Mask Cushion Replacement Question

[ShoshTrvls]

I have the Quattro FX mask.  For the first two weeks, I slept like a baby.  No leaks, no problems.  (Yes, I may be one of the few people who took to therapy easily).  But, after the first two weeks, the leaks started and gradually it became unwearable.  A friend suggested that  I replace the cushion, which I did and lo and behold, a good night's sleep was had.

So, my question is ... is replacing a cushion every two weeks normal?  I expected a cushion to last at least 2 - 3 months and since my supplies are being paid for by me (I have a large deductible), it is a cost I wasn't expecting.

Thanks.

[Walla Walla]

I would expect it to last at least a month if not longer. You may have had a bad cushion. Something else you can do is make sure your face is clean of any lotions that might break down the cushion.

[Marillion]

I clean my cushion daily with soap and water and it lasts for months. But the rest of the equipment every few weeks. Walla Walla is right, the cushion should be lasting a month or longer.

[Sleep2Snore]

I would expect it to last at least six months.
Keeping it clean and wiping it every night with a none-alcohol wipe every night helps a lot.
Keeping your skin clean helps also, a good wash before bed.
It also helps if you keep your mask safe and not throw it to the side in the morning like I do.

Hides face in shame but........

[ShoshTrvls]

Thanks all.  

I do use a mask wipe every morning, and every night I wash my face before bed.  Maybe there was just an issue with the first one; crossed fingers that this cushion lasts longer.

[Gary1of2]

Your straps get stretch abit. You can throw themin the wash and they have a tendency to shrink abit. You should not be tighting up the straps tight.

[mesenteria]

Not intent on being contrarian, but could it possibly be that the wipes, themselves, just happen to be the issue?  Just throwing that out there.


I'm still on the same nasal mask cushion I started my PAP trial on back in December.  It looks and feels like the day I first used it.  I wash it under warm tap water and liquid dish detergent (whatever we happen to have placed in the sink-side pump dispenser) about every four days on average.

[ShoshTrvls]

Not intent on being contrarian, but could it possibly be that the wipes, themselves, just happen to be the issue?  Just throwing that out there.

So, I started thinking this might be the issue just before you posted this.  The first week and a half that I had the CPAP, I washed it in the sink every morning, before wondering if there was an easier way and then ordering the wipes.  It is entirely possible that the wipes are either the cause, or not doing the job.  

Tonight, I'm going to wash the old cushion with soap and give it a try and see what happens.

[stanleydean]

For a long time I cleaned my cushions with Dawn dish detergent or Dial soap, no known issues. Then for a couple of years I used Johnson Baby Shampoo with no issues. For about the last year I have used the wipes from WalMart with no apparent issues. 

During my first 15 years or so I automatically replaced cushions every month or so because that's what the DMEs kept sending out. Since Medicare tightened that up I find that the masks are actually good for at least three months plus. I believe my leakage, which can sometimes be aggravating, is mostly affected by position and strap adjustment.

Hoping you can settle in with few problems,

Stan

[Melman]

I use Pampers Natural Clean baby wipes. They are cheap ans free of alcohol and perfumes. I've been using the same F20 cushion for 16 months with no problems. I also wash it every week with Dawn. I used to use the Quatro FX but had more leak problems and the cushions only lasted a couple of months. The AirFit F20 has been much better for me.