UNABLE TO GET A GOOD SEAL

Please help. I am a newbie and am having difficulty getting a good seal. I need a full face mask and have tried 4 at this writing. The first was the Liberty, the second Quatro, the third (my favorite) Forma and am now trying one with gel. I start out okay but after an hour or two sound like an old outboard motor. I have been able to affect a seal with the Liberty but find it uncomfortable due to the pillows in my nose. I have adjusted and readjusted the headgear to no avail. The Forma hurt the bridge of my nose so I got a comfort care pad. That helped the soreness but made sealing the mask worse.

I am loosing sleep because of the noisy contraption on my face. Please, any help would be appreciated. Thanks. I am soooooo tired.

I'm so sorry you're having such a bad time. My RT showed me you could take the gray pad out of the forma and just use it that way. Perhaps you could get a tight enough seal without hurting your nose.
Shar

Check out http://www.padacheek.com. She makes an "anti-leak" strap for some masks that people who use them swear by.

Hello all; am so frustrated with the leakage. I just ordered the anti leak strap from PadaCheek. I have high hopes that this will help with my problem. This site is definitely worth a look. They have many comfort straps for different mask and headgear.

Hi Irishgranny!!

It wasn't that long ago that I could have written the same thing about my struggles with the mask. Like you, I use a full face mask and have tried them all. In the end, I settled on the F&P 431 because it was the lesser of all the evils (for me anyway).

Here's a couple things that may help --

You might try actually loosening the headgear. I know this sounds strange, but sometimes you get more leaks if it's tighter than you would if it's looser. It's worth a try.

It's also very important to clean your face before masking up. I use cleaning face wipes AND an acne astringent to make sure all the day's dirt is off my face. Anywhere the mask touches my face, I make sure is cleaned thoroughly. This helps a lot to get a better seal.

As far as pain on the nosebridge, I dealt with that too. My nose bridge was so raw it was bleeding. It was awful. I use a plastic bandaid over the area AFTER doing a thorough cleaning of the area and giving it a good zap with the astringent. While I still have occasional problems, it's much better and I am able to use the mask all night, every night.

Hi, I'm new too (two weeks into CPAP), and have both the Quattro and Liberty masks. I gave up on the Quattro at first because it leaked so much that I had to tighten the straps super tight and it started hurting my nose.

I then got the Liberty and I liked it much better, but also had to fasten the straps uncomfortably tight to avoid leaks.

So, I decided to buy a sample package of RemZzzs CPAP mask liners (from their Web site). It worked well one night with the Liberty, no leaks. So I decided to give the Quattro another go last night and was very pleased to discover no leaks! Plus, I did not have to fasten my straps as tightly. Last night with the Quattro was my best night's sleep since I started CPAP.

The RemZzzs operator on the phone told me that some insurance companies will pay for the liners. So I plan to call my doctor tomorrow to see if he will call in a prescription for them. This is a good product, invented by a man to help his wife with her leaking CPAP masks. There is a video on the Web site which shows how they work. It only costs $8 for a sample package so it may be worth a try for you.

There are many on the board that have tried/used remzzzs. They do get a little expensive. Several people have cut their own out of cotton shirts.

Another thought, if you're using the ramp feature, make sure to first adjust your mask at your sleeping pressure. The mask can be leak free until it hits the higher pressure. It would be good if you listed your equipment, pressure,etc.

I thank everyone who responded to my questions. I have tried numerous things mentioned and some that are new to me. I am going to make this work for me regardless of what I need to do to make it successful. I want my life back. It is very frustrating at times and seems hopeless in the middle of the night when messing around with settings, mask, headgear etc. Please keep the comments coming. I am open to any and all suggestions.

Irishgranny, I hope you're making progress in the Quest for No Leaks! I wanted to point out that, unlike Madalot and many others, some of us get a better seal by cleaning our masks less frequently. My skin is astoundingly dry and sensitive, and sleeping with a freshly-washed face just isn't possible for me. I also only wash my mask every couple of weeks. My data shows that trying to sleep with a clean face and mask ALWAYS increases my leak rate. Keep an open mind about cleaning your mask, you might be surprised!

brazospearl wrote:Irishgranny, I hope you're making progress in the Quest for No Leaks! I wanted to point out that, unlike Madalot and many others, some of us get a better seal by cleaning our masks less frequently. My skin is astoundingly dry and sensitive, and sleeping with a freshly-washed face just isn't possible for me. I also only wash my mask every couple of weeks. My data shows that trying to sleep with a clean face and mask ALWAYS increases my leak rate. Keep an open mind about cleaning your mask, you might be surprised!

This is a valid point and I'm glad you said this! What works for one person (as the diligent cleaning of face and mask) can have the opposite result for somebody else. You have to keep trying different things and find out what works best for you.

For me, my leaks improved significantly by washing my face thoroughly each night right before bed. But for a person with dry skin, that might make things worse.

Another good example of how one person's "magic bullet" could be a big problem for another!

Thanks again for the suggestions. I have tried cleaning the mask, not cleaning the mask as for my face it tends to be a bit oily so clealiness is important to me. I found if I did not clean my face before bed had a harder time getting a good seal. I have ordered a strap from PadaCheek. I hope that helps. As for leakage I am still having issues. The best if my Mirage Liberty Mask the worse is the Comfort Gel. I will keep on trying. My machine is set at 10.5 and will increase to 16 if needed. It is on auto.
The first setting a few weeks ago was 18 for the machine. Heck I couldn't get any sleep or seal at all with that pressure. I also find with the nasal pillows that my nostrils get a bit irrated.
Onward and fight this darn thing. I know I will succeed in the end.

Have you tried adjusting your mask (at full pressure) during the day when (hopefully) you are more alert? Bedtime is not the best time to experiment.

Try making adjustments a tiny bit at a time. It's easy to overshoot your sweet spot.

And I think you have the wrong machine in your profile. Yours is probably the "PR System One REMstar Auto CPAP Machine". (PR is Philips Respironics. Philips bought Respironics a while back and added their name.) Check the top of your machine to be sure.

Irish, I'm wondering, have you tried straight cpap at a set pressure at or close to your titration? Sometimes that might help with leaks. It's all trial and error until you find that "sweet spot". Good luck and keep us posted.

jdm You are correct. I did have the wrong machine posted. I have made changes. Thank you.