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[Product Review] ResMed Air Fit N10
#1
ResMed Air Fit N10
Hello Everyone,  Just want to say thank you for all the helpful information I've found on this site.  You all are amazing!  I'm over a month into this hose-head business and doing pretty well.  Just got to try out the new? Res Med Air Fit N10 nasal mask and was wondering if anyone else had any thoughts/opinions about it.  I've been using the nasal pillows and find the medium size feel most comfortable but my nose is so sore still, and I'm starting to feel like a junkie with the sore red nose/sniffles all the time.  Tonight will be my third night trial of the nasal mask and I really want to like it.  Very light weight and thin straps like the P10, but just a bit more complicated to put on--very minor issue.  The nose piece fits pretty well and it is very soft like the pillows but this morning my upper lip was very sore and has been sort of red/raw feeling all day.  The first night it was insanely noisy but I did not notice that so much last night.  The air that blows out of it on my forehead was cold and aggravating the first night, still aware of it last night but not as annoying so I think there is just some getting used to it involved.  The whole thing is very comfortable to wear, I just don't know if I should have them order one for me or stick with my pillows.  I guess it's a toss up between sore nostrils or sore lip.  Does it make any difference to trade off between nasal pillows and nasal mask or should you just stick with one type?  Any suggestions?  I've got to give it back tomorrow.  ThanksSleep-well
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#2
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
I use the P10 pillow mask almost exclusively. But I like the idea that I have a nasal mask and a full face mask in the cabinet ready to fill in for the P10 if necessary. So my answer is consider both. Use the pillows when that seems right, and if it seems like a good idea, bench it for awhile in favor of the N10.

The thing about sore nostrils? Have you tried HPA Lanolin cream? It comes in a tube and is available at your friendly pharmacy in the baby department. Do not use it according to the directions on the tube, as that won't help your sore nostrils much, but rather apply a very small amount on each nostril when you go to bed wearing the pillows mask. It might also be a fine thing on your upper lip to try to keep the raw thing from happening... Haven't tried that.

But thanks for the report on the P10. It's good to hear more about that mask.
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#3
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
They (Lincare) gave me a tube of RoEzIt which is mostly Aloe Vera and Vitamin A&E but I haven't tried it yet. I really like the minimalist qualities of the P10 and have been reading all the wonderful reviews of it. Maybe I will just buy the N10 to have as a backup, like you suggest, for those moments in the middle of the night when I absolutely can't stand to have anything on for another minute! The nasal pads are a quick switch though. Both styles are very comfortable to wear and I am not doing much tossing/turning anymore, so that's a plus. I haven't figured out how to read my leak rate but am getting a printout tomorrow, so will see what that shows. My ahi has been as high as 7.1 and as low as 0.5 so am doing pretty well but only in the first month of use. My setting is at 6.
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#4
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
I haven't tried that product but it's probably a fine thing. But it won't help you a whole lot unless you take it out of the tube, so give that a try.

So, you've got one of the best machines in the business and they've got it dummied down to a fixed cpap of 6? Well, if that works that's a fine thing. But I would be interested in seeing what your results are. In particular ahi, leak numbers, pressure, all the usual suspects.
If your numbers are bouncing around from .5 to 7.1 then I think something needs tweaked a dab.

There's a link at the top of this page for Sleepyhead where you can download and check your results yourself. That would be a good homework assignment for you.... Zonk will give you a test in the morning.
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#5
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
Please, no tests...not yet anyway. I did put the ointment on and it feels pretty good, not greasy, but not sure how it will work. Still feel like I have "junkie nose" all red, runny, and sort of itchy. Wonder if continued use of a nasal mask would continue to dry it out and make it worse? If felt like very cold air on my nose, but I do have the humidifier going.

I took my card out for the first reading this morning. Averaged my own scores for the past 30 days and it comes to about 3.2 AHI overall. I would love to see more detailed graphs and plan to get a card later to be able to read my own scores. Noted that I seem to have a 10 day lapse or so when the apneas tend to peak out but haven't had time to look closely to see what was going on those nights. Wondering about Circadian rhythms, etc.

Much less leakage with the nasal pillows-(Med ResMed P10) then with the N10 nasal mask, although it felt like it was holding well. I'm sticking with the pillows for now.

Here are my stats: EPR level 2--my machine uses very little water but we have lots of humidity in this area. Set Pressure is 6, per doctor's order, and it seems fine to me. Did ask about variable pressures. Apnea index 2.0, AHI 2.9 , Obstructive 1.8, Central 0.1, Hypopnea 0.8
Average daily usage 7.34 for 42 days, so compliance is good. They showed me a leaks chart and aside from that plateau every 10 days or so, it notes 95th percentile for leaks so that is good.?

Last night was my last night using the nasal mask. I adjusted it a bit more so it fit better across the bridge of my nose and my lip was not sore today, although I am noticing a general irritation around my mouth and nose. Could be my weird skin sensitivity. There were red marks around my nose, and I look like I have "whiskers", but on the plus side it is a good guide to applying my blusher! LOL. During the night I had to get up and just took the thing off. Getting it on in the dark, without wanting to wake up, was a problem. One of the straps had come loose and I couldn;t just put it on like the nasal pillows, so I velcroed the strap to whatever it stuck to but it wasn't quite like it was supposed to be. I guess in time you can figure out just how it fits. But I didn't want to wake up that much to get it right. Noticed the noise of my own breathing more when trying to get back to sleep, but the cool air on my arm felt kind of good.

