Full face masks - NONE of them work... ?

[jencat824]

Sounds to me like your DME thinks you need a size medium, but not all masks fit the same. Also, not all faces are the same. Example, my hubby was 'judged' by his DME as a large. He is a big guy with a large head, so that sounded logical. By accident he was sent a size medium on yet another FFM that was leaking. At around. 3am on a Friday night, he was desperate for sleep so he asked me where that medium was ((thankfully I didn't get to the post office that day to return it). He tried the medium & it fit! No more leaks. When he wanted to try another FFM (it was new out, the AirFit F10) he tried the medium, even though the template showed him between medium & large & the medium worked fine, no leaks.

Why did I just share that with you? Because I wanted you to know not all faces are alike. And in general, as has already been pointed out, even though a mask should fit the same in size, since its made by the same company, that is not always the case. Since I see you have tried all medium sized masks, maybe you should start by trying a large, since you say they are tight on your cheeks.

Also, go thru the masks on the cpap.com website. Maybe something there will look like a better structure or fit for you. You might also consider using nasal pillows & a chinstrap or mouth taping. Only try this if you can physically breathe thru your mouth.

Other options exist, just keep trying, that's what's important.

Jen

[jaycee2]

(It doesn't work very well due to slack jaw/mouth opening). There was very little leaking except when my mouth opened. Some people find that mask liners help the leak problem.

Here's how I keep my jaw from dropping while I'm in deep sleep... I use this instead of a chinstrap:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=96560&p=894169&hili ... ff#p894169

Thank you, Sir NoddinOff!

[Ogeo]

Even though it is no consolation, you are not alone. Sometimes I wish we could have one of those "one size fits all" but then we'd probably all look alike and that would be very frustrating.

I am about 75 days into therapy and after trying 4 FFM, I started trying the nasal pillows. So far the nasal pillows have worked much better for me than the FFM regarding the leakage. I found that the FFM would leak at the base of my cheek bone and caused too much pressure on my close set eyes. Even after trying several nasal pillow mask, I keep coming back to the Nuance Pro as it has the least leaks during the night but with my high pressure I have to add an extra strap to keep it in place. The Pilairo Q fit me best and did not leak for about 2 weeks and then the pillow part started popping out of the form. So since I had purchased the return insurance from cpap.com I was able to send it back.

I'm not done trying masks yet even though my DME said they could no longer help me. I knew where I could turn to when that happened with all the wonderful people on this forum.

Keep trying and hopefully the next one will be the ONE.

[Denial Dave]

I agree its weird... the only difference in the frame between the medium and the large for the Quattro Air is the length of the bar for the forehead piece.

While all of the info from Resmed and our sponsors state that the cushions for the large and medium are not interchangeable, the large cushion fits fine on the medium frame.

Dave

You might consider trying the quattro air in a large size. It is not a match to the standard Quattro in sizing.

the weird thing about that, and I've heard it from several people, is that both masks use the same sizing guide, from what I've been able to google up!

[Janknitz]

Retired OT here!

Have you seen the fitting tips in my blog?

The key is to make the mask tighter at the bottom and very loose around the nose. Fit at pressure, and pay attention to the way your bed pillow interacts with the mask. That way the air cushion molds around the nose without excess pressure.

I've often thought about a customized thermoplastic mask too, but the reality is that a face needs to be mobile throughout the night and needs a very dynamic interface compared to a resting splint for an extremity. The job of the air cushion is to provide that dynamic interface.

A liner helps. Padacheek liners are wonderful. You might look into masks with foam cushions instead of air cushions, they might work better for you (I found them heavy and too rigid, personally). And the suggestion for a cloth mask (Sleep Weaver) above is a good one.

Nasal masks and nasal pillows are so much easier if you can possibly avoid mouth breathing (it's not as hard as you might think to train yourself) or use tape to keep the mouth sealed. I'm currently using the newest generation of tiny soft nasal masks (Whisp, and there's also the Nano) and really love it.

