leaks! mask liners?

Been on CPAP for 9 months for severe sleep apnea, using Vitera full face mask. Really struggle with leaks. I know Vitera should be worn rather loosely, but I have to use high pressures and that causes a LOT of leaks as the pressure rises. Tightening a little or a lot sometimes helps, sometimes makes it worse. Leaks happen at various places at random times. My face often looks and feels windburned in the morning. Have read and tried the mask fit directions on this forum. I use a 3.5 inch soft foam collar, which fixed the jaw drop. Has anyone had success with mask liners helping prevent/stop leaks? Resp therapist has tried 6 different full face masks in several sizes on me, and Vitera is the best of them. Can't do nasal masks due to deviated septum, mouth breathing and stuffy nose at night. I do saline nasal rinse at bedtime, Even tried allergy pill. I have to sleep on my back due to an upper spine/neck issue and I use a 7 inch bed wedge for GERD. I don't move around during sleep. My face is not considered "hard to fit". I thought I had conquered the leaks for about 4 weeks in a row. My numbers on OSCAR all looked pretty good. Then the leaking started again. Switched to a new Vitera mask and headgear, checked the hose and tub for leaks.Trying little changes each night based on OSCAR data. No improvement. Don't know why things suddenly went bad. I can't even post my data for you to see because the leaks are bad enough that the machine can't catch all the events and the data is meaningless. I use Resmed AirSense 10, slimline tube, auto ramp, humidity 6. EPR3, max pressure 17 (and sometimes this is not high enough), min pressure 12.4. Had been gradually increasing the min pressure as I've seen advised on this forum, and my events were coming down from about 14-20 per hour to always less than 5, often less than 2. Due to the leaks the events are running 35 or more again, like when I started cpap. Thought I'd try mask liners if you think they might help, before I start searching for yet another full face mask. I dread the thought. I really appreciate you all. I have learned so much from reading this forum for the past few months.

We don't know your machine... if you're on the Airsense 11 there's a known hose connection leak issue, workaround is to face the unit *away* from you, don't pull the hose to one side.

I've found the Vitera cushion responds to cleaning... both your face and the cushion. Also I use Simplus headgear with the Vitera, that webbed material is too thin and is painful when tightened. Currently back on the Evora FF, seems to hold leaks better... use Simplus gear with it too.

Good luck with sinus... I'm addicted to Afrin, I use the generic in the pump mist sprayer, nothing else works like it. I tape my mouth, helps with the jaw drop and drooling and prevents mouth-breathing in the FF mask.

CatFriend wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2024 1:38 am

Have read and tried the mask fit directions on this forum.

1. Have you watched some YouTube videos on fitting and adjusting the Vitera?

CatFriend wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2024 1:38 am

stuffy nose at night. I do saline nasal rinse at bedtime,

2. Have you tried Nasacort every morning after a nasal rinse? The nasal rinse is so the Nasacort gets into the membranes and avoids the mucus. Give Nasacort up to a week to become effective.

CatFriend wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2024 1:38 am

Resp therapist has tried 6 different full face masks

3. Which ones? Have you tried a hybrid type such as the ResMed AirFit F30?

CatFriend wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2024 1:38 am

the leaks are bad enough

4. How high (lpm)?

CatFriend wrote: ↑

Sat May 04, 2024 1:38 am

Has anyone had success with mask liners helping prevent/stop leaks?

5. Some have. https://www.padacheek.com/

Thank you, Vandownbytheriver for your comment that the Vitera mask responds to cleaning. I clean it daily with liquid hand soap, the whole mask excluding headgear. But yesterday I read the back label and found out it is moisturizing soap! I must be applying some oil to it when I wash it with that soap. Washed it with a drop of dish detergent and it felt "squeaky clean". Had a lot less leaking last night, still too high and had those "farting sounds" at the right cheek, but much better. Thank you for your other suggestions. Will try them.

I just went thru a large leak issue with Vitera when I started using it a week or so ago. Large leak time 60-75% of the night. Bipap at 15/19. Completely solved by letting the top strap out as far as it can go and hunkering the bottom strap down ice and tight. Last night I experimented with my original RX pressure of 15/22 and I had to barely tighten the top a little more but still had 0% leak. I clean it with Seventh Generation dish soap.

Thank you Chicago Granny for your comments. Really appreciate the input. Am doing them. You asked what masks I've tried: Air Fit F30, multiple sizes. Air Touch F20, multiple sizes. Air Fit F20. Evora Full, multiple sizes. Vitera. Guess that's only 5 different masks. When I posted the first time I was running 42-62 LPM of leak every night, almost all night. Washing the cushion daily with dish detergent has really helped that. A couple nights since then I've had leaks only 26-30 LPM. Still too high but better. Last night was terrible. I read that I was tightening the foam collar too tight so made it looser. Also when I put on the mask the way it was when I took it off that morning, it was way, way too tight top and bottom. Sometimes I have some fluid retention in my face, other nights I look dehydrated, unknown cause. Loosened straps for more comfort. Maybe too much. Will talk to my eye doc about Nasacort. She had me stop Flonase when I developed glaucoma and said that nasal steroids can be a cause. Current problem now is after I downloaded the new version of OSCAR I can import the data but the program will not open or do anything at all. Had Nerds On Call work on it today when they tuned up my computer, and they could not find a reason it wont run. We uninstalled it and reinstalled. Nope. Tried that again, nope. Restarted computer. No dice. Any suggestions? Without OCSAR I'm flying blind.

Thanks, Gidgemo, for the tips. Will try loosening the top straps a whole lot.

CatFriend wrote: ↑

Wed May 08, 2024 6:12 pm

Current problem now is after I downloaded the new version of OSCAR I can import the data but the program will not open or do anything at all. Had Nerds On Call work on it today when they tuned up my computer, and they could not find a reason it wont run. We uninstalled it and reinstalled. Nope. Tried that again, nope. Restarted computer. No dice. Any suggestions? Without OCSAR I'm flying blind.

You can import the data but the program won't open? Not clear exactly what's going on... if you get the opening screen where it shows the picture of the SD card it's running... you click the SD card and it finds your SD card and you say OK... it imports the data. *Then* you have to select Daily View to see the data you imported. At what step is there a problem?

Only download Oscar from the source:
www.sleepfiles.com/oscar

There are malware sites around waiting for you to google them and download bad stuff. I use a PC, are you on a Mac?

CatFriend wrote: ↑

Wed May 08, 2024 6:12 pm

Will talk to my eye doc about Nasacort. She had me stop Flonase when I developed glaucoma and said that nasal steroids can be a cause.

Good idea.

Nasacort is a steroid and it is certainly possible to have steroid-associated intraocular pressure elevations from nasal steroids. Fortunately, most patients will not have an associated pressure rise. However, whenever a nasal steroid is introduced in a patient with glaucoma, or at higher risk for developing glaucoma, monitoring by an ophthalmologist is warranted.

American Academy of Ophthalmology
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/ask-opht ... aucoma-to-