going insane

[lvehko]

After several nights trying to make the Hybrid work, I'm starting to think it may not be the mask for me. I'll give it a bit more time and some more tries, but meanwhile, I need to start researching other options.

First, I will need several million dollars so I can buy EVERY SINGLE NASAL MASK AVAILABLE and try them all until I find the one that works for me. Do I sound frustrated? It's because I am! I was really hoping the Hybrid would be the magic mask, but it's becoming clear that nasal pillows just won't work on my nose. My nostrils are flaming red and sore, and I'm just not looking forward to another night with the pillows.

I'd always thought I had round nostrils -- I can get a pretty good seal with the Swift but only with the large pillows, which push uncomforatbly against my nostrils. I've had to use the large pillows with the Hyrbid also, to get a seal, with the same results. So I was inspecting my nostrils with a mirror this morning and realized that they look more like the slotted nostrils picture than the round nostrils picture. D'oh!

So I think I need to find a nasal mask I can live with. I used one of the Resmed nasal masks for the first few days of my cpap therapy, and it was so uncomfortable I took it back to my doctor and asked to swap it out for the Swift. I really hope that was just a one-off for that particular mask, and that there are other, more comfortable ones out there that will work for me.

I've looked at maybe thirty nasal masks today and would love to hear anyone's experiences, pro or con, on the following:

Fisher & Paykel Alizes nasal mask
Flexifit HC 407 nasal mask
Somnoplus nasal mask
Respironics Comfort Classic or Comfort Select or Simplicity nasal mask
Any of the sleepnet nasal masks (IQ, mini-me, phantom)
Softfit Ultra nasal mask (Puritain Bennett)

Or any other nasal mask that:

1 - allows me to sleep on either side

2 - doesn't have an overhead hose

3 - doesn't have a big mother forehead rest

I'm feeling really pessimistic about this mask situation. Help!

Minerva

[northernlights]

Hi Minerva:

I guess I'm no expert since I've only been on CPAP for a couple of months, but I'll give you my two cents worth. I've been using the Comfort Classic nasal mask from the beginning, and for me, it works quite well. I'm able to sleep on either side, or my back, with very little change in its effectiveness. Also, the hose swivels from the bottom, and never seems to get in my way. It took me about a week to get the proper adjustment on the tension of the straps. I still wake up with some redness on the bridge of my nose, and beside my nose, but this disappears after maybe twenty minutes. My pressure is only 7 cm. so this may have some effect on how well the mask works for me. I'm not sure whether it would be as effective at higher pressures. I guess I just lucked out from the beginning. Anyways, good luck on your quest!


Steve.

[Guest]

Minerva while you wait for people to respond you can use the search function to read up on all the previous posts about those masks.

[ladytonya]

Don't knock the "big mother forehead rest if you haven't tried it! I was at my wits end looking at different masks. I never thought I would be able to use nasal pillows and the nasal masks were driving me crazy because they were making my nose sweat and horribly uncomfortable. I was trying the Swift my sleep center loaned me and just couldn't make it work. It was giving me piggy-nostrils every night and just horribly uncomfortable. The tech talked me in to trying the CL2. He said that it is a mask that you either love or you hate. I took one look at it and said no way in Hades! I don't want that big honkin' thing on my forehead every night. Then I tried it on......... Wow! It is so comfortable! It is so light you barely know it is there. There are two adjustments on the mask assembly itself and two adjustments on the nasal pillow interface so you can get the perfect fit with this mask! Try it! You might be pleasantly surprised!

[krousseau]

Look at the Flexifit 406-it is petite but do the measurements and if its close I"ll send one as soon as I get a replacement. I have no desire or space for keeping old masks so as soon as the hybrid and a new 406 are here I'm shipping out the old 406 and a Comfort Classic to sleepyred. I liked the 406 best-not over the head and I can sleep on my side-nice headgear. The forehead rest is OK when I have sinusitis. it isn't huge. PM your address.

[ldemmery]

I have the 406 as well.... it's wonderful. Best fit ever. Mind you I also have a good DME here in Ottawa that lets their patients try before buying. I found this one on the 2nd try, after trying one they had special ordered for me to try. The mini me. Did wonderful damage to the bridge of my nose. (It's healed now and the 406 leaves no nose marks on me, and is loose, but holds right on!) I'm so thrilled!

