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AirFit N20 problems
#11
RE: AirFit N20 problems
(01-12-2020, 07:26 PM)johnno Wrote: Tried again last night with the N20.  Had to switch back to the Aptiva about 2 am.  Mask leaks onto my cheek.

Hi, first time I have seen your post.  Sorry, usually these don't escape me....

I have been using the very same headgear and mask since Day One.  I'm still using the same items I was issued on that day, and have not replaced any of it, hose and all.  

I did learn right away that I have to tape my lips or I gush out of my open mouth.  With that fix, I also had to learn how to sleep on my side.  Initially, I despaired of every being able to use the N20 on my side, but after a few months, maybe five, I suddenly found that I had 'taught myself'.  I awakened on my side often, and now even turn over to fall asleep after that first dip into unconsciousness we all feel when attempting to fall asleep.

I can't articulate the magic, but eventually you should teach yourself how to do this.  In my case, I use a good down-filled pillow, and I don't have the pillow well under my neck and near my shoulders.  I just put my ear and the top of my head on it, which leaves the bottom half of the headgear and the mask itself nearly free from contact.  Not completely free, but the pressure is so light that the cushion is not deformed, nor the headgear forced to turn the mask to one side.

You must also fiddle with 'fit'.  Your four straps need to be played with until you get no leakage.  They must NOT be over-tight.  My own mask just touches my nose and upper lip; it barely deforms near my face.

Also, the air rushing out of the vent at the turn of the smaller hose into the mask is normal.  That's the bypass when you are exhaling and don't need air from the machine quite so much.  If you need pressure support during exhalation, you'll notice the amount increase per the machine's programming.  It might be counterintuitive, but if you need a bit of 'back-pressure to keep your airway open while you exhale, the machine has to force more air toward the end of that hose.  So, the vent is carefully engineered for that back-pressure, and leaks impede the capability to keep a finely tuned response to your breathing demands.  When you inhale, and need the higher pressure, the machine must boost the amount of air, and that will seem to increase the amount rushing out of the vent at the same time.  Then, a second later, you begin to exhale, and the air will rise again as the machine finds the balance in 'flow' between what you need and what it must supply with that darned vent open all the time.

My real, and I hope useful, message is that learning how you will get the most out of your therapy takes time.  In my case, it really was almost six months before I awakened on my side one morning and was experiencing no leakage whatsoever.  It took months of lifting my head clear of the pillow, sometimes several times each hour, and repositioning it before I learned what worked.  

You'll get there.  Smile
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#12
RE: AirFit N20 problems
This is what I see when I go to my UserCP

https://www.screencast.com/t/blBUv3MxJRGm

I can't see the section on changing the machine and mask.
Compliant since 1999
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#13
RE: AirFit N20 problems
Thank you for your input there.  The thing is that after 21 compliant years all on ResMed masks I've become used to new models of masks just working with a minimum of inconvenience.

Not so this time with the N20.  However, today I swapped the large for a medium size so let's see how I do tonight.

Thanks again
John
Compliant since 1999
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#14
RE: AirFit N20 problems
Excellent.
I've done this a long time too....
I find that new masks are better than they used to be.
However, I find that they don't last as long as they used to.
I believe that the biggest improvement for me has been made by finding this forum.
The second biggest improvement has been finding a DME that works with me; however, I have signs that things aren't as good now as they were.
Finally I am better informed and am in control of my treatment using OSCAR

I hope the smaller insert is all you need to make great improvement in your treatment.
DaveL
compliant for 35 years /// Still trying!

I'm just a cpap user like you. I don't give medical advice. Seek the advice of a physician before seeking treatment for medical conditions including sleep apnea. Sleep-well

http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php..._The_Guide

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#15
RE: AirFit N20 problems
(01-14-2020, 12:40 PM)DaveL Wrote: I hope the smaller insert is all you need to make great improvement in your treatment.

Seems to have worked.  The N20 medium mask is snug on my nose and a couple of times throughout the night I awoke with an itchy nose.  Had to take it off, scratch and replace - the mask not the nose.

I still prefer the Activa. Looks like Supplier #1 might have some cushions still in stock.  Shipping costs at Supplier #1 to bring the masks back to Australia (I think ResMed products are all made in Australia) are the problem.
Compliant since 1999
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#16
RE: AirFit N20 problems
(01-14-2020, 06:20 AM)johnno Wrote: This is what I see when I go to my UserCP

https://www.screencast.com/t/blBUv3MxJRGm

I can't see the section on changing the machine and mask.

Click the heading user profile in the tree on the left then you can change the mask and pressure settings etc... in the right hand side of the screen
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#17
RE: AirFit N20 problems
(01-14-2020, 06:38 PM)jaswilliams Wrote: Click the heading user profile in the tree on the left then you can change the mask and pressure settings etc... in the right hand side of the screen

Great.  Thank you.
Compliant since 1999
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#18
RE: AirFit N20 problems
Medium size mask seems to have solved the problem - trouble free night's sleep last night.  Thank you to all for their advice.
Compliant since 1999
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