Losing hope... no mask is for me?

Thanks. I agree, if only Amara view came in extra small!! Headgear not coming in size small or smaller has been another problem. I wonder about that total face mask's sizing.

I am renting the machine so doubt I could switch DMEs. Mine has been good to me, though, and will do most anything I ask.

I already have quite a sore area under my nose from both Amara view and Dreamwear (it had healed fairly well and then came back after a few weeks of Dreamwear) so if there's a seam there.... Probably no good, unless I can cover the seam?

Everyone loves the P10 but i had very bad soreness on my nasal bridge from it.

I really feel like there are a lot of us with "unusual" size or anatomy and we aren't being taken care of. I just need something small, secure, and gentle. An Amara view style nasal mask would be great for one. I'm not claustrophobic at all which does help... And my pressure is low.

So what should be my next try? Elan?

For a long time, I alternated masks that were not quite right, giving my sore spots a chance to heal,
while dealing with the problems of the other mask

I was planning to do that with my two masks... But right now they both bother the same spot under my nose. I'm also hoping to get used to the noise on the Dreamwear so am making myself stick with it every day. If i can get one more that is not too bad, I'll definitely alternate if needed.

In the past 5 years I have acquired more than a dozen masks, including all of the SleepWeaver line. The only one I would recommend today is the Élan which I have used every night for the last 6 or 8 months. It does have a seem under the nose but if you don't over tighten it, it should be fine, at least for my sensitive nose.
My second choice is the Wisp, which I have swapped back and forth with the Élan over the last couple years.
Other masks don't stay with me very long because of my sensitive nose.

I do have to fiddle with the Élan to get a good seal but it now takes less than a minute most nights. On a really bad night maybe 5 minutes. The feather weight tubing is a MUST if you want to maintain a seal and comfort. Crapria and Lifecare have a very hard time getting the right hose, but with persistence it can be done. It may take Crapria a couple months I just switched (invulntaraly) to Lifecare so I don't yet know how long it will take to train them.

If you need some encouragement for your comfort with you mask, I am willing to help if
I can. PM me if you wish.

Karen Moore

recipefordisaster wrote: I really feel like there are a lot of us with "unusual" size or anatomy and we aren't being taken care of. I just need something small, secure, and gentle. An Amara view style nasal mask would be great for one. I'm not claustrophobic at all which does help... And my pressure is low.

So what should be my next try? Elan?

I adopted the Innomed Hybrid mask (https://www.cpap.com/productpage/RespCa ... -Mask.html) shortly after I started CPAP. I have used it every night since. My pressure requirements are high (Often 18 cm.), but my leak rate is near zero.

A new Hybrid mask comes with three sizes of mouth cushions and three sizes of nasal pillows.

It doesn't touch the nasal bridge; it has a small footprint; and it is light weight - all similar to Amara View.

If you decide to try one, make sure to specify Innomed Hybrid. ResMed makes a similar mask which is an inferior copy.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/RespCa ... -Mask.html

One other option I didn't see mentioned is an oral "mask". I'd only consider using one as an absolute last resort, and only then. I used silicone "gecko" nose pads when I was still struggling with the wrong FF masks. They really worked well in preventing soreness on my nose bridge. Good luck .


oral mask -> https://www.cpap.com/productpage/fisher ... -mask.html


pad page -> https://www.cpap.com/cpap-comfort-clean ... -leaks.php

Karens mask liners are excelant and she is so easy to work with. When I first started I had a horrible problem finding the right mask. I had a drawer full and I swapped back and forth until I found the P 10. Now I keep a FF mask for just in case I get a cold. I used the cloth masks a lot and my FF mask is cloth. They are super comfy as masks go. Hope you find the right one for you and until then swapping out will help.

As I said I cannot use pillows, so those hybrids are out, unfortunately. My mouth gets way too dry if I breathe through it, so no oral mask. I had a ton of soreness with the Wisp and gel nasal pads didn't even help. I'm pretty bony... I guess that's the issue?

Is it only Sleep Weaver that makes cloth masks? I kind of like the idea of the FFM so I can stop taping my mouth... If the little puffs of air escape in a FFM, no big deal.

I really felt that liners, in my case, took away the "grip" that the silicone mask interface had against my skin, and caused a lot more leaks.