Play with the headgear, too. I have really had to apply my OT skills to adapt the headgear to my head which is apparently shorter than most people's heads judging by the shape of the standar headgear.

[MbMinx]

After dealing with leaks on all the FFM my DME had on hand, I was given a Mirage Liberty to try, and it's been wonderful. I have only a small leak from one nostril, and that doesn't wake me up or blow into my eyes or anything bad. If you're a mouth breather who can't get a FFM to fit well enough, I'd suggest looking at the Liberty.
It's only weird if it doesn't work...

[hyperlexis]

Hi all,

I have tried the following full face masks and none of them work!

• Resmed Mirage quattro (medium)
  Resmed Airfit F10 (medium)
  Resmed Quattro air (medium)
  Philips Amara (medium)

.....

Help?

You have tried some of the best FFMs on the market. One or more of those four really should work for you, with proper fitting, adjustment and patience. The plain old Quattro is one of the best if not the best training-wheels FFMs out there.

1.) You need to ask the DME or respiratory therapist in their office for one-on-one help. Let the pros do what you are paying them for.

2.) You also need to be ok with the fact that all masks, to some degree or another, do leak. FFMs included. And, as repeated ad nauseum on the manufacturers' videos, 'not all leaks need to be corrected' for enough pressure to be automatically maintained by the machine. Also, sometimes, air blowing out the mask's main vent is confused with 'leaks' from the cushion, especially by newbies.

If you have super high pressure needs (17-20+) you could try a gel type mask like the old PR Comfort Gel, but its a pretty bulky beast.

Another monster that could work would be the Hans Rudolph V2 which fits as tight as a fighter pilots mask, and is built like a tank. But a tight fit and needs to be carefully sized with their sizing guide.

Check this guy out on youtube for more advice, he's great with mask reviews, tips etc. >>>>>>
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheLankyLefty27

Good luck!

[audreyrose73]

I have tried just about every full face mask available until I tried the hans Rudolph v2. .been using ever since. Size is very important. .straps must be tight..but very good mask

[70sSanO]

I have been wearing a full face masks since 2001.

It sounds like you have prominent cheekbones, at least in relation to the bridge of your nose, which causes the mask to be too loose at the bridge of your nose or too tight on your cheekbones. Unfortunately you may have to keep trying different brands or different sizes.

An easy fit test for me has been to put on the mask with very light strap tension and use you index finger to push the mask straight back against your face. At some point the pressure on your face will be just right to stop any leaks and still be comfortable. There is an issue with high pressure and leaks. If you are running over 15cm it may be tougher.

If you can't get to the point where the mask stops leaking and is still comfortable, you'll need a different mask/size. It is important to note the side view shape/depth (profile) of the mask to the nose. You have tried a few Resmed masks and I would imagine that the profile is pretty much the same. I other words, if a Mirage FFM works, then an Ultra FFM works, etc. By the same token if Resmed doesn't work, you may want to try something else. The F&P Simplus looks like a nice design.

If you can find a spot where the leaks stop and the mask is comfortable without too much pressure on your cheeks, then all you have to do is adjust the headgear to that point. But, unfortunately, for some, that is easier said than done because your face is only one part of the equation, the other is the shape and size of you head, and the strap pull/design of the headgear. So, if you can't get the headgear to duplicate that spot where everything comes together you will have to tweak your headgear.

I've seen some posts of mods people have done to "customize" their headgear. I've been using elastic straps for a dozen years because I refused to pay the high price of cheap replacement headgear back in the day. It just stuck with me over the years and I still use them on my Quattro FX (which has a horrible headgear IMO). I look at all the gyrations that Resmed suggests and it reminds me the Bob Hope scene in Paleface... Draws from the left...

I hope this helps!

John

[snostorm]

I had trouble with them as well...now I use the Fisher and Paykel Simplis full face mask. Love it.