Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

[CPAP] Resmed S8-S9 upgrade failure, help apprecieted
#11
RE: Resmed S8-S9 upgrade failure, help apprecieted
A number of people seem to run into leak problems when their pressure gets up to the higher ranges. I tend to suspect that much of this is brought on by the fact that their headgear has been adjusted while the machine was at a lower pressure or they did not take into account the effect of body position on the mask seal. Another possible cause is the position of the lower strap on the neck. The further down on the neck the lower strap is the more the tightness of the mask varies with inclination of the head forward or backward.

The mantra on this board is to have the mask fairly loose. This can be counterproductive in some cases. Those of us that operate at high pressures (18cm/H2O and higher) generally must clamp our masks on quite tightly in order to keep the leakage within the required limits. My personal mantra is to tighten the mask down only as tight as it needs to be to be leak free at the highest pressure that your machine is set to reach or the highest pressure that it does reach, if that is lower and also in all of the positions that you sleep.

Anyway that is my two cents worth.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
Post Reply Post Reply
#12
RE: Resmed S8-S9 upgrade failure, help apprecieted
(08-24-2014, 11:14 AM)surferdude2 Wrote: Consider lowering the maximum possible pressure since it's sometimes better to suffer an apnea episode than to be awakened by a farting.squealing mask telling you that it can't handle some unrealistically high pressure.

Also very important to tighten the headgear straps EVENLY on the left versus right sides, so that the mask is not being pulled leftwards or rightwards.

Hi surferdude2,

It seems from your avatar that you are now using a mask liner.

I find mask liners work great with the ResMed F10 full face mask and with the ResMed Quattro FX full face mask, but not so well with the ResMed Mirage Quattro which is listed in your profile.

For me, when using the ResMed Mirage Quattro, the ResMed Gecko gel pad works very well to seal leaks and stop flapping/squealing around the eyes. You can also buy gel pads at drug stores for putting between the mask and the nose, but the ResMed Gecko nasal gel pad is thicker and I think works a lot better for stopping leaks and also for protecting the bridge of the nose from developing an open sore.
Using the Gecko gel pad allows the center adjustment wheel to be turned to a looser position, so it does not put as much pressure on the nose bridge.


The Advisory Member group provides advice and suggestions to Apnea Board administrators and staff on matters concerning Apnea Board operation and administrative policies.  Membership in the Advisory Member group should not be understood as in any way implying medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
Post Reply Post Reply
#13
RE: Resmed S8-S9 upgrade failure, help apprecieted
Hi vsheline,

Yes, I'm using the Quattro Mirage and have tried the F&K Simplus. For me the Quattro is the best but I suppose the shape of a person's face makes all the difference in the world when it comes to trying to make a seal with these devices. I can well appreciate the challenge a manufacturer has when trying to make something that will work successfully given the wide range of facial shapes it will encounter. My skinny bony face is particularly hard to fit.

Yes, I have experimented with mask liners have come to the conclusion that they don't really make for a better seal, but they do make having leaks more tolerable by diffusing the leak so that it doesn't sound and feel as objectionable. That's all well and good but I think even more important is the fact that a mask liner can make the mask feel more comfortable. Often perception is more important than reality. I don't currently use a mask liner but for those who do I'd say if leaking is below the allowable level and a liner knocks the noise down to where it doesn't bother you and keeps the air out of your eyes, then go for it. Of course we would all rather just have a leak proof mask but then, as the old Rolling Stones song goes, "You Can't Always Get What you Want".

As for the gel pads for nose bridge protection, I haven't tried them yet but probably someday when the need arises. In the mean time, I have found that a small patch of soft cotton placed between the nose bridge and the mask allows me to wear the Quattro mask pain free. YMMV but it works well for me.

Having made the mistake of thinking the Quattro Mirage could be used at 20 cm W.C. pressure earned me a very painful nose. Believe me, I tried all possible combinations of loose, tight and all knob adjustments. This mask and my face do not lend themselves to sealing at any pressure over 18 cm W.C. I have a fairly slender facial structure and the mask tends to bottom out on my cheek bone before both it gets sealed below and above it. You'd think the knob adjustment could compensate for that but don't count on it. When I finally accepted that and set my upper limit to 17 cm W.C., all my problems went away and I'm impressed with how well the Quattro can affect a seal that will tolerate side sleeping with no worry about leaking. Now I am able to install it as the manufacturer intended and have it float on the air cushion. It just won't do that at the 20 setting on my particular facial bone structure but i can live with that. Fortunately I don't need it to go that high since I am getting AHI's of 1.4 with the 17 setting. Pushing the upper pressure limit was causing the mask to have major leakage and that started the S9 and the leak to feed on each other and completely lose control of the situation.

Thanks for the info on the F10 and the FX. I may get around to testing those some day if my needs change. I have found a supplier that allows for free trial testing of masks so perhaps I'll try some others if/when I need to bump the pressure up in the 20 + range.

Thanks Sleep-well
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Flow Limits How to Upgrade CPAP to Bilevel Deborah K. 107 8,044 01-24-2024, 02:23 PM
Last Post: Deborah K.
  F30 Full Face Mask - total failure?? BobH56 20 3,287 12-05-2023, 11:22 AM
Last Post: rhwoe
  Does ResMed plan to upgrade to 5G ? 3disorders 1 485 11-16-2023, 06:38 PM
Last Post: PeaceLoveAndPizza
  How hard is it to upgrade with Medicare ? Nightynite 2 552 11-02-2023, 05:14 PM
Last Post: Nightynite
  CPAP Failure, ASV Attempter, Still Failure ophiuchus 16 1,421 07-10-2023, 05:59 AM
Last Post: ophiuchus
  Set myself up for failure? Newbie768 4 539 01-15-2023, 01:15 AM
Last Post: Ockrocket
  ResMed AirSense 11 Autoset firmware upgrade? Tomislav 6 2,732 01-05-2023, 10:32 AM
Last Post: Tomislav


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.