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This may sound odd, but after trying a nasal mask and hating it, my pressure was too high. My cheeks filled up like a chipmunks, my ears felt pressure (not good for someone with Meniere's), and I was full of air within 5 minutes. I can't, or don't know how to change the pressure on my machiene. If I could have done that I may have been able to stick with it.

I went back to the DME today and got my Mirage Quattro back. It is a bit cumbersome, but I did get mine to fit by watching and following the advice on a video, which I can not find at the moment. It was not the video by CPAPeople.

Here is the jist of it. Put the mask on, over your face first and then pull the headgear over so the top straps go across your forehead and the lower ones under your ears. Make sure the nose adjust dial is fully extended.

LIE DOWN with the hose connected. Adjust the upper straps so they fit comfortable, not tightly, do the same for the lower. Turn on your machiene. Use the adjuster dial to seal any leaks.

This worked very well for me. Everyone is different, but it is worth a try...

erwink wrote:As far as mask goes, when I did my sleep study, I started with the nasal mask, and it was great while I was just sitting there reading, but as soon as I laid down to go to sleep, I felt like I was suffocating with it

That's fixable. Probably more pressure is all you need.

OK, do not try to learn or fix everything at once. It won't work. Start with the basics, like getting the mask on and working to cut down on leaks. You'll be amazed at how quickly you can figure things out. Each time you understand one thing come back and read and ask and you'll figure out the next thing, whatever it may be. Then in a few days start working on learning how to use the software. In a matter of couple weeks or so it'll all start falling into place and the jumble of puzzle pieces will make a pretty picture. Take heart, it's only a 100 piece puzzle, not 1000!

Well, upon everyone's advice, I strapped on Snuffy (Snuffleupagus) and was determined to keep it on for the entire nite....so I did.....but had some leaking issues near my eyes about 2 hours after going to sleep, and figured out later than whenever I tried to sleep in any position other than on my back (I tend to prefer my side), it leaked like crazy..... Ok, so I didn't keep it on ALL nite, I took it off at 5 AM when I went to check on my young son....and didn't put it back on for dozing in bed for about an hour....

Will continue my experiment....but not sure on how to proceed with mask.....my provider seems reluctant to let me try another one......and I've never gotten a physical prescription......

And, pretty sure I'm a mouth breather.....he got me the chin strap thinking that the leaking a few hours into the nite was caused by my jaw dropping....don't know if it's doing much other than making my head hurt some.

Thanks again for the ongoing support.

Kim

erwink wrote:Now I'm not even using the machine at all because I sleep MUCH better without it....and I don't even want to TRY it again. *sigh* VERY discouraged. Don't know what to do. I really thought based on my sleep study with the machine that it would be a relatively easy adjustment....the reality has been anything but.

I'm ready to give up.

Oh, what a cute orphan-to-be in your avatar.

Yes, CPAP is a pain in the mask. Even if you sleep better without it, apnea is silently killing you a little every night. Damaging your brain, your heart, and other organs.

It often takes a lot of fiddling to get it right. You may have to change your mask. Try tinkering with the mask. Remember, sometimes looser is better. Sometimes a mask liner can help. Lots of people on here have tried other mask tricks.

What are your settings? Are you using ramp? Sometimes, it's better to not use ramp to get your mask adjusted. Manual CPAP without EPR might also help by keeping the pressure the same.

A chinstrap may actually still help even with a full face mask because opening your mouth might change the shape of your face and cause a leak.

*

erwink wrote:Well, upon everyone's advice, I strapped on Snuffy (Snuffleupagus) and was determined to keep it on for the entire nite....so I did.....but had some leaking issues near my eyes about 2 hours after going to sleep, and figured out later than whenever I tried to sleep in any position other than on my back (I tend to prefer my side), it leaked like crazy..... Ok, so I didn't keep it on ALL nite, I took it off at 5 AM when I went to check on my young son....and didn't put it back on for dozing in bed for about an hour....

Will continue my experiment....but not sure on how to proceed with mask.....my provider seems reluctant to let me try another one......and I've never gotten a physical prescription......

And, pretty sure I'm a mouth breather.....he got me the chin strap thinking that the leaking a few hours into the nite was caused by my jaw dropping....don't know if it's doing much other than making my head hurt some.

Thanks again for the ongoing support.

Kim

As Grand-PAP said those are all problems others have encountered and conquered. Why some have a more difficult time than others nobody knows. You will reach a point of having acceptable leaks, zero won't happen consistently, and you will someday be able to sleep on your side.

