25 Year old Having Issues

Josh
Try unscented, no alcohol, baby wipes. Just wipe your mask down every morning when you take it off and wash it once a week in unscented baby shampoo. Allow it to air dry and you are good to go. If you are a mouth breather do not get a mask that is nose only ....unless you want to tape your yap shut. If you have insurance, I would check the rules as you should be allowed to TRY out different masks in the first 30 days. The DME's don't usually tell you this as they have to fill out the paper work for the manufacturer ....and THAT is too much trouble.
Good luck
Nan

any recommendations on masks to try?

It seems you have the Quattro FX which is a fairly new mask, and the suggestions you're getting are for the older mask, Resmed Mirage Quattro FF. If you can try that one, Janknitz has good instructions for that. My husband uses the Resmed UltraMirage FF. These names are all very confusing. Getting the right mask is the key!

Thank you !!!!

Personally, I kind of think the Mirage quattro and similar masks, often given to newbies, are NOT good masks for beginners. FF masks are tricky to seal, and to deal with varying pressures, so even if you are on CPAP mode, if you start out using ramp you're going to have a tough time with Quattro and similar FF masks. If you don't understand the dynamics of the air cushion, you're doomed to failure in this type of mask because the tendency is to crank it down to stop leaks--and that doesn't work!

If I ruled the world I'd start newbies on the Swift LT with PROPER FITTING INSTRUCTIONS and if they had trouble with mouth breathing I'd recommend trying tape and chin straps before going to a FF or hybrid mask. I think compliance rates would be better with the Swift LT because it eliminates much of the leaking and discomfort issues of other masks. It's less likely to induce claustrophobia. It's stable as a rock. And even people who think they are dedicated mouth breathers (like me!) may be surprised to find they are not mouth breathers with the proper pressure and some basic "nasal hygiene".

If you do try nasal pillows, be sure to have some Lanisoh (pure lanolin, found in the baby aisle of the drug store for nursing moms and known as "nipple cream" ) or KY jelly on hand to soothe your nostrils, eliminate friction, and some people find these help seal the pillows against (NOT IN) your nose.

so you think i should goto my DME tomorrow with the mask and ask to replace it with a Swift™ LT... hmm i was lookin at this one or the hybrid one.

JoshT wrote:so you think i should goto my DME tomorrow with the mask and ask to replace it with a Swift™ LT... hmm i was lookin at this one or the hybrid one.

Is there any physical condition why you cannot breathe through your nose? Bad, bad allergies? Deviated septum? Can you breathe through your nose during the day just fine?

Unless you simply cannot breathe through your nose normally, then give the Swift LT a try. Might have to tape, might not.
The Hybrid is a good mask but it isn't easy to manage either especially when first starting out with this therapy.

Hmm,

You're already having your mouth fall open in the Quattro FX, so nasal pillows might be a challenge, BUT, there are a few things to consider about WHY you may still be letting your mouth open (theoretically you CAN open your mouth in a FF mask, but in real life it often causes the seal to break and can lead to other issues).

Some people open their mouth to get more air--air hunger. Your data can help us with that. What is your AHI? What is your leak rate (NOT the leak rate reported on the screen, you must look with software or Onkor)? Do you feel like you are not getting enough air? If your AHI's are high, your leak rates are high, or you feel like you're not getting enough air, nasal pillows may work because they deliver the air more directly to you. You may need the pressure adjusted to stop mouth breathing, or you may need to turn off ramp.

Some people open their mouth because of nasal congestion. IF that's the case, do good "nasal hygiene" (saline rinses, prescription nasal steriod spray, OTC allergy meds if your doctor suggest it), avoid decongestants (!), and adjust the humidity on your machine up or down. Nasal pillows sometimes can help clear nasal congestion, so they are worth a try.

Some people open their mouth because they haven't learned to seal off the pressure from the CPAP by keeping the tongue on the roof of their mouth while they sleep. You will have to master that to have good success with nasal pillows. It's not as hard to learn as it sounds. Practice ALL day!

Finally, some people open their mouth because the jaw and lips relax during sleep. This is the hardest issue to overcome for nasal pillows, but not impossible. Opening your mouth may be helped by a chin strap, mouth taping, or both. Be sure you are lying on your side, as back sleeping makes it more likely that your jaw will relax open. When you are lying on your side, you can try external means to keep your mouth shut like stuffing a corner of the pillow under your chin. Some people start out needing a chin strap and/or tape, but they learn to keep the mouth shut and don’t need those helpers after a while.

Janknitz wrote:If I ruled the world I'd start newbies on the Swift LT with PROPER FITTING INSTRUCTIONS and if they had trouble with mouth breathing I'd recommend trying tape and chin straps before going to a FF or hybrid mask. I think compliance rates would be better with the Swift LT because it eliminates much of the leaking and discomfort issues of other masks. It's less likely to induce claustrophobia. It's stable as a rock. And even people who think they are dedicated mouth breathers (like me!) may be surprised to find they are not mouth breathers with the proper pressure and some basic "nasal hygiene".

h

I agree that it's best to exhaust the nasal interface options before moving to a full face mask.

Janknitz, did you ever try the Swift FX for Her? I'm curious if you ever compared it to the LT. I have both and have deliberated about which one to use.

I love the swift fx best but it's harder for beginners because it needs tweaks for stability.

what are the steps of posting my data on here? thanks!

JoshT wrote:what are the steps of posting my data on here? thanks

How to insert image/report


Open the image to full size so it is easily read.
I use Vista snipping tool to create a screen shot and crop the image at the same time.
Prt/scr key will also take a screen shot if using XP. If laptop is used sometimes the Fn key has to be pushed at the same time as the prt/scr key
I think windows 7 has the snipping tool.
Once the screen shot is created save it in jpg format.
Upload the image to a host site. I use Photobucket it is free, there are others.
Once the image is uploaded then copy the ENTIRE IMG address. Be sure to include the opening and closing IMG in brackets. Paste that copied address into a post here.
Use the preview button. If you can't see the image try again because if you can't see it we can't.

i went in today and got the Swift LT.

JoshT wrote:i went in today and got the Swift LT.

If your wife is willing, ask her to watch you for awhile when you are actually asleep wearing the Swift LT. Ask her to let you know if your mouth drops open and you are obviously breathing through your mouth while using the Swift.

If she sees you breathing through your mouth even for just a little while, you can bet you will be doing that a lot all night long. If that happens, you can try a chin strap -- may or may not stop the mouthbreathing. Or do what many of us do...put tape securely across your mouth.

I use tape because it lets me use masks that I find far more comfortable and less leaky than any Full Face masks I've tried.

LINKS to: Mouth leaks - Air Leaks - Tape - DIY Guard
viewtopic.php?t=8011

Figuring out a way to suspend the main air hose so it doesn't pull on a mask (any mask) when you move or turn over can help:

LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose
viewtopic.php?t=10640

i did buy a chin strap just incase! thanks for the tip about the tape. i will ask her to observe me when she can! have a great weekend!