Need help after 6 months of treatment

I was diagnosed with apnea about six months ago and began treatment immediately. I was outfitted with a Resmed S8 and humidifier and a Mirage Activa. Pressure started at 9. Once I began treatment, I could not believe how much better I felt and that I was no longer falling asleep at 8:30 and feeling drowsy while driving.

I soon developed sores on the bridge of my nose and upper lip with this mask and switched to the Mirage Swift II. I REALLY liked this interface, until it became clear that I was a chronic mouth breather. I tried several different chin straps, but it did not seem to solve the problem.

So I moved on to mask number three: the Mirage Quattro full face. This worked OK, but I did not like how intrusive it felt. I continued to mouth breath, but thought that it was OK since this was a full face mask.

Over the past two months, my symptoms have returned. More sleepiness at night and while driving. My neurologist has progressively moved my pressure up to 13. I am now getting leaks and a great deal of noise from the Quattro and feel lousy most of the time.

I plan to see my doctor, but this will likely take 4-6 weeks. I am tempted to return to the nasal pillows and start taping or using polident for the mouth breathing.

In general though, I am pretty depressed as to arriving here after feeling better at first. I can't remember the last time I had a decent night's sleep or felt rested during the day.

If there are any suggestions from those out there, I will be most appreciative.

If you are getting mask leaks, your treatment is going out the window, same thing with mouth leaks.

Mouth taping is really no big deal. The Swift was the first mask I got and I adapted very well to it, but had to begin mouth taping to get it to work for me. I the surgical paper tape and the procedure that Rooster outlined. Here's the link:
viewtopic.php?t=9653

I would much rather tape than use a full face mask. However, if you want a full face mask that has some of the features of the nasal pillows masks like the Swift, you might try the Hybrid. It works for some people very well.

Do you have a data capable machine? If so, this will help greatly with detecting leaks and seeing how your therapy is working? I'm wondering on what basis your neurologist moved the pressure up. Did he use data? I'm not a doctor, but I'd sure want one who used data to change my titrated pressure if it was working for me at first. I'd want a doctor to see if it was leaks causing the problem and then help me find a way to solve that problem, not just raise the pressure.

There's no substitute for understanding your therapy for yourself. It took me a lot of work and reading this forum for hours to begin to understand it. I have a job that is well over 50 hours per week, so it's not like I had a lot of time for this. But in the end it's well worth the time and effort you will put in to it.

If you understand it yourself it's easier to find a doctor who understands it as well as you do, hopefully better. But those aren't easy to find.

RosemaryB wrote: ... If you understand it yourself it's easier to find a doctor who understands it as well as you do, hopefully better. But those aren't easy to find.

Boy, you sure said a mouthful of truth there, RosemaryB!!! I'm beginning to think that even w/the full data downloads they don't look past the compliance graph data!!

Thr61, just exactly which Resmed S8 do you have? The Compact, Escape, Elite or AutoSet Vantage?

If you still have the Activa, check out Mask Fittings under the Red Ball w/Question Mark in it at the top of the page. Maybe you can make it work for the time being w/o tearing up your face anymore.

I'd wonder too if they've been increasing your pressure due to the leaks, instead of noting the leak rate and addressing that issue and maybe you don't need that increase in pressure or as much increase in pressure.

Of course, this might be just the opportunity to worm an exchange for an autoPAP if all you have is a compliance data only straight CPAP.