XS Nasal Pillows and XS/S FFM seem too big

I have been on my ResMed AirSense 10 Auto for a week and a half. I tried the nasal pillows and then 3 days ago I switch to a ffm. I have the heated hose and use the humidifier. Here are my issues, I am a side sleeper, I toss and turn due to hip pain, I am a mouth breather, I have chronic nasal congestion due to allergies, I have never liked breathing warm air (even as a child). The XS nasal pillows seem ridiculously large for my nose, my mouth opens during the night and the air escapes out of my mouth, even with the chin strap (which is a whole other conversation). I woke myself up purring like a cat. I nearly have a panic attack when I try and turn over. The ffm puts pressure on the side of my nose while I sleep and if I move I can feel the air escaping out of different parts of the mask which awakens me.

I am exhausted. I am committed to this process but I am feeling very discouraged and hopeless right now. My insurance will only pay for the two masks in the beginning and then one every 6 months. I am willing to purchase one out of pocket but don't want to be wasting money if these can work for me and I am just using them wrong. Do I just need to suck it up and power thru this? I want to be successful, I read the stories and I want to feel better. I'm just not sure I'm doing it right.

Are you trying to cram the entire nasal pillow rim inside your nostril? Only the tiny tip of the inner cone goes in the nostril and it doesn't touch anything. The bulk of the nasal pillow rim rests gently against the nostril.
The XSmall in the P10 nasal pillow will fit a small childs nostrils.

Which full face mask are you trying to use?

Are you trying to cram the entire nasal pillow rim inside your nostril?

No, but the pillows seem to rest and rub the middle section of my nose that separates my nostrils and by morning it is uncomfortable.


Which full face mask are you trying to use?

ResMed AirFit™ P10 AirFit™ F10 for Her

I have no experience with the full face AirFit F10 mask so I can't help with it at all. I haven't even ever seen one.

But I have over 2 years worth of experience with the P10 nasal pillows...I know you may think this is a weird idea but try the Small size nasal pillow. It might be more stable and it might be that the movement of the nasal pillow is causing the irritation. I had a bit of initial discomfort with the XSmall myself and going to the Small resolved the issue. Worth trying and if it works you can then explore additional ways to resolve the mouth opening/breathing issues.

Otherwise...if you have to use a full face mask...take a look at the Respironics Amara View...it doesn't go over the nose at all and it might be that it works better in your situation. I have used it successfully (I can't use any mask that touches the bridge of my nose area) and while I wouldn't want to use it all the time...if I had to use a full face mask for some reason I could use it. It's the only full face mask that I have ever had success with.

Thank you, I will. I am excited to see if it will work.

Pugsy, thank you for the input. I actually ended up using the medium and I had the best night so far. I only woke up briefly 2 to 3 times and now I think it is just a matter of getting used to the mask. I didn't have to wear the chin strap either! I really appreciate the suggestion.

Glad it helped. I think sometimes that these nasal pillows seal too well and larger size allows for more gentle resting against the nostrils.

kissmegudnite wrote:I have been on my ResMed AirSense 10 Auto for a week and a half. I tried the nasal pillows and then 3 days ago I switch to a ffm. I have the heated hose and use the humidifier. Here are my issues, I am a side sleeper, I toss and turn due to hip pain, I am a mouth breather, I have chronic nasal congestion due to allergies, I have never liked breathing warm air (even as a child). The XS nasal pillows seem ridiculously large for my nose, my mouth opens during the night and the air escapes out of my mouth, even with the chin strap (which is a whole other conversation). I woke myself up purring like a cat. I nearly have a panic attack when I try and turn over. The ffm puts pressure on the side of my nose while I sleep and if I move I can feel the air escaping out of different parts of the mask which awakens me.

I am exhausted. I am committed to this process but I am feeling very discouraged and hopeless right now. My insurance will only pay for the two masks in the beginning and then one every 6 months. I am willing to purchase one out of pocket but don't want to be wasting money if these can work for me and I am just using them wrong. Do I just need to suck it up and power thru this? I want to be successful, I read the stories and I want to feel better. I'm just not sure I'm doing it right.

Interesting member name, it took me a few seconds I'm glad Pugsy's advice helped... for others out there: Mask recommendations can be pretty sketchy to begin with... that's because faces are so different, as are CPAP pressures, sleep positions etc.
For me, at the other end of the spectrum - namely medium to large mask sizing - it's been a real challenge over the years. Advice? Start your own CPAP mask company? Sorry, that's all I've got except for this: If you hit a brick wall, you'll need to try different products... masks are similar to shoes in several respects: different feet, different shoes, different fit, different results.