Last time I went hunting for masks, I went through 6 or 7 of them before finding the simplicity and even then it wasn't perfect. I was told that the next try was just trying to make do cause I had run through all their masks.

Lynne in Ottawa

[MandoJohnny]

I hope you find a more comfortable mask, I really do. But I also think we may expect too much. I mean how comfortable can it ever be to have a hose strapped to your nose every night? It is never going to be as comfortable as no mask at all. Some of this is just "toughing it out," for weeks not just a several nights, and getting used to it. I have the Swift, I've had the same issues with it, but after nearly 3 months, I'm getting OK with it. From what I've read on this forum, I don't think there is a perfect mask.

[Sleepless on LI]

From what I've read on this forum, I don't think there is a perfect mask.

Very wise.

I believe that attitude is 99% of the battle here. If you go into this thinking you're going to sleep as comfortably as you did without a mask/machine, you're probably deluding yourself. It's not the actual comfort of sleep that xpap helps but the quality of it. Some actually do claim they now sleep much better, less awakenings, etc., since being on therapy and that's a beautiful thing. But if you can find at least one mask that you consider not that bad, that you don't cry over putting on at night and perhaps has a few fixable flaws, you're ahead of the game. And if you're one of the lucky ones who can find a mask that they really like (my Aura), you are very fortunate. But if you are waiting for that perfect mask, you have a long wait ahead of you. Yes, some masks, as we all know, are just not usable, whether they cost $30 or $175. It's all a subjective thing. That is why no one can ever answer the proverbial question we hear all the time, "Which is the best mask to use?"

It's like most things in life. It's how high you place your expectations and how you deal with the outcome. I just wish there was a site like this for all the other problems life throws our way. Now THAT would be close to perfection.

[ldemmery]

I believe that not all masks are perfect. What is perfect for me (for the moment its my flexifit 406) may not be perfect to anyone else. I did try the air pillows mask and it drove me nuts, yet there are people here who believe its perfect. I have a friend who loves his full face mask. We can all give suggestions and advice then hope someone finds his/her perfect mask.

Good luck

Lynne

[3isles]

I have tried a couple of sleepnet masks.

the minime, so cute, but so tickly, not a good fit for me,

and the IQ, which actually has been working for me since september 2005. It is not perfect, but I use it a with two point headgear (holeycap) so it doesn't block my vision at all (an important feature for me as I am pretty claustrophobic) I have to be very sure both mask and face are quite clean before I put it on to get a good seal. it does not hurt the bridge of my nose which was a problem with the first nasal mask I tried (respironics contour, chosen thoughtfully by the dme as the "only small mask they carried") at my pressure of 13 it does usually spring a leak somewhere towards morning, but with the bendy wire in the frame of it I just (usually) have to give the shape a tweak or adjust the velcro strap to the holycap and its ok. I can make the adjustments almost in my sleep.

that being said, on some nights inexplicably it leaks a lot, maybe I have puffy sinuses or something that makes it fit differently on those nights, but then next night its back to working pretty well again...go figure.

[BNLfan]

Minerva,

I agree with Sleepless on LI...the quest to find a mask that is "perfect" is almost unrealistic. I agree that the best thing we can do is to find one that is "as good as it gets" until the companies can make custom masks or find some way of making ones that fits more than just the "average" person.

Having said that, I have been trying the Hans Rudolph Alizes mask. I usually use a full-face mask and switch between the Ultra Mirage and Fisher & Paykel's.

The Alizes is small, I can easily sleep on my side, and is for the most part, pretty comfortable. I had issues with obtaining a good seal and tried their foam seal. It worked, but made the fit almost too tight/small. I have their gel seal and will likely give that a try soon. There is a metal band at the bridge of the nose that you can pinch to reduce leaks.

So far it seems like a good mask for me...BUT I would really suggest that you try to find somewhere that will let you try one on and maybe even sleep with it because it can be tricky to get a good seal. Also, to get the right size, you will need Hans Rudolph's sizing gauge. If you write to them, they will send it to you.

I hope that was a bit helpful. I agree with you that the real answer would be for us to be able to try *all* of the masks on the market and choose the best one.

Good luck!
BNLfan