First night with Quattro not great

I tried out my new Quattro last night and it did not go too well as you see below. The mask seemed to feel ok before falling asleep. After 2-3 hours it developed leaks and the AHI and Snores skyrocketed. It sure did look good the first 2 hours. Just my luck, my first night on a FF and the power went out due to the storms last night. Looks like it did me favor as my sleep #'s looked terrible. I got kind of spooked from the power outage and jumped up tearing off the mask. I could not go back to sleep so I got up for about 45 min and played on here until I was sleepy again. Put mask on, adjusted until no leaks, and went back to bed. Same pattern. About 2 good hours and then leaks, followed by OA's and bad snoring.



Any ideas as to why the numbers looked good for maybe 2 hours and then go to h*ll ? It was my first full night ever with FFM. Been using Swift LT but after 4-5 good weeks the pillows seem to be leaking badly. Since I do not want to buy new pillows monthly, and tired of looking like Darth Vader to prevent mouth leaks, I want to find a decent FFM. I know it is only one night and plan to use it again tonight. Any suggestions ? The first 1/2 last night I had the humidifier on 1. After waking up and feeling mouth leaks about the time the power went out, I turned it off. I remember someone saying any oil or moisture promotes leaks on Quattro's.

I had it fairly tight, but not painfully so. I laid down, loosened it till it started leaking, then tightened until it stopped. Had to do it again for 2nd shift, as it leaked right away until I adjusted again. tighter than first session. Was still liveable, or so I thought until I saw the numbers.

I forgot to mention, expected leak rate is 39, so even with all that it is only 5 above. On Swift LT I was averaging 40 with expected rate of 31. But my AHI was down to around 5 or slightly less most nights. That is when the tapes, straps, strips, sprays, caps, and other crap kept my mouth closed

The mask leaks will cause other problems. It can cause what you show on your graph. When yo have a leak, your not really getting the pressure you are supposed to be at. You are at that pressure for a reason, because that's where your numbers were good.

Try adjusting the mask differently. I tell everyone who is trying that mask for the first time to read through the directions a few times. Then to sit in front of a mirror and put it on following the directions. I ended up doing this and it helped reduce my mask problems.

Gerry

I tried it a second night and results were worse, but I think it was because I slept in a recliner instead of bed. Had family over and grandaughter fell asleep in my bed watching tv so I slept in recliner. I also received Remzz's i ordered for it so will try those tonight and in bed. It seems a lot of people use it so it can't be that bad. I will reread directions a 3rd time and refit it again.

I skipped a few nights with Quattro and tried again last night after receiving RemZzz'z. They definitely add a level of comfort. Not sure of performance. My question is about the snores. When using a FFM, is it normal to snore if you snore without cpap ? I rarely snore when using my Swift LT nasal. Of course my pie hole is taped shut and have a chin strap. Do I need a chinstrap with FFM to eliminate snoring ? I know I have leaks to work on but the graph shows snoring all night. I do see a few good hours with few if any OA's in between. Obviously the leaks is still the biggest issue to work on.

Some times the machine will think that hose created noise are snores and report them as such. Is it possible that your hose is moving across something to create any extra noise?

I have a similar problem with the quattro. My skin is just very oily. I wash my face before bed but the oil is produced again during the night and causes the mask to leak. Sometimes I have to get up and wash face and mask again just to get it to seal again. Your face can't be too dry either or the mask won't stick, so you need to use the right kind of soap that won't strip too much oil off. I usually use neutrogena fragrance free

Pugsy,
I did also switch to an 8 foot hose last night. The 6 ft just wasn't long enough and kept tugging. I did move the hose a few times from head of bed to side of bed to find the most comfortable positions. I wonder if the extra length gave the cpap brain a problem. The only thing I can think of to check it is to use my Swift LT to see if the snores show up. I was just getting so tired of the shaving, tape, straps, caps, breath right, etc.... Was hoping to find a FFM I could just "pop on" and go to sleep.

