New Swift LT mask expierence so far

Ok, all these good reviews "twisted my arm", I called DME last week and told her I wanted to keep my LT and give it a second chance, NOW, I am glad I did. I started over from scratch with adjustments. Mainly, keeping the straps very loose-top and back- made all the difference in the world. No more pressure on bottom of my nose. Extremely comfortable and no leaks whatsoever. I did not attach the tube to the headgear, I just let it hang free (air tube is overhead). When the tube was attached, it wanted to pull the pillows upward. Even when I had it on the side.

I tried to wear the Opus today while taking a nap, I could not tolerate it for even 5 minutes, had to pull it off and put the Swift LT on. No more Opus.

I have gotten so used to wearing pillow mask, that now when I try to wear the nasal cushions, I have a very hard time breathing in them. I really like the pillows on the LT. Very different.

I bought an LT and have been using it the past few nights. Reading the responses on this item has been really helpful. Thanks to the LT owners who posted here.

It's been a couple weeks since anyone's posted on this item. I'm wondering if those of you with issues worked them out, or those of you who loved the LT at first are still doing well with it. I'd be grateful for any comments about your experience with the LT.

Thanks,
Ron

roncron wrote:I bought an LT and have been using it the past few nights. Reading the responses on this item has been really helpful. Thanks to the LT owners who posted here.

It's been a couple weeks since anyone's posted on this item. I'm wondering if those of you with issues worked them out, or those of you who loved the LT at first are still doing well with it. I'd be grateful for any comments about your experience with the LT.

Thanks,
Ron

Thanks for bumping this thread.. I found it very useful

I got my LT on Friday and have worn it 2 nights in a row. Decent results the first night although I woke up at one point and couldn't get the pillows to seal. Had the same problem last night but managed to pull off a good 5-6 hours of solid sleep last night.. leaving me very refreshed today. I posted a thread this morning looking for some advice on getting the pillows to seal properly. After reading this thread I seem to have solved my problem. I had been using the medium pillows. And although when I first tried, they seemed to be the best fit, I just tried the small again and they seem to be perfect... no leaks at least for now.. we'll see tonight when I sleep with it again.. but I feel optimistic.

I'm surprised so many people have success with snapping the hose to the top of the mask though.. this was actually why I bought the mask.. seemed like it would help get the hose out of my way. But whenever I'm on my back the hose presses up against the wall behind my head.. causing the "mask" to become dislodged and just not stay on right. However letting it drape off the bed beside me works great.. I have the hose pinned to the bed though so the weight of the hose doesn't pull the mask.. which was another problem I had

I'm definitely liking this mask.. it's my second and I've only been using CPAP for about 2 weeks. But overall this mask is very comfortable and makes it very easy to sleep on side, stomach, or back. It just takes a few nights of adjusting and tweeking.. but that's nothing considering I never DID get my last mask to work just right

oh one other issue I have.. is a decent amount of condensation builds up in the pillows.. which I didn't notice with my last mask. But I also just started using a chin strap so that may be the reason why.. I noticed one other person complain about this in the review on cpap.com I've read some tips on here about how to reduce condensation in general so I'm working on trying different thing. My next and hopefully last hurdle It's not TOO bad tho.. I can definitely live with it if necessary.

An update: I'm giving my LT a "rest" for the moment. I need to do some more tweaks but can't deal with too many nights in a row with experimentation. So at the moment I'm trying the NA II.

Since I need at least 2 masks I can use to switch between so when one gets too frustrating I can just pick up the other, I think the LT will be my "other" mask.

Because of the weight of the hose that close to the LT, I attached that short length of Activa/Vista/Liberty hose ($11.95) between mask hose and regular hose. It seemed to solve the weight problem.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Resmed ... berty.html

I'm still waiting for my "dream" mask

Mindy

All my ticks like KY Jelly and O-rings to make my LT fit were a waste of time after I anchor the hose to the headgear like it's made to do. The weight of the hose just pulls it off if you don't use the headgear mount.

Now I can slip in on and off at will in bed and don't have to mess around.

