Breeze/DreamSeal - first night report

The OptiLife has been comfortable, and allows me to continue to be a heavy toss-and-turn side sleeper like I've always been. Only problem has been the developing pressure point sores in both nostrils. I decided to look through the nasal mask styles and find something that combined minimal strapping with the ability to change sleep positions, and settled on the Breeze/DreamSeal package.

Yesterday it arrived and I tried it for the first time last night. This may sound odd, but it was both as comfortable as I'd expected, and as uncomfortable as I'd expected.

I liked the fact that there was a minimum of infrastructure involved in merely keeping the mask sealed to my fuzzy face. I was impressed at how many places the gear articulates to accommodate different face shapes. I got a good seal and moved back and forth a bit to see if it would shift while sleeping. Seemed to be working fine, so I fired up the air and settled in to sleep.

First thing I noticed was the noise from the exhaust port. It seemed to change depending on position, which I still find confusing, but over time I found it easy to tune out (and my wife says it never bothered her at all last night). As before with the OptiLife, every time I changed position in the night I found myself adjusting the mask position a little to get the best seal and comfortable fit. So this was no different.

About 4am I rolled to one side, and *splat*; a bunch of moisture hit me square in the schnozz. I shook it out and went back to sleep, but rainout bothered me the rest of the night--I finally took it off around 5:30am and went back to sleep. I've got a fleece hose cover but it may be that the setting that worked on the OptiLife won't work on the Breeze--I'll lower it tonight and report back.

Overall I'm happy with it, and I'm glad to have a fallback mask for when I need to give my nose a break. I did notice tenderness under my nose where the mask pressed in on my mustache, but it wasn't nearly enough to make me not want to wear it. I'll give this one about a week to see if I settle into it like I did with the OptiLife, then I'll switch off every so often.

I'm having the same wetness at the same time. I'm using a CL2. I've eliminated the hoses as the culprit. Appears to be the pillows assembly. I think the up over the head assembly allows the condensation from the breathe out to collect at the bottom there, causing this problem.

You wouldn't have had that problem with the OL, because the tube from the nose went down instead of up.

Keep us posted. I'm curious to find out if someone finds a fix for the pillows condensation issue.

Cheers,
B.

I'm getting that impression too. The hose cover goes all the way up to the bracket that connects it to the headgear, but there's that small length down my forehead that's uncovered.

My arrangement is a bit different. The headboard for my bed is a low shelf arrangement that opens out to shelves and drawers on each side. So the headboard area is the same height as the bed, and I have my APAP on a shelf to one side that's about a foot and a half lower than my head, so I didn't expect that much condensation. It may just be what's collecting on the inner surface of the mask itself from exhalation; the OptiLife has less surface area for the process to accumulate, so a certain small amount may be inevitable, unless someone figures out a way to warm the mask surface itself...

I actually jerry rigged a small fleece cover to cover the tube part of the mask on the CL2. I haven't gotten the Breeze that's in the mail yet, so I don't know if that same trick will work there. If I figure it out, I'll keep you posted. I'm not crazy about fleece in my face. So, I have the forehead tube covered, but the face tube not covered. That face tube has remained dry, however. Just the pillows bit itself is what's condensating now for me.

Good to know you've lowered your humidifier. I was debating about doing that, but haven't done it yet. Been busy taking care of other people in my world and been too tired to deal with myself.

LOL,
B.

Thank you for the posting!

I have been using the ComfortLite 2 with Direct Seal for a year. I bought the Breeze to try as I was impressed by the predecessor, the ADAM Circuit. I used the ADAM on loan from my sleep center until I borrowed a CL (1) from the DME provider and until my CL 2 came in. I also used the Swift for 3 weeks before returning it. Thankfully, the DME provider had a 30 day return policy!

I have been using the Breeze with the DreamSeal for about 2 weeks. I switched back to the CL 2 for a while because my face was red and small bumps were forming where the silicone touched my face. I dreaded an allergy to the silicone, as my mother cannot use some plastics.

I washed the silicone part about 8 times with hot water, dish detergent, and a soft scrub brush; then, soaked it for a few hours in a 1:4 vinegar to water solution. That took care of the irritation problem, thankfully.

Maybe my observations of the Breeze will add to the discussion:

1. Exhale port CAN be noisy, but I cannot stand that. I kept playing with it. I still do almost every night, and by removing it and 'squishing' it in half, putting the two inside ends together, eventually I can get a quiet seal. This is a delicate balance, and it can be quiet without adjustment for a few days, then we start all over in the quest for quiet. It can also start over the next time I use the mask.

