RE: Full face mask thoughts?
A couple nights in a row now, same thing:
I've been able to get a good seal and good sleep, the problem with air escaping from my mouth is gone.
But, approx 5 hrs after I get to sleep, my mask starts leaking very heavily, and there's nothing that seems to work to fix it.
This morning, I got up and washed my face. I was theorizing (hypothesizing?) that facial oils that had built up overnight since I had washed my face before bed were the problem with preventing the edges of the mask to make a good seal. It was worth the experiment. I went back to bed, about 4am, and found that I was able to get a good seal again and then got several more hours of uninterrupted sleep until the massive leaks started again.
So, it appears that my face and this mask are not a very good match. I'm going to exchange it.
Next question: Since the F30 (and probably the F30i) look like they are not going to work for me, what's a good alternative?
Thanks.
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
That is so frustrating! I have only used two masks, so I will leave it to the experts on here who have experience with many to offer suggestions.
I watched a video by Lanky Lefty comparing the Dreamwear mask to the F30i (they are almost identical). He says he has a narrow face and shows that the F30i is more curved than the Dreamwear which is visibly flatter. He says it might not work on his face either, so that may not be a good choice for you.
11-05-2021, 08:59 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-05-2021, 08:59 AM by KSMatthew.)
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
Well, now, I might have been too hasty.
Last night I tried a different adjustment. On this mask there’s a strap that goes ear to ear over the top of the head. I pulled this one very tight so that it changed the angles the rest of the straps were pulling. That worked, no leaks above what I am already used to, and those only happened after a major change in sleeping position. AHI = 0.4.
It felt great to get a good night’s sleep.
Tonight I’ll loosen the other straps a bit and see what happens.
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
Yea!!! Good quality sleep is everything.
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
Ok, pulling the strap on the top of the headgear really tight is my go-to trick to making the F30 fit. It means that the bottom two straps aren't overlapping at the back of my neck.
The problem I'm having (and it sounds like you too) is that everything about the headgear is just too #$!@% big! I also put the back of the headgear -- the X-shaped part -- underneath my hair so that it stays down. In the circle made by the top strap and the back x-shaped part, the distance between the back of the headgear and the spots on the sides where the straps fork off and attach to the mask on either side of your nose are NOT adjustable. So the only way to reduce the circumference of that circle is to cinch it at the top, and then wear it really low in the back to take up all the extra slack.
On me that means that those side straps angle up sharply and go up past the corners of my eyes. It kind of feels like a horse wearing blinders LOL
Also I would like to try an F30i, but the top is not a strap but part of the tubing so it can't be made adjustable. I need to figure out how to fill in the giant gap that will be between the top of my head and the underside of the hose connection.
The other mod -- which I made long ago with my first F10 headgear -- is to cut the X apart and lap it over a couple of inches and sew it or use a big honking safety pin.
The adjustability of CPAP masks is a lot more limited than it appears. Just because you can make the velcro stick somewhere doesn't mean that the result comes out head-shaped!
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
@superstar
Lanky Lefty is a respiratory tech. he really does try out equipment so he can advise his people well.
My experience--I use the Knightsbridge Dual Band chinstrap off and on....Iuse it for a while and then quit. I alternate with a pad under my chin. It's one I made myself.
I'm now using the Knightsbridge over the head gear on my nasal mask. I use a ResMed N20. Sometimes I get mask strap marks when I wear it this way.
When I have to wear all this stuff it better work.
Dave
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
I have watched most of Lanky Lefty's videos and they have great information!
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
Having to do all of these work arounds is not good. Surely there is some mask out there that will fit you better.
The F30i tubing on top is not adjustable, but I can tighten my mask to fit better by simply sliding it forward or backwards on my head as needed. I have a very small head...even the DME RT mentioned it when she was fitting me for a mask. But the small frame size works well.
Is there any place where you can go to try on other masks? Some of the online suppliers will let you order one and return it if it does not work.
Getting the right one is certainly a trial and error. There were nights when it took 15 mins for me to get the mask so that it would not leak. Then all of a sudden one night I popped it on with the liner and it was perfect 
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
(11-05-2021, 10:57 AM)cathyf Wrote: Ok, pulling the strap on the top of the headgear really tight is my go-to trick to making the F30 fit. It means that the bottom two straps aren't overlapping at the back of my neck.
The problem I'm having (and it sounds like you too) is that everything about the headgear is just too #$!@% big! I also put the back of the headgear -- the X-shaped part -- underneath my hair so that it stays down. In the circle made by the top strap and the back x-shaped part, the distance between the back of the headgear and the spots on the sides where the straps fork off and attach to the mask on either side of your nose are NOT adjustable. So the only way to reduce the circumference of that circle is to cinch it at the top, and then wear it really low in the back to take up all the extra slack.
On me that means that those side straps angle up sharply and go up past the corners of my eyes. It kind of feels like a horse wearing blinders LOL
Also I would like to try an F30i, but the top is not a strap but part of the tubing so it can't be made adjustable. I need to figure out how to fill in the giant gap that will be between the top of my head and the underside of the hose connection.
The other mod -- which I made long ago with my first F10 headgear -- is to cut the X apart and lap it over a couple of inches and sew it or use a big honking safety pin.
The adjustability of CPAP masks is a lot more limited than it appears. Just because you can make the velcro stick somewhere doesn't mean that the result comes out head-shaped!
The F30i does seem quite different from the F30.
Because I was getting to frustrated with the F30, I figured the 30i would have the same problems. But when I took a closer look at the 30i, maybe it won't...I dunno.
Last night, after cinching down that top strap really tightly, it was able to pull up the side straps to where their "pull angle" was different enough to stop leaks. There are a few more things I want to try, though. I still have the side straps pulled pretty tight and the mask really pulls tightly against my face. I might loosen those up a little tonight, maybe with the different pull angles this will be possible.
My other mask, the N30, only has that single split strap, there really isn't much to adjust with that one. The F30 has too many things that have to go just right for a good fit. But that's a problem with almost all masks, though. It's just that the F30, being new to me, has really given me the most trouble I've ever had but it seems I about have it figured out.
RE: Full face mask thoughts?
Ugh. This mask is a pain.
Had problems again last night, waking up to a leaking mask that I spent way too much time trying to readjust. At one point I realized one of the magnetic clip straps was off, so that wasn’t helping.
Any recommendations on other FF masks?
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