Not enjoying CPAP

Hi guys, new her and to CPAP. My journey started a little over a month ago. Beginning of August I did a sleep study that was requested by my DOT examiner, it showed I have Severe OSA with an AHI of 33. Started CPAP shortly after, at first I had the Airfit F20 large cushion but it was too large and I couldn’t get a good seal. I ordered the F20 Airtouch medium cushion a few weeks ago and it has helped reduce leaks, if I really strap it down I can get my average leak under 10L/min but I feel like it still doesn’t fit my face well. Both the large and medium cushions feel like they are not wide enough for my mouth and if I move my jaw I get leaks around my mouth. Even with the lower leak rate my AHI nightly is ranging from 3-11 and I feel more tired the next day when I use it then when I don’t. When I do use it I wake up every hour or two from the mask. I’m considering getting the F30 or F40 but want to make sure I’m getting a mask that is sized right and is going to fit my face but don’t know where to start. My sleep therapist is useless and messages me the same message every few days that I have a high leak and to try the mask fitting function on the machine even after I told them I have done that but the mask doesn’t fit my face. Any pointers would be much appreciated, I’ve done a lot of reading and I believe OSA is likely have a large negative impact on my health and I would like to get it under control while I work on loosing weight and hopefully don’t have to use CPAP forever.

Welcome!

It's really hard to know ahead of time whether a mask will fit, especially if you have no chance to hold it in place on your face. What works for one person may just not work for another, so it's hard for other people to advise you about trying the F30 or F40. But other people here may have some experience that would be of some help.

It'd be very good to know more about your data using the machine. Unfortunately the Luna series is not supported by Oscar or SleepHQ, two ways in which people can view and share the data their machines generate every night.

Do you know the break-down of your AHI -- how much is obstructive apnea, how much is central apnea, and how much is hypopnea? And what are your pressure settings? -- With those pieces of basic information we might be able to advise you about how to sleep better and get your AHI to be consistently low.

Using the machine can really take some getting used to. One way you can try to speed up the process is to use it outside your bedroom during the day or evening while you watch TV, read, or use your devices. This helps your brain adapt to the new experience.

Ya, it seems like you should be able to go someplace and get fitted for a mask instead of buying one after another trying to find the right mask and size. I have found the sizing guides for the resmed mask, that is how I knew to order the medium but it only sizes from the brow to the chin, not the width of the nose and mouth. The F30 and F40 sizing guides seem to be based of the width and depth of the nose.

I am actually quite upset that my machine isn't compatible with Oscar. I rushed into the purchase because I needed to start CPAP therapy ASAP in order to renew my DOT card and keep my job. The place I did my sleep study with only offered the G3 and wouldn't write me a prescription to buy from another supplier, they said I would have to take my sleep study results to a PCP and work with them to order a machine from another supplier. With me working out of town I just coughed up the cash to have them send me what they offered.

As far as my AHI, I really have no way to tell between Apneas and Hypopneas. The Luna gives me a Central Apnea Index and that is almost always 0. A couple nights it has recorded it at 0.1 - 0.2 and the worst was a few nights after I started when i was 1.2 and my AHI was 19.4 that night. It also recorded an average leak that night of 74l/m. I had the quick release on the tube come loose from the mask in my sleep and it was just blowing into the room so not sure how accurate the data from that night was.

Pressure is set to 6-15. I have the ramp turned off to try and get to a comfortable pressure quicker, also I wake often at night and take the mask off to take a sip of water turning the machine off when I do, i then fall back asleep but the machine would go back through the ramp time and it resets the pressure back to 6. I have the reslex set to 2. My average treatment pressure is between 9 and 10 and the p95 pressure is between 10.5 and 12.5 as reported by the machine.

I have also started trying to sleep on my side vs my back, my leaks seem to be smaller as I press the mask to my face with my arm when I do, I'm not able to fall asleep on my side every night though. I also toss and turn in my sleep often alternating from my back to my right side.

Honestly any help would be appreciated as I really want this to work and just having people to talk that have had to deal with it i think makes it better.

TiredTim wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 18, 2025 5:02 pm

it seems like you should be able to go someplace and get fitted for a mask instead

Where did you get your machine and equipment? A local DME should be able to do a mask fitting for you. ResMed has a program where you can exchange a mask that doesn't fit if you have gone through their mask fitting procedure. It's an online process that your local DME can guide you through.

TiredTim wrote: ↑

Thu Sep 18, 2025 5:02 pm

I am actually quite upset that my machine isn't compatible with Oscar.

I would take it back to the supplier and tell them you want an even exchange for a ResMed AirSense 10 or 11 AutoSet. If they balk, I would make a stink about it. The worst they can do is refuse your request.

Are you waking because of mask leaks?

I don't know if the Luna has a mask fit button, but if not you can simulate it as follows:

Set the pressure for your highest pressure (15). now fit the mask to your face so that it doesn't leak in your usual sleeping position. Then reset the pressure back to your 6 -15 cm/H2O range.

Remember not to make the mask too tight. The air cushion works by molding to your face--if you crank down on the straps it can't do that. Just enough pressure to keep it from leaking.

It'd be really good if you could get a ResMed Airsense 10 Autoset machine. You might try what Chicago Granny suggests. Do you know whether your prescription for your machine specifies Luna? If it does, you'll probably need a new scrip. If you live in the US, you can get one from a cooperative physician, nurse practitioner, or dentist.

Do you now own the Luna? I'm wondering whether you can get the ResMed machine and then sell the Luna, in case you have to pay full freight for the ResMed.

You might try looking on sites that sell lightly used machines. Second Wind CPAP comes to mind. You could also PM forum member LSAT, who sometimes has lightly used machines for sale. (I got my current machine from him.)

Meanwhile, I'd recommend raising your minimum to 10, to see whether that helps with your obstructive events. I'd also recommend that you raise your max to 20. The machine won't go there if there's no need for pressures that high.

You don't have to do this all at once. I think changing the min to 10 might actually feel OK to you, so you might try that first, raising the max later.

To make changes to your pressure, see if the instructions here work for your machine:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... 9O7zrAxFRf

(This will take you to a PDF.)

You can also try https://www.apneaboard.com/adjust-cpap- ... tup-manual