Is it Magic?

I've now been on apap for 5 weeks using equipment in my sig. I have had problems with nasal congestion my whole life. I had been using Afrin just before bed in order to use the Mirage Softgel nasal mask. I know this is not a good practice but it was the only way I could get rid of the congestion. I found a relative that offered me a new Mirage Quattro FFM & jumped at the offer. It eliminated the problem but was not as comfortable as my nasal mask. (I know this is getting long winded). Now here's the question..... Last night I was congested so I deceided to use the FFM. In less than a minute my nasal passages totally cleared. I thought wow my oral decongestant finally worked, I'll switch back to my nasal mask. In less than a minute I was totally blocked up again. Strange I thought but I guess I do need the FFM. Switched back & you guessed it. In less than a minute my congestion was gone. By this time I was really getting frustrated & once again I switched to my nasal mask. When the congestion returned in 30 seconds I threw off the mask & got out the Afrin. The rest of the night was uneventful using the nasal mask. Anyone have any ideas what's going on?

It could be where the mask applies pressure on the top of your nose.
I found that some masks are impossible for me to wear, because my nose closes up as soon as the mask is on.
I duplicated the pinch with my fingers, and it happened even without air pressure.
My wisp nasal mask sits much lower on my nose than the others I have tried, and avoids the 'trigger point' higher up.

I'm with chunkyfrog. Where the mask rests is critical to my being able to use a mask. One I tried did exactly as you demonstrated. It was clear the pressure points were were the issue. If you are not a mouth breather, a different nasal mask or a pillows style might work fine for you.

Along the lines of what Chunkyfrog said sometimes the air velocity can sort of blow your nares closed. If your nose is vulnerable to this it's likely to be in the same area that CF is talking about, where the mask itself can also constrict things. Take a really hard deep breath while looking in the mirror and see if it pulls the sides of your nose in a little

Others have said that more nasal pressure tends to do the opposite for them and open up their nose, so it's an individual thing.

I had the same issue that you are having, and I think it was with the same mask. I started with a gel mask and couldn't make it work but then later using a conventional cushion on the same frame the problem went away. (I may have this wrong - it's been awhile - but I seem to recall that the Softgel and Activa, though marketed as different products, are actually the same mask with different cushions.)

Anyway the difference is that the conventional cushion bellows out some, so it holds more air in general and it's roomier at the bottom of the nares which also helps.

In addition the regular cushion is a lot softer at the top making it less likely to physically force things shut as mentioned above.

Many thanks to you all for the advice. I did find a spot on my nose that immediately cause congestion when pinched. In my case it is lower down my nose where I tend to place my mask. I'll try fitting it higher up tonight & see if that helps. My Dr did change my pressure from 5/12 to 7/14 so ill play with that a bit to see if the increased flow is causing the problem as well.

Some people fight this problem with a Breathe Right strip--worn under the cpap mask.
I've done this when a cold or infection causes nasal congestion.
I really like my favorite mask--and will go to great lengths to wear it instead of one I'm not very fond of.
Just be careful when removing the strip; repeated use can be rough on your nose hide.

Thanks CF, I've been using Breathright Extra strips for about 9 months now. They don't hold well on my skin so I use SkinTack, a medical adhesive, before putting on the strip. Easy to remove in the morning if they held that long. They are great for my deviated septum but only minimal help with congestion.