I realized one night that the DreamSeal silicone was not tightly snapped onto the clips. However, that is not the entire solution. I also have to play with the angle and the tightness by swiveling the face portion up or down, and by trying different adjustments with the sliding occipital and forehead pieces.

2. Every mask seems to need different humidity settings. I have a hose cozy and a Pad-a-Cheek forehead tube cozy for my CL 2(a work of art; it fits like a glove; thank you, padacheek Karen). I have droplets in the DreamSeal, too, but not a snoot full--and I had a few in the CL 2.

3. I use a pantyhose strap and a tights strap; the pantyhose one is much narrower and goes just above the DreamSeal on the tube. The tights leg I have threaded through the forehead area between the tube and the hard plastic guide/support.

4. Despite the straps, I seem to have occasional leaking as a side to side sleeper, but I think I awaken to adjust my position. It doesn't seem to me that the CL 2 w/ Direct Seal was as sensitive to my movement.

5. The Simple Seal (mini-nasal mask) on the CL 2 made my nose cold and I could not sleep with it. I find the DreamSeal to be much better in that respect. It is a bit cold at first, but if I GENTLY cover the exhale port hole for 5 seconds, it warms up quickly. I do this at the peril of having to repeat number 1 above!

6. I have the old style Breeze, and wonder if the new one would be any better. I should like to have the side elastic come a bit lower on my head--I think it would be more secure. I have a big head (PLEASE no comments! ), but certainly not larger than many men's heads. I should also like to have a bit easier adjustment on the forehead and occipital sliders, but that DOES eventually work with a bit of playing.

7. I would LOVE a mask that doesn't give me a new hairstyle overnight, and the Breeze and ComfortLite 2 are NOT the ones to do so. However, whatever it takes for therapy, I'm all for it. It is a small sacrifice, although a bit of a nuisance, as I HATE to do my hair. Of course, if I were to get good at it I would be very happy with both the mask headgear and my hair. I'm still working on being able to do my hair well; 54 now with only another 60 or so to go means I may actually achieve that goal!

It would be great to hear some other experiences.

Best wishes to us all!

Karen

Second night.

Dropped the humidifier to 2, and it rained out again around 4am, I ended up taking it off and finished the night without it. Aaaand...now I am getting a pressure sore underneath my nose. Just can't win for playing.

I know it's only two nights and I need to keep fiddling with settings and strapping and what-not, but it's a little frustrating to say the least.

I took a careful look at the mask and hoses this morning. The inside surface of the mask was dripping with condensation, the small-bore hose leading from the mask to the bracket point on top of the headgear had some moisture, the rest of the hose from the bracket point to the machine was covered in a fleece sleeve and had little to no wetness at all.

My current working theory is that it's mostly exhalation, with some condensed inside the small hose segment. That being the case, I'll have to give some thought as to how to keep the surface area inside the mask from collecting water.

Sounds like your room is too cold ... remember, you are not camping anymore .. turn up the heater control for your bedroom.

Short of that, you may want to add insulation the to the hose part of your mask (as Babette mentioned above) ... make certain you don't cover up the exhaust ports.

I'm thinking about ways to cover the mask surface itself. That appears to be where the majority of the condensation is collecting. Perhaps some sort of MacGuyver solution involving velcro patches and bits of fleece, or something...

As to warming the bedroom--we have central heat and while my frugality bone got bruised buying gear for this machine, it just won't let me heat up the whole house at night merely to keep my mask dry.

ScottH wrote:I'm thinking about ways to cover the mask surface itself. That appears to be where the majority of the condensation is collecting. Perhaps some sort of MacGuyver solution involving velcro patches and bits of fleece, or something...

As to warming the bedroom--we have central heat and while my frugality bone got bruised buying gear for this machine, it just won't let me heat up the whole house at night merely to keep my mask dry.

You can buy space heaters at big-box stores for under $40 ...

Third night.

NO RAINOUT! Last night I grabbed some fleece scraps left over from my wife's project (she whipped up two hose covers for me the first week the machine came home) and tucked them around the small hose segment. Lo and behold, a full eight hours with no *splats*.

I am still fiddling with straps and articulation, but I have a good enough combination that last night I slept really well, side-to-side and everything. I think I've solved it, and now have a perfectly usable backup mask arrangement. I'll go back to the OptiLife next week and do a tradeoff each week to keep my nose from scabbing up.

We have a winner!