Some newbie questions

Hi Everyone,

Great site here, I've been reading through a lot of the stuff in the newbie post, and it answered quite a few of my questions - thanks everyone who took the time to put that stuff together!

I've got a couple of more specific questions I was wondering if I could get help with, however.

First, I've seen talk about running off battery in the case of a power outage or such. While it would be too big/heavy for travel, has anyone ever tried using a computer-type UPS battery backup to run their xpap? It would seem like a good fit, since I'd imagine something that can run my monitor and computer for a half hour could run my cpap machine for a couple of nights, but I hadn't seen it addressed and was wondering if anyone had tried it.

My other question has to do with getting used to the mask. I've had my machine for 3 nights so far. I'm getting acclimated reasonably quickly as far as I can tell - wore it for 2 sleepless hours the first night before I took it off, but I've gone over 6 hours each subsequent night before I removed it. I'm fine with the operation of the mask - I don't have any problems with my mouth opening or leaking around the edges. My big problem is irritation/pain from where the mask seals, particularly on my upper lip just below my nostrils, I'm guessing partially due to facial hair (I have a mustache and goatee). Is there anything I can do to pad it to reduce the irritation there? I was considering using vasoline to prevent rubbing, but I'm not sure if that would damage the seal. Other than pain in that one spot waking me up, the mask is comfortable and works well, but it just takes an hour or two before it's rubbed that area raw and it keeps waking me up. Since the problem is in that one particular spot, would I be better served using a full face mask?

MattHock wrote:Hi Everyone,

Great site here, I've been reading through a lot of the stuff in the newbie post, and it answered quite a few of my questions - thanks everyone who took the time to put that stuff together!

I've got a couple of more specific questions I was wondering if I could get help with, however.

First, I've seen talk about running off battery in the case of a power outage or such. While it would be too big/heavy for travel, has anyone ever tried using a computer-type UPS battery backup to run their xpap? It would seem like a good fit, since I'd imagine something that can run my monitor and computer for a half hour could run my cpap machine for a couple of nights, but I hadn't seen it addressed and was wondering if anyone had tried it.

My other question has to do with getting used to the mask. I've had my machine for 3 nights so far. I'm getting acclimated reasonably quickly as far as I can tell - wore it for 2 sleepless hours the first night before I took it off, but I've gone over 6 hours each subsequent night before I removed it. I'm fine with the operation of the mask - I don't have any problems with my mouth opening or leaking around the edges. My big problem is irritation/pain from where the mask seals, particularly on my upper lip just below my nostrils, I'm guessing partially due to facial hair (I have a mustache and goatee). Is there anything I can do to pad it to reduce the irritation there? I was considering using vasoline to prevent rubbing, but I'm not sure if that would damage the seal. Other than pain in that one spot waking me up, the mask is comfortable and works well, but it just takes an hour or two before it's rubbed that area raw and it keeps waking me up. Since the problem is in that one particular spot, would I be better served using a full face mask?

Hi, Matt, and welcome to the best apnea resource (IMHO) on the 'net.

I can't speak to a UPS powering your CPAP, as I use a regular CPAP battery during power outages. But there have been many discussions on the forum about backup power solutions. If you search for "uninterrupted power supply" or "backup power," I'm sure you'll find lots of info.

Re: the mask and making it more comfortable: Do NOT use Vaseline (or any other petroleum-based products) on your mask seal, as they will damage it. I have three suggestions for you.

1, you can try Ayr Gel. It's soothing to the skin, and it won't damage the silicone on your mask. You can find it in most pharmacies.

2, you can try Lansinoh, which is a lanolin salve, which also helps with skin irritation. It's gooey, and just a dab'll do ya. Lansinoh is made for nursing moms with chapped nipples, but it works well for us, too. Kind of expensive (about $10), but since you use very little, it's not too bad.

3, you can try applying a piece of moleskin to your mask's seal where it's irritating you. Moleskin is a soft padding that's used mostly for blisters, and you'll find it near the Dr. Scholl's supplies. Comes three sheets (about 4x5") to a package for a few dollars, and you can cut it to fit. The instructions on the package might make you want to apply it to your face, but apply it to the mask so that the soft flannel side is next to your skin.

I've used all three of the products mentioned above - Ayr Gel and Lansinoh with my (former) nasal pillows mask, and moleskin with my current mask. They're all good.

Re: switching to a full-face mask: I used nasal pillows masks for about 20 months. Almost two months ago, I switched to the new FullLife full-face mask from Respironics. The transition was a little bit of a challenge, not being used to having anything going over my nose, but with patience and a little help from the moleskin, I've succeeded. I'm getting great therapy with this mask, and I no longer need the moleskin.