Nobody,
I know you're right about the oil. I do have very oily skin. And the more frequently I wash my face, the more oil it produces. That is why I bought the Remzz's. It puts a small cloth barrier between skin and mask to absorb oils and sweat. It also allows for a seal over facial hair. I wonder if it allows a small but constant amount of air to escape through the cloth as even between big leaks the LPM was too high? As long as the AHI goes down I would be ok with some higher than normal leakage. But for now I must get it down to improve therapy. I just wasn't expecting the high snore rate.

Don

Maybe the quattro just isn't the mask for you? I know I do a lot better with the simplicity. I only use the quattro because I sometimes get nasal congestion from allergies and just can't use the simplicity.

Nobody,
It may not be. But it is the third FFM I have tried and feels the best and has no noticeable leaks when I go to sleep. I do wake up with leaks but closer to morning usually and I get that with all masks, even Swift. My next try would be the Ultra Mirage. I have one but it is kind of hard on the bridge of my nose. I may try it again with the Remzz's as I think this same size fits that too.

I know what you mean, the quattro is really just the best I could get out of a FFM, but it's far from perfect. I couldn't get a seal at all on two different sizes of the UM and the FlexiFit is just to big for me, even the smallest size. I just get up and clean the mask (quattro) and sometimes my face in the middle of the night. I didn't use the Remzzzs but tried some material that I cut out myself and that didn't help at all. I'm not sure I understand the purpose of it because I thought the way the mask is made it's supposed to stick to your face to make the seal.

Oh, there were other FFM I tried but couldn't get a seal, I've forgot the name of them at this point, though.

I have a quatro and love it but if I lie on my back my bottom jaw falls out of it causing massive leaks.
Sizing is also an issue. Many people have found that they need a smaller version then the guide indicates. I have a small but I think with the extra small I wouldn't have the same problem - of course my DME didn't have the size so I am stuck with this one. I also use a fabric gasket between me and the mask because other wise my skin burns and it does make the mask slide a bit easier out of alignment. The mask may need you to increase the pressure a bit, my resmed machine is a specific mask setting for it.

I have a feeling your machine is picking noise from your hose and recordning that as snores. You need to cover that hose. If you have an hold long sleeve shirt around hopefully something like a Chammis shirt or flannel shirt that you can't wear, cut the sleeves off and put them on the hose. Pin them together but don't pin them to the hose. See if that reduces the problem. You can use old towels too if you don't have a shirt but don't use a thick towel or it will weight the hose down on you.

If that helps then you need to get a hose cover. The hose can make noise when it is moved over different objects and different machines react differently to that.

Gerry

Nobody,
I don't 100% understand the idea of the Remzzz's since it does go between the mask and skin. My understanding is the seal is when the mask material is against the skin also. But I have read that oil, water, sweat, and/or drool (yuc) can break the seal so the material absorbs that and keep the seal. It also feels more comfortable against the skin and cushions the forehead and bridge of nose a little. I am able to wear the mask tighter than without the Remzz's and not be too uncomfortable.

Spinner,
I always sleep on my side. If I fall asleep on my back, all my numbers skyrocket like I am not even on Cpap. I wear a medium which seems to fit well. I am thinking of increasing the pressure but wanted to make sure leaks are as low as possible first.

Gerry,
I think you are correct. I asked the wife if I snored last night and she said no, all she heard was the machine. I wonder if it is causing it's own vibrations and recording them as snores? I am going to try an improvised hanger tonight. I did not have enough slack to do it with the 6 ft but with 8ft I do. I don't use the humidifier so I never needed a cover to prevent rainout. I did turn the humidifier on last night, as I was getting a dry mouth, but only on 1. If the hanger don't work, I will try a cover. If the hanger eliminates the snores, I will forget the cover and just ignore the snores unless I am told I am snoring.

I am curious as to your titration pressure. I used to use a FFM but fought mask leaks every night. Finally I had enough and switched to a nasal mask. This seems to work better for me. My pressures are high and a nasal mask seems to handle them better. I do use a papcap and am considering taping to see if my numbers will get better.