Need Advice....Pros and Cons on Mask Styles

Hello everyone. New to the forum and new to CPAP equipment and sleep apnea. I can see by the posts this is a very active forum and I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you long timers. I was diagnosed in November of 2013, and received my equipment around the middle part of December. I've been trying to get the most out of the process since then, but I feel I may not be progressing as I should.

I currently use a full face style mask. I find myself waking up several (at least 3) times a night due to a leaking mask. I adjust as best I can while half asleep, and try and go back to sleep. I'm averaging about 5-6 hours a night with the mask on. During the titration sleep test, I opted for the full face mask thinking it would better benefit me due to mouth breathing. It seems the more I use the mask the more uncomfortable it becomes. I feel I may need to look into other mask options.

I have read some of the postings here and looked at the information about the nasal mask and nasal pillow. I would appreciate any advice or suggestions with your personal experiences and pros and cons for each style mask. Since I now own the machine and equipment, I'm wondering if my insurance would pay for a new mask if I choose to change. Also, does insurance normally cover things like filters, or replacement hoses, etc.?

I appreciate any and all information your could give me.

Paul

Welcome to the forum.

What kind of insurance do you have? Replacement schedules can vary between companies and plans but a good many will allow what Medicare allows. You probably will need to check with your own insurance company to make sure what their schedule happens to be. Below is Medicare's replacement schedule.

Can you normally breathe through your nose just fine during the day? If so, then by all means try one of the nasal or nasal pillow masks if they interest you. Nasal pillow mask is all that I have ever used. Less on my face and head and less to have to mess with sealing and much easier on my old neck.

If you have chronic nasal congestion and can't breathe through your nose and can't get it cleared up then you are pretty much going to have to use some sort of full face mask.

Thanks Pugsy.

I currently have BCBS through my company's retiree benefit program. I will definitely check with my insurance company for specific info, I was just looking for a general idea. The Medicare schedule seems like a good rule of thumb.

Yes, breathing through my nose during waking hours is not a problem. I think I could most likely use either of the alternate masks. I do have a tendency to move and change positions quite a bit while sleeping, so the full face mask is not ideal. Preferring to sleep on either side, but I'm finding that I end up on my back more often lately. Probably due to the fear of mis-aligning the mask.

Here's some nasal pillow masks that I have had good success with...and so do a lot of other people.

The latest ResMed AirFit P10 nasal pillows mask...just released Jan this year.
Main drawback is the one size fits all headgear as it can be a bit snug for some people....but the majority of people who tried it liked it.
There's not a mask out that that 100% of the population likes. Always going to be lovers and haters of any mask.
Main pros....vent noise non existent and forceful vented air is pretty much eliminated from the vent holes due to the way the holes are made. They hit a home run with the vent thing.
Headgear...light and airy and easy to adjust ...as long as it isn't going on a really big head?
It's easiest enough to use I recommend it to newbies.

The ResMed Swift FX nasal pillow mask...has adjustable headgear. Great mask. Vent noise not silent but not horribly loud.

That's the 2 main nasal pillow masks that I would suggest for newbies starting out. There are other good nasal pillow mask that might work in some situations a little better but until you try one you don't know what your situations might be.

A plus to the Swift FX nasal Pillow mask is that if you want to use one of those nasal cushions that go over the nose...the The ResMed Swift FX Nano cushion will work with the Swift FX nasal pillow headgear...so all you need to buy is a cushion if you want to go that way ....go buy the Swift FX Nano package and you can get a nasal pillow separate to see if you like it.
Should you decided to try the Nano...let me know I have a few extra unused Swift FX nasal pillows I can let you have for the cost of postage only.

And take a look at the Tap Pap mask in my profile. Click on the link. No headgear at all. Uses a mouthguard to stabilize the nasal pillows. Those suckers don't move..

I am a very "active" sleeper in that I toss and turn a lot. Nasal pillows masks pretty much don't easily get dislodged despite being worn quite loose. The other night I had a awesome good leak line...nearly flat which for me a really good because I have been known to do a little mouth breathing.

