Optilife Mask

New user 6182 · Post by **New user 6182** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:35 pm

Has anyone used the Respironics Optilife mask yet? I am a new CPAP user (2 weeks) and am using a swift nasal pillow. The swift is fine but I need a chin strap and that is what bothers me. The Optilife has a built in strap but I dont know how robust it is.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:47 pm

New user 6182 wrote:Has anyone used the Respironics Optilife mask yet? I am a new CPAP user (2 weeks) and am using a swift nasal pillow. The swift is fine but I need a chin strap and that is what bothers me. The Optilife has a built in strap but I dont know how robust it is.

Optilife chinstrap is useless for keeping your yap from flapping. Mask itself is as good or better than Swift IMO ... primarily quiter.

zzzzzz!! · Post by **zzzzzz!!** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:14 pm

New user 6182 wrote:Has anyone used the Respironics Optilife mask yet? I am a new CPAP user (2 weeks) and am using a swift nasal pillow. The swift is fine but I need a chin strap and that is what bothers me. The Optilife has a built in strap but I dont know how robust it is.

I use the OptiLife and overall I like it. Its chin strap is only meant to help stabilize the mask; it is not intended to help keep your mouth closed. For that you need to use something like a chin strap, tape, Polident, or some kind of oral device. Your other option would be to switch to a full face mask.

Fastsheriff · Post by **Fastsheriff** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:18 pm

Started with the swift and switched to the optilife. Optilife is much easier to sleep on your side with. The chin strap just holds the interface in place, does not hold the mouth closed.

wog · Post by **wog** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:19 pm

Hi new user to the forum...

And sort of new to CPAP... (I took an 8 year vacation from CPAP).

Anyhoo... I'm using the Optilife and I'm astonishingly compliant with it. Kept it on all night from the 1st night. There was some soreness at 1st. But after many adjustments I think I have it set up JUST right.

The chin strap I've found needs to be kept somewhat loose. If you tighten it, it applies uncomfortable (for me) pressure between your upper lip and under your nose. So, if you're looking for something to help keep your mouth closed, this isn't the solution.

The Optilife will probably take quite some time to adjust to get it to fit comfortably. But for me, it's been the best mask I've ever used. My only upgrade request would be softer and wider nasal pillows.

Wog

ScottH · Post by **ScottH** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:20 pm

Brand new (less than 2 weeks!) were-cyborg.

I did my titration study with the Swift, and while I found it would work I am a side sleeper and it limited me. My therapist hauled out the OptiLife and said this one ought to be more comfortable.

It's taking some getting used to (soreness and fiddling with the chin strap) but I've been sleeping through the night and my leak rate is too low to worry about. I do have mouth "puffs" occasionally, so it's obviously not a chin strap in that regard, but it's not been enough to put me off using this mask--I've been able to get used to it just fine.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 7:29 pm

I switched from optilife to the breeze - where as others find the optilife good for side sleeping, I found it completely unusable. My pillow would press against the plastic part of the mask that sort of comes over your cheek, pushing the pillows out of my nose enough to cause serious leaks.

I also got very, very tired of the hose coming down instead of over the head - it comes with a clip to clip the hose to your shirt or pillow case or whatever. While I found that it helped immensely, I still found the hose pretty much dragging the mask down, left, or right and again causing bad leaks. Tightening the headgear only helped marginally, and it made my nose very sore in the morning to boot.

RichCMH · Post by **RichCMH** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 8:08 pm

Side sleepers who turn or bury their face into the pillow will probably never find a mask that will work well.

I have a memory foam pillow UNDER a medium density pillow that works great for me and my OptiLife.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 8:55 pm

RichCMH wrote:Side sleepers who turn or bury their face into the pillow will probably never find a mask that will work well.

The Twilight NP does...for me, anyway.

LINKS to Invacare Twilight NP (Aeiomed Headrest- Aura) nasal pillows mask topics
viewtopic.php?t=3098

zzzzzz!! · Post by **zzzzzz!!** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:53 pm

Anonymous wrote: I also got very, very tired of the hose coming down instead of over the head

I find that annoying as well. Using the performance tubing with this mask helps a lot, but the small tube that extends down from the mask can still be bothersome. I need to be a little careful how I'm positioned or else that tube pushes the mask up, putting too much pressure on my nose.

The OptiLife isn't perfect, but overall I'm happy with it.

I'm tempted to try the Twilight NP Aura but really don't like having things between my eyes...

blarg · Post by **blarg** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 11:55 pm

RichCMH wrote:Side sleepers who turn or bury their face into the pillow will probably never find a mask that will work well.

Twilight NP works great for me too.

bast · Post by **bast** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:05 am

another belly-sleeping pillow-burrower's vote:

i've been using the decapitated twilight np for about 2 weeks now, and the one time i decided to go back to the optilife i was amazed at how heavy and cumbersome it seemed. {the optilife was what i had my titration study with, and i used it after the opus, which has better flexibility with the swivel, but too leaky for me)

also, and maybe this is incidental but probably not, my AHI has gone down to an average of 1 event per hour during this time. (from more like 5-10 with other masks).

something about it seems to work for lots of people here!

(and no, i don't have stock in the company, yet...)

el basit

Optilife Mask

Optilife Mask

Re: Optilife Mask

Re: Optilife Mask

also new user, hooked on (decap) twilight np after optilife!