Hi marsaili,
welcome to apneaboard. glad you found it.
Let's infer from you taking the time to come ask the question 'should I just give up?' that you are interested to continue and overcome this thing.
here are some thoughts ... sorry for a long reply
I wonder if you have always used this same mask over the 2 years?
* maybe this mask doesn't suit you. Your perseverance to stick with the mask and try to make it work is commendable. But after all this time, maybe it's time to try something else.
If you have the latitude to try something different, then I might look for a lighter weight solution.
I'm in the U.S. on private insurance, and given the replacement schedules for masks and supplies, I could try something different at the replacement intervals, and that's what I did when I was still trying to find the right mask for me.
You might be aware from whatever sleep study was conducted whether you are a mouth breather or if they simply gave you a full face mask by default. At any rate, I started with an F10 myself (similar to yours, and it was a struggle for me though I got it to where I could live with it).
Then I moved to a Simplus which I found to be a bit easier to wear and I had a much better experience using it. It was a lighter weight mask, and seemed to be softer or perhaps just less rigid. I had more comfort and a lot less wake-ups from the mask moving out of place when I moved at night.
If you are not a mouth breather, then you might go a step further and try some sort of nasal mask. That will feel less claustrophobic because it doesn't cover so much of your face.
But I will also say the holy grail for those of us who found it is nasal pillows. (Tim: “A what ?” Arthur: “a… a gaa.a..gaa… gaa.” Tim: “A Grail !?” Arthur: “Yes, I think so.” Tim: “Yes !”)
Sometimes people treat us like we got assimilated into the borg, but once I tried the P-10 nasal pillows I never looked back. Did try the P20 when I got a new machine, and within 2 days I made the call to get my P10s back. They are the lightest weight, easiest to wear headset I have found. That's not to say there aren't other solutions people like as much, but for me I stopped looking for other solutions.
One key discriminator for lighter weight masks (nasal mask or pillows) is they don't cover your mouth. So if you are a heavy mouth breather then it would be more complicated. Some would say it's a show stopper but I am proof that it's not a showstopper.
I started with FFM because my sleep tech tried a nasal mask first on my titration study night and I couldn't keep my mouth shut once I fell asleep. So I began with the F10. As you know from the F20 it's a pretty big fairly rigid mask. You move, it leaks. Move more, it comes off. It's not just you.
I fought leaks for a month or two, and eventually was able to live with it even though I still woke up 2-3 times every night and had to adjust the mask and go back to sleep. That said ... in my experience I got enough relief that I was happy if that was as good as it ever got.
good place to ask ... for the 1-3 hours you get each night (maybe two rounds of 1-3 hours) ... is it making a difference in how you feel during the day? That's the pivotal question on whether you want to keep trying or not. If you are getting at least some relief from the misery and tiredness then let's figure out how to get you more better sleep.
I was getting some relief from day 1 (which is a little unusual for people) and at each stage if that was all I got then I would keep doing it for that bit of additional relief. Just not falling asleep or wanting to fall asleep each afternoon was a huge change in my quality of life. And I kept trying in stages to go for some thing just a bit better. If you are on that path, then don't despair. And don't listen to someone who is tired of listening to you and so says you should give up (and go bother someone else with your problems).
So my story continues, not because I like to hear myself type, but because I want to show you that it can get better, you have to play with different ideas, and at each stage determine for yourself if it is still worth doing.
I wanted to try for better, and that's when I switched to the lighter weight Simplus, still a full face mask. That was more comfortable for me and I woke up less often with air leaks. Quality and continuity of sleep was better.
Still had occasional mouth breathing issues though, and I looked into a chin strap. Wow, that eliminated mouth breathing for me. I was loving this stage of my therapy, but then I wondered ... if the chin strap truly handled my mouth leaks, then could I maybe try to use nasal pillows.
Tried it out and this was a step up to a whole 'nother level of sleep comfort. Nasal pillows and chin strap. Super light weight to sleep in, and the chin strap kept the mouth breathing at bay. Did leave marks on my cheeks in the morning, and any time I had meetings to attend I had to wake up early enough so the marks would go away before I had to see people face to face.
And then I got to reading about a technique described by @DariaVader in which we learn to seal our mouth by pressing the tongue to the roof just behind the teeth. With practice, it stays there and blocks air from coming out of the mouth. I learned the technique and eliminated the chin strap.
So I know it's possible to keep at it, try different things, see some improvements, try some more things, and keep getting better.
Therefore my message to you marsaili is if you are the least bit inclined to keep trying, then don't give up. If all your advice up to now from the NHS is keep doing the same thing, see you in a few months, and you have been doing the same thing over and over hoping for different results, well, you know the rest of that quote.
With what you will learn here, and ideas from lots of great people who have been where you are now .... you will try different things and some of them will make an improvement. Then you will try the next things and one of those will score a win for you. And so on until you reach a place where you are happy with your therapy. It's worth a shot, yes?
You took a big important step by deciding to take charge of your own therapy and engage here. That's a mind shift that will make all the difference. No disrespect to all of our doctors but they don't sleep with us every night. If we're lucky we see them once for fifteen minutes every few months. Here you are engaged with a community of fellow apnea sufferers and you can get near real time next day *non-medical* advice and suggestions. There are lots of others in your boat with ideas and experiences to share. Who feel like you feel and know what you are going through. And who have overcome lots of common problems with our imperfect CPAP therapy. And who will celebrate small victories with you each time you rachet up your game.
so, TL;DR ... tell us about what you have tried, mouth breather or not, don't be discouraged by the months and maybe years you kept banging your head against the wall doing the same thing when it wasn't working, and get ready to try some new ideas. What have you got to lose?
saldus miegas