So, after three day trial of the Res Med Air Fit N10, here are my thoughts. I found it to be very comfortable and didn't even notice the hose. It does not swivel however. If you prefer a nasal mask, this is the one to try. The headgear is very lightweight, adjustable in several different places, and very non-intrusive. Just an upper and lower cheek piece, although the bottom one is a harder plastic. The nose piece is a very soft material with a sort of inner seal. Although I had more leaks with this then the nasal pillows, it felt like it sealed well and by adjusting the straps I was able to get it into good position. The only thing I didn't like was that I could hear my own breathing and it was very annoying, and the cold air that seems to spray all around from it was disturbing to my sleep. If I were going to use a nasal mask, this is the one. Compared to my husband's, this one was not at all claustrophobic, and very comfortable to wear. I do a lot of turning in my sleep.

However, all things considered, I am going to stick with my P10 nasal pillows. Just all around simpler for me and if I am going to have red marks, at least it looks just a little more natural to have sore, red nostrils then a red triangle in the middle of my face.
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#6
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
Good report Rosanne, thanks...

It sounds like you have a great attitude and a good handle on what's going on. I agree with you about the pillows mask. If you'll use the goo when you put them on that should resolve the red nose thing. If not check back with me because I know a guy who lives way up north that might could use your services. Perhaps a second career thingy.

I'm thinking your humidity might be set a little high, causing the moisture on you lip, causing the redness. That's a different thing than the EPR by the way. When you first turn the machine on it should tell you what the humidity is. I believe the default setting is 4, but it can be changed from 1 to 6. I'm thinking you might want to try it around 2 or 3 right now, given your Missu humidity might be a little high right now.

The EPR has to do with automatically lowering the pressure when you exhale. So if you're set pressure were 10 for instance, an EPR setting of 3 would lower it to 7 on exhale. But since your set pressure is 6, it will only lower it to 4 because that's as low as you can go.........

Good job figuring all this stuff out!
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#7
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
My humidity has been at 2 all along, and that seems to be fine. Might crank it up a bit come winter.
I'm thinking my sore lip yesterday may have been from the nasal mask resting on my top lip during the night. Guess that things get shifted around when I turn over or from side to side, as I sleep with several pillows. Am going to see if I can find the Lansinoh that's been recommended. I have some pretty strange skin reactions to things in the past couple of years--plastic bags and some of my purse straps, carrying bags of dog food in the house, my husbands whiskers--all make me break out in a temporary rash. Although I took off the nasal mask over 9 hours ago, there is still red marks on both sides of my nose. Guess I'd rather have the bottom of my nose red but I do wonder if people think I'm using my nose for illegal activities with the way it looks and feels.
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#8
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
(07-30-2014, 06:22 PM)Rosanne Wrote: I've been using the nasal pillows and find the medium size feel most comfortable but my nose is so sore still,

You might need to adjust it looser or tighter or get a different one.

If you get a nasal pillow mask that actually fits and is the right size, it should be painless.

A sore nose means it's either too loose/too small and is moving around or is too tight and is mashing your nose. Handing you a jar of goo and telling you "try this" isn't a solution, it's a band-aid.

I'd go back to your DME provider and tell them it hurts and you want to try a different nasal pillow mask. If they're worth anything at all, they'll find one for you that actually works and fits and doesn't hurt.

If you don't mind "ugly" and a little noisy, I've had excellent results with this:

It's all velcro, so you can move absolutely any part of it into any position you want, to make a good seal without hurting.

(07-30-2014, 06:22 PM)Rosanne Wrote: Does it make any difference to trade off between nasal pillows and nasal mask or should you just stick with one type? Any suggestions? I've got to give it back tomorrow. ThanksSleep-well

Use what works. It shouldn't hurt and it shouldn't leak. If you have problems with nasal congestion or deviated septum, the nasal pillow masks seem to help (at least me) because they keep my nose inflated.

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#9
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
I just tried the AirFit N10 last night for the first time (coming from an Eson - didn't like the forehead piece). I noticed it was a bit noisier than the Eson (which has a tiny filter to help drown out the air being swooshed out).

The nose piece is fairly comfortable with only a couple times needing to readjust the fit. It seemed to want to curl a little more under my nose than I liked. I loosened the straps up a little and it seemed to help. The straps are very nice and minimalistic. There was a cover included that I could put over the hard plastic part of the frame so the plastic wasn't laying on my cheeks.

I noticed my nose seemed a bit colder in general, even though I did not adjust the temperature or humidity. This created a bit of a discomfort. Tonight I'll jack the temp up a few degrees to see if this helps.

So far, I'm ok with this mask, but it's only been one night. If I can handle it without griping for a week, I'll be keeping this one. If I start getting agitated with it, my next trial will be a wisp (which is what I initially requested and he asked that I try this one first since I initially wanted to try the nano - which was no longer available at my DME)

Sandy
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#10
RE: ResMed Air Fit N10
Update from my last post - the N10 is officially giving me grief Sad

I LOVED the minimal headgear! The piece seemed to fit well over the nose, and I started with it very loose like the Eson and once the apap started, it leaked bad. Had to tighten it down just a little..... then a little more..... then tried tightening the top and loosening the bottom.... then tightening the bottom and loosening the top. Found a couple "happy spots" for non leaking, but that piece sat a bit tighter than I was comfortable with. It leaked repeatedly through the night.... and each night (3 so far) that I've used it, has been the worst sleep since I started therapy.

I honesty have to chuckle a bit - I never wanted to even take the Eson off my face even with the forehead touch sensitivity, but somehow I managed to whip that N10 off my nose and plant it right on my forehead while I was sound asleep. It apparently sat there for 30 minutes LOLOL!

I let the DME know on Friday morning this one is just not working out and what else can I try. Of course he's calling me in to try to "fit it" better - yea, I get that, but I'll be watching that clock. I've got 30 days to settle on one. I don't want to waste time on this one and I'm going to make that known.
Sandy
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