6 masks down, still haven't found anything that works.

MikeInPA wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:Maybe try the ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face mask..

I sleep with my mouth open and I really like this mask.

I'm under the impression the Ultra Mirage is the prior version of the Mirage Quattro. Do you think the Ultra Mirage works better for you than the Mirage Quattro would, or is the Mirage Quattro a more or less a direct substitute?

djhall wrote:

MikeInPA wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:Maybe try the ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face mask..

I sleep with my mouth open and I really like this mask.

I'm under the impression the Ultra Mirage is the prior version of the Mirage Quattro. Do you think the Ultra Mirage works better for you than the Mirage Quattro would, or is the Mirage Quattro a more or less a direct substitute?

In my opinion.......ResMed made the Quattro with fewer parts to make more money. I have one from about the time they first came out in 2007. I wore it a few times and put it away for a "rainy day". That day hasn't come and I'm still using the original Ultra Mirage I started with in 2005. Have replaced the headgear once (in 2009) and the cushion once (in 2011) and the forehead support in 2012 (I dropped it and it broke and I finally got tired of gluing it back together so I bought a replacement support). Even the cushion I replaced was giving excellent leak numbers but I had quite a few spares and decided to try a different one. I'm keeping the original cushion in case I want to try it again sometime.

In short, I believe the UMFF beats the Quattro hands down.


Den

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digitalepiphany wrote:

Wulfman... wrote:Maybe try the ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face mask.

Also, you may want to look into a different bed pillow.

And, if you're using a higher humidity setting, you might want to try lower of "Off" (passover). Too much heated humidity could exacerbate the suffocation/claustrophobic feelings.


Den

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I've tried 3 different pillows, so I don't believe that really has anything to do with it. Granted, that's a small sample size, but I can't exactly try out every pillow known to man.

I have the humidity set at the highest setting, "6." I've tried it at lower settings, and that's a no-go. It's really dry out here in West Texas, so that doesn't really help matters any.

I would venture to guess that where I live in the Rocky Mountains has a MUCH lower relative humidity then you have.....and I've used "passover" humidification year-round since I started therapy nine years ago.
To me, it's like being outside on a cool Autumn evening as opposed to trying to breathe with my head under the shower.


Den

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Wasn't trying to start a pissing contest. I just mentioned to low relative humidity out here as one of the possible reasons that I have to use the highest setting on the humidifier. I've tried all the settings. Honestly, I'd prefer if I could set it even higher.

You didn't describe the actual problems with the Hybrid(s).

For the Innomed Hybrid, if your issue is the pillows and you still have it, you might try just blanking off the pillow holes (silver tape?) and using it as a pure Oral mask.

I find that to be more comfortable than the F & P Oracle HC452.

I mentioned in my first post that my issues with other types of masks (other than normal FFMs) were covered in previous posts of mine. I knew this post was going to be long enough, so I didn't want to clutter it with all the extra info. I'll break it down as succinctly as I can though. Nasal masks and pillows won't work because I mouth-leak. I could never get a proper seal on the hybrids. And, yes, I tried all of the various tweaks for them. I spent about 2 months trying to get them to work. So, that only leaves FFMs.

A few posts ago, in this thread, I also mentioned that I breathe primarily through my nose, so blocking the pillows on the hybrid would be counterproductive. This is also why I can't use the Oracle oral mask (or whatever it's called).

Thanks though.

Another one to try would be the flexifit 432! I have to use a FFM and find it very good. Cud be worth a try for you?
Hope you find one that suits you

Mr. digitalepiphany:

I,too, experienced the miseries of how the Quattro Air pounded the bones of my nose. Ugh.

Instead, I went to the Quattro FX which has worked beautifully. One caveat: the only drawback of the QF is that it will ride up your face as you move in your sleep. We bought a little velcro chin strap to secure the bottom straps of the mask and I have had zero problems ever since.

God bless and good luck!

Mouth breathers can use this kind of mask but then they need to block their noses:

It's not that I don't appreciate anyone's help. Truly, I do appreciate it. But, I'm going to say this one more time.

I DO NOT MOUTH-BREATHE.

