[CPAP] Overwhelmed

[SleepMonger]

A trick that I learned from scuba diving is that a little titanium oxide cream (found in diaper rash and sunscreen creams) helps create a good seal doesn't react with silicone.   I think it would also create a small amount of lubrication to avoid chafing.  

As for the strap, I'd roll up a washcloth around it to provide some padding.   If it works, you can sew something more permanent. 

Masks are hard.   I had serious collection going before I worked out a solution.    I really hate white noise so any hissing from mask drove me nuts.   However, ear plugs do work.   Hang in there.  It will be worth it.

[mesenteria]

The rash can be from two principal issues: contact dermatitis/allergic reaction or pressure. If a different head gear and mask make it go away eventually, you'll not necessarily know that it is/isn't dermatitis or an allergy, it may still be the fit. Welcome to the head-spinning world of PAP.

Oxide barrier creams will probably help, but so will learning to dance with the person you brung. The point is, we all have to negotiate with our apparatus at some point; we have to learn how to sleep with what is available to us. Initial impressions and fit don't necessarily stand the first hour of the first night, as you now understand only too well.

Some have resorted to cloth barriers that permit more breathing of the skin. Or foam fitted around some parts of the head gear and cushion.

One of the things you'll have to teach yourself is how to sleep so that you don't deform or displace the cushion. It may mean a specific pillow (yes, they exist), or adapting by adopting a different sleeping position.