Questions about Opus 360 Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask

For a change of style that is minimal you may want to investigate the Nasal Aire II Prong CPAP Mask with Headgear. I used one of these for several years.

RocketGirl wrote:John_Jason, a couple of other thoughts - I know you mentioned that you have the humidity turned all the way up, but waking up with a nosebleed really sounds like dry nasal passages - have you checked to see if the water level in the humidifier is significantly lower in the morning than when you went to bed? I find myself wondering if your humidifier is working properly.

The other thought is, since you have to drive 40 miles to get to the DME (and that doesn't work on days you have lectures) - if you can swing it, perhaps consider whether it's worth your while to just buy a different mask outright from our hosts - they offer mask insurance in case you can't adjust to the mask you purchase, and their delivery is quick. I just bought an Aloha here since my DME doesn't stock them, and I got the insurance just in case.

I haven't tried the Aloha yet, but a lot of people here seem to like them a lot, and I think it meets your needs for minimal face coverage. (And it appears that the pillow angle is a little more adjustable than the Opus is, which is why I decided to try it.)

Definitely no problem with the humidifier. I've had it off, on 2, on 5, and now on 3. Even at 3 I sometimes find water running out of my nose at night. I don't know what is wrong, but it's not dry nose. My feeling is that my skin in the back of my nose is thin and the air pounding on it is bruising it.

Thanks a lot for the suggestion to buy a mask from our hosts. I did finally get to the DME this afternoon (traffic was a bitch - over three hours to go 40 miles out and back). I got the Swift FX and I must say that it feels much better than the Opus. Tonight will be its first trial. Everyone cross your fingers for me. If it fails then my next stop will be our hosts. I haven't seen the Aloha yet, but bear in mind that my limitation is that if I can see it on my nose I will panic and have to rip it off my face. Even with the Opus I had to force myself to subdue the feelings of terror that it caused. My choices in masks are severely limited. I can't go into caves, crawlspaces, or any other confined places. Claustrophobia is not negotiable.

Someone else suggested that it's time to see the doctor. I can't do that until May because insurance will pay for only one visit per month, and my last visit was April 2. I have an appointment scheduled for May 7, but if I see her before May 3 I'll have to pay out of pocket.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions.

Also, make sure the CPAP and humidifier are always sitting on a level that is lower than the mattress. That's a water safety rule when using CPAP machine humidifiers. Make sure you were given a special heated hose with your humidifier to prevent condensation ("rainout") in that main hose. If not, you'll need to insulate (wrap) that 6-foot hose with some cloth (e.g., sleeves off an old shirt) until you get one. Let us know if you still get any water at your nose. If so, wrap the short hose (mask hose) in some cloth too. It's not heated, but usually is kept warm enough laying on or next to you so condensation does not typically occur there. I once had some condensation occur in mine, but that was because I had it elevated and hung from a hanger. So it wasn't being warmed next to me and was exposed to the cool room air. I had a few drops of water. Hope you like your new mask and that you and it become "friends".