CPAPtalk.com

Hi,
the EXACT same thing was happening to me. I felt worse even with an achy flu like feeling while wearing a nasal mask with the cpap. My leak rate was high like yours and I figured out that i was leaking air from my mouth. I got a chin strap and then my mouth still opened and I also got a headache. Then, i went back to the med supply store and got a "Quattro" full face mask. (by resmed i think) and i thought NO WAY WILL I BE ABLE TO STAND THIS...but the first night was not so bad...by night two i knew i could handle it...and 2 weeks later I am feeling SOOOO MUCH BETTER. I NEVER would have known if it were not for some kind people on this forum. So, now I LOVE MY QUATTRO mask and would never change it. I like the feeling of being able to breathe through my mouth if I want to. With my nose mask I was tortured with air blowing out of my mouth and i hated how i could not talk. i can at least talk with the full face mask if i need to.

-angi

I use the swift as well and it's a leaky mask to say the least. The best way to improve the leaky thing I have found, is a hair bungy crossed over along the bottem clip, plug to plug to tighten it up and Plummers tape to wrap the plastic grooves in an extra thin layer as the Swift seems to wear out over time. I do have a high pressure of 17cmH20 though so I most likely wear masks out faster then you. I also have a big face so the straps pull the thing apart a little too hence the hair bungy.

I also think my O2 suffering due to the leakyness of the mask and I am getting fitted for a FFM soon. I love the comfort of the Swift and dread the Full Face Mask but I am not a fan of taping, glueing, or the chainstrap as yet so I am going to give them a shot.

The tapeing of my mouth doesn't bother me too much, as it gives me a good seal.
I did upp the minimum pressure last night to 9.2, yet i feel like i've had no sleep at all..again..and again.Mind you, my hi numbers went down.
last nights readings were
pressure 11.0
leak .80
ahi 3.2
ai .5
hi 2.7

I thought a lowered hi would make me feel better.This can be very confusing!

by the way, hades161, do you have a picture to illustratte what you're suggesting? i don't even know what a hair bungy is. thanks..tim

When I obtained my PSG summary report I was surprised to see "underlying central apnea" and "complex sleep apnea" as my diagnosis. This could be because I've had no follow-up visit with the sleep doc, however I did speak to the sleep nurse several times after my study and this was never mentioned.

Central apnea (if you didn't know) requires a different type machine than the one you have, and central apnea events won't show up in most data reporting software.

I know of at least one person whose doctor was insisting that their central apnea could be treated with a bi-level machine, and I've heard it is possible in some cases to treat with CPAP, but it is a trial and error process that a sleep doc may or may not mention to us. If CPAP fails it's on to bi-level, if bi-level fails then an adaptive servo ventilation unit (ASV) is in order.

I noticed in my sleep study summary that they plan to test me next on a bi-level machine, and if that doesn't work, and they don't think it will according to the notes, they will eventually move me to an ASV. Keep in mind that I would have known none of this to date, 40 days into my treatment, had I not asked for a a summary version of my sleep study.

Since you've had several sleep studies and nobody has said anything about central apnea, this probably doesn't apply to you. I mention it only as a possibility.

I like the idea of the O2 meter. I wish I had one. Seems like this would be cheaper and more effective than repeated stays at the sleep lab.