War paint!

Does anyone have an answer for me? I sleep with the UM FF in such a way as to create lovely, if narrow, ruts on my face from my eyes down outboard of my nose to my mouth (or close to). It's one thing to wait a short time for redness to go away from between my eyes, but another to be stuck with these dumb lines down my face that look like tribal markings for hours. Padacheek doesn't work for these, I need something between the mask's hard edges and me, but don't want to create leaks. Thanks in advance.

Can you loosen it up a bit? More particularly the top straps?


Den

Have you tried RemZzzs - either from the RemZzz site or homemade?

I'm not sure what difference it would make, but do you use the "standard" or "shallow" seal?


Den

Shallow (how did you guess at that?). The problem is that the mask presses into my face - can't be helped if you sleep on your tummy, even if the mask is dipping diagonally into the 'trench' I cut into my memory foam mattress, so I don't have a lot of choice re the mechanics.

Julie wrote:Shallow (how did you guess at that?). The problem is that the mask presses into my face - can't be helped if you sleep on your tummy, even if the mask is dipping diagonally into the 'trench' I cut into my memory foam mattress, so I don't have a lot of choice re the mechanics.

I was wondering if a "standard" would give you a little extra cushion, but considering your sleeping position.......I'm a little short on ideas.
Maybe if you read back through some of Rooster's posts on the Falcon position...... I think Rooster is a tummy sleeper, too.....IIRC.


Den

How about laying down some stripes of colour beside them and starting a new fashion?

http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Maskliners.html
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50650
I have been using this every night since I got the demo in late March.
I had the red marks from the silicon and pressure.
They are all gone. Silicone will never touch my face again.

Leak has been no problem.


I consider this essential cpap comfort equipment.

Oh wow - never saw anything like that before! I am going to order one and see how it goes, hopefully it won't let more air towards my eyes. Thank you so much!
PS - I really hope no one is offended by my calling tribal markings dumb - I meant that on my European face they look quite inappropriate.

I had deep motorcycle "tire tracks" down both sides of my face when using that mask pulled down tight with the ResMed ASV. If I loosened the mask at all, I would get bad leaks that drove me crazy!

I just switched to the Respironics ASV about 1 week ago. Same mask, same basic pressure settings. But I have it adjusted normally, much lighter adjustment, no leaks, no tire tracks, almost no marks at all in the AM. I am also a side/stomach sleeper.

DSM posted a link about 2weeks ago to a Pad A Cheek strap that is supposed to help with leaks with that mask. Only $10. I never got a chance to try it. You could also try a new cushion and new headgear, that helped with leaks with the ResMed. That machine is really rough on leaks, you could ask DSM about his exeperience.

The Respironics Bipaps in particular seem to me to be much easier on leaks. Maybe it is the "rise" setting, how quickly it ramps up the pressure on inhalation - along with the lower exhalation pressure? My exhalation - EPAP - is set at 8.0, my minimum inhalation - IPAP - is at 11.0, vs a constant 13.0 on CPAP.

Very happy to get off that beast of a ResMed machine! Effecfive therapy that really helped, but I just couldn't take it for the long term.

Julie wrote:Oh wow - never saw anything like that before! I am going to order one and see how it goes, hopefully it won't let more air towards my eyes. Thank you so much!
PS - I really hope no one is offended by my calling tribal markings dumb - I meant that on my European face they look quite inappropriate.

Two rules to live by: (1) It is best not to have tribal markings unless you are a member of that particular tribe, and (2) war paint is not good unless you are actually at war. Those rules apply as much to those from, and in, Europe as they do to people anywhere. So, no, I don't believe anyone could be offended.

I now sleep with a cloth mask over my eyes to keep the air away. It took me a while not to panic in the morning when I would open my eyes and not see anything, but it now only takes me a few seconds to figure out that the reason I can't see is the eye-mask.