The only change I had to really do was sand down that ResMed raised Logo under my nose.

Hi everyone!

I just got my new Swift LT a couple of days ago. I put it on to try right away and it seemed perfect. I love the fact that the exhaust is not hitting me on my arm any more, and that is will be easier to sleep on my side now, which is most of the time. I actually could even with the Swift II, of course I ended up with tubing marks on my face as well as the usual marks.

The first night I had the same trouble as most in the reviews I have read. I had so much trouble getting the pillows seated correctly. I did have to turn it off when I tried to situate the pillows properly. Eventually I got it right, but had some soreness when I woke up, despite using AYR gel. I did sleep pretty well and I think I woke less than usual.

The second night I did loosen the bottom strap as advised by some, and was able to get the pillows seated right away. I had no leaks and could feel the *activa* kind of slight moving of the pillows, but it was not annoying at all. I fell asleep right away, but woke after 2 hours to go to the br. After that, I just could NOT get the pillows to sit right without large leaks. I tried but woke later and just threw it on the floor and went back to the Swift II. I was rather annoyed I am DETERMINED to get it to work as I just can't stand the exhaust on the Swift II. I guess I will have to whip out the mirror as suggested. The medium pillows look huge to me compared to the Swift II, but I think will be ok as long as it is kept pretty loose.

We will see what happens tonight!
Margaret

I just wanted to point out another option to the hose and headgear clip. I noticed that most of the posts refer to "attaching the tube of the mask" to the headgear clip. It is also designed to attach the main air hose, then attach tube to main hose. I liked it this way. You can adjust how much slack you want in the tube to keep it from pulling up on your nose.

That was one of the reasons that I was going to send mine back, and then I realized there is a different way. At this moment, when I use it , it is hanging freely, main hose from over my headboard, with just enough slack that I can move from side to side or on my back.

I've been using the Swift LT for about a month. Since I have a newborn baby, I put it on and take it off A LOT all night long. I am a convert. I think it is an excellent design.

Only a couple of minor flaws. I don't think the double walled pillows are enough of an improvement. I think they should have left those on the design table. I'm afraid they will tear or wear out before I have really gotten my money's worth out of the mask. Ergonomically they are pretty much the same as the swift II--meaning they fit the same.

I don't think they do a better job though. As far as leaks and adjustments once the mask is on and air is flowing, I pinch my pillow on the side it is leaking and that seems to do the trick to get it to settle into the correct place. You do have to check them after washing to make sure the inner pillow hasn't become inverted too. The thinness of the material is also what is making it necessary for some people to modify with o rings. It is a bit too flimsy in my opinion.


Second, I find the clip to hold the tubing in place on top of the head to be really annoying and a poor design. I wish it were a little velcro strap. Mine comes undone on a regular basis. If I ever get a spare moment, I will find a piece of velcro and fix it myself.

Over all, though, I'm very happy with this mask. It is very easy to adjust and easy to get on and off quickly.

I'd been using it about a week or two when my DME called to ask if I needed any replacement pillows for my swift II and I had to inform them all about the LT since they had no idea. They still haven't sent the supplies, so maybe Resmed still doesn't have replacement pillows out there. So lame.

Jen

[quote="socknitster"]I've been using the Swift LT for about a month. Since I have a newborn baby, I put it on and take it off A LOT all night long. I am a convert. I think it is an excellent design.

Only a couple of minor flaws. I don't think the double walled pillows are enough of an improvement. I think they should have left those on the design table. I'm afraid they will tear or wear out before I have really gotten my money's worth out of the mask. Ergonomically they are pretty much the same as the swift II--meaning they fit the same.

I don't think they do a better job though. As far as leaks and adjustments once the mask is on and air is flowing, I pinch my pillow on the side it is leaking and that seems to do the trick to get it to settle into the correct place. You do have to check them after washing to make sure the inner pillow hasn't become inverted too. The thinness of the material is also what is making it necessary for some people to modify with o rings. It is a bit too flimsy in my opinion.


