Nasal pillow painful

I’ve just joined this group because your suggestions have helped me WAY more than my supplier support. I’ve been a CPAP user for years. But, a few days ago I received a Dreamstation with nasal pillow that has the nostril plugs. The pressure was increased from 4 to 11. I’m on blood thinners so I’m prone to nose bleeds. I’m miserable. My nose is bleeding...a lot. Plus, I look like Red nose Santa. My nose is soooo sore. I turned up the humidity and heat on my hose. That made things worse. Plus my machine ran out of water. The supplier said turn everything down. So I went down to humidity of 2. I was on a medium pillow and went down to a small. I also added the chin strap to keep my mouth closed. Per your recommendations, I use saline nasal gel around and inside my nose. Then Neil med nasal spray in the morning. Today my nose is much better! Should I go back to a medium pillow. I’m unsure how the pillow is supposed to fit and how tight the headgear should be. If you have any other suggestions please let me know.

Which nasal pillow mask did they give you? Brand and model name please?

I suspect you have it way too tight and maybe wrong size nasal pillow. Being too tight is a common error that people make with the nasal pillow masks. They should rest gently on the outside of your nostrils. At no time should any portion of the outside of the nasal pillow be inside the nostril. The ONLY part of the nasal pillow that is inside the nostrils is the teeny tiny tip of the cone and it does NOT touch the skin anywhere inside the nostril.
If the pillow is trying to crawl up inside your nose....it's too small.
If you look in the mirror with the mask on and the first thought through your mind is "man, I have piggy nose"....it's too tight.
Too tight and it can't inflate and it needs to inflate to seal.

Take a pillow all by itself and place it gently against the nostrils and breathe through it...that's how tight it needs to be...not very tight at all. Shouldn't move the end of your nose at all.

No pillow mask should be causing abrasion or nose bleeds from rubbing inside the nostrils.....they shouldn't be touching any skin inside the nostrils at all.

jjkk wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 8:37 am

nasal pillow that has the nostril plugs

Your description is worrying, because there are no "plugs" in a nasal pillow, they pillows are meant to rest (fairly) gently on the surface of your nostrils.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 10:51 am

jjkk wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 25, 2020 8:37 am

nasal pillow that has the nostril plugs

Your description is worrying, because there are no "plugs" in a nasal pillow, they pillows are meant to rest (fairly) gently on the surface of your nostrils.

I am betting he is cramming those suckers in the nostril thinking the whole thing including the rim has to be inside...but maybe he got the prongs....that's why I ask about brand and model mask.
If he's doing what it sounds like....no wonder his nose is bleeding and hurts like hell.