Need advice adjusting new wisp

Hi all,
My first post is a call for help.
I've had the usual horrific time with my DME (now on my second one). New RT offered NO help with mask. She just said "which one do you want" and then went to get it. She did put it on my face and tightened the straps so much that the tip of my nose touched the inside of the little mask! Then she turned my machine on and when I nodded my head she took it off of me. She didn't offer to let me try any others and I was just thankful to get out of there with what I went for (another long story).
I have been on my "life support" machine for 30 plus days and tried a full face nightmare mask, then pillows, then went crying (almost) to my sleep dr who gave me a sample Mirage FX (I think) for her. That's what I've been wearing and I can make it through the night with good numbers. I also wear a chin strap that I connected to the Mirage headgear.
I've been reading obsessively on the forums about different masks and thought the Wisp might be small enough on my face to be "comfortable" and have the headgear to stay on my head. So I was very hopeful.
Last night was my first night with the Wisp. I tried attaching my chinstrap to the headgear but that wasn't comfortable. I tried the whole chinstrap over the headgear which I thought might help the mask stay in place. All that did was pop the mask out away from my nose. I finally put the chinstrap on then put the headgear on (so I ended up with more stuff on my head than when I use the Mirage...not my goal.) I went to sleep on my back. I only made it two and a half hours before I was awakened by leaking (still on my back). I tried to make adjustments by moving the mask, my head and finally the Velcro straps. It still leaked.
So I took it off and put my Mirage back on. Slept the rest of the night.
I checked my numbers this morning and my leak rate was higher than normal.
I used the small/medium size mask that came with the Wisp. I will try the large size tonight with hopes that everything will make a happy seal around my nose.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to adjust the Wisp for a good fit?

OT: I've learned so much from reading posts here. Much more than from my doc or the RT.
Thank you

I wish I could offer some help on fitting the Wisp, but it's the only mask I've tried that worked right out of the box the first and every night. No leaks, no fitting issues and no pressure sores. Very impressive. On the other hand, I had some diaphragm and breathing problems later down the road with all the nasal only interface systems (in general)... including the Swift FX, however that wasn't the Wisp's fault, nor the Swift FXs, which is also a fine design.

Anyway, on a related topic: One thing I'd like to see is that PR use the Wisp's deep wall technology with the soft inner flange to make an new design in an FFM... man, that would be great, but I'm not holding my breath <pun>

Hi - not about the mask, but a little reminder that back-sleeping provokes a lot more apneas than side sleeping... in case no one's told you.

I tried both versions of the Wisp, and decided I do not like the fabric--but the clear: absolute heaven!
I bent a gentle convex curve into my frame so it wouldn't dig into my cheeks, but to grip them.
This grip helps hold the cushion over, rather than on my nose.
Air "filling the hovercraft" does the rest.

Thanks for the replys.

Julie, I do know about sleeping on my back vs. side. Before I got diagnosed and before I got my life support I slept on my side with the help of my hero husband who kept vigil over me every night from June to October because he recognized I had more problems if I slept on my back. However, since wearing a mask I've gone back to my back in an effort to keep my various masks from leaking or it just being too uncomfortable with a big piece of plastic smushed against my face. I look forward to curling up on my side one day when I'm a pro.

I love the Wisp mask!!

If I have a persistent leak (generally around the nose bridge area but occasionally around the cheek area), I loosen one of the side straps, lift the cushion up away from my face and re-seat it. That adjustment generally gets me through the night leak free. I also wipe the cushion down each day and wash my face before bed so there is no oil between my face and the cushion.

I try not to cinch the mask down too tight as it needs to inflate the cushion for a good seal. It is absolutely one of the most comfortable masks I've ever worn. I also tape my mouth and wear a PapCap. I agree with you, it's a lot of stuff on the head and face but worth it when I wake up feeling rested in the morning. I find the Wisp very comfortable for side sleeping. By the way, I have the clear one and use it with no liner. I did construct some padding on the side arms of the mask because they were leaving marks on my face. To me, it feels less confining than a full face mask and easier to fit as I apparently have an odd shaped face and head.

Good luck....I hope the Wisp works out for you.

I really love my Wisp, but I seem to be having problems with it "riding up" my nose, towards my eyes, during the night. When this happens, the flat bottom of the triangle is too confining for my nostrils, and I have to pull it down to where I originally placed it, with the bottom located just above my upper lip.

This happens 3-4 times a night.

I wonder if anyone else is having this problem?

If so, has anyone devised a solution? I have tried tightenting the upper straps to keep it from riding up, but then it feels too tight and I wake up with a bright red mark. The local RRT tried to tell me to keep it strapped really tight, but I think she is wrong, because that interferes with the inflation of the double-lip space. She didn't impress me as very familiar with these newer generation mask designs.

