CPAPtalk.com

RestedGal writes:

The only thing "Quick" about this is how quickly we've all been responding back and forth.

And thank God for all of you who have. I would be lost without you all. You are my support lines and I am forever grateful. I will be giving back whatever I can to the newcomers who can use the help that I am able to give, which believe it or not isn't that limited anymore. Ask questions, get answers, LISTEN to the answers, and you learn.

RG, I am trying so hard to get this to work. So you think maybe back to the large pillows again tonight? If I put the gear on and it's leaking instantly, I guess I will do that. They just seem to hurt my already glowing nose more than the mediums. And to think I was ready to order the XL. Thanks for talking me out of that one...

The problem is, when I turn from one side to the other, I put pressure against the back of the headgear and for some reason it pushes the whole thing forward, causing the front to slide down and the shell to loosen the pillows from my nose

For my this is where the right head pillow makes a major differnce, not adjusting the Breeze itself.

And getting it to feel just right took me a long time too - more like three weeks that three nights - though at least nothing is slipping out or falling apart for me...

Good luck, again.
O.
_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): breeze

Lobster Inn..good grits (food) Live in
Sag Harbor area

Okay, all right, I give up...Ozij, you talked me into going and buying a new pillow!!! I guess if your pillow lets the gear sink it, it won't push it forward, right??? Okay, O. You win (or maybe I will).

Onlyme, you must know the Lobster Inn if you say good food. I love the fact that you don't have to get dressed up and it makes me feel like I'm on vacation when I'm there, sitting by the water, watching the sun set. And their seafood??? I'm thinking of jumping in my car now. Sag Harbor is lovely, too.

I just did my study with cpap and am waiting for Dr's script or whatever comes next. Been trying to find out as much as I can in case I have some say in what mask or nasal set up I get.
at lab one mask was to cumbersome- heavy, one was nasal pillows with 2 hoses but I didn't like it behind my neck and we had a hard time keeping them over my ears etc., and the other was a very pliable nose mask that was comfy but didn't stay sealed when I moved alot. I'm sure some adjusting would help.
The tech wrote "Comfort Classic" #2, small size but I'm not sure what brand??!! Also wrote nasal pillows #1= I saw a pic while browsing that looked like the nasal one but I wasn't to0 comfy with that one.
The breeze might be good for me cuz I tend to sleep on my side. Thats when the ? comfor classic would move and leak. Ho Hum!!!!!
My biggest excitement is just getting started and hopefully NOT waking up "tired" or ready for a nap after 2-3 hrs.

Welcome Corisnest! This is one hell of a site for newcomers. It was my saving grace. I am providing a link for you to look at to see the Comfort Classic nasal mask.

https://www.cpap.com/simple-find-cpap-p ... NASALMASKS

Also, on the left side of the main cpap.com page, you can choose the link to CPAP masks and then pick the type of mask you want to look at. That will give you an idea what's out there and what might be best for you. There are many threads already that will give you some insight into what people think about certain ones. You can always hit the "Search" field at the top of the CPAP talk page and put in the name of the mask and look for threads to read. You will be surprised at the wealth of information that is already here.

What will come next will be, the lab will send your results to your doctor, or whoever referred you for the study, and then they will write you a prescription for the CPAP machine. You will also get a mask at that time. Do your homework now since you do have a say in the type of mask you think will be best for you. Many people at this site recommend the Activa nasal mask for a first mask. It usually is the best for most people when it comes to leaks and being able to move during sleep and comfortability. Do you breathe through your nose? Are you a mouth-breather? If you breathe through both your mouth and nose, you may want to start with a full face mask because if you open your mouth with a nasal mask or nasal pillow mask on, you lose your pressure, although there are ways around it. But in the beginning, make it easier on yourself. And if you can breathe through your nose, most people will advise you to eventually end up using a nasal pillow route with either the Breeze, Swift, Comfort Lite or Aura. However, you will, like most people, probably start with one mask and try at least one or two or three more before you find the right one. I have been on CPAP almost two months now and am still searching for THE mask. I used the Activa, though, for about six weeks and it was not a bad mask at all.

Any questions you have, you can start a thread and you will be amazed at the help you will be given. There are people on this site that have a wealth of information and are so nice and always happy to help you in any way they can. The best part is, the support you get here is like no other. No matter how you're doing, you will always find people here who will listen and offer you if not advice, a shoulder to lean on and to vent.

Try to keep one thing in mind that I personally think is the most important thing to someone starting out on CPAP therapy. Keep a positive attitude. It takes time sometimes for it all to come together and it can get discouraging. Don't expect overnight results. It does happen to some people, but not the majority. Also, try to realize what things could have been like if you didn't get diagnosed, that what you have is fixable, and that you can and will be helped if you hang in there and keep working at it. Best of luck to you and keep us posted on how things are going.

Hi corisnest,

Welcome to the board!

one was nasal pillows with 2 hoses but I didn't like it behind my neck and we had a hard time keeping them over my ears etc.

That sounds rather like a description of the Nasal Aire II interface by Innomed. If so, it's more specifically a nasal "prongs" interface, instead of what the tech wrote ("pillows".) But a lot of people do seem to call anything that goes in the nostrils at all "pillows".

If it was a Nasal Aire II, that interface has many fans. The "prongs" of the Nasal Aire II do have to be wedged inside the nostrils more than "pillows" which just sit against the nostril openings (the nares). Only the open tip of "pillows" interfaces actually go inside the nostrils..and just barely so.

Two of the most popular nasal pillows masks are the Swift and the Breeze.
I like the Aura nasal pillows mask, but with a lot of changes to mine. If you take a "small" in any mask they gave you, the headgear of the Aura would probably be too big for you, as it was for me -- thus I cut my Aura down drastically.

