Any experience with Comfort Full 2 VS Ultra Mirage FF masks?

[G00k]

I've been reading all your wonderfully helpful comments for the past month, since I've become a hose head, and now would like to ask some specific questions.

Has anyone had experience with the two masks I mentioned in the subject line, and could they comment on the relative comfort and seal they've had?

I was started off with the REMstar|plus w/ Cflex, and a ComfortGel nasal mask. No humidifier. I loved the mask, but kept waking up from blowout, even with a chin strap (Did the mouth taping, but would prefer to avoid it - skin irritation with some tape, blowouts with others). I went for a FF fitting and they gave me an UltraMirage. I tried both the medium and large and took the large because it seemed to fit better with less leaking while sitting in the Apria office. (I tried various contortions to get it to leak - both sizes did, but now I don't trust how that went. I really need to lie down with it.)

I sleep pretty well with the UltraM large, waking up three or four times to readjust the seal - at 13cm pressure, once it leaks I have to pull the hose and readjust or it just gets worse. I guess I get slacker as I sleep.

Anyway, I wanted to try a medium mask, but Apria says the insurance company won't cover another. So before I purchased another UltraM, I thought I'd ask you kind folks about the Comfort Full 2. Since I like the ComfortGel , and Comfort Full 2 is also a Respironics product, I figure it might be pretty comfortable, even though it doesn't appear to have any jelly in its donut. Both are sold at cpap.com, but unfortunately, they don't have consumer feedback - I guess this would be it. (Did the cpap.com fitting ritual - I'm an official medium...)

Whadya think?

PS: Would/Does a humidifier help/affect the seal?

Thanks!

[chdurie2]

several people, i believe, told me recently that if the word comfort is in the name, that the mask is not comfortable. you must have missed the recent threads that i started, and people analyzed the full face masks in depth. i don't know how to link; otherwise i would pull them out for you. but since they're very title-specific, you might try a search.

caroline

[G00k]

Yeah, I expected they were, but this is a pretty extensive forum. I'll search on your username and check it out. Thanks!

[G00k]

Well, I'm back after searching on chdurie2's posts. How easy it is to go off on a tangent when you become a junkie hosehead!

I only found maybe two instances of "if it has comfort..." in all that I read, and one may have been referring to the other, but no one has actually admitted to using a Comfort Full 2 FF that I have found.

Come on, I know you're out there - if it sucks (what a minute! this is CPAP nothing sucks in CPAP!)... No if it was less than a satisfying experience, please share it with us. If you have achieved Nirvana, let us know.

As it stands, I think it's more like a try 'em all, rotate your stock, and customize the heck out of 'em. And upgrade your hoses and blowers and humidifiers. Buy new pillows and sleep systems. Sheesh!

Thanks again.

[chdurie2]

gook-- perhaps sometimes silence is louder than words. but you might want to call cpap.com and talk to one of their reps about this. i talked to becky, and with all deference to users here, perhaps because we could reply to each other more easily on phone than online and she talks to users all day, she gave me better feedback on choices for my particular needs. course, it remains to be seen whether her recommendation works out--get mask in coupla days. worth a consultation anyway.

[Darth Vader Look]

G00k posts - Come on, I know you're out there - if it sucks (what a minute! this is CPAP nothing sucks in CPAP!)

You are quite right. In CPAP everything blows and on many levels if I may add. .

[G00k]

I guess I'll call. The difference in price is small, so there isn't much incentive to push one over the other. I'll probably end up getting both eventually.

No on ever commented about my post script asking about humidifiers and whether it helps keep a seal. I didn't get one prescribed with my original setup, while the other two people getting fitted that day did. Now I see in the FAQ that humidifiers are considered essential - do I have to get an Rx to get one (or at least to get my insurance to kick in for it)? Starting out, one never knows which question to ask...