I mouth-leak on occasion at night. I breathe primarily through my nose.

The bold/caps aren't meant to indicate yelling. I just wanted it to stand out from the rest of my post so that everyone could see it. I understand that when posts start getting beyond a certain length, people tend to skip over posts. I'm guilty of it as well. I just want to make sure that this gets noticed.

With that said, the Simplus is actually starting to grow on me. Leak-wise, it's doing very well. It also doesn't shift on my face. It stays in place and seems to be doing its job. I still have the irritation on my face from the Air, so only time will tell if the Simplus can avoid this problem.

As far as other mask suggestions are concerned, at this point I'm more interested in FFMs with chin support. This would solve the problem of my mouth coming open better than just wearing a larger mask.

Digitalepiphany,

You write:

digitalepiphany wrote:But, I'm going to say this one more time.

I DO NOT MOUTH-BREATHE.

I mouth-leak on occasion at night. I breathe primarily through my nose.

But you started the thread off by writing:

Without going into extraneous detail here (it's been covered in previous posts), I have to use a FFM. I've tried both hybrids (for a few weeks each), and those are no-gos.

If you don't mouth breathe, then WHY do you need a FFM???

Seriously, what's the problem you're trying to fix by using a FFM? If the problem is just a bit of mouth-leaking here and there, you don't need a FFM to fix it: A bit of mouth leaking is not a problem that needs to be fixed for the most part.

So: Have you tried any nasal masks or nasal pillows masks? Why can't you use one of them?? That may be the real solution to your problem.

As a follow-up to my last post:

What do your leak lines look like when you use a nasal mask or a nasal pillows mask? Not the leak numbers, but the lines themselves. If you're talking a few humps in the leak line caused by mouth-leaking that (usually) top out at less than 24 L/min, you don't need to fix the problem. Worry about COMFORT and SLEEP rather than finding a FFM that works:

If

• you are more comfortable wearing a nasal mask or a nasal pillows mask
• AND you can sleep through the mouth leaks
• AND the mouth leaks are NOT too long or NOT too large

Then you would be better off making the nasal mask or nasal pillows mask of your choice work in terms of comfort without worrying about trying to eliminate the last of the mouth leaks.

As a guideline: If the worst of your leaks with a nasal mask are LESS than 24 L/min, then only worry about them if the leaks are waking you up. If the worst of your nasal leaks are 24 L/min or GREATER, look at how much time you're spending in Large Leak territory: If you are leaking AT or ABOVE 24 L/min for a small fraction of the night (say 5-10%) and they're not waking you up, then you would be better off making a nasal mask or a nasal pillows mask work in terms of comfort.

If the mouth leaks are small enough or short enough to not really affect your therapy, but they wake you up when you use a nasal pillows mask or a nasal pillows mask, the real answer may be to figure out whether a chinstrap makes enough of a difference to allow you to sleep through the leaks and allow you to use the nasal mask or nasal pillows mask of your choice.

digitalepiphany wrote:

jencat824 wrote:My hubby just began using the Full Life by Philips Respironics. He usually wears a large mask, but the medium fits in this one best. He has used the Amara (first mask), then the Quattro Air, briefly tried the SleepWeaver Anew and all leaked to various degrees. He's been using this just over a week & NO LEAKS! Now before you get excited remember everyone is different, but you might want to give it a try. He had some rubbing at his nose bridge, but I had some Gecko pads & that stopped the rubbing without affecting the seal. Its a funny looking mask but it sure works for him.

I've considered that mask, but I tend to sleep on the side of my face a lot. Even when I go to sleep on my back. I figured that if I was having problems keeping a good seal on these smaller masks, that I'd have a really tough time keeping that one sealed. May I'm wrong though. But, that one is still on my list, even if it is near the bottom.

My hubby is a stomach sleeper, very occasionally rolls onto his side, & him maintaining the seal is not a problem. We are both stunned at how well he is doing with this mask. Did I mention he has a beard & moustache? I don't know if you have facial hair, but I'm amazed. I thought he would have to live with some leakage, I was wrong.

robysue wrote:Digitalepiphany,

You write:

digitalepiphany wrote:But, I'm going to say this one more time.

