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AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
#1
AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro

Greetings. This is my first post.

Because of severe nose abrasions (even with bandaids), I recently switched from the Mirage Quattro FFM to the Quattro FX FFM. The FX is more comfortable, but my AHI readings are higher when I'm sleeping on my back than they were with the Mirage Quattro. Has anyone else had this problem?

If I can stay on my side most of the night, the AHI stays below 3.0. But if I end up on my back most of the night, the AHI varies nightly from 5.0 to 17.0.

I noticed that my chin doesn't jut forward as much with the FX than it did with the Mirage Quattro, possibly because of the different placement of the straps, and this might be causing the apnea.

I'm researching CPAP pillows, and ways to ensure I sleep on my side. I even read about taping tennis balls in a sock to my back. But that seems kind of extreme to me. Any ideas?

best,
Jerry Morris
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#2
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
Hi Jerry, WELCOME! to the forum.!
Some people have tried the tennis ball attached to their tshirts and have had good results doing that.
Hang in there for more suggestions and best of luck to you with your CPAP therapys.
trish6hundred
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#3
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
(04-02-2014, 03:55 PM)Jerry Morris Wrote: Greetings. This is my first post.

Because of severe nose abrasions (even with bandaids), I recently switched from the Mirage Quattro FFM to the Quattro FX FFM. The FX is more comfortable, but my AHI readings are higher when I'm sleeping on my back than they were with the Mirage Quattro. Has anyone else had this problem?

If I can stay on my side most of the night, the AHI stays below 3.0. But if I end up on my back most of the night, the AHI varies nightly from 5.0 to 17.0.

I noticed that my chin doesn't jut forward as much with the FX than it did with the Mirage Quattro, possibly because of the different placement of the straps, and this might be causing the apnea.

I'm researching CPAP pillows, and ways to ensure I sleep on my side. I even read about taping tennis balls in a sock to my back. But that seems kind of extreme to me. Any ideas?

best,
Jerry Morris

Hi Jerry, welcome aboard!

I'm wondering if the difference between the ahi readings could be due to more leakage with one mask than the other. Do you have those stats? Also, just changing something around ---mask, pressure, eating/drinking habits can cause differences in ahi. So I'm thinking you may just want to watch it for a few days.

What pressures are you using? It might be you need to futz with that a bit to get the ahi under control when on your back. I'd talk to the sleep docs about that.

I'm not a fan of forcing sleep on just your side. One of my great pleasures with this therapy has been the ability to sleep on my back for the first time. No more back aches in the morning, no more hip aches. Now I spend part of the night on my side and part on my back. It seems to work very well for me. So I would encourage you to not only solve your apnea issues when on your side, but on your back as well. That might call for a pressure increase.

Finally, I had a problem with the Quattro causing nose abrasions too. There is a hard ridge of silicone at the bridge of the nose that seems to be the culprit. That can be carefully cut away to make the mask more user friendly.

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#4
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
(04-02-2014, 03:55 PM)Jerry Morris Wrote: Greetings. This is my first post.

Because of severe nose abrasions (even with bandaids), I recently switched from the Mirage Quattro FFM to the Quattro FX FFM. The FX is more comfortable, but my AHI readings are higher when I'm sleeping on my back than they were with the Mirage Quattro. Has anyone else had this problem?

If I can stay on my side most of the night, the AHI stays below 3.0. But if I end up on my back most of the night, the AHI varies nightly from 5.0 to 17.0.

I noticed that my chin doesn't jut forward as much with the FX than it did with the Mirage Quattro, possibly because of the different placement of the straps, and this might be causing the apnea.

I'm researching CPAP pillows, and ways to ensure I sleep on my side. I even read about taping tennis balls in a sock to my back. But that seems kind of extreme to me. Any ideas?

best,
Jerry Morris


I use the Breeze Nasal pillows mask. I love it. What does AHI stand for. I noticed that is listed in my menu.
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#5
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
Hi Jerry! I bet you have leak issues. I use the FX too and it took me a while to figure out how to adjust it properly. You want it tight but not too tight. The cushion of air helps to "seal" it against your face. Make sure you have the correct size too. You may want to try a different size and see if that helps. I started with a large and now use a medium.

