New mask to try tonight--Quattro FX

[Janknitz]

Well, the new mask I'm going to try tonight is the Quattro FX. It's hard to tell from the fitting (up in a chair) but it seems like it will work, hopefully it will not tear up my nose as it fits much lower on the nose--but if I keep it loose and full of air around the nose it should be OK.

I love how lightweight it is and it's realatively small "footprint" for a FF mask. The headgear also seems to fit my head better than the Quattro headgear, which I actually had to sew to even get it to fit.

Hopefully the low strap will stay low, too. One of my biggest complaints about the Quattro was that it tended to bend my earlobes and that hurts. Has anyone tried sewing velcro into the back of the bottom strap of the FX?

Our region's Kaiser formulary has expanded and they now have Swift FX masks. Woo Hooo!!!! Now I don't have to hunt them down and pay out of pocket.

[bayourest]

I hope the quattro fx works well for you. be sure to get a padacheek liner.
I have used the fx since march and I really like it. I hope you will too.

[Bobby269]

I have used the Quatro fx since it came out.I wake up with no red sore spots. The side that I sleep on shows a faint strap mark until i ordered the strap covers from Padacheek, which worked great. I took about 3 to 5 days before my AHI's became consistent. For me it's a great mask .
I hope that it serves you well. Here's the link. http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Original.html

[Vader]

For Vader, it is the ultimate FFM.
Definitely no more sore nose bridge, as with every other FFM.
I had only one issue with it, and that was that the headgear stretches out very quickly. This was solved by using the size small headgear (my mask is a medium)

[ameriken]

Same here, it's what I was titrated on, the mask I started with, and what I've used for 3 months. I rarely have leak trouble and it's comfortable and doesn't leave much as far as marks. As recommended above, I use the PAC's as well for the bottom side straps and that makes it more comfortable and leaves no marks at all. Haven't had a sore nose either. Good luck, I think you'll like it.

[Cuda]

Easy to get the hang of compare to other masks like the original quattro. Watch the videos and practice putting it on exactly per instruction. The liner MAKES the mask and is only 15 bucks and you can make your own if you like.

[Janknitz]

Thanks, everyone. I will definitely be ordering the PAC liner if I like this mask--I really like her liners and I don't like bare silicone on my face. I'll make one out of a T-shirt until I can get a "real" liner from Pad-a-Cheeck.

[jcurt172]

Been using it for about a month and like it. Really light weight and no sore spots at all.

[bayourest]

I also find that it helps to have the bottom straps a bit more snug and the top straps a bit less snug.

[Janknitz]

Ok, I managed to sleep with the Quattro fx all night last night (good thing because I'm in the beginning stages of a nasty cold going around). I'm not super thrilled with it yet, because there are a few annoyances.

I made my own mask liner while I decide if I'm going to keep this mask before I buy one from Padacheek.

There is a persistent leak under the strap connector on my left cheek that goes right into my eye ( of course!) and I can't seem to seal it there whether I loosen or tighten.

The mask seems noisier than the Quattro and I really feel the air pressure perhaps because it covers a wider portion of my cheek. The air seems colder in the mask-- I think it doesn't stick out so far from my face so the air doesn't warm up before it hits my skin. And I had to have the bottom straps pretty tight last night. That drove my cheek right into my teeth and one side of my mouth is sore today.

So I'm not sure this is going to work for me. I do like the fact that it is light weight and has no forehead piece. I was able to sleep in front of the tv with my glasses on. ;o)

[dusty0318]

FX was the first mask I tried. I couldn't keep it from sliding up my face. I would wake up with the bottom of the mask in my mouth. Good luck.

[Cuda]

Sometimes the mask does slide up and the bottom part was in my mouth but the seal was still there. The longer I use it the better I am at adjusting it right. Two nights ago the hose blew out but I had a spare and today I woke up thinking, wow...its like the machine is not on! Then I realized I pulled the hose out of the mask, not just the hose but somehow the plastic part of the mask that connects to the mask. So its on the floor just blowing air and I am sleeping with just the mask on......it never ends, lol.

[Janknitz]

Last night was better. I fiddled some more and I think I got rid of the left cheek leak ( it's hard to tell because the cold air inside the wider mask area feels like a leak!). Anyway, I slept well and woke with that great feeling that comes from a great night on CPAP. Yay!

[Cuda]

Quattro FX has been giving me problems as of late and one HUGE complaint I see here a lot is the headgear. It looks like I need new headgear soon and I have only used the mask three weeks. I think the problem might be I leave the mask as I took it off and pull it on the next night which may be stretching it? All I know is the headgear is really stretched out.

[Alshain]

Ok, biggest tip for the Quattro FX... Make sure you pull the cross at the back of the headgear all the way down. If you leave it riding high, the mask will pull up toward the eyes and it will feel too tight. This will also wear out the headgear velcro faster. Everybody is different, but in my case I have to pull it below the 'knot' where the spine meets the skull.