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

Getting new machine!
#1
Getting new machine!
After using the clunky Escape II unit for over 6 years it is time to move along. I am picking up a Airsense 10 with auto set Tuesday. My question is this. I've always used a full face mask. And was wondering about the pros and cons on using a nasal pillow instead. They look much more comfortable and much smaller. Any advice would be great.
Thanks!
Post Reply Post Reply
#2
RE: Getting new machine!
First and most important thing to consider:
Why were you using a full face mask? Most of the time those are really only used if you can't keep our mouth shut (your mouth gapes open when asleep).

If that is the case, a nasal mask or pillows are not going to work. What goes in the nose will come right out the mouth, providing no PAP therapy to keep the throat open and you breathing.

OMMOHY
Post Reply Post Reply
#3
RE: Getting new machine!
My experience with pillows (P10) is that they are hopeless at higher pressures. That's just the P10 which has a bit of lacky band instead of a proper headgear, so you might have better luck with one of the other models.

Congrats on the new machine!
Post Reply Post Reply
#4
RE: Getting new machine!
Re: pillows (nasal prong, booger blaster mask) - I tried em and didn't like them.

Felt pressure was, in a purely anecdotal sense, about twice what the pressure felt using only a nasal mask. It was comparatively uncomfortable. I have always used a nasal mask and would not consider swapping that for nasal pillows because of the feeling of increased pressure. And because I do so well with nasal masks - zero zip nada null problems.

Now, there are other reasons I don't think pillows would be a good solution for me. I sleep in about five different positions:
  • Supine (much better for my back)
  • Prostrate (on my belly) with neck turned sideways
  • Left side
  • Right side
  • Partially on my right side, but partially on my belly, in the "recovery position" with left knee pulled up and sleeping with head on right arm

I don't think that the nasal prong masks will stay in position as well through the night as does the nasal mask. Ex-pecialy if I change posiions.

WRT to handiness, I think the nasal mask is a lot less bulky than the Full Face Mask (FFM), and probably only marginally more so than the booger blaster mask. There again, unless you are wearing the FFM to eliminate mouth leaks. In which case neither the nasal mask or the booger blaster will work or you.

OMMOHY
Post Reply Post Reply
#5
RE: Getting new machine!
Okay, you heard the negatives. I have used nasal pillows almost from the beginning of therapy in 2008. The current Resmed Airfit P10 is the best of the bunch, and is a quiet, comfortable interface that does not blow air on me or my wife. It opens congested nasal sinuses and airways and has always provided me with good results.

The main prerequisite is that you contain pressure applied to your airway, and don't have pressure leaking into your mouth. Most people can do this, some can't. If it works out for you, you'll love it. If not, just take advantage of a 30 day return period most supplier allow for exchange. And as we like to say for the Airfit P10, "resistance is futile".
Sleeprider
Apnea Board Moderator
www.ApneaBoard.com

____________________________________________
Download OSCAR Software
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing Therapy
Organize your OSCAR Charts
Attaching Files
Mask Primer
How To Deal With Equipment Supplier


INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply
#6
RE: Getting new machine!
I join the ranks of the positive for the P10 mask, although I don't use a high pressure, so not sure how that would work for you.

Since your are progressing from a Cpap to an APAP, you may be able to start at a slightly lower pressure. If you can't make a nasal pillow work, you still have the full face to go back to. You won't know if you don't try. Smile
OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
Optimizing therapy
OSCAR supported machines
Mask Primer



INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
Post Reply Post Reply
#7
RE: Getting new machine!
another p10 cultist... my max pressure is 15. I have had a couple of nights where it stayed between 14 and 15 all night (atypical and I know the cause) and the pillows were great at that pressure. I simply cannot imagine using anything else Smile It was my second mask, the first being an earlier resmed nasal pillows mask (swift fx) which vented too strongly and kept hitting me in the eyes (bounced off sheets?) causing extreme eye swelling.

If you are a mouth breather, you may still require either a chinstrap or FFM... but if you can master the tongue suck technique you will be able to use a nasal or pillows mask which should be less leaky and more comfy (for most YMMV)
هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه  هههههه
Tongue Suck Technique for prevention of mouth breathing:
  • Place your tongue behind your front teeth on the roof of your mouth
  • let your tongue fill the space between the upper molars
  • gently suck to form a light vacuum

Practising during the day can help you to keep it at night

هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه هههههه  هههههه
Post Reply Post Reply
#8
RE: Getting new machine!
I have only had my New CPAP a week (my replaced machine is OVER 10 years old)
What difference this New equipment has made on energy, & attitude [ask my husband! :-) ]
The neat part is I can see how many episodes of apnea I have each night
although when registering for this forum, the question of software came up, how do I find it???
I've looked every where, the shipping box, the machine, the user guide(so I guessed)... I'm sure there
is such a creature, as I can receive daily reports of my sleep status, does any one know??
I enjoy being with a group who like to share their "Hosehead" experiences, to remind me I am not alone.
Post Reply Post Reply
#9
RE: Getting new machine!
I really wanted to use the P10 everyone said how great it was so I bought the parts and tried it. For some reason I had even more trouble sleeping with it (this was at the very start of CPAP). I talked with the one good person at me DME about it and she said "won't work for you, you have a problem exhaling into pressure" who knew.

Everything else was great. Like any other mask I tried had a learning curve about getting it put on right. Wish I could use it, but no.
Post Reply Post Reply
#10
RE: Getting new machine!
Welcome, Weebee!
I'm another pillow mask convert. I started out with full face masks and moved to a Nuance Pro. There were some challenges I had to overcome, though. I am a mouth breather as well as an active sleeper who changes sleeping positions several times a night. The ever versatile Ruby chin strap solved both problems for me. It helps me keep from breathing through my mouth and by wearing it over the headgear of my mask it helps keep the mask from slipping around and causing leaks during my most active nights. As Daria pointed out, the Nuance does have a tendency to vent cold air an my wife and me as well as make noise when the vented air hits nearby objects. I see myself becoming another P10 convert in the near future.
Useful Links
Download OSCAR
Organize your OSCAR and SleepyHead charts
Attaching images and files to posts


Advisory Members serve as an "Advisory Committee" to help shape Apnea Board's rules & policies. Membership in the Advisory Members group does not imply medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
Exclaimation CPAP Machine Choices - read this before you accept a new machine SuperSleeper 283 262,143 11-10-2023, 10:24 AM
Last Post: robbob2112
  machine died! Now new doctor and new machine Bjazzman 17 6,789 09-05-2022, 09:07 PM
Last Post: NValtman11
  [CPAP] Using SoClean Machine with CPAP Machine ronald1810 4 1,319 06-01-2022, 10:18 PM
Last Post: Sleepster
  Pin from power plug stuck in machine ResMed cpap machine B10576 12 6,753 04-08-2018, 08:24 PM
Last Post: Hellodare
  Forgot to put card back in machine, is there a way to copy it from machine to card? Marnid2014 6 6,249 04-06-2014, 08:54 PM
Last Post: PaulaO2


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

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