Curvesarein, AHI stands for Apnea-Hypopnea Index.
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#6
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
(04-02-2014, 10:05 PM)Regular Joe Wrote: Hi Jerry! I bet you have leak issues. I use the FX too and it took me a while to figure out how to adjust it properly. You want it tight but not too tight. The cushion of air helps to "seal" it against your face. Make sure you have the correct size too. You may want to try a different size and see if that helps. I started with a large and now use a medium.

Curvesarein, AHI stands for Apnea-Hypopnea Index.

Sleepyhead graph shows minimal leakage when high AHI occurs (see image-hopefully it shows up)

Thanks also to trish6hundred and Curvesarein for replying



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#7
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
That's quite surprising! How long were you on the Mirage Quattro for? If it wasn't long, I wonder if your pressure just isn't high enough and you would have had this happen anyway.

Have you tried a mask liner? I can't even wear a FFM without one.
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#8
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
(04-03-2014, 12:14 PM)eviltim Wrote: That's quite surprising! How long were you on the Mirage Quattro for? If it wasn't long, I wonder if your pressure just isn't high enough and you would have had this happen anyway.

Have you tried a mask liner? I can't even wear a FFM without one.

I used the Mirage Quattro since Oct 2006 with last year's AHI averaging 2.46 and the pressure constant at 9. I make my own mask liners out of thin cotton knit material bought at JoAnn's or Michael's (had to cut smaller liners for the FX) Tried medical tape, bandaids etc. to prevent the nose abrasions, but switched masks the 10th of last month after consulting with both my dermatologist and pulmonologist. I'm still experimenting with the FX and will query my pulmonologist about increasing the pressure if AHI continues to remain high. Tried repositioning my pillows last night to keep my neck and head level. It seemed to help keep my airway open a little more. AHI was 4.85.
Thanks to eviltim and retired_guy for replying.
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#9
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
As an aside, I was going to suggest the following 'miracle' cure for the skin issue, but after reading that you've been consulting with a dermatologist, this may be of little value to you.

"HPA Lanolin Lanolina HPA" comes in a MED sized tube (40gr), sells at my favorite online place to buy anything, and is safe for internal use (made for nursing mothers with cracked nipples) - it has been suggested here many, many times. Well, I finally got some to try myself, and it is simply wonderful. I get a strap irritation/bleeding wound on my right ear - and have fought it for many months, it is now completely healed. Simply by dabbing some of this on the area each morning.

I have also used it inside my nares when trying to adapt to a set of 'nose pillows'. Anyhow, just a thought that may or may not be of use.

I too was thinking more leakage in the lower lip chin area of the mask - strange that leaks have not also risen. I will comment then even when using a FFM, my AHI goes up the more I mouth-breathe (typically while on my back).
*I* am not a DOCTOR or any type of Health Care Professional.  My thoughts/suggestions/ideas are strictly only my opinions.

"Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you. Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your Soul, the other for your Freedom."
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#10
RE: AHI Higher With Quattro FX Than Mirage Quattro
(04-03-2014, 01:33 PM)Peter_C Wrote: As an aside, I was going to suggest the following 'miracle' cure for the skin issue, but after reading that you've been consulting with a dermatologist, this may be of little value to you.

"HPA Lanolin Lanolina HPA" comes in a MED sized tube (40gr), sells at my favorite online place to buy anything, and is safe for internal use (made for nursing mothers with cracked nipples) - it has been suggested here many, many times. Well, I finally got some to try myself, and it is simply wonderful. I get a strap irritation/bleeding wound on my right ear - and have fought it for many months, it is now completely healed. Simply by dabbing some of this on the area each morning.

I have also used it inside my nares when trying to adapt to a set of 'nose pillows'. Anyhow, just a thought that may or may not be of use.

I too was thinking more leakage in the lower lip chin area of the mask - strange that leaks have not also risen. I will comment then even when using a FFM, my AHI goes up the more I mouth-breathe (typically while on my back).

I'll second your HPA Lanolin recommendation. Originally I followed the manufacturers directions as printed on the box carefully. But it didn't seem to help much. So finally I started applying it to my nose instead, and it helped a lot.

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