Is the Swift supposed to hurt my nares?

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:37 am

An Aussie solution for those with no bumps on their head to hold the Swift in place would be:

1. Get your mate to put a bump on the back of your head (needs to be repeated every fews days).

OR

2. Attach one end of an 'ocky' strap (octopus/bungee strap) to the back strap of the Swift and the other end to the foot of the bed. Don't make it too tight or you'll find your nares (whatever they are) stuck to your forehead.

Hope this helps
Margaret

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:46 am

Margaret,

Loved reading your post. Your Aussie accent came through so loud and clear after reading words like "mate" and "ocky" that it was like hearing your voice. And some really good suggestions, too .

neversleeps · Post by **neversleeps** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:58 pm

Okay Margaret, I'm trying to tear myself away from cpaptalk so I can watch the Viking's game, but I wanted to read about suggestions for working with the Swift first, so I read your post. Big mistake! You've cracked me up (yet again!), so now I've been sucked into reading a few more threads!! Curses!!! You definitely need to take your own advice:

Margaret wrote:Perhaps you could show a little less concern and compassion for each other. Don't be so quick to give advice. Don't ask any more questions. And definitely cut out the humour.

Okay, now that I've read that post again, I'm laughing even harder!!!! AHHH!!!! Will it ever end ?????????

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Fri Sep 02, 2005 10:24 pm

Never sleeps

I'm supposed to be going out and only intended a quick check of my emails........so what am I doing on this site while my pumpkin is languishing in the driveway ...... clock ticking ................putting on my coat as I typppeee ............... byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 1:04 pm

[quote="Sleepless on LI]
And unfortunately for me lately, it's ever-changing. For some weird reason, I don't know if I'm the only one, but everything seems to have just shifted and nothing is the same. I wonder about my mask, my pressure, my headgear and device adjustment, the new mouthpiece of Dr. Sue's I'm using...nothing feels like when everything was so stable and consistent. Maybe too much change and not enough continuity on my part.[/quote]

Amen Lori!!! I feel exactly the same way....what's happening to us?? Is it us or the masks or the machines. I wish there were a place we could go to get all the right answers....oh yeah...we're already there (or here....whatever). Have you noticed that a lot of the new fall t.v. shows are about aliens invading earth....maybe it's already begun??? Oh, sorry, I forgot..you don't watch t.v. because you're too addicted to cpaptalk...my mistake..... (I'm feeling a little fiesty today..forgive me)
Amy

Sleepless on LI · Post by **Sleepless on LI** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 1:14 pm

Have you noticed that a lot of the new fall t.v. shows are about aliens invading earth....maybe it's already begun??? Oh, sorry, I forgot..you don't watch t.v. because you're too addicted to cpaptalk...my mistake..... (I'm feeling a little fiesty today..forgive me)

Hey, it's not defamation if it's true (LOL).

I don't know what's happening to us. Dr. Sue suggested I try lowering my pressure as the tongue opening up the airways and stopping the mouth breathing is taken care of now, so I did. Sleeping turned out to be easier. No mouth puffs, no gas in the tummy, quieter Swift, leak rate dropped drastically. But, the down side, my AHI is up, and I mean up. My snore index is incredibly high out of nowhere. I used to average 0.1-0.5 AHI? This morning was 1.3 with like 40 snore episodes. Are you kidding me? So back to the higher straight pressure for me. What's weird is, I had it set at straight 10, so I dropped it to auto 6.5-10 and NONE of my episodes happen at 10 anymore and my flow limitations have signficantly reduced. Does that makes sense if I'm having more apneas and hypops and a tremendous amount of snores? What's up with this???

Tonight I am going back to 10 straight and I hope I can get my good AHI back and no snores, like it was. I am even feeling it today with the higher AHI, believe or not. I know 1.3 is not horrible, but it's worse than what I'm used to and I truly feel the difference. I gave the new pressure two nights. And I truly like sleeping with it lower, but if it's not helping me...I guess everyone would like to lower their pressure and experience less of the adverse effects that accompany the higher pressure. But I can't sacrifice my well being for it. Auto just doesn't seem to work for me. I don't know why. I am not the normal by any sense. I don't like the heated humifidier, can't use auto with a good result...so it's back to a higher leak rate and noiser Swift, perhaps some mouth puffs and all the gassy stomach aches I get at night all for the sake of lowering the AHI.

I am not having fun yet...are you?

yawn · Post by **yawn** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 9:50 pm

I am not having fun yet...are you?

Lori,
Nope...no fun yet! I'm so sorry you're having a tough time. You don't deserve it...... I've been wondering if maybe "we" analyze this all too much. Maybe we should just sleep the best we can and then see how we feel. The numbers sound like they're driving you crazy. I still don't have the software going so I don't have a clue what my numbers are like. I expect I'll get very analytical once I can access them. Maybe you should take a few days off from looking at the numbers and just try to relax. What do you think?
Amy

mikebomb · Post by **mikebomb** » Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:09 am

snork1 wrote:FINE tuning the tension on a Swift for MINIMAL pressure is CRITICAL.

Aha! THAT's what I was doing wrong. I was used to my FlexiFit and the ComfortCurve and thought I had to make it tight to get a good seal. I loosened it up until it is just maintaining its position and what do you know? No leaks and no hurts.

This mask has made me appreciate the ComfortCurve more. That is truly a comfortable interface. The pressure is on the cheekpads, not the nares, and the silicone of the nosepiece is SO soft! When I sleep flat on my back, I can usually use the ComfortCurve without it leaking, but as soon as my head turns the pressure of the pillow on the cheekpads knocks the nosepiece loose enough to leak.

I think the perfect interface would be a nasal pillow nosepiece that snaps on the ComfortCurve barrel, made of the same soft silicone as the current ComfortCurve nosepieces. That would keep the pressure of supporting the mask in place on the cheeks, instead of the sensitive nares, and would provide a less finicky seal than the current nosepiece "cushion".

Mask