help with Bella Loops

Tino2You · Post by **Tino2You** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:33 am

Man you guys are making me second guess switching from my Swift FX headgear. My mask is comfortable. I am sleeping well (less than 2 AHIs more often than not) nose is not sore. My leaks are ok (occasionally, my mouth opens...sometimes I knock the pillow off my nose when I turn over in my sleep, but I manage to correct both things without waking up all the way)...they could be better but at what cost? My treatment is working and I feel fine.

Also in the category of "things that make you say hmmmm!" When I started my treatment, my Rx pressure was 5-13 ml H2O. I left that alone for two weeks to control leaks and get used to the alien on my face and then changed it to 9-15.6 ml H2O. This setting worked very well. I would peak the pressure, most often when I was sleeping on my back, but the 95% number was usually in the 14.5 vicinity. I noticed a trend in the past few weeks that my 95% number is below 13 and my max is not going neat 15.6. Crazy!

I guess I have not only trained my mouth to stay closed, but my trachea to stay inflated at lower pressures! That's my story and I am sticking to it

oh well...thanks for listening...I will still get the loops if for nothing else, something to tinker with

-tino

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 8:39 am

Don't let Lazer's report scare you off the Loops. He has had similar thing happen with other masks. He has some high pressures and leaks...most likely from mouth opening issues.

It's kinda fun to experiment sometimes. You might like the loops and you might be wondering "what have I got myself into here".
Either way...you learn something. So not a total failure when we learn something. Plus scratches that curiosity itch.

lazer · Post by **lazer** » Wed Oct 24, 2012 9:09 am

Yea, like Pugsy pointed out, I have some other problems going on. I do like the "Bella's" and it will likely just take some re-adjusting of things along with I may have actually had the ear pieces too tight last night as I put on the PapCap which I hadn't tried in ages and did feel some soreness which I should have corrected right off the bat but didn't loosen anything.

I'll be curious to see my report but I'm going to guess that I started into my "Snoring" and the pressure elevated chasing the snores and thus that combined with the leaks by not having things adjusted optimally lead to the problems in the wee mrng.

Here I am as I went to bed last night:

I also think my pillows are due for a "Boiling" OR that described "O-ring" tweak.

Bon Bon · Post by **Bon Bon** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 6:59 am

Pugsy wrote:Couple of hints...don't try to adjust fit while sitting up...the weight of the short hose assembly tends to pull the loops a bit and just right sitting up meant too tight when laying down (for me anyway). I was way too tight the first nights.

They are remarkably stable even when things seem loose. I don't like my hose routed over my head but I suspect that with proper overhead adjustment to allow for free moving hose (that hose is a troublemaker for the loops) it would do quite well.

I found that the little padded covers over the straps weren't quite enough to prevent cheek marks...but remember I am using a buckwheat pillow which pretty much doesn't have any give to it unless I make it give so just about anything will leave a mark on my cheeks if I lay on it long enough. Heck, even a wrinkle in the pillow case will...so as with anything regarding cpap stuff..YMMV.
I have Padacheek's side covers..extra padding that slides right over the side things..I leave the pink covers on...PITA to take off.
There doesn't seem to be much middle ground with the Bella Loops...either love them or hate them.

My suggestion would be to try the Loops if a person has a mind to and if only minor annoyance with the strap marks or behind the ear thing...add Padacheek's stuff. If you totally hate it...I doubt that Padacheek's stuff will turn a pig's ear into a silk purse.

2 drawbacks...that ear pinching thing for one and the weight of the short hose assembly for the other. I know it doesn't weigh all that much but it does sort of pull on the loops a bit...
Both can be managed though.

Once you get the loops adjusted just right...there isn't any need to change the adjustment but it can take a bit of adjustment getting there...too tight hurts and actually creates more leaks I found. Too loose and the darn hose will pull the cones right out of your nose with every little movement in bed. Once you get things situated though..you barely know they are there.

My bella loops arrived yesterday. I love them! There was quite a struggle at first, trying to get them so they wouldn't leak at every teensy move I made but like Pugsy said, once I had them situated I barely knew they were there. And they stayed in place well throughout the night - I think my new buckwheat pillow helped a lot with that. Thankfully, I had printed out Pugsy's post with all of the great advice in it. I pulled out her instructions and read through them all again, especially the fitting and the hose parts and it all seemed to fall into place after that.

The loops were very comfortable for me - I couldn't feel them behind my ears and there is no soreness or irritation this morning - much better than headgear that slides around and gets all tangled up in my hair during the night. Between these loops and the o-rings I learned about last week, I'm hoping to be sleeping much more soundly in the future!

Thank you everyone for all the helpful advice and tips that this forum is so full of.
Bonny

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 8:44 am

Bon Bon wrote: My bella loops arrived yesterday. I love them!

Another happy convert.
Either love them or hate them.. not much middle ground but if they work for a person it's so nice.

help with Bella Loops

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