As for trying different masks you have the choice to get tough with your DME, or find another DME. I don't know who you're dealing with but I've heard some people say they have had good luck with Norco. I get my stuff from CPAPNow and have no problems. I assume you're in the Boise area from the Broncos on the T-shirt. The only person the DME cares about is himself/herself. You are a nothing more than a profit center to them. You are not married to them.

Do a search on mouth breathing. It's been discussed quite a bit. You aren't alone by any means! Keep at it. You're doing good. And above all keep posting and asking questions. We want you to succeed, for your own well being and for the benefit of your family!

Carbonman, that was excellent.

As for trying different masks you have the choice to get tough with your DME, or find another DME. I don't know who you're dealing with but I've heard some people say they have had good luck with Norco. I get my stuff from CPAPNow and have no problems. I assume you're in the Boise area from the Broncos on the T-shirt. The only person the DME cares about is himself/herself. You are a nothing more than a profit center to them. You are not married to them.

You are right, I'm in Boise...tho, you know, there are Bronco fans everywhere these days!

Thanks for the tips...I've been working with Idaho Sleep Specialists....just not sure how to go somewhere else when I've never gotten a written prescription.....

I will definitely persevere in this...one way or another. I do appreciate all the support here - SO glad I found you guys!

Kim,

Will continue my experiment....but not sure on how to proceed with mask.....my provider seems reluctant to let me try another one......and I've never gotten a physical prescription......

To get your prescription - call the doctor's office and demand one!. If they will not give you one go in and stand at the front desk and demand one and wait there until they give you one. It is a part of your medical record and you have a right to a complete copy of your medical record; you paid for it and you own it, the doctor is merely a custodian of the record. If the give you any Sh@# about that tell the office manager to review HIPPA.

Both my wife and I have USB thumb drives with our complete medical records on them including PDF copies of scripts for medical equipment, what kind of stent I have in my chest, and what type of ASD repair my wife had on her heart. Saves time in an emergency at the ER.

You can also engage your insurance company, most insurers want to increase compliance with a given treatment as it saves them money in the long run. My wife had issues with a provider and the insurance company actually assisted us in getting the prescription for her CPAP moved from one provider to a different provider that was more responsive to her needs.

And, pretty sure I'm a mouth breather.....he got me the chin strap thinking that the leaking a few hours into the nite was caused by my jaw dropping....don't know if it's doing much other than making my head hurt some

I tried 4 different masks before I settled on one that fits right, it is a very personal thing. Every one's face is a different, and everyone will have a very different preference in a mask. It is a personal thing. My progression on masks was:

Swift LT - Pillows rubbed my nose raw

Mirage FX - Loved the mask but I am a mouth breather, tried a chin strap but hated that

Quatro FX - Slid around on my face

Mirage Quatro - this is now my go to mask

My DME is great, they don't even ask for the old masks back in the 30 day trial period, so I still have the old ones around if I want to try them again. When I was at the DME's office I think I tried 10 different masks on there until if finally settled on the Mirage Quatro a few weeks back.

I wish you well on your voyage into the world of CPAP , and don't let the added stress of the Holiday Season get you down.

I got an early Holiday Present yesterday, my wife, who has had more difficulty adapting to CPAP said last night, " I think I am starting to feel better, I am not as tired and I have more energy now." That was the best Christmas present I could get this year, I am getting my wife back! Remember you are doing this for yourself and the people that are around you as well.

Dave

I love it everytime I read the title of this thread "I hate this".
Don't blame you, I'd rather not have CPAP myself, but it's too much of a tradeoff.
Don't give up, work on your problems one at a time on the forum.

Thanks again for all the positive, encouraging comments....nite #2 last nite of my new commitment - and I actually made it ALL NITE with the mask! A little bit of leakage, but nothing huge. My hubby is on board and is helping me troubleshoot, so that's wonderful. Thank you all sooooooo much for the help and encouragement....I know I'm not there yet, but I'm one day - no, NITE closer to my goal.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Kim

Kim,

I've been following your thread and have seen you getting wonderful help and advice. I'm glad to see your disposition improving.

Don't let a few "bumps in the road" get you down. Even those of us that have been doing this for years have bumps. It's all a part of this journey.

Keep up the good work and you will definitely be successful. I will continue to watch your thread for more updates on improvements, which I know will be there.

Congratulations on your first full night with the mask! The first full night is a big hurdle to pass. In the beginning I could only tolerate it in small doses. My insurance company tracks compliance and considers 4 hours to be "therapeutic", so I would wear it for 4 hours, until that 1st night when I didn't want to rip it off my face.

You are moving in the right direction!

Hope you're doing well.