Mainly what I tell newbies....if something looks interesting to you then try it. That's what I have always done. Now sometimes things didn't work out well but I always learned something. Might be limited to "I learned I hated it" but I learned.

Welcome to the forum.
I was concerned the Airfit P10's headgear would be too large for me, but it is very stretchy,
and worked on even my little skull; however I can see how it might be too tight on a large head.
If your nose is very sensitive, it might be worth it to try the Respironics Nuance nasal pillow mask.
It is the first nasal pillow mask with gel pillows, and is very soft.

Welcome! I'm not a long-timer, just 5 months into the journey. I use a full face mask. I am a mouth breather, so that's what I have to have. I had lots of trouble at first, mostly with leaks, but found the mask very comfortable. After my rotten first week, I discovered mask liners, and they were a game changer for me. I'm a busy side sleeper and move around a lot. They act like a gasket between your face and the mask, which helps with those pesky leaks.. Pad-A-Cheek liners and strap covers are available online, and RemZzzzs are available from many DMEs as well as online. Many people here make their own liners using RemZzzzs as a pattern - no sewing needed. I wash, iron and reuse the liners that I make from old t-shirts.

If you are having major comfort problems besides leaks, it could be that you'll be better off trying a different full face mask or as other posters mentioned, nasal mask or pillows. Mask liners are something you could try with your current mask until you're eligible for a new mask before you decide. Liners are not covered by insurance so you don't have to wait.

Welcome to the forum,

A great resource when looking for new mask/styles/ types is cpap.com. They have the best selection & you can view pictures to get an idea of what you might like.

I'm currently using the AirFit P10 & love it. You will see many folks have tried & kept it since it came out in Jan of this year. Please remember no two faces are alike, so the mask I love, you might hate. Its OK if a mask doesn't work, try another either thru your DME & his rules, or thru out-of-pocket purchase online.

Jen

Hi Paul,

After greatly struggling to find the right mask, I have settled on the Elan Cloth nasal mask. Might want to take a look at that although I am not sure if DMEs carry it routinely. But I would think they would be able to order it.

It is very comfortable. For some reason, I had shied away from it thinking I needed to tape my mouth but for fortunately, I found I was completely wrong.

49er

ups4 wrote:Hello everyone. New to the forum and new to CPAP equipment and sleep apnea. I can see by the posts this is a very active forum and I'm looking forward to learning a lot from you long timers. I was diagnosed in November of 2013, and received my equipment around the middle part of December. I've been trying to get the most out of the process since then, but I feel I may not be progressing as I should.

I currently use a full face style mask. I find myself waking up several (at least 3) times a night due to a leaking mask. I adjust as best I can while half asleep, and try and go back to sleep. I'm averaging about 5-6 hours a night with the mask on. During the titration sleep test, I opted for the full face mask thinking it would better benefit me due to mouth breathing. It seems the more I use the mask the more uncomfortable it becomes. I feel I may need to look into other mask options.

I have read some of the postings here and looked at the information about the nasal mask and nasal pillow. I would appreciate any advice or suggestions with your personal experiences and pros and cons for each style mask. Since I now own the machine and equipment, I'm wondering if my insurance would pay for a new mask if I choose to change. Also, does insurance normally cover things like filters, or replacement hoses, etc.?

I appreciate any and all information your could give me.

Paul

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and opinions. This gives me a lot more information to go with to make a decision.

library lady, I'm very interested in the cloth liners for your full face mask. At first glance, it seems like this would solve the comfort issue, but it makes me wonder how the seal and leak issues would be handled. I like this idea for trial purposes, because it seems the least expensive.

49er, you say you thought you may have had to use tape for your mouth. Are you generally a mouth breather? Does this mask have some type of chin strap to prevent mouth breathing? The mask you are using seems like a good idea for me too, but I wonder how a cloth mask could keep as good a seal as the silicone pads. I'll have to investigate further.

Again, thanks so much for all your input.