So, should I try Elan first? I noticed that I'm also waking up with one nostril not working much, and a headache on the opposite side. I've tried all the humidity and heated tube settings and they don't seem to help.... Also using hypertonic saline and fluticasone, along with breathe right. My nostril is kind of closed as opposed to full or mucus filled. It's swollen on that side, I guess. Definitely doesn't help, and my other nostril is working just fine. Go figure.

Sleepweaver makes a FF mask. It is the one I saved for when I have a cold. It is harder to get a seal with for me but if I have a cold a leak is not such a bother that I would be willing to give up on the comfort. The feather weight tube is a must with this mask for sure. It might be worth a try for you. I have never had 0 leaks with any mask I have ever used and I have tried a lot of masks. I found out that if I have a mask that leaks into my eyes, I can use a cloth headband. That works for me but others have used real eye protectors. Don't give up just hang in there. The mask liners never had the leaks worse for me.

DON'T GIVE UP!! YOUR BRAIN IS WORTH OXYGENATING! Do what you need to do to get your DME vendor and sleep doc turned around to focus on you ... nicely, of course. Here is my journey, posted a while ago:

Postby OboeVet on Mon Aug 25, 2014 8:18 pm

I started CPAP/APAP almost a year ago. Started on nose hose but too much mouth breathing. Went to Medium Quatro thingy, then Large Quatro then Amara gel mask to a Fisher Paykel Simplus Large Full Face in about February or March. No more side-sleep leaks, no more raw infected nose bridge due to cranking down straps, and much easier cleaning (I drool ...). Also, the first month was not very pleasant because my auto-flex pressure settings were too low and too high: per the print-out I had MORE AHI's and Periodics when the pressure rose above 14 cm water pressure, and when I would "ramp" down due to face leaks waking me up it went down to 7 cm water pressure and I would wake up suffocating. The doc re-set my pressure to a narrower range of 10 cm to 14 cm and letting the auto-flex float between. Also, as someone mentioned, make sure your exhalation relief is set so you are not having to exhale through the incoming air at full pressure.

Between the pressure resetting and the 5th mask I can say my life is truly improved! I wear foam 30 db ear plugs (available at an industrial safety store) to block out the CPAP/APAP machine cycling as well as the two fans I run all night due to the room ambient heat compounded by my new TempraPedic mattress which stores heat. My urine output is less, so less bathroom trips. My nightmares are less frequent and when they do come are far less scary then with severe OSA. I sometimes even think I should go back to work .... NOT! But everyday is a wonderful new adventure thanks, in part, to my OSA treatment.

By the way, if I were a all night tummy sleeper (which I have never been), I would invest in a massage table-like head rest where your head is supported by the ring and the mask and hose go out through the bottom. However, it sounds like you move around a lot, which makes me ask "how's your mattress?" After 1 week of CPAP/APAP, I sort of woke up one night and realized I had been sleeping on my back for the first time in decades! It felt great. I probably spend 30% of my sleep on my back now, alternating between left side 50% and right side 20% [still recovering from shoulder surgery].

My two cents to you is DON'T GIVE UP AND DON'T GIVE IN! Keep being a gentle "pain" for your DME and sleep doctor pleading with them to help you. Try lots of mask and pressure combinations. Be cautious with sleeping pills, since my sources tell me they actually may make OSA worse, making your machine work harder than need be and maybe contributing to waking you up so much.

May your journey take you into new sleeping cycles and as your "little grey cells" become oxygenated all night long your entire life improves!

All the best,
Don D

_________________
Mask: Simplus Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: PR System One Heated Humidifier
Additional Comments: I only look at little screen on machine, let doc analyse details. Now machine set up for me.

Hope this helps!

Don D

I've always had EPR on and I never use sleeping pills. I can't sleep with earplugs in as they always hurt after a few hours... And they actually make my Dreamwear noise worse since that is conducted through the tubing and into my skull. I have a white noise machine and air purifier, but the mask is louder. I have a very nice memory foam mattress that is very comfortable. I'd prefer to sleep on my side but this mask won't allow that without becoming dislodged and becoming a lot louder.

I have fairly mild apnea, but i absolutely need to sleep as lack of sleep isn't too good for your brain either.

My doctor and DME are very willing to help but largely out of ideas.

PapPillow.com - bed pillows for cpap wearers.

I'm in love with my pillows, and when I'm on my side, I sleep on the edge. They feel great on my neck.

recipefordisaster wrote:I can't sleep with earplugs in as they always hurt after a few hours... .

there are many different types of earplugs, and they vary greatly with effectiveness AND comfort.

try a different type.