issues...so many issues

been on the machine for six or seven months...things were going good (after the initial adjustments) until a month or so ago...

preliminary: chronic pain from scoliosis/spinal arthritis (cpap, of course doesn't help with this; please do not offer advice on this; i'm very well informed and have tried everything)...deviated septum (almost got surgery to put a shunt in about eight years ago, but did some research on efficacy and talked to a person who got and said it was very painful and didn't help)...sinus "allergies" congestion off/on (used to think diet was the culprit by have systematically ruled that out)...Neti pot may or may not help...more testing needed, but i'm starting to think not; i'm a night-owl (always have been; i've switched to morning rising several times throughout life but always return to this, my natural default)...i can "sleep" 10-12 hours and still feel tired, although sometimes i wake refreshed; nasal strips seem to help some; been Ambien and Benadryl dependent before and don't want to return there...don't drink, use drugs

SPECIFIC to CPAP:
1. a month or so ago: waking from snoring returned, especially if i sleep on back...haven't been able to sleep on back for years...have tried with CPAP but gives me puffy mouth (although sometimes i awake on my back); i called the sleep tech at my doctor's office and he recommended raising the pressure from 8-10, BUT, ever since i have, I WAKE UP BLOATED, and sometimes with a tummy ache
2. doctor said to try mouth breathing...just won't take...even with my mouth open, i breathe through my nose, which leads me to
3. mask dries mouth out...last week so bad it gave me a sore on my gums...at first i was on the Quattro FX, but it leaked air into my eyes
4. about a month or so ago, the nasal pillows started leaking which wakes me up or keeps me awake, mostly when on my left side (i was using the small ones at first successfully, then they started leaking, now i'm using the big ones, but now the problem's returned)...they build up condensation and get heavy...i'll awake to clean them, and this helps for lying on my left side but not on my right...
5. NOISE prevents sleep/wakes me frequently: from the machine and the mask, especially from the mask air blowing on my pillow; ear plugs drown out some of the leaking sound but amplify the pillow sound
6. sometimes i wake with pain in my bottom front teeth

Reflections: Some of my friends think CPAPs just a silly fad...i'm trying to stay positve, but it's not easy...my grandpa used to snore all night through his sleep and was an early riser who didn't seem to need much sleep (5-7 hrs)...of course, he worked hard (something i can't do because of pain; exercise makes it worse, but i still walk as much as possible); he also chain smoked filterless cigarettes and drank weak Folgers all day...(i don't smoke, but drink 3-5 cups of coffee a day--used to be 7-8)...i asked my doctor if apnea was on the rise or if we're just more aware of it now and she said it's the latter...i also said, so if the power goes out, i'm screwed? she said your'e brain will figure out how to help you sleep even without CPAP which made me wonder about the silly fad aspect...if our brains will do it for us, why get CPAP dependent?

Thanks,
landis (a new, different landis from the other one here)

Have you tried Remzzzs mask liners. They work really well in stopping leaks in full face and nasal masks. Also I use a chin strap even with a full face mask because my jaw drops and my mouth gets all dried out. So with the mask liners it seems easier to control small leaks and farts. You need to pull the fabric out and fold it up over the mask for a better seal.
As for CPAP being a medical fad. I dont think so. I have had apneas for over 30 years. I was not given CPAP until recently and suffered heart arrythmias because of the low oxygen. One needs to say they are determined to make this work with no ifs ands or buts. Just do it and keep trying to find ways to make it work.