

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/SleePA ... illow.html

Hubby uses this pillow with the UltraMirage FF and is pretty leak free.

It seems that you've confirmed that you're a mouth breather and will be OK once you finally find the right FF mask and maybe experiment with another cpap bed pillow. I know they're a bit pricey but it goes with the territory I'm afraid. We could open a pillow store in the mall!

[danimal71]

Yea I decided to send back the Quattro and keep the Liberty. I like the pillows and no forehead gear. I think with a little work I can get the leaks down to a minimum. I am going to find the list of modifications on here for the Liberty\Hybrid mask and see if those will help. My new pillow is getting more comfy and I think with the valley that goes down the center of it that it will work out ok. My main focus is going to be working at keeping my sinuses as clear as possible and trying to use the Swift LT as much as possible. I just need to work on keeping my big mouth shut. I like being able to sleep on my stomache. I can flip from side to side without any issues since I have the tubing running up to my head with the adapter.

[danimal71]

Ok I am back on the negative side this morning. i wore the liberty mask until 4am. I looked at the data and it showed an AHI of 11.9!!!!! I had 1 large leak of 2 minutes. I feel like crap this morning and am frustrated again. I can sleep that bad without wearing a mask and be more comfortable. Not really sure what to do. I couldn't get my nose cleared up so I could wear either the LT or the Activa. I even tried just laying there and letting the air blow through my nose and out my mouth, It dried up my sinuses but they stayed stuffy......don't know where to go from here.

[DoriC]

I know that the Hybrid is more popular than the Liberty which gets pretty bad reviews. See if you can get an exchange. I think the Hybrid comes with 3 different size pillows. You're almost there once you get the right mask, don't give up!!

[danimal71]

Unfortunately they won't let me swap out masks anymore. I was told I had a 30 window where I could swap masks out as much as I wanted. I was ok with the large leak of 2 minutes but why is the AHI so high? I mean I have been down around 3 when I used the activa nasal mask. If I could just fix my damn nose I would be in good shape.

[danimal71]

Ok after reading another post about determining large leaks I see that I can set the type of mask I have by comparing it to a similiar mask. Hopefully this will make the readings more accurate and reliable.....but hopefully not worse.

[ched03]

Sorry you are having so much trouble.

[danimal71]

Thanks. I've got to say that if I didn't realize how important this was I would just give up. I'm sure someday I'll look back and say "Many this was really a pain in the a$$ in the beginning but it was so well worth it." I just wish I could fast forward to that part.

[robysue]

Thanks. I've got to say that if I didn't realize how important this was I would just give up. I'm sure someday I'll look back and say "Many this was really a pain in the a$$ in the beginning but it was so well worth it." I just wish I could fast forward to that part.

My feelings exactly at this point.

Best of luck!

[BlackSpinner]

I just wish I could fast forward to that part.

I have felt that way about a lot of things in my life - "Let's just skip this chapter and get to the good part...."

[Twentysix]

Just wondering about any other kinds of masks. Are you are a "mouth leaker"?
If not, why not consider a nasal pillow mask (Swift LT, Swift FX are good starters). They are also much better in terms of leaking and rolling over on your side (preferred position).

I've tried to search for 'pillows' here on the forum, but could not find the right posts (which there surely are somewhere) on sleeping pillows. I use the Swift FX and that is working fine, but I do sleep on my side mostly and although it doesn't leak or anything, I just find the feeling of that strap right next to my eye uncomfortable (even if it does not leave marks). Also have neck pain when waking up, probably because I don't move now while sleeping , so I stay in the same position for too long. Have tried like 6 different pillows here in Oz, but could not find the right one. I do not like having my head 'in' a pillow, so the buckwheat does not sound great to me. Does anyone have any suggestions of pillows I would be able to get here?