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mask fitting problem
#1
mask fitting problem
hi,

i have been on my cpap for 4 nights now.first 3 nights was an absolute success especially night 3,felt the best i have in years.

then last night i couldn`t get my mask to seal no matter how hard i tried.played around with the damn thing for over an hour,leaks everywhere & eventually gave up & what a crap nights sleep it was, feel terrible today.

has anyone got any ideas for me ?

many thanks in advance
jason
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#2
RE: mask fitting problem
Do you wash the mask each morning and your face each night before bed? Skin oils prevent a good seal.
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#3
RE: mask fitting problem
I had a similar problem early on. I tried all sorts of gizmos on the market that are described in this forum and others to try to get my full face mask to stop leaking such as the pads you can purchase to fit on the masks between your face and the mask. Those helped but didn't do it for me. I decided I wasn't going to screw around and feel terrible after fighting each night with the full face mask. I had leaks popping up all over at different times. I tried tightening the mask, loosening the mask, etc. I tried a stocking over my head and over my mask as well as the cpap pads I mentioned previously. My eyes were getting dried out overnight from the leakage. (I tried getting something to fit over my eyes.) Then the part of the full face mask that was resting on my nose created a bruise that 6 months later is still going away. I think that bruise may have been the final straw. I hung in there with that full face mask for a month and realized I had to do something to improve my chances of getting some decent sleep because, like you, I felt miserable during the day. I went off and bought, without a prescription, a Swift FX mask with nasal pillows. I did this after evaluating what I thought could possibly work for me. It worked...but I had to do some things to get it to work for me. I needed a chin strap. I needed something to lubricate my nostrils on the outside --- used coconut oil which works well. I seemed to develop an allergy response. That ended when my sleep doctor recommended XKlear Nasal Spray which for me was an absolute miracle. No morning sneezing or fits. Others will have some great suggestions but it seems like almost everyone has to "work it" to figure out how to get a mask that works for you. I'm very empathetic... - Barbara
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#4
RE: mask fitting problem
Also, here's a great post on how to achieve a good fit: http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...GUARANTEED
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#5
RE: mask fitting problem
(08-05-2013, 09:38 PM)condohk69 Wrote: hi,

i have been on my cpap for 4 nights now.first 3 nights was an absolute success especially night 3,felt the best i have in years.

then last night i couldn`t get my mask to seal no matter how hard i tried.played around with the damn thing for over an hour,leaks everywhere & eventually gave up & what a crap nights sleep it was, feel terrible today.

has anyone got any ideas for me ?

many thanks in advance
jason

condohk69, welcome, I use the Mirage Quattro and it does take a lot of getting used to, I have had mine for a little over two years and occassionally still have problems, my two suggestions are 1. Mask liners, you can buy them over the net or I can let you know how to make them cheap yourself and have your hose coming from above your head either over a bedhead or you can buy or make a hose lift yourself. This saves your mask getting tangled and the gravity pulls your mask up instead of down. Try not to tighten it too much I know it is tempting but it needs to almost float on your face.

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#6
RE: mask fitting problem
For most people it's two steps forward and one back in the beginning. At least it was for me.
I also tried as bunch of masks until I found one that worked. I'm one of those lucky people that the "one size fits all" nasal pillow was a perfect fit.
Looks like you're not the type to give up and good for you!
Aloha,
MrCourtney
Honolulu, HI
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#7
RE: mask fitting problem
thanks for all the replies,i will try the suggestions.

the thing that annoyed me the most was that the night before i had a great seal with the head gear fairly loose & thought i had it sorted.

i also have a nasal mask that i will try if i can`t get the FFM sorted.

thanks again
jason
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#8
RE: mask fitting problem
(08-05-2013, 11:29 PM)Tez62 Wrote: Mask liners, you can buy them over the net or I can let you know how to make them cheap yourself

Tez62, I for one would like to know how to make the liners. I have bunches of old soft white T-shirts that could be used. I asked my local DME for a sample of one so I could see exactly what they look like. But they didn't have any samples.
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#9
RE: mask fitting problem
Quote:Tez62, I for one would like to know how to make the liners. I have bunches of old soft white T-shirts that could be used. I asked my local DME for a sample of one so I could see exactly what they look like. But they didn't have any samples.

fuzzmanks, I bought some Remzzz’s mask liners a 6 pack and although they say to only use them once you can wash them and get about 5-6 uses. I then made a template of what I needed from their liners out of think cardboard and went to a fabric shop and got 3 ft of 50% cotton / 50 % poly fabric and cut out my own and they also last 5-6 uses, the next time I bought 3 ft of 50% cotton / 50 % lycra fabric. That last me about 3 months and costs about ten dollars. No need to do any sewing. I tried the cutting of the t-shirt but found it harder to cut and not as flexible, if you buy the fabric you can get any colour you want even your football team Rolleyes. I use the off cuts to wrap around straps if needed to stop marks and for the mask head rest I use some of the off cuts as well, hope that helps.

I do use a Resmed Mirage Quattro FFM but it should be the same for yours.

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#10
RE: mask fitting problem
thanks again for all the replies.i pleased to say the last 2 nights i`ve had no trouble with the mask & have had some good sleep.maybe the other night was just a 1 off.

cheers
jason
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