FFM woes: receding chin

Hi guys, I'm still (still!!) fighting to find a good ffm mask... lately i've been stuffy more than normal and finding it hard to use my beloved Activa.

My problem is that I have a receding chin/jaw so most masks end up leaking around the bottom corners of my mouth. Nothing keeps its seal. I cannot be the only one with this problem!!

Anyone else with this facial structure find a ffm that works for them???

I currently own half of all ffms made, some in various sizes: Quattro, Quattro FX, Ultra Mirage, ComfortGel, Comfortfull, Liberty, Hybrid... and have tried various ones from F&P at the DME (with cpap of course).

Gaaaah!!! I have spent a fortune and nothing works I can't imagine spending another $500 on the various new masks that have come out (and the reviews didn't sound too good).

And NO I cannot try out other masks in the country i'm currently living in - it's buy it online or nothing.

Thanks!
Echo

I have a facial structural dysmorphism called "micrognathia"--essentially a very small and receded lower jaw. For all intents and purposes, I don't have much of a chin. But I use a Quattro successfully.

I probably ordinarily would take a small size Quattro, but the medium wraps around the lower part of my face better. It almost (not quite) hooks around the bit of chin I have. And it fits even better with my jaw slightly slackened. I use the fitting tips I outline in "Taming the Mirage Quattro" in my signature below. The key is to make absolutely sure that the cushion is as fully inflated as possible--starting with very loose straps and tightening only as much as absolutely necessary--more on the bottom. I also use a padacheek liner. I still have leaks around the chin at times, but I'd much rather have chin leaks than leaks in my eyes. I sleep on my side, and when I "spring a leak" I just snuggle my face in the pillow to stop it.

It's not perfect, but it's comfortable and I sleep well with low AHI. My leak rates aren't the best, but they're not too terrible for effective therapy, either.

Hi Jan, thanks so much for the link!! I remember this info for the quattro but i could never get that to work, but I have had moderate success with the Quattro FX and I think maybe I need to try the fitting process with it again. Actually the first few days with it were great. My problem is with the stickiness of the silicon- it just doesn't seem to want to seal to my face - not enough oil! I have both a medium and a small in the Quattro FX... The medium was even worse. The leaks keep waking me up at night.. i wouldn't mind if it leaked if I cold sleep through it. hm, maybe i need to experiment some more again. Thanks for the hope and the info

Oh, and I definitely gotta try this liner idea!

The F&P oral mask might work. They're a bit uncomfortable and difficult to adjust to, and you can't breathe through your nose. However, they are a lot different from other masks. It's a bit like a SCUBA mouthpiece.

1.) Hans Rudolph V2 definitely may do the trick.

2.) Also try PR FullLife. -- Very conformable cushion design.

Regardless, get return insurance on your purchase just in case.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions!

Jan, I got out several of the old masks and re-tried the Quattro FX medium... well recently i've been using the papcap nearly every day because well, long story,... anyway I remembered in the past I didn't try the Q fx medium with the papcap...so I just tried it... not a single leak even when I trashed around on the pillow. In the past it wasn't working because the medium is slightly too big (and the small slightly too small!), so it would leak the moment my jaw dropped. The papacap is obviously keeping that from happening. I just couldn't tolerate the papcap every night before, but finally got used to it out of necessity. Keeping my fingers crossed that this may do the trick!!

I gave up on FFMs and just use nasal pillows with taping

(Same problem, except as a bonus I have a big nose and long face)

My chin and nose vs cheekbones create a seesaw effect with most full face masks.
Mirage Quattro was the worst in my case, forcing me to choose between eyes or chin for the huge leak.
The best exception for me is the P/R Comfortgel or Comfortgel Blue.
This is a heavy mask, but the gel cushion is thick enough for continuous contact even with my odd little face.
If you have not tried it, this might be the one.