There are many FFMs on the market, if you decide to go that route. There are even two models of a "hybrid" mask (the Respcare Hybrid and the ResMed Liberty), which consist of an oral cushion and nasal pillows; effectively, a full-face mask without anything covering your nose. Check our host site, https://www.cpap.com, to read user reviews on all the masks they sell (at the bottom of each mask's page).

I hope this info is helpful, and I wish you the best with your therapy. Again, welcome aboard.

Hi Matthock! Welcome. I'm glad you found us.

I can't speak to your battery question and BleepingBeauty answered your mask irritation quite thorougly. The only thing I'd add is that, like the nasal mask rubs your upper lip, so does a full face mask tend to rub the bridge of your nose. Since you're not a mouth breather, you might consider nasal pillows. Or, you could do the hybrid. Or, you could get a full face mask and switch off between it and the nasal mask if you need to. Lots of options. Unfortunately, there's no "one size fits all" option.

Again, Welcome!

Thanks for the welcomes and responses

As for the UPS thing, I did some searching around. Seems like a few people do use them for that. The one disadvantage would be inefficiency. Dedicated CPAP batteries, from what I can tell, plug the DC straight into the CPAP. So, the order is something like Outlet -> AC/DC Inverter -> Battery -> CPAP. With the UPS, it would be Outlet -> AC/DC Inverter -> Battery -> DC/AC Inverter -> AC/DC Inverter -> CPAP (because the UPS converts the battery back to AC, then the CPAP machine's brick converts back to DC). The extra AC/DC conversion steps consumes power, potentially quite a bit. I'll have to look into CPAP power draws and the conversion efficiency of UPS units to see if it's signficiant. By the way, did I mention I'm an engineer?

I had seen the Ayr Gel and Lansinoh mentioned in the newbie post area, but for some reason I was thinking those were just to treat soreness from the mask and straps after the fact, I didn't realize they could be used for prevention like that. I'll have to stop by the store on the way home and see if I can get one of those and some moleskin.

Hi Matt, i'm a newbie my self. only had my cpap machine for a week. I also have a mustache and goatee, which my wife said i was not shaving off under any circumstances. the RT tried about 4 different masks on me during fiting. i ended up with the same mask that you have, only since i am a 'mouth breather', they also fitted me with a chin strap.

I felt the same discomfort at the base of my nose that you mention. I made some adjustments to my headgear straps every other night, until i got it just right. the last two mornings, i have awoken with out any discomfort or irritation to my upper lip/lower nasil area. the mask is designed to flex and seal its self, so you don't want it to tight.

the first night on the machine, it reported leaks of about .32, since making the comfort adjustments, i have achieved results between .16 and .2 . i have not tried any of the other suggestions posted here, but will remember them if i experience problems in the future. i would encourage you though to try making some small adjustments to the straps on your mask, to see if you can get a more comfortable fit.

I've made a lot of progress over the last couple of days getting it more comfortable. I now have a small moleskin panel on the bottom, and that made a huge difference - my nose was about as sore after 6 hours as it was after 2 without. I also just got some of the lanolin cream and have started using that to try to relieve the irritation that originally started.

Now, it isn't really rubbing like it was, it's just pressure, which isn't waking me up repeatedly through the night, but started to be enough after about 6 hours that I have to take the mask off. I'm guessing I've got it strapped down too tight. The first couple of nights where I tried to wear it loose, the flexing in the mask with each breath was annoying me enough not to get to sleep so I cranked it down so that it would stay put, but I think I've gotten used to it enough that I can loosen it up a bit more without it keeping me from sleeping now.

The Activa is meant to flex... memorably described by one user as "having a love sick octopus on your face". No wonder it's hurting you.

I hope you can tolerate it looser -- or try another mask. Others don't do the Activa dance.

O.

You are absolutely right about the UPS inefficiency thing.

But is "uninterruptible" really necessary? CPAP isn't life-support.

In my experience, most power interruptions last only seconds. That MIGHT make it worthwhile for a computer, but is it really worth the hassle for CPAP? When the machine shuts off, you will wake up. You simply wait til the power comes back, and you're good to go. Even if it's an all-night interruption, how many nights did you sleep without CPAP before you had it? In fact, how many nights did you do without between the diagnosis and delivery of the machine? Apparently, you didn't die in the interim...

IMHO, UPS would be more valuable on my alarm clock than my CPAP...