First 2 Nights With Swift LT

After years of wearing a mask (most recently the Activa LT) I finally decided to give nasal pillows a try. I love the idea of "less mask" on my face, and while the Activa LT works fine for me it did leave marks on my face that sometimes took hours to go away (not great for early morning business meetings).

After two nights with the Swift LT...the first thing I noticed (my wife, too) was how much noisier they are compared to any of my previous masks. The Swift LT made my inhales and exhales sound much more like "Darth Vader". It actually made me more aware of my beathing, which didn't make falling asleep any easier. Since I've had little problem getting used to mask changes over the years I assume I will eventually get used to this as well.

Another thing I noticed is that compared to the Activa LT's wonderfully difussed (a quiet) venting, the Swift LT vented air like a jet stream. It didn't bother me, but if I slept on my side facing my wife I think it might blow her away.

Speaking of sleeping on my side, the Swift LT handled my moving from back to side beautifully. I had absolutely no leak problems either night. Also, no marks on my face!

As for humidification, I have not used a humidifier with any of my masks for years (I guess I just don't have dryness issues), so I used the Swift LT without humidification and did not feel any dryness in my nostrils, throat, or mouth.

My biggest concern so far is that each moring the tip of my nose (the upper area of skin between the nostrils) has been sore. Looking at the Swift LT I'm assuming it's not the actual pillows that go in the nostrils that are the problem (since there's no pain inside my nose), but the piece of plastic behind the pillows. I've tried pivoting the angle of the pillows, but that didn't help. I wonder if this means that the headgear straps are too tight, but I'm not sure.

If anyone else has had a similar issue, please let me know if you found a "fix".

A little Lanonish (nipple moisturizer for nursing moms) ointment will help with the tenderness. The nasal pillows do put some pressure on virgin territory so it can become tender until it "toughens" up. Others use Ayr Gel.
The Lanonish used in small amounts at bedtime can also help with the seal. Don't use to much though.

If extremely painful then maybe straps are too tight or unequal.

Hang in with the Swift. You will find that going from a nasal mask to a pillow does take some adjustment. However, once you get used to it, the "free feeling of less on your face" will be well worth the trouble. I felt great, going from an Ultra Mirage, to the Swift II, and love it. Occasional nasal soreness is far less annoying (IMHO) than mask rash all around the nose and cheek area.

Others have said that they use chap stick around their nares I have not used it,but it would be easier to find and less embarrasing for the males anyway

headbored wrote:Others have said that they use chap stick around their nares I have not used it,but it would be easier to find and less embarrasing for the males anyway

Actually anything that would add moisture during the day would probably work. Just avoid anything with petroleum base if you are using at night. It can degrade the nasal pillows and also not good to breathe into lungs. Vasoline would be a no no.

Somehow I just don't think that most males worry about macho things with cpap treatment. Hey, some use ladies tights around their head to secure nasal pillows so I would think a little nipple grease wouldn't be anything to lose sleep over. I did notice an improvement with my leak rate when I added the Lanonish. A little goes a long way.

The tenderness does pass though even if you use nothing.

bcab17 wrote: My biggest concern so far is that each moring the tip of my nose (the upper area of skin between the nostrils) has been sore. Looking at the Swift LT I'm assuming it's not the actual pillows that go in the nostrils that are the problem (since there's no pain inside my nose), but the piece of plastic behind the pillows. I've tried pivoting the angle of the pillows, but that didn't help. I wonder if this means that the headgear straps are too tight, but I'm not sure.

If anyone else has had a similar issue, please let me know if you found a "fix".

usually I find that happens if the top strap is too tight. And pressure on the lower part of the nose means the back strap is too tight. It doesn't really need a whole lot of pressure to stay in place. I'd try loosening the top strap just a bit and see if that helps.

The cream that Cpap.com sells works nicely on irritation. I use it and like it. It is called CPap moisture therapy, and soothes the nares and edges of the nose nicely.

Thanks for the help folks. I spoke to my DME today, and oddly enough the therapist did not suggest any type of moisturizer. She told me that it was probably the back strap being a bit too tight. She also told me that most people get past this type of issue with time (the skin toughens).

