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Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
#51
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
Bah, docs out of the office until Tuesday. Looking forward to a weekend of air on my face. Not having to turn it off to reseat it helps but even washing the cushion and face doesn't seem to save me from having to reseat it 5-15 times before it's not shooting air in my eyes. I'm almost debating dropping $50 on a new cushion to see if it helps. I'd prefer to order a full mask since some suppliers have a great return policy, but I won't be able to get my prescription until Tuesday at the earliest. Wish I'd had the foresight to get it earlier.
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#52
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
So, which of the suppliers have a liberal return policy? I see that Supplier #1 has return insurance on full masks. Supplier #14s sounds almost good to be true -- return most any item. I'm not sure I believe that so I emailed them to ask whether that is correct.

Also, I've been thinking about what type of mask to use. Obviously, I can't tolerate the nasal pillows. I have kind of an odd nose (deviated septum, enlarged turbinates) but I do normally breathe through my nose during the day and my studies did not detect mouth breathing (coincidentally, I did my titration study with a nasal mask and not pillows). I wonder if the nasal pillows are irritating my goofy nose enough that it causes me to breathe through my mouth. Would a nasal mask be worth a shot? It'd be nice not to have to reseal my mask to take a drink of water and stuff, although I don't mind the full face mask all that much.
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#53
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
(08-30-2013, 02:49 PM)eviltim Wrote: Not having to turn it off to reseat it helps but even washing the cushion and face doesn't seem to save me from having to reseat it 5-15 times before it's not shooting air in my eyes.

Hi eviltim,

I use the Quattro FX but only with a RemZees mask liner. The mask liner makes the leaks softer and less noticeable.

I also use the Mirage Quattro but only with a ResMed Gecko "nasal pad". The Gecko gel pad (US$16 from Supplier #2) can be used for a month or two before it gets too soft and stretchy to work well. The gel pad allows the height adjuster knob to be adjusted for less pressure on the bridge of the nose, protects the bridge of the nose from getting sore, and blocks leaks near the eyes.

Good luck,
--- Vaughn
The Advisory Member group provides advice and suggestions to Apnea Board administrators and staff on matters concerning Apnea Board operation and administrative policies.  Membership in the Advisory Member group should not be understood as in any way implying medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
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#54
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
So I was hoping to try out some masks from Supplier #1. Called my docs office to ask for the prescription but the nurse said it had already been filled (?) and the doc would need to write a new one. I already have a followup appt on the 13th, what do I need to get from them in order to ensure I can try out masks at my leisure? (Paying out of pocket of course).
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#55
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
(09-03-2013, 06:11 PM)eviltim Wrote: So I was hoping to try out some masks from Supplier #1. Called my docs office to ask for the prescription but the nurse said it had already been filled (?) and the doc would need to write a new one. I already have a followup appt on the 13th, what do I need to get from them in order to ensure I can try out masks at my leisure? (Paying out of pocket of course).

Hi eviltim,

I think you should keep the original copy of your prescriptions in your personal records (prescription for machine, humidifier and mask).

In my experience, DMEs do not need an original; the prescription can be faxed to them, scanned and emailed to them, or photocopied and snail-mailed to them.

As far as I know, a single prescription can be used in future to buy various masks again. I think the requirement to buy masks is that you show you have a prescription for PAP therapy, and I think it is understood by DMEs that you can buy any mask you please, as long as you have a prescription for a PAP machine.

Perhaps you can call up or email Supplier #1 to ask whether the prescription needs to be written in any special way to allow various masks to be bought in future, and whether a single prescription can be used again and again when the mask needs to be replaced.

The Advisory Member group provides advice and suggestions to Apnea Board administrators and staff on matters concerning Apnea Board operation and administrative policies.  Membership in the Advisory Member group should not be understood as in any way implying medical expertise or qualification for advising Sleep Apnea patients concerning their treatment.
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#56
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
Its been a while. I just couldn't handle the leaky full face mask, so I've been on the nasal pillows for awhile. Doc is happy with my numbers, says I can continue on the nasal pillows if I can tolerate the dry mouth, but he agreed it could be waking me up. So he put a new cushion in my Quattro FX loaner and gave it back to me for two weeks, I bought a Quattro Air because it was on sale ($50), and he wrote me a prescription so I can try out whatever masks I want. It's nice to have a good doctor.
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#57
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
Hi, My status is similar, I started with a F&P Zest nose mask and progressed to a Quattro, along the way testing a Liberty and some others. A key issue is that my pressure is quite high and I use a BiPAP with 22/16 pressure settings. In general with the pressures above the full face masks tended to bounce off my face and give out horrible squeals. this generally happenned because the silicon contact strip is unsupported at the top of my nose and at the bottom of the mask so tightening the straps didn't help. Generally I had to wash the rubber and my face about every two hours to maintain quiet. Sometimes the side flaps would 'blow out' and flip outward. The Liberty left my nose feeling that it had been raped by a band of marauding guinea pigs......

Recently I tried a F&P forma which has a chin shelf built into the bottom of the mask seal, and a foam support all the way around the bridge of the nose. It works amazingly well, as the chin shelf holds my chin up and mouth closed, eliminating the mouth leakage, and the nose bridge support eliminated the wind blasting into my eyes that I had with other masks. Since you are obviously having trouble with mask fit, why don't you give it a try?
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#58
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
Hi gonesouth,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
trish6hundred
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#59
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
I'm actually getting along real well with the Quattro Air. I'm going to wait a week before I write a review or anything, but I think this one is a winner. Doesn't leak (or when it rarely does they are small and easy to fix as opposed to the FX where I have to re-seat it a ton). Doesn't leave marks on my face.
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#60
RE: Getting started -- waking up with horrible dry mouth
When we last left our intrepid apnea-suffering hero, he had just obtained a Quattro Air and this was the mask that was finally going to work, right? Except I started to develop terrible, terrible dry skin where the mask met my face. I'm not sure if it was an allergic reaction, or just a result of having the mask very tight against my face. I'm leaning towards the latter because my first 4 days or so with the Air were totally fine. So I'm back on the nasal pillows for now while my face heals up...it's been 3 days and there's still some unpleasant flaking going on. It's not a pretty sight. Anyway I've been using the xylimelts when I first wake up, and that seems to mostly fix the dry mouth, or at least it doesn't feel like the Sahara in my mouth all night. Does anyone have any tips for reducing leakage with the pillows? Currently I have it on reasonably but not too tight, and apply a little bit of lanolin before using the pillows.
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