P10 Mask - Which pillow size?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
dataq1
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Re: False Flags and Mini-Leaks Question

Post by dataq1 » Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:46 am

Sleep apnea events isn't the lone culprit on the "causes for crappy sleep" list.
An axiom that should be at the top of our sleep list.

However, as a community of Cpap users, our attention here is focused on sleep apnea, specifically mitigation of sleep apnea events that contribute to "crappy sleep". We, and our medical professionals, rely on the quality of various devices to sense how well we are progressing in our attempt to mitigate our sleep apnea issues.

False-positive events undermine the reliability of sleep studies as well as our at-home observations (via OSCAR/Sleepyhead). If mask leakage contributes to these false-positive events, then we ought to do what we can to eliminate the conditions that cause that leakage.

I can attest that very small movements of my wife's head can break the nose seal on her F30 (Resmed) mask and yet not create a "large leak". (but one that observed by myself next to her). I'll note the time and the following day I'll see that Resmed has reported some type of breathing event at that time.

So why doesn't she want to wear a mask that is more stable (not so prone to seal loss) ..... because it might be uncomfortable (but she's never tried one) !
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Julie
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Re: False Flags and Mini-Leaks Question

Post by Julie » Wed Jan 26, 2022 1:35 pm

Sounds about right for the logic here :lol: :!:

MMcG
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Re: P10 Mask - Which pillow size?

Post by MMcG » Fri Jan 28, 2022 4:46 am

OK new question - hence the change in the title. I received a new P10 mask yesterday and last night turned into a bit of a disaster for me. I have some nasal congestion pretty much all the time (due to permanent scarring - so nasal decongestion sprays do nothing much), and was therefore fearful that this mask might not work for me. But I reckoned it was worth a shot, since I received it free of charge from the company I rent my CPAP machine from, and because I've managed to get fairly used to a nasal cushion mask (Respironics Dreamware) already, apart from some noise issues. Anyway, my question is this. The technician looked at my nose and immediately said that I was medium and indeed that nasal pillow seemed to fit my nostrils fairly well. But when trying it on at my usual starting minimum pressure of 6, I immediately sensed that I wasn't getting enough air when inhaling - exhaling felt more difficult too.

So, I tried it last night and it was a bit of a disaster. After ten minutes or so, I increased the minimum pressure to 7, because I felt I was suffocating. That helped, but then I felt I couldn't breathe out. So after about another forty minutes awake I switched the EPR on at exhale level 2. That helped me to false asleep until waking with a sore nose about an hour later. And when I checked back on Oscar this morning, I noticed that I spent nearly all that hour exhale puffing. So at 12-40 am, I got up and refitted my original mask and managed to get a few hours sleep.

So to my question. I noticed this morning when having a closer look at the three nasal pillow sizes included with the mask that, not only does the spacing of the pillows change with size, but so does the opening size. From observation, it appears that the openings on the large size are some 50-100% more than those on the medium size recommended for me. I tried the large size this morning while awake and with a little manipulation, I was able to get it to work without leaking, and it much better in terms of breathing too, although I suspect it might be more likely to become displaced and leak while sleeping. I'm going to try it again, but maybe not tonight, since I had such poor sleep last night. Just wondering what experience other users here have had with choosing the right size nasal pillows for the P10. Then again, maybe it's just not the right mask for me, because of my nasal congestion issues.

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Pugsy
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Re: P10 Mask - Which pillow size?

Post by Pugsy » Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:55 am

Try the large size the next time you try it and I think you will have much better luck.
If you can breathe just through your nose just fine and move enough air for comfort....it will work.

The soreness....could have been from the medium being a bit too small or most likely you had the mask tension too tight.
The most common mistake people make when using any nasal mask is they crank that puppy down way too tight.
When people do this then the pillows sort of get crammed into the nose which causes pain and they also inhibit the pillow from inflating like it should and that can contribute to the feeling of not moving enough air.

Play with the large size while awake and under no pressure to fall asleep. These masks are remarkably stable even when fairly loose.

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MMcG
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Re: P10 Mask - Which pillow size?

Post by MMcG » Fri Jan 28, 2022 10:27 am

Pugsy wrote:
Fri Jan 28, 2022 8:55 am
Try the large size the next time you try it and I think you will have much better luck.
If you can breathe just through your nose just fine and move enough air for comfort....it will work.

The soreness....could have been from the medium being a bit too small or most likely you had the mask tension too tight.
The most common mistake people make when using any nasal mask is they crank that puppy down way too tight.
When people do this then the pillows sort of get crammed into the nose which causes pain and they also inhibit the pillow from inflating like it should and that can contribute to the feeling of not moving enough air.

Play with the large size while awake and under no pressure to fall asleep. These masks are remarkably stable even when fairly loose.
Thanks Pugsy. That's very re-assuring.

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Mask: AirFit™ N10 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: My machine is sold in Europe as Devilbliss Blue Auto Plus Automatic

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BuckarooBanzai
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Re: P10 Mask - Which pillow size?

Post by BuckarooBanzai » Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:49 am

I also recently adjusted to a P10 mask. Tried the medium first, which seemed the 'best fit,' but had trouble similar to yours. Then I found info that said one should choose the largest pillow size that works. So, I switched to the large pillow, which I was sure would not work.

But I was wrong.

The pillow is not supposed to sit inside your nose. It just sits comfortably below. And this is why the large 'works' even though my eyes said medium was the correct size.

So, when I go to bed, I put on the mask, turn on the machine, and then once it gets up to pressure, I gently pull back on the pillow unit and then let go. Wherever it settles is where it is supposed to be.

MMcG
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Re: P10 Mask - Which pillow size?

Post by MMcG » Sat Jan 29, 2022 1:25 am

BuckarooBanzai wrote:
Fri Jan 28, 2022 11:49 am
I also recently adjusted to a P10 mask. Tried the medium first, which seemed the 'best fit,' but had trouble similar to yours. Then I found info that said one should choose the largest pillow size that works. So, I switched to the large pillow, which I was sure would not work.

But I was wrong.

The pillow is not supposed to sit inside your nose. It just sits comfortably below. And this is why the large 'works' even though my eyes said medium was the correct size.

So, when I go to bed, I put on the mask, turn on the machine, and then once it gets up to pressure, I gently pull back on the pillow unit and then let go. Wherever it settles is where it is supposed to be.
Thanks for the feedback. Nothing like first hand experience from someone that has just switched to a P10 like me.

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Mask: AirFit™ N10 Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: My machine is sold in Europe as Devilbliss Blue Auto Plus Automatic

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BuckarooBanzai
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Re: P10 Mask - Which pillow size?

Post by BuckarooBanzai » Sat Jan 29, 2022 2:22 am

Yup, I'm a true newbie. Welcome to P10 Land. :)