Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help?

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Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - lvillanueva5 - 11-11-2014

Hello all. I'm new to the boards. I just received my cpap machine last week on the 5th and have a question that maybe someone else can help with.

I'm on the Remstar Auto with A-flex. My pressure setting is at 10. Previous nasal mask F&P Eson. New full face mask F&P Simplus.

I started off with just a nasal mask, but was finding that my jaw would go slack in the middle of the night and even though my lips were closed, air was going into my mouth and waking me up as it would puff up my cheeks then go out the mouth. I have to say, this is the most disconcerting feeling ever. I kept trying it through the weekend to see if I could adjust, but giving that I had been waking up multiple times a night, it was obvious that this wasn't working for me.

Yesterday, I went back to my DME and traded out my nasal mask for the full face one. Mainly because I couldn't stand that the air was rushing out of my mouth and secondly because this is the season my allergies act up badly and because of my congestion, I become more of a mouth breather. Last night I tore the mask off after 2 hours. It felt like I was just being pounded by air it was making my legs hurt. (I have no idea what the correlation between that and my legs becoming unbearable is though)

The pressure setting was never changed. With the nasal mask, after a bit, I couldn't even tell it was on. I remember waking up in the night to check to make sure the machine didn't turn off, but everything was working fine. However, with the full face mask, I can't stand the pressure. It feels so much more forceful.

Has anyone experienced this before that could give me some advice?

Thanks.

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - trish6hundred - 11-11-2014

Hi lvillanueva5,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
If you preferred the nasal mask you were using, you could try a chinstrap to help you keep your mouth closed to see if that would help you.
Hang in there for more suggestions and best of luck to you as you start your CPAP therapy.

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - Wanda Jean - 11-11-2014

since your machine has autoset, try that instead of specific pressure. I have Resmed and pressure was too high--doctor agreed to try autoset and had no more stomach pain. With autoset, the machine adjusts to your need and does not stay at constant unchanging pressure.

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - lvillanueva5 - 11-11-2014

I have no idea how to change all of that and am a bit leary to do so myself given that I've only been on the machine for less than a full week. I'm going to try again tonight, if I still feel like I'm suffocating, I think I'm going back to the DME and have him read the info on the card and reset the machine.

Good thing is that the sleep lab and DME is located within the Doctor's office.

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - OffroadToy - 11-11-2014

Hi lvillanueva5. Welcome aboard. Im also new here... been on cpap for just over a week now. I started with a nasal pillow mask and woke up a few mornings with air rushing out of my mouth. Tried a chin strap which ended up being a pita sliding off throughout the night. Like you i ended up going to a full face mask... working out great so far (ResMed AirFit F10). After reading here about how to change settings i downloaded the clinical guide for my Airsense 10 AutoSet. Does your unit have a choice to make for which type of mask your useing? On mine i had to change it from pillows to fullface.. maybe that might make a difference for you. Good luck.

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - zonk - 11-11-2014

(11-11-2014, 06:37 PM)OffroadToy Wrote: Does your unit have a choice to make for which type of mask your useing? On mine i had to change it from pillows to fullface.. maybe that might make a difference for you. Good luck.

Welcome to the forum, OffroadToy
OP uses PRS1, PRS1 does not have mask type selection but does have something called "system one resistance control settings"
[Image: MaskSettingsforSystemOneResistanceC.jpg]

[Image: MaskSettingsforSystemOneResistanceC.jpg]

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - PaulaO2 - 11-11-2014

What you can also do is sit up with it on during the day. Put on the mask, turn on the machine, and get used to it. Watch TV, read a book, whatever. This may help you acclimatize.

Another thing is to try a chin strap. Like you, I leak through my closed mouth and it can be difficult to find a chin strap that works. Try some out at the supplier. Or make your own out of an ACE bandage. You want to pull the skin of the chin and your lower lip up while at the same time, hold in your cheeks. Tight enough your mouth does not open when relaxed but not so tight you cannot chew with effort.

I once tried a hybrid mask (part nasal pillow, part full face) and felt like I was in a wind tunnel. Chapped my face, split my lips, etc. I would switch to one in a heart beat if it were not for those issues.

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - Ghost1958 - 11-11-2014

If you feel like your suffocating its likely because the ffm has more volume inside than a nasal. The simplus has a pretty high intentional leak rate. Almost as much as total face Fitlife mask. I use both. And a nasal at times.

Lowering the pressure will only make the suffocating feeling in the mask worse. The pressure is the same but the speed of air flow through you nose only and the feeling of it in a FFM are totally different.

I have the auto aflex. If your using a simplus go into clinical and change the resistance setting to 0. Or if nasal depending on the mask set it to what the chart posted above says if its a respironics mask. If it isnt the setting is 0

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - trish6hundred - 11-11-2014

(11-11-2014, 06:37 PM)OffroadToy Wrote: Hi lvillanueva5. Welcome aboard. Im also new here... been on cpap for just over a week now. I started with a nasal pillow mask and woke up a few mornings with air rushing out of my mouth. Tried a chin strap which ended up being a pita sliding off throughout the night. Like you i ended up going to a full face mask... working out great so far (ResMed AirFit F10). After reading here about how to change settings i downloaded the clinical guide for my Airsense 10 AutoSet. Does your unit have a choice to make for which type of mask your useing? On mine i had to change it from pillows to fullface.. maybe that might make a difference for you. Good luck.

Hi OffroadToy,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Best of luck to you as you continue your CPAP therapy.

RE: Switched from Nasal to full face - too much pressure. Help? - Ghost1958 - 11-12-2014

Just an after thought but you might try running the machines leak test with that Simplus FFM.

If you have leak that isnt on your eyes with a nasal it doesnt feel like much at least to me. With a FFM a decent leak will make it feel like wind is blowing in your face. If the FFM is sealed right you dont feel any air moving against your face. My machine starts at 8 and goes up to 13 a lot of nights. If no major leak then I really cant tell the difference as far as pressure or air movement in that same FFM