Don't settle for the Comfort Classic (it's by Respironics) if it continues to be leaky for you, despite adjustments. And don't settle for it if you have to adjust it in uncomfortable ways to stop the leaks.

Keep going back to the people who supplied you the mask and try to get them to let you try others at home. They may not let you, but ask, anyway.

The right mask for the way you like to sleep is soooo important. It's such a crucial key to getting good treatment. It's worth keeping after your DME (the local health care supplies store).... or, if they balk and you've got the money, just buy whatever mask you'd like to try from an online store like cpap.com.

Good luck!

PS: Corisnest, Restedgal, who just gave you the information above about masks, etc., is one of the BEST advice givers there are on this site. Take everything she says to heart as she is very well educated on CPAP and a very compassionate, caring person, too. You just got a reply from one of the best here.

Well, finally did it! Figured it out, no leaks all night. Turned out to be a combination of all that rigging I did yesterday, moving down to medium pillows AND putting the stretch headband where it needed to go. I didn't realize I should move it up from the bottom of my neck to the back of my head, but out of desperation did last night. So placing the headband across the back of my head, over the gear, and then across the hose in the front coming down secured the shell in such a position that there were no leaks at all. I do have blisters, literal blisters, around my nares that I ended up breaking this morning after another night wearing the Breeze, so I may need to take a break tonight and put the Activa back on, but the leaks are gone. Just in a lot of pain.
I also took Ozij's advice and went to Target for that shapeable bed pillow. However, I couldn't find any shapeable pillow other than one memory foam one that I bought that cost $29.99. I can't use the contour type, so I bought this one that cost a lot more than the $13.99 everyone said they've spent. And, yes, it works great, but it's so much higher than my usual pillow and I don't like that, and it's a standard size, and I'm used to king. So don't know if that's going back. May give that, too, another try and not make any first night impressions. Although if the headband makes all the difference, maybe it still will work with my regular favorite pillow. We'll see tonight, IF I decide my nose is in any condition to use the Breeze. The way it looks and feels right now, I am not thinking it will. I may need to give it a rest for a night and let things cool down and toughen up.
But, yea, the leaks are gone.

"I do have blisters, literal blisters, around my nares that I ended up breaking this morning after another night wearing the Breeze, so I may need to take a break tonight and put the Activa back on, but the leaks are gone. Just in a lot of pain."

Sleepless:
The more experienced folks here can tell you better but I think blisters would indicate that the pillows were pressed to hard against your nares. I respect your persistence and am constantly amazed at the courage and resourcefulness of my fellow CPAPers.

Lori,

Take the break now, because it'll be worse tomorrow - you nose needs time to heal!!!
O.

Newsgrouper:
That is the only way I can get the leaks to stop, is to put that type of pressure against my nose. And the blisters are ALL around the nare, not just on the bottom. The top, sides, etc. I would say maybe I need an XL, but I found the mediums to work better than the larges...although I didn't try the larges with the headband configuration like I had it last night. Maybe the larges won't leak if I let up on the pressure and use the headband the same way as last night (hmmm).

Ozij:
I don't think I have too much of a choice as far as taking a break tonight. Can you believe blisters? I can't. I started putting antibiotic ointment on them today to help them heal, but I am going to look great at work. Looks like I had a SEVERE cold I just got over.
I am off to Target to get the RIGHT shapeable pillow, not this memory foam one that was like sleeping on three pillows, it was so high. I printed out the one everyone here seems to swear by so I'll take the ad with me and see if they have it.
I guess tonight will be the old Activa again. Maybe after taking a break from it, it will treat me right tonight since it's knows I'm moving on to a NEW mask (yes, I think all that air shoved into my nose is entering the brain now...).

Okay you all have convicned me to try the nasal pillows again, Breeze already on order. I originally started out with the Swift but the middle of my nose comes down too much. In order to make the pillows seal it was pulled tight up against my nose. Hurt so much no more than 3 hours before I pulled it off.

Got the Comfort Curve to stay put using the Swift headgear, but at higher pressures couldn't get it to stop leaking.

My Activa works but to avoid bridge leaks I have to pull it up high and it feels like it is cutting my nose from the bottom.

So time to try the Breeze. Sounds like it has alot of adjustments and looks like the pillows are taller than the Swift so I am hoping it won't rub my nose the wrong way. Is that the case or just my imagination?

Would love you input before I open the package. Thanks

Mike, hi. Sounds like you're ready to take the plunge, too. I was an Activa user, also, and found the same discomforts you did. I had that pain under the nose and also had some leaking issues by the bottom sides of the nose and the bridge. I was tired of waking up every time I rolled over to adjust the mask due to leakage, so I needed to try to find a better answer, not to mention some sores on the bridge of my nose and the upper forehead from the pads that irritated my skin. Mole skin wasn't cutting it for me. Overall, I found it to be a better mask, but was still searching for something better. Everyone kept saying, "If you can breathe through your nose, then you should use a nasal pillow interface." So I posted a thread (see link below) that you might be interested in reading about whether to order the Breeze, Swift or Aura. Needless to say, since you're writing in this topic, I ordered the Breeze. If you read through this thread from the beginning, it might answer a lof of the questions you might have. Although it mostly is about the problems I've encountered, a lot of very informed people here have put their comments in on how to circumvent them and it was very informative.
Let me know what you decided to do. Best of luck.
viewtopic.php?t=3684&highlight=sleepless

Lori,

Thanks for the link. Guess I will know tomorrow when I can compare it to the Swift. Will let you know how I fare.