Swift FX

manas wrote:I met my DME today to return my Activa LT and they told me to keep it for a few more days. Oh well. On my primary mask, my FX, I got a real RT today, and she gave me a few tips:

1) Seems the FX came with some covers for the plastic straps that were still inside the packet So she put them on for me and told me the straps will slip less with these covers.

These covers are kind of silky and I have more problems with slippage when I use then when I don't. The only use I have found for them is reducing mask marks in the morning.

2) She told me that although the "fitting" showed my nostrils are Medium, I should try a Large. She claims that for nasal pillows, it's better to go one size bigger. She said that when I turn to the side, the Large will be harder to dislodge from my nostrils than the Medium.

You might be different but for myself and my husband the bigger the pillow the bigger the leak. With the swift II he used medium pillows with no problem but a medium on the FX leaked like crazy. I settled on XS and he ended up using the small.

3) She also told me to make sure the side straps sat on my ears, and that the rear strap went below the curve at the back of my head.

This is completely contrary to how ResMed shows fitting the mask in the video on their website. Maybe moving the straps in the fashion she described will help you but it sounds rather uncomfortable to have the top strap across your ears especially if you sleep on your side. For me if that straps gets anywhere near my ear I wake up with the top of my ear feeling sore and bruised. When I was having trouble with leaks someone on here posted this video and after fitting the fx correctly I had much more luck. However, even with proper fit I still had leaks after a couple hours until I started putting some shea butter around the edge of my nostrils to help the pillows stick in place. http://www.resmed.com/us/products/swift ... s&sec=true

Seems I was hearing the FX higher than what she recommends. Moving the side straps changed the angle of my pillows and reduced the probability of the pillows hitting my septum. On my LT, I could change the angle at which the pillows hit my nostrils by pulling on the hose, and this adjustment is what allows the FX to hit the nostrils at the right angle.

I shall try her tips tonight. My physician had goven me a F&P Opus to try in case the FX doesn't work, but the RT claims the FX will work better once I adjust it right. I shall be experimenting the next few days.

manas wrote:Thanks, oscar98. I saw the video, and the position of the back strap matches what the RT told me, but the top part seems higher than what I thought I heard. The video says it should be midway between the eyes and the ears, not just above the ears. Maybe I had worn it too close to the eyes, and all she was telling me was to push it back further.

I shall try adjusting it in bed tonight. Thanks.

sleeplessinaz wrote:Hi Oscar98--
I am having trouble getting the proper size of FX pillow. So your DME told you that you were a "medium" nasal pillow but you should use a "Large" and you now are using an Extra Small? Did she measure wrong or ? I am using the Swift LT for her and use the small size nasal pillows. I was trying to use the medium or small on the FX--still get leaks on both and use the Lansinoh cream on my nares too. UGH! The kit does not come with an extra small ---is it comfortable for you? Are you getting enough air? I am desperate to make the FX work---HAHAHAHA!!!

thanks for the help,

Carrie

Janknitz wrote:I seem to be "between sizes" on my left (but not my right!) nostril (Swift LT, not FX), so the small is too small and leaks and the medium is too big and leaks.

I have this tweak I got from this post viewtopic.php?t=15104 (scroll down to Swift LT) and it works for my LT. My guess is it might work for the FX, too, because they are of similar (not identical) design.

It's using a rubber O-ring to make the nasal pillow stand up a little taller and firmer against the nostril. Here's a photo of mine in use:

The ring helps the nasal pillow stay sealed against my nostril and virtually eliminates the leaks.