CPAPtalk.com

SleepyToo2 wrote:So I am looking forward learning to keep my mouth shut, especially when I am sleeping!!

A couple of ideas...

Try using one of those sport mouth guards. To keep it in your mouth you will have to keep it closed with lips sealed. It also will give you an idea what it will take to sleep with a dental device instead of cpap.

Or hold a pillow up under your chin when you sleep may help to train you to keep your mouth closed.

Either way you have to practice breathing thru you nose ALL day while awake. IF you don't breath thru you nose during the day, how could you expect to be any different while asleep?

There is always painter's tape.

squid13 wrote:For the collapsible Swift FX pillows put O rings under them, makes a world of difference.

Squid,

You gave me that advice two months ago, and I tracked a pair down at the local hardware store and bought them, but then put off trying them, I think because I was trying some other trick out then and didn't want to confuse the issue. Then I lost track of where I put the tiny things.

Well, last night my gf found them, put them over the neck of the nasal pillows of my Swift FX/Bella Loops and voila! I had a much better experience keeping the bottom rims of the nasal pillows out of my nostrils and the inflatable part in both nostrils at the same time, giving me a better seal! I had to tighten the Bella Loops more to get the right angle of the pillows into a little more of a V but I was not waking up to readjust the placement and could turn from my back to left and right sides without displacement.

Before the O-rings, when one nasal pillow would get displaced slightly during the night and start hissing, I found that in my frustration to get the thing jammed back into place, I would often be pushing the bottom rim into my nostril too, making things even worse, preventing a good seal, and the hissing would persist. Last night, with the O-rings, that had no chance of happening.

Thank you so much for this great idea!

Next week, I will be getting an Aloha and I'll see how I like that compared to my Swift FX/Bella. It would be nice if I could swap the Aloha headgear for the Bella Loops however. I'll report back.

Best regards, Nate

Not sure if the O-ring idea will work on the Aloha - the pillars are a little softer, and much bigger than on the Swift FX pillows. I have been getting over that by cinching the straps a little tighter ... Probably need to test the floss idea if things don't settle down with other adjustments.

GumbyCT, thanks for the thoughts. FYI, I have a SilentNite oral appliance, which helps keep me from grinding my teeth, and definitely helps with keeping the mouth closed. Normally, I use a chin strap - when I didn't the night before last the leaks were much worse. Regarding the pillow under the chin, I have actually found that a soft cervical collar helps - a bit warm, but it does help when I use it. The leaks tend to occur late in the sleeping period, so I suspect that I may be rolling onto my back, which moves things around, maybe. I do breathe through my nose during the day, so it seems to be a nocturnal problem only.

Thanks for all the ideas - they are reinforcing what I have already learned, with a few additional ideas.

neverbetter wrote:Look at the headgear. On the top are two slats to run velcro overhead strap. You have a choice which one you want to run the strap through and depending on which slat you use, the headgear feels very different. I don't remember the way it came. That would most likely be the "default" slat that the manufacturer thinks most people will want. Maybe I'm wrong. I just know that if I use the second one (the higher one) the headgear sits so that I have to wear the mask a little more snug than the first slit where I can wear the headgear very lose. I don't know which way I like better. How do you wear yours?

I see what you mean, mine came with the strap in the upper slats which results in the back running higher up the head. It also makes the mask feel more snug so i have to adjust the top straps to their largest setting.
No i'm running on the lower slats where the back strap runs lower down the back of the head, this is perfect for me as i have a flatter than normal back of head. The mask sits lighter on my face and is leak free.

They have done will as its very adjustable mask that most people should be able to get to work. Other nasal pillow failures for me were the Opus 360 and the Swift FX. I think this mask is keeper.

My only concern is replacement pillows, cpap.com customer service did not know when they are going to be in stock. Hopefully they will show up soon.

squid13 wrote:Put them on just like Uncle_Bob's photo shows, gives them a solid base. The O ring size is OD 13/16 by ID 9/16 by 1/8 . Danco #93 O ring. It's the same fix for the Swift FX. Pick them up at any hardware store.

Does it matter the size of the pillows vs.s what size for the O ring? I use a medium nasal pillow for the Swift FX.

That size will also work on the Aloha pillows.

I've had the Aloha for a week and I really like it. I'm so happy to have found the forum...I would have never tried it and it's the first mask that let me pass the 6 hour mark (i was typically ripping off the Swift FX about 4 hours in.) I'll also try the o ring solution to resurrect the swift fx. Thanks for all the great ideas.

Just notified by our host that the Aloha replacement pillows I ordered are being shipped so the drought is over! YEA!!!

Suz

I got the same news that the shipment is coming. What was odd is they held up my entire order for the pillow. They could have sent the other stuff first. I found that odd abnd actually somewhat fustrating. Guess I'll know next time....

Wow, that is really surprising. Good to know. I wonder if it would have made a difference if you had called them and raised a little dust.

Suz

When you order from them, at the end of the process is a box for "special instructions"
I always request FedEx, now maybe I'll also request a split shipment in case of back-order.

Thanks for the o-ring tip, I will have to try it on my FX, it has been laying on the nightstand while I am using my LT. Just couldnt get a good seal on the FX even though it was more comfortable.

The O ring trick really did the job for me! I am using a swift FX mask with the new short hose from the Nano. All the comfort of the ball joint in the hose cost me some stability of keeping the silly pillows in place, waking me up constantly with a whistling mask. Not any more!



Thank you for the cheap and simple advise!

another try to post a picture of the O ring on a P10 mask.