As for Lanonish, if I decide to try it either I'll send my wife to our local pharmacist or I'll go to one out of town.

I noticed you live in New York.If you are going out of town you are going a long way:-))))))))))))

bcab17 wrote:As for Lanonish, if I decide to try it either I'll send my wife to our local pharmacist or I'll go to one out of town.

Hi,

I found I could get Lansinoh at the local supermarket (in the baby products area), and then go through one of the self-checkout isles. That would avoid any funny looks. Still, the stuff works so well that it is worth one or two funny looks at the checkout.

-john-

I switched to the Swift LT ~8 months ago - had the sore tip of the nose, and also increased leaks after 5-6hrs of sleep. For me, solving both was to route the hose straight down, instead of over my head, and then to keep it from wandering around, use the leg from a pair of tights to hold it there...

On the nipple cream - walk proud and ask for a price check. Ask to speak to the manager and see if he'll give you a discount, as you need it for a medical issue.

PAPalogical wrote:I switched to the Swift LT ~8 months ago - had the sore tip of the nose, and also increased leaks after 5-6hrs of sleep. For me, solving both was to route the hose straight down, instead of over my head, and then to keep it from wandering around, use the leg from a pair of tights to hold it there...

On the nipple cream - walk proud and ask for a price check. Ask to speak to the manager and see if he'll give you a discount, as you need it for a medical issue.

Well, yesterday afternoon I loosened the headgear straps a bit for a brief nap. Although it seemed to lessen the pressure on that part of my nose, it also gave the pillows a little too much play, so I got some pillow shifting and some leakage.

So, last night I tightened up the straps a little, and realized that while hooking the hose to the clip on the top of my head was a great way to keep the pillows in place while moving from side to side, it also created an upward pull on the pillows that pressed them right against the spot on my nose that was sore. So I unclipped the hose from the top of the headgear, and let it run straight down my chest, and it appears to have done the trick. Of course, the downside is that the hose moved around and eventually ended up off the right side of the bed (where the cpap machine is), which sort of pulled the pillows in that direction.

My goal now is to try to find a way to make hooking the tube to the top of the headgear work without it pulling the pillows up against the sore tip of my nose (having the tube up and out of the way is a great thing!). I have no idea how I'm going to do this, but I'll keep trying and keep looking for tips from you kind folks.

bcab17 wrote:realized that while hooking the hose to the clip on the top of my head was a great way to keep the pillows in place while moving from side to side, it also created an upward pull on the pillows that pressed them right against the spot on my nose that was sore. So I unclipped the hose from the top of the headgear, and let it run straight down my chest, and it appears to have done the trick.

I also find it more comfortable loose and not secured to top of my head. Same with the Opus 360 which also offers securing to the top of the head. I toss and turn a lot. I seem to have eventually got used to managing the loose hose going with me and not waking me anymore with position issues. Often I find it gets routed over my head but not tied to the headgear and this seems to allow for the freedom of movement and doesn't create the added tension on the tip of the nose that securing the hose to the top of the headgear does.

bcab17 wrote:...let it run straight down my chest, and it appears to have done the trick. Of course, the downside is that the hose moved around and eventually ended up off the right side of the bed (where the cpap machine is), which sort of pulled the pillows in that direction...

Assuming you sleep with a pj top of some sort, using a hose cover might make it cling a bit to the pj top and reduce that pressure. My hose cover is fleece; when I started using it, any pull from the hose was eliminated as it somewhat clings to the t-shirt I sleep in.

Muse-Inc wrote:

bcab17 wrote:...let it run straight down my chest, and it appears to have done the trick. Of course, the downside is that the hose moved around and eventually ended up off the right side of the bed (where the cpap machine is), which sort of pulled the pillows in that direction...

Assuming you sleep with a pj top of some sort, using a hose cover might make it cling a bit to the pj top and reduce that pressure. My hose cover is fleece; when I started using it, any pull from the hose was eliminated as it somewhat clings to the t-shirt I sleep in.

Yeah, I was actually thinking about getting some kind of hose clip that I might be able to secure to the front my t-shirt (I sleep in a tee, too). I have no idea how that would feel, though.