Paul

ups4 wrote:Thanks everyone for your suggestions and opinions. This gives me a lot more information to go with to make a decision.

library lady, I'm very interested in the cloth liners for your full face mask. At first glance, it seems like this would solve the comfort issue, but it makes me wonder how the seal and leak issues would be handled. I like this idea for trial purposes, because it seems the least expensive.

49er, you say you thought you may have had to use tape for your mouth. Are you generally a mouth breather? Does this mask have some type of chin strap to prevent mouth breathing? The mask you are using seems like a good idea for me too, but I wonder how a cloth mask could keep as good a seal as the silicone pads. I'll have to investigate further.

Again, thanks so much for all your input.

Paul

Hi Paul,

I mostly breath through my nose during the day although my passages aren't completely open. That is why I think this mask works for me because the air I am getting through the nose gives me the relief I need for my sinuses. That is why I don't need to tape my mouth or use a chin strap to keep it closed.

But if you breath at all through your mouth during the day, I could see this mask being more of a challenge which would require a chin strap. No, it doesn't come with one.

If you purchase the mask through cpap.com, there is an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee.

49er wrote:
Hi Paul,

I mostly breath through my nose during the day although my passages aren't completely open. That is why I think this mask works for me because the air I am getting through the nose gives me the relief I need for my sinuses. That is why I don't need to tape my mouth or use a chin strap to keep it closed.

But if you breath at all through your mouth during the day, I could see this mask being more of a challenge which would require a chin strap. No, it doesn't come with one.

If you purchase the mask through cpap.com, there is an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee.

Thanks for clearing that up, 49er.
I might just consider this mask with a chin strap. I wonder if adding the chin strap would change the comfort or fit in any way? I suppose it will all depend on how the straps are adjusted. Trial and error, just like with the mask I have.

ups4 wrote:

49er wrote:
Hi Paul,

I mostly breath through my nose during the day although my passages aren't completely open. That is why I think this mask works for me because the air I am getting through the nose gives me the relief I need for my sinuses. That is why I don't need to tape my mouth or use a chin strap to keep it closed.

But if you breath at all through your mouth during the day, I could see this mask being more of a challenge which would require a chin strap. No, it doesn't come with one.

If you purchase the mask through cpap.com, there is an unconditional 30 day money back guarantee.

Thanks for clearing that up, 49er.
I might just consider this mask with a chin strap. I wonder if adding the chin strap would change the comfort or fit in any way? I suppose it will all depend on how the straps are adjusted. Trial and error, just like with the mask I have.

Hi Paul,

As one who is very hypersensitive, having to add a chin strap would be a deal breaker for me with a mask. But if you're not like that, perhaps it would work out ok. Yup, good old trial and error.

@ups4: I don't really know how the liners work, but they do, for many people. I think it has something to do with protecting the cushion from facial oils(but do wash your face well before putting your mask on anyway). I have found that even if I have large leaks, I am almost always able to sleep through them. My initial problem with the leaking was the noise; it sounded like a whoopee cushion all night long. With the liners, I don't have that distraction, but I still do have some leaks, mostly within the range that the machine is able to compensate for. Occasionally large leaks will sneak in, but they don't wake me up. The important thing is to get to a point where you can sleep through the night, and gradually reach a level of good sleep every night I think if you go to the RemZzzzs website, they still offer a free sample pack if you want to try some before you buy.

library lady wrote: I think if you go to the RemZzzzs website, they still offer a free sample pack if you want to try some before you buy.

Wow, that would be great. I love to try new things....especially if I don't have to pay for them
Thanks for the heads-up library lady. I'm on my way there now.

Paul

RemZzzs has a rep that pops in here sometimes offering free sample packs, but I didn't find that offer on their website. They do sell a sample pack of 6 though, which I did to try them out since its cheaper than the full box of 30. I found both RemZzzs and Pad-a-Cheek to make my mask too tight, especially in the nose, so I'd probably have to go up a size in the mask to try them. I don't really need one though, so I've just continued without. Best wishes.