Need help, suspect UARS. Want to try APAP - need advice and guidance.

You're talking about the CO2 vent - it lets CO2 out every time you exhale whenever you breathe - with or without Cpap - and if the vent wasn't there (and don't cover it please) you'd rebreathe CO2 and don't want to do that.

Julie wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:38 am

You're talking about the CO2 vent - it lets CO2 out every time you exhale whenever you breathe - with or without Cpap - and if the vent wasn't there (and don't cover it please) you'd rebreathe CO2 and don't want to do that.

I can only feel air coming out of it when I inhale though, and virtually nothing on exale?

The mask has vents by design, mainly to release exhaled air so you do not breathe back in the CO2.

It can sometimes be a challenge to differentiate between mask venting & small leaks. Do not block those vents.

It's normal with the P10.
During inhale their is more air flow going through the mask and thus more venting out those little holes.
During exhale there is less air flow so not as much venting.
I use the P10 and have noticed this. I am more apt to feel the venting on inhale than I am on exhale.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:50 am

It's normal with the P10.
During inhale their is more air flow going through the mask and thus more venting out those little holes.
During exhale there is less air flow so not as much venting.
I use the P10 and have noticed this. I am more apt to feel the venting on inhale than I am on exhale.

Ah okay.

Do you have an advice on pillow size? as in, are there any particular factors I should be looking for or things I can do to 'test' for the right pillow size? Trying to decide between medium and large.

No, I can't help with the pillow size because I can't see how they are sitting on the nostrils.
You just don't want it too small so that it might try to crawl up inside the nostril. So if the edge of the rim of the pillow part that rests on the nostril is close to the nostril opening you might want to go larger.

I had an issue with the XSmall in the P10 and I have been able to use XSmall in all the other various nasal pillow masks I have used.
The XSmall fit but it would sometimes try to get sucked up inside my nose and that didn't feel good and also caused the pillow to collapse and no air movement and I would wake up suffocating feeling.
The P10 tends to run just a tad small when comparing to the other models. You've never tried the other brands so you have nothing to compare to. It's also entirely possible that you can be equally successful with 2 sizes...I can use the Small and Medium equally without issues.

You will just have to use a size and see how it feels. In this situation there's no substitute for experience.

It is also fairly common for the nostrils to be a little tender for the first while. Some people here have recommended a cream to reduce the irritation.
After the nose adjusts, the tenderness disappears.

Julie wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 04, 2018 10:38 am

You're talking about the CO2 vent - it lets CO2 out every time you exhale

That is not CO2. It's room air with a slightly reduced amount of oxygen and slightly increased amount of CO2.

Here is the contents of exhaled air when we are not using CPAP:

5.0–6.3% water vapor
74.4% nitrogen
13.6–16.0% oxygen
4.0–5.3% carbon dioxide
1% argon and several parts per million (ppm) of hydrogen and carbon monoxide, 1 ppm of ammonia and less than 1 ppm of acetone, methanol, ethanol and other volatile organic compounds.

When using CPAP, the air going through the vent has slightly more oxygen and slightly less CO2. The actual amount depends on the amount of flow through the vent.

Well, night 1 was a fail.

I felt like my breathing adjusted to the machine, and it felt more effortless which was a bonus, but my nose was feeling very sore, which prevented me from falling asleep. After 2 hours I had to take the mask off as it was far too uncomfortable, and I was trapped in that space where my body wanted to fall asleep but my brain wouldn't because of the discomfort.

Any reccomendations on how to prevent this with the P10 nasal pillows?

Edit: One problem is I suspect is that I had the mask on too tight.. Without tightening it right up it almost felt a little loose if I moved around and I was worried about air leaks, however I read in another thread someone said if your nose looks at all squashed it's too tight - which mine did. So I will have to try it looser next time..

Can anyone reccomend any particular cream that will help me get past the soreness? As I suspect it wasn't only due to tightness. It's mainly the outer rim of my nostrils that felt sore.

Some here have used Lansinoh cream. I understand it is usually available in the baby section since it is used by nursing mothers.

That would be Lansinoh ...

The Lansinoh... do I put that on whilst using the mask? (I.e. apply the cream, then put the mask on and go to sleep.)

Or, is that for use when I'm NOT using the mask?

Julie wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 05, 2018 3:42 am

That would be Lansinoh ...

Corrected thanks

canyouhearmeaya wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 05, 2018 3:46 am

The Lansinoh... do I put that on whilst using the mask? (I.e. apply the cream, then put the mask on and go to sleep.)

Or, is that for use when I'm NOT using the mask?

Actually it can be both but for sure a small dab while using the mask.
It can also be used during the day to help promote healing if the nose feels like you ran into someone's fist.

canyouhearmeaya wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 05, 2018 2:55 am

One problem is I suspect is that I had the mask on too tight.. Without tightening it right up it almost felt a little loose if I moved around and I was worried about air leaks, however I read in another thread someone said if your nose looks at all squashed it's too tight - which mine did. So I will have to try it looser next time..

Have you watched any of the videos ( https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=airfit+p10 ) about fitting and adjusting the P10?