Despair [mask fitting]

[Barbara.Levitan]

I have a DreamWear hybrid mask in a size small.  The fit has not been good and yesterday I followed Jeffy's rules for fitting a mask. .Last night my mask fit was down to 4% and I was up all night with the noise of the airflow from my Dreamstation CPAP.  I have to start all over again  and I am looking for help.

[SarcasticDave94]

ResMed and Fisher & Paykel have some masks you may want to research. I have a ResMed F20 with both AirFit silicone and AirTouch memory foam cushions, both are fairly popular and reasonable success rates of use. Similar info on an F30, but I don't have this one. I'm waiting to get a new machine, but I've added a F&P mask called the Vitera to my wish list. A few here on AB use it, and it seems they like it well.

You may want to get the free report tool OSCAR to track your data including leak rates. With setting guru assistance, overall therapy will likely get better suited and more comfortable. Maybe your therapy needs will allow a lower pressure setting that can mitigate some leaking, but it's something we won't know without the data. Best to your successes.

[Barbara.Levitan]

Thank you Dave.  I tried the F30 but it wasn’t great.  Still, it may be better than the DreamWear.  It’s funny because they gave me a dreamwear in the sleep lab and it seemed to fit well.

[SarcasticDave94]

Welcome.

I can ditto your mask seems OK in the lab. Most of my in-lab sleep studies had that happen, first with a Respironics Amara View and later with the ResMed F20. Although the F20 works well for me, I'm looking to see if I stumble onto the most comfortable and leak free as possible. My latest study was with the Vitera mask, albeit I've not purchased that mask yet.

If air noise bothers you, and if you find a nasal or nasal pillows type mask suitable, these N/P 30i masks from ResMed are very quiet IMO. These are masks that you can get a 2 for 1 combo just by swapping cushions as the frame is identical. They both vent some from the front but also at the top where the mask swivel connection is located.

[Barbara.Levitan]

Cant use nasal because I mouth breathe and a chin strap didn't help.   We tried it at the lab.  I'm going to go back to the F30 tonight and see how that is.  Are you able to return masks that don't work or are you stuck with a big collection?

[SarcasticDave94]

There's a few aspects to whether or not you're stuck collecting masks. The supplier rules would help indicate if you can return. Time will be a big factor, probably within 30 days or you will have to keep it.

Check Supplier #1, most masks are 30 day return if it's a poor choice for you. Others may offer this too.

[Big Guy]

I've been using an AirFit F30 now for some time. What I've found out, is that I need to be sure that I get a good seal under my lower lip and above my chin. 

The lower part of the cushion tends to want to ride up and onto my lower lip. Once I've established that control, the mask works very well for me. 

It only comes in a size small or medium. I use the medium. I too, am a mouth breather. So that limits what mask I can use. I started out using the AirFit F20, and I still use that every now & then. I kind of swap back & forth.

[becker44a]

Hi Barbara,
I used Supplier #26 several years ago and had a good experience.  They had and still have a liberal return policy, so you don't need to accumulate a closet-full of useless gear that won't help you.

Good luck on your journey - hope you find the right spot soon.

[mesenteria]

You might not like seeing this, but we have two forms of adjustment, and they don't take place overnight.  They DO often take some time.

First, we have to learn how to sleep on what we brung.  Pick a headgear and mask, and you'll have to learn all over again how to use it so that you can get into REM and beyond.  It may mean a different pillow, different mattress, different position...and yes, maybe a different mask.

A second, but very important, adjustment is in the 'fit'.  I don't have a broad exposure to different types of head gear and masks (only one, in fact), but it stands to reason that they'll all 'ride up with wear' as we heard years ago on Are You Being Served?  The materials both stretch and break down, and these are NOT linear...they go at different rates, depending on how we treat them and how we use them at night while sleeping.  Even the way we clean them periodically can change the rate of change itself.  The point is that occasionally, maybe more often when first getting used to them, we'll have to adjust the fit by moving straps or fasteners a bit.  I find that I get the best morning-after results by 'changing it up.'  Some nights I loosen the straps, other nights I snug 'em up a tad.  Surprisingly, this works pretty reliably for me.

It may for you.

[Barbara.Levitan]

Thank you all for your messages. This is a wonderful community.