I have started replacing the nosepiece after every 2-3 weeks, but that doesn't seem to make the difference.

Any suggestions?

Regards, Nate

NateS wrote:
I have started replacing the nosepiece after every 2-3 weeks, but that doesn't seem to make the difference.

Any suggestions?

Regards, Nate

I don't like new cushions. It takes that long to get them broken in enough for me.

About my "riding up" problem with the Wisp nosepiece, a little update.

Stormy suggested holding it down with a ribbon around my chin, and then I read on another thread about chinstraps that at least one person had experimented with wearing their chinstrap on top of their mask instead of the usual advice to put it on first, the reason being that they found it helped the mask stay in place better.

So I tried that the last 3 nights - put my Ruby chinstrap on last instead of first and wow! - it is keeping my nosepiece from riding up my nose and it is staying in place almost all night with the bottom just above my upper lip.

This is for the most part eliminating me waking up 3-4 times a night to pull it back down away from my nostrils, and I am getting better leak charts - most of the time below the red line on ResScan.

However, now I am getting bright red marks on my nose and across my cheeks - I'll work on that next.

Regards, Nate

DreamBig wrote:Hi all,
My first post is a call for help.
I've had the usual horrific time with my DME (now on my second one). New RT offered NO help with mask. She just said "which one do you want" and then went to get it. She did put it on my face and tightened the straps so much that the tip of my nose touched the inside of the little mask! Then she turned my machine on and when I nodded my head she took it off of me. She didn't offer to let me try any others and I was just thankful to get out of there with what I went for (another long story).
I have been on my "life support" machine for 30 plus days and tried a full face nightmare mask, then pillows, then went crying (almost) to my sleep dr who gave me a sample Mirage FX (I think) for her. That's what I've been wearing and I can make it through the night with good numbers. I also wear a chin strap that I connected to the Mirage headgear.
I've been reading obsessively on the forums about different masks and thought the Wisp might be small enough on my face to be "comfortable" and have the headgear to stay on my head. So I was very hopeful.
Last night was my first night with the Wisp. I tried attaching my chinstrap to the headgear but that wasn't comfortable. I tried the whole chinstrap over the headgear which I thought might help the mask stay in place. All that did was pop the mask out away from my nose. I finally put the chinstrap on then put the headgear on (so I ended up with more stuff on my head than when I use the Mirage...not my goal.) I went to sleep on my back. I only made it two and a half hours before I was awakened by leaking (still on my back). I tried to make adjustments by moving the mask, my head and finally the Velcro straps. It still leaked.
So I took it off and put my Mirage back on. Slept the rest of the night.
I checked my numbers this morning and my leak rate was higher than normal.
I used the small/medium size mask that came with the Wisp. I will try the large size tonight with hopes that everything will make a happy seal around my nose.
Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on how to adjust the Wisp for a good fit? OT: I've learned so much from reading posts here. Much more than from my doc or the RT.
Thank you

The sizing of the Wisp is kinda weird. There are three size choices and the Large is not really very large at all. My nose is fairly normal and it's always crammed into the large cushion almost to the point of being uncomfortable. They really need to go back to the drawing board and get the sizing correct for real people - not just for the mannequins they show in the advertisements.

Have you tried a CPAP pillow? I hear they are good if you are a side sleeper.

Sir NoddinOff wrote:…The sizing of the Wisp is kinda weird. There are three size choices and the Large is not really very large at all. My nose is fairly normal and it's always crammed into the large cushion almost to the point of being uncomfortable. They really need to go back to the drawing board and get the sizing correct for real people - not just for the mannequins they show in the advertisements.

Nod, I never got the impression that the Wisp is made to enclose the entire nose. It is deliberately smaller than almost everyone's nose. Only part of the nose is intended to be enclosed by the Wisp.

Here is the Wisp morphing video with real people and real noses - no mannequins. Because I have a moustache, this is the video that really sold me on trying the Wisp, and I have been really pleased with it for many months.

See: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8S_qD7ps04A

Regards, Nate

PS - Here is another video which may be helpful to you in fitting the Wisp - it is the hilarious one with the perpetually grinning Frenchman!

Update on the Wisp: I have put it aside as it was leaving a mark on my nose (I am realizing that might be a given with most masks). But the main reason I gave up was that it aggravates my facial muscles which I think must be sensitive due to a nasty bout with TMJ.
I have the cloth headgear and although the word "cloth" makes one think it would be soft, I found it stiff and hard.
Thanks for your comments all