Rio II nasal cushion mask

[Tank6364]

Hello. I am considering the Rio II nasal cushion mask to replace my swift fx nano nasal cushion mask. The Rio II looks similar, except the cushion sits under the nose, not over. Has anyone tried this mask? If so, what has been your experience? Thank you.

[GotAmps?]

My experience has been mostly positive with the Rio II.  Mostly.  I really like the conical nasal cushions.  They remain seated/aligned with my nostrils much better than the masks lacking them (e.g. ResMed AirFit F40).  But I think you already have that with your Swift FX Nano.


My caveats:

• The Rio II allows a fair amount of air to directly pass through the expiration holes.  I occasionally feel it on my face (off my bed pillow, etc) and it has taken some getting used to.  A mask like the AirFit F40 doesn’t feel like it directly passes nearly the same volume of air out the front of the mask.
  
• I’ll admit I have to look at the orientation of the Rio II to ensure the cones are pointing slightly upward, rather than downward, when I pull on the headset.  I should practice determining it by feel…b/c I get up 2-3 times/night minimum to use the restroom.
  
• I occasionally have leaks when the lightweight headset slides forward over the crown of my head.  But it’s not that frequent.
  
• Because I found myself breathing through my mouth too much, I started using TheraBand mouth tape.  But that’s not specifically a negative for the Rio II.
  

[Tank6364]

Thank you. You mentioned you get up during the night. Is it easy to disconnect/reconnect? Does it require any adjustments? One thing that I like with the swift are the easy reconnections.

[GotAmps?]

The Rio II is very easy to reconnect.  Position the nasal cushions against my nostrils and pull the lightweight headset over my head.

I do need to take the time…in the dark…to confidently have the nasal cushions pointed upward.  
[Which should be easy…as I’m handling the mask right now…and running my fingers over the top of the cushion (when properly oriented), I can feel the edges of the  nasal cushions.  When mis-oriented (upside down), I cannot.  I just need to practice when stumbling back from the bathroom ]

With a more robust headset (e.g. AirFit F40), reconnection is slightly harder.  I have to pull the lower headset straps to snap them into place on their magnet coupling posts.  Pretty easy, but not as simple as the Rio II.

[GotAmps?]

Full disclosure…although it might not be a concern for you…I am looking at the ResMed AirFit X30i mask.
As it seems to have the conical nasal cushions, I prefer…and it covers the mouth.
I think it will work better for me whenever I have any nasal congestion.

HOWEVER, my DME won’t even sell me a X30i.  They claim they haven’t figured out how to handle the insurance filing for it since it appears to have 2 cushions instead of one.  I’m requesting a prescription so I can purchase it out-of-pocket.

[Tank6364]

That is very helpful. Nothing worse than having to make adjustments that make it harder to get back to sleep. How have your ahi and leak scores been with this mask?

[GotAmps?]

Well...I'm a newbie...and have not zeroed in on what is causing my fluctuating AHIs.  They are typically between 5-10.  A few nights in the 2 range...which I don't understand.

I'm reading Krakow's Life Saving Sleep and realizing I need to minimize my mouth-breathing.  So, I've transitioned back to the Rio II with mouth-tape.
I thought I was seeing higher AHI with the AirFit F40 than the Rio II (and tape), but scanning my OSCAR data right now....it doesn't support that hypothesis.

Not sure how typical I am...because my AHI is comprised mostly of central apneas.
Last night I was 8.14 AHI with 67 CAs, 2 OAs, and 3 Hypopneas.  Monday night was 2.16 AHI with 12 CAs and 1 H.  Whaaa??
But more frequently, I see an AHI of 5+ with something like 30 Central Apneas, 3 Obstructive, and 1-2 Hypopneas.

I need to upload some OSCAR charts and seek advice from the board.  My sleep doctor thinks it's all good below 10 AHI and just keep using my ResMed AirSense 11 AutoSet.  I'd like to get down to a handful of central apneas a night.  (What I REALLY want is to stop getting up so many times to pee!)

[Tank6364]

Very funny! I have been using bipap for 20 years, but have never heard of Oscar charts. What are they? How do you get them? All i see is the info on my machine that gives daily ahi and leak numbers. Do you have higher numbers when you sleep on your back? I guess most people do.
Is the mouth tape a pain?