CPAPtalk.com

I've Been Tired wrote: ↑

Wed May 03, 2023 10:33 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Wed May 03, 2023 10:22 pm

I've Been Tired wrote: ↑

Wed May 03, 2023 8:12 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Wed May 03, 2023 12:49 pm

I've Been Tired wrote: ↑

Wed May 03, 2023 12:20 pm

a leak strap will seriously reduce your leaks

Whatever a "leak strap" is, it probably won't.

A leak strap really reduced my leaks.

https://www.padacheek.com/anti-leak-and ... ity-straps

Well, if you'd SAID that you were talking about something Karen made instead of a generic "chin strap", then I'd probably said you might just be right.

She makes good stuff.

You have 32,000 posts on here and you don't know what a leak strap is?!?! Good lord.

Google "leak strap" search

About 1,360 results (0.81 seconds)

116166 topics

Well over a *million* posts on the forum.

I guess I missed those few posts, my bad.

Have a NICE day, you've earned it.

last night, based on your above posts, I increased my minimum pressure to 12 and max to 18. Below are my OSCAR diagrams. Any comments for my next step of air pressure adjustment will be appreciated.

The leaks are really bad. You need to fix them or at least reduce significantly before the results of any pressure changes can be evaluated.

thank you, and will work on leaks first. However, what bothers me most is I was waked up each night multiple times by Resmed, and each time, I found the air pressure is up between 14 and 18, and the F20 mask is leaking. I would first want to have an uninterrupted nightlong sleep.

If the leaks are contributing to the number of wake ups which is a very much possibility....you won't ever have reduced wake ups until leak issues are resolved.

Fix the leaks first because we know that they are a for sure potential problem....then see what's left that might need fixing.

Above posts have suggested mask underliner and mask strap, will see if they work for me

I think the place to start working on this is with your mask. You are not getting a good seal. Looking at your chart, the leaks start almost immediately and are persistent throughout the night. It's not the pressure that's the problem, it's the seal on your mask. If I had to guess, I'd put it down to the memory foam cushion (looking up the F20 online it seems to be a memory foam cushion mask--forgive me if that's not correct, even if it is an air cushion, you STILL have a mask problem).

Ever put your hand down on a memory foam mattress pad or pillow and then remove your hand? The impression from your hand remains for a few minutes and then slowly fills in again. What that tells me is that the memory foam is not very dynamic, but your face has so many muscles and types of movement, it is very dynamic. As you fall asleep your face relaxes. Gravity and your position change the dynamics of your facial muscles, taking a breath with your mouth, wiggling your nose, blinking, etc, all change your face--but it takes some time for the memory foam to catch up to those movements.

Looking at reviews for the Airtouch F20, it works for a lot of people, but clearly it's not working for you. I tried a memory foam cushion in my early days on CPAP, I found that it really needed to be crammed down on my face to not leak, to the point where I couldn't really move my face. Perhaps a mask liner and anti-leak strap will help you--it's a cheaper solution than a different mask, but it's unclear if it will work for YOU (just because it worked for others doesn't mean it will work for you). Also, memory foam deteriorates quickly--have you changed the cushion every 30 days as recommended? Silicone is much more resilient.

Most of us use air cushion masks, and there is a reason. Air cushion masks are dynamic and move WITH your face, filling in the gaps as you move IF properly adjusted. That's a big "if", in that it's very hard to properly adjust a full face mask whether you are using an air cushion or not, because there's a LOT of surface area to cover, and positions and pressures do change throughout the night on APAP. There's also a nuance using air cushion masks, in that the air cushion must be fully inflated with air to work. The instinct is to mash it down if there are leaks, but you need to do the opposite, release the pressure until the cushion fills up and molds to your face. It takes some work to get it adjusted properly in the first place and find that "sweet spot" that will allow it to respond to increases in pressure, changes in position, etc. But most of us can learn to master it.

There are other FF masks that have air cushions you could try to see if you have better leak control. I also wonder if you really need a FF mask? Nasal masks and nasal pillow or cradle masks are SO VERY MUCH easier to seal, simply because the surface area and amount of movement they have to manage is much smaller. Some people start off CPAP thinking they need a FF mask because they have been mouth breathing for years, but the mouth breathing can be because of air hunger caused by the apnea. I, for one, was surprised to find out that I didn't need a FF mask once my apnea was under good control.

Unless and until you get those leaks under control, everything else is moot. The leaks are too big for effective treatment, and your AHI and graphs illustrate that pretty clearly. Give a mask liner and leak strap a try, but if they don't work, you need to be looking for a different mask.

Thank you very much, appreciated it. I ordered underlined earlier today. If not working, will try nasal instead of full face mask.

When I got the new AS 11 after using the AS 10 for 6 years, I experienced the same issue ... excessive leaks as much as 95% at 60 lpm. With the AS10 I had used 12-18 for years so I tried the AirTouch F20 mask ... even worse result, as the mask leaked constantly unless locked down hard. In another post it was suggested that the AS11 humidifier tends to not lock, and the leaks are high. I discovered the heated tube was moving the AS11 on the nightstand and then humidifier would leak and then correct with later movement ...large rubber band fixed the humidifier leak problem. My leaks appear remarkably similar to yours.

I switched from a med F20 to a large F20 mask and for the last two nights leaks have all but disappeared. I use REMZZZ liners, and a "RUBY" chin strap over the mask. The chin strap holds the mask from moving around. The large mask covers the mouth better.