Second, I find the clip to hold the tubing in place on top of the head to be really annoying and a poor design. I wish it were a little velcro strap. Mine comes undone on a regular basis. If I ever get a spare moment, I will find a piece of velcro and fix it myself.

Over all, though, I'm very happy with this mask. It is very easy to adjust and easy to get on and off quickly.

I'd been using it about a week or two when my DME called to ask if I needed any replacement pillows for my swift II and I had to inform them all about the LT since they had no idea. They still haven't sent the supplies, so maybe Resmed still doesn't have replacement pillows out there. So lame.

Jen

Hi,

I jused a piece of the headgear strap from my old FFM and used it to Velcro the hose to the top of my LT headgear.

Also, you can make a "hose holder" using PVC pipe that will keep the main hose from weighing you down. I made one after looking at a lot of different types online for just a few dollars.

Thanks, Jeff! I think I may still have one from my swift II, but it will take some looking to find it. According to the MANUAL that came with my swift LT, it was supposed to come with BOTH the plastic clip and a velcro piece--but mine didn't. Did anyone else's?

jen

Jen,
Mine just came with the plastic clip also. I'm not sure but I think the velcro piece is optional. Either that or my DME stole it.

It seems like the cost for them would be minimal. I don't know why Resmed doesn't just include one.

Dan

[quote="socknitster"]Thanks, Jeff! I think I may still have one from my swift II, but it will take some looking to find it. According to the MANUAL that came with my swift LT, it was supposed to come with BOTH the plastic clip and a velcro piece--but mine didn't. Did anyone else's?

jen

I've been using the Swift LT for 3 weeks now. Here are my thoughts, in case anyone might find them helpful.

This is my favorite mask of the four I've used (the others are the Opti-Life, Breeze, and Swift II). For me, the LT is GREAT for side-sleeping, much better than Swift II and Opti-Life. For me, this is important because side sleeping is much better for my back.

I find the LT lighter, more comfortable, and quieter than the other masks. My smart card data shows significantly lower leak rates most nights with the LT than with the other masks.

At first, I had minor problems, which might have led me to return or sell the mask, but I was patient and got great advice from some folks on this forum.

If you get this mask, read these, they might help your transition:

1) It's very easy to over-tighten this mask. If you do, your nose will hurt when you wake up (but the soreness will go away quickly).

2) It is critically important to make sure the frame that holds the pillows is angled correctly. If it's not just right, you'll have leaks, and you'll incorrectly think that the headgear needs to be tightened! For at least the first week or two, you should put the mask on in front of a mirror.

3) It is very hard to adjust the mask in bed in the dark. The pillows are a round squishy thing and it's hard to tell if they're angled and seated right simply by feel. With the other nasal pillow masks I've tried, it's been much easier to adjust them by feel in the dark. If your pillows somehow get dislodged during the night, get up and use your bathroom mirror to reposition the mask and the pillows. Or keep a hand-held mirror on your nightstand.

4) As others have reported, the design of the pillows traps moisture and condensation. If your humidifier is set too high, you could find yourself inhaling big drips of water before morning comes. What worked for me was simply taking my humidifier down one notch. Now, I occasionally find a bit of condensation in the pillows when I wake up, but nothing that causes me any problems at all.

5) The short, light hose that comes out of the nasal pillow frame needs to be anchored to the headgear. That way, when you toss and turn, it tosses and turns with your head and doesn't break the seal of the pillows. As you've read in earlier responses on this item, not everyone likes the clip that comes with the LT and attaches to the middle/top of the headgear, though it works great for me. I find it's also important to anchor the hose in the right place, so there's enough but not too much hose between the pillows and the clip - if there's not enough, it'll pull the pillows a bit out of place and break your seal.

It took me maybe 10 days (plus reading everyone's comments on this forum regarding the LT) to get all this figured out. But now that I have, I am a very happy LT user and can easily see myself getting another one when it's time to replace this one. (I have never previously liked a mask enough to want to buy it again!)

Of course, this is all based on my experience and yours may well vary. But hopefully some of this might help you resolve any issues before giving up hope and returning the mask or selling it at a loss.