Does the nose toughen up?

I am a new CPAP user as of last Monday. This is my first post since I began reading and researching this forum in September when my GP referred me to a Sleep Doctor. I want to thank many on this forum who post regularly for helping me get prepared for my two sleep studies (one with and one without CPAP) and subsequently my equipment selections. Without the information provided by this forum and the host, I would have been unprepared for the studies and overwhelmed by the data from the studies. By reading the posts here and researching this site (Our Wisdom, etc) I was better able to understand the information I got from the studies and was able to ask questions of both the Doctor and the DME. My DME even ask if I was in the medical profession.

Now that I am officially a CPAP user, I am now faced with the reality of the equipment. To date (a meager 7 days) the most difficult thing so far is the mask (at least for me). Last Monday, I started using the Swift LT with nasal pillows. I was very discouraged by how painful it was to the end of my nose and upper lip even after adjusting the straps without causing leak. I never got it to feel comfortable despite dozens of adjustments. After four nights, the end of my nose was red and sore which was caused by the frame which contacted the end of my nose. I saw an earlier post from someone with the same problem, and took someone’s advice and tried Lanolin. This did not help. I went back to my DME and was given a nasal mask by Fisher & Paykel called the Zest. This mask was much more comfortable and slightly lighter than the Swift. However, I started to feel soreness on the bridge of my nose. On the second and third night I used some cloth medical tape. I will try again tonight to see if that did the trick.

My questions are basic to experienced CPAP users I think…..should I expect the soreness and redness with both masks to eventually stop as the areas of discomfort “toughen up”? Or should I go back to the DME for another mask? I really thought the Zest was going to work because the head strap is on fairly loose without causing leaks. I see several posts today about this subject and will read those. But my question is a bit different….will the affected areas “toughen up” over time. Could a different nasal mask not cause the same nose problem. I ask this; because the basic function seems the same….there is still something across the bridge of the nose. I know I am new, but am trying to fast track to the best operating mask.

Thanks in advance for any feedback. I am determined to get this CPAP thing to work! However, I am not very patient, but that won’t stop me.

Yes and no. I've had it go both ways. I started off with the ComfortGel Nasal and even after a month, I would wake up with a red nose. I wore loose, tight, in-between....it didn't matter. I've even tried the Large, Medium, and Small. Same result with all of 'em (wanna try a ComfortGel? )

I was then switched to the Swift LT which worked very well for some time. I started having problems with mouth-leaking and eventually began looking for other masks. I never had any skin issues with the Swift.

On my MaskQuest, I tried several; Mirage Micro, Mirage Activa LT, Mirage Liberty, Hybrid, and now the Ultra Mirage Full Face. With the Hybrid, my nares were extremely sore and even after 6 or 7 days with breaks in between, still woke up with soreness. With the UMFF, I've woken up with redness and it needed some lanolin and a band aid to reduce the redness. I'm now to the point where I wake up with some mild redness but it's gone by the time I get to work with no intervention on my part.

So with the right mask, your skin would likely toughen up a bit. I will say this, I am far less wary of leaks than I was in the beginning and have learned to find the sweet spot of not too tight/not to loose. These masks should inflate into a seal and there is a learning curve for getting the right fit. Keep at it!

welcome
the nasal mask should be worn high up on the face, push it up until it hits the nostrils and make final strap adjustments lying in bed

I agree with the previous poster, but I'll add my two-cents worth.

I'm fairly new (since May), but I'm still hunting for the best mask. I started with a F& P 407 nasal mask. After just a few days, my nose was raw, not just red. My dme gave me Opus 360 nasal pillows. They are great, don't touch between my nares, and I use them some. However, my nasal septum isn't perfect, and sometimes I just cannot breathe through them. So I got the ZZZ nasal mask. It also makes my nose pretty sore, though not raw. So I got the Mirage Vista nasal mask. You can get it with either standard or deep (for high nasal bridge). I'm between the sizes, but it's the best I've got right now. It fits lower on the nose and doesn't make the nose sore. My only problem with it is it's a bit wide for me, and I have a bit of trouble getting it to seal on one side--guess my face is lopsided. Now I'm noticing I'm doing some mouth breathing, so I've decided there must be a full face mask out there that will work for me. The search goes on.

Good luck. Irene