I DO NOT MOUTH-BREATHE.

I mouth-leak on occasion at night. I breathe primarily through my nose.

But you started the thread off by writing:

Without going into extraneous detail here (it's been covered in previous posts), I have to use a FFM. I've tried both hybrids (for a few weeks each), and those are no-gos.

If you don't mouth breathe, then WHY do you need a FFM???

Seriously, what's the problem you're trying to fix by using a FFM? If the problem is just a bit of mouth-leaking here and there, you don't need a FFM to fix it: A bit of mouth leaking is not a problem that needs to be fixed for the most part.

I covered the mouth-leak issue in separate posts. Yes, it's true that probably none of you have seen those posts. I just figured that you'd all take my word for it, and just give suggestions about FFMs. Regardless, the mouth leaks were a huge issue. It wasn't just a couple minutes at a time a couple times per night. My mouth would drop open and stay open for hours at a time, with therapy air leaking out the entire time. Now, I'm not saying that I don't mouth-breathe on those occasions, but I do go to sleep breathing through my nose, and generally wake up doing the same. I've woken up tons of times with my lips flapping because of this. This is why I cannot use nasal masks or pillows.

So: Have you tried any nasal masks or nasal pillows masks? Why can't you use one of them?? That may be the real solution to your problem.

Yes, I've tried one nasal mask and the Swift FX. See above for reasons.

What I wanted to do with this post is just focus on FFMs. That's why I started my post out by stating that I've tried all the others and they didn't work out for one reason or another, and they were covered in previous posts. I didn't want to have to rehash everything. I wanted to just get right down to business with my current issue. I'm not trying to be a dick. Truly, I'm not. I just like to keep things as simple and efficient as possible. That's why I just wanted to focus on FFMs.

robysue wrote:As a follow-up to my last post:

What do your leak lines look like when you use a nasal mask or a nasal pillows mask? Not the leak numbers, but the lines themselves. If you're talking a few humps in the leak line caused by mouth-leaking that (usually) top out at less than 24 L/min, you don't need to fix the problem. Worry about COMFORT and SLEEP rather than finding a FFM that works:

If

• you are more comfortable wearing a nasal mask or a nasal pillows mask
• AND you can sleep through the mouth leaks
• AND the mouth leaks are NOT too long or NOT too large

Then you would be better off making the nasal mask or nasal pillows mask of your choice work in terms of comfort without worrying about trying to eliminate the last of the mouth leaks.

As a guideline: If the worst of your leaks with a nasal mask are LESS than 24 L/min, then only worry about them if the leaks are waking you up. If the worst of your nasal leaks are 24 L/min or GREATER, look at how much time you're spending in Large Leak territory: If you are leaking AT or ABOVE 24 L/min for a small fraction of the night (say 5-10%) and they're not waking you up, then you would be better off making a nasal mask or a nasal pillows mask work in terms of comfort.

If the mouth leaks are small enough or short enough to not really affect your therapy, but they wake you up when you use a nasal pillows mask or a nasal pillows mask, the real answer may be to figure out whether a chinstrap makes enough of a difference to allow you to sleep through the leaks and allow you to use the nasal mask or nasal pillows mask of your choice.

This is what I was talking about. All of this has been covered in previous posts of mine. I don't really want to rehash it all. Way too much effort on my part, and I don't have much energy to spare. My leak lines were horrid. I'll leave it at that. I've been at this since last August, so it's not as if I haven't tried most of the suggestions on here. I give all of my masks at least 2 weeks. I have very good reasons for going to a FFM (even if I don't like it, which I don't). Suffice it to say that a FFM is my only option at this point.

I really wish I could stay with the Swift FX. Just believe me when I say that I've exhausted all my options trying to get it to work.

I don't mean to belittle anyone, or seem ungrateful. I appreciate the help I get on this forum. I just wish that we could stay on topic more often. Especially on my threads.
*Edit. Now I really do sound like an ungrateful douchebag. Not sure if this is my true colors, or just the lack of sleep.