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Excuse me while I vent....
#1
Excuse me while I vent....
As mentioned in previous posts, I am beginning week 2 of therapy. Week one was mixed results but mostly success. The last two nights have been frustrating, with last night getting me so frustrated that I became angry and wanted to throw the machine and mask against the wall. Really not sleeping well at all.

Instead of listing all kinds of settings, etc.....I'll wait to see what questions are asked.
Here are a few beefs:

1. Severe ulcer on left side of nose due to being a left side sleeper
2. Spending too much time on my back because its the only way I can seem to sleep with the mask on and keeping good pressure and not wearing on my nose, however, I have never slept on my back and have a bad right shoulder which causes me to favor left side sleep.
3. One night I can get the mask to fit like it was made for me. Another night, or 1/2 way through a good night, I can't get an adjustment to work no matter how much I try.


Any suggestions on the above or additional questions would be greatly appreciated.
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#2
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
I don't have any suggestion for you. I just want to say I feel your pain!! I posted almost this exact post night before last! Although, I DID throw my mask across the room...well, as across the room as the hose would allow!! I am going to try some lanolin to see if my pillows seal a little better and that should help the sore spot on my nose!!

Here's to figuring this puzzle out!!
Starr
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#3
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
Similar to my experience, less the ulcer and bad shoulder (although I do have a bad low back).

It took me about three months to get used to sleeping on my back. I couldn't sleep and was in constant daytime pain in my neck. I had to buy a medium-firm temperpedic bed and that was the best investment I ever made, as it completely solved my side sleep vs. back sleep issues. I also purchased a CPAP pillow made of buckwheat and that made a huge difference because I could adjust it however I wanted so my neck was supported but my head was where I needed it to be. Although its highly adjustable, the buckwheat is more firm that a normal pillow so it took me about two weeks to get used to the change. This pillow also allows me to adjust it to sleep on my side pretty well when I want, but now I find I prefer back sleep and can sleep 8 hours straight without moving an inch. And my low back pain is now even largely gone.

I also had to try about 10 different masks of all types (full face, nasal, pillow, etc) before I found one that worked well for me. Everyone's face is different, so what works for me probably won't work for you. But if the mask isn't working try a different one.
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#4
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
I just got an Airfit (was using a Wisp and wanted to try this after so many said it was wonderful). I had issues, but thankfully, no ulcer. The mask seemed a bit of a tight fit - pulling the pillows into my nose instead of them just resting. I didn't struggle this much with the Wisp, but at least I can switch between them if my nose was hurting. Anyway, I'm sorry I can't be helpful. I'm in exactly the same boat you are. I primarily sleep on my left side as well, although I USED to sleep on my back until I had breathing issues.
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#5
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
I recently tried the AirFit P10 just because of the prosthelytizing of the forum. I suffered some of the same issues mentioned here. Difficulty breathing on both inhale and exhale, sore nose, time spent positioning the mask each time I changed position. Also I experienced puffy eyes and a disruptive type sleep for which I blamed the breathing resistance. I tried the suggestions from the forum: lanolin, changing the size of the nose pillow, stretching the head strap to prevent undue tension. I gave up on it and went back to my nasal mask which has none of those faults. Some of us aren't candidates for nose pillows.
if you can't decide then you don't have enough data.
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#6
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
Sore nose use lanolin. It is similar to Vaseline but it is collected from sheep's wool. Organic, not a petrochemical like Vaseline. The kind I got is in a tube at the pharmacy and is used as a nipple salve for nursing mothers. Just a little (very little) dab on the outer rim of the nose and anywhere the mask touches the nasal passages. It will cure that problem at least.

If you are not a mouth breather I would suggest the A10 nasal pillow. It lets me sleep on my stomach with my head only slightly to one side. It has the lowest profile of any mask I have tried.
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#7
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
(06-23-2015, 09:48 PM)player Wrote: Sore nose use lanolin. It is similar to Vaseline but it is collected from sheep's wool. Organic, not a petrochemical like Vaseline.

Forgive me if I come across as a jerk here, but I can't resist. The word "organic" has been twisted out of it's true meaning for about fifty years. The original meaning, used in Chemistry for many decades, was simply a compound that contains Carbon atoms. So in the proper use of the word "organic" both Lanolin and Petroleum Jelly ("Vaseline") are organic.

They are both Hydrocarbons and both have carbon atoms in them. They are both, as sold, distilled essences of living things. Lanolin comes from Sheep, Petroleum Jelly comes from plants. Admittedly these plants died a few million years ago and slowly changed into oil or coal. That's why they're called "fossil fuels". Both compounds originated in nature, both have been artifically distilled. Which says nothing about which one is "good" and which one isn't, if one is.

I know I know - the battle has long been lost and the word "organic" seems these days to mean whatever the advertising industry wants it so. I still think that's a bad thing. I hated the use of this word to mean "natural" (whatever that means) when I first became aware of it in the 1960's, and I still do.

OK officer, I'll go quietly....

Ed Seedhouse
VA7SDH

Part cow since February 2018.

Trust your mind less and your brain more.


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#8
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
I am sorry Ed. I agree with you except for your definition of organic molecules. There are a number of inorganic molecules that contain carbon. Carbonates and cyanides to name a few. Organic molecules contain chiefly carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms.

It irks me to hear food or other things touted as organic. I believe that all food is organic by the chemical definition. The other one that gets me going is when I hear some adman say that his product has no chemicals in it. Gee whiz and here I thought water was a chemical. Oxygen is a chemical. Let's see if that advertiser can get along without that chemical for a while.

Officer, while you are carting Ed off, you might as take me too.

Best Regards,

PaytonA

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

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#9
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
Whatever... Lanolin is not bad for you, petroleum product are.
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#10
RE: Excuse me while I vent....
ha ha, and MobileB says she tried lanolin, and gave it thumbs down. OP should realize that your mileage may vary, so has our permission to try any suggestions, or choose none.

For me, it seems almost natural to strap up to the CPAP machine.

QAL
Dedicated to QALity sleep.
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