Unexplained Leak

[Swifty]

Struggling with Leaks Despite Trying Multiple Masks – Advice Welcome
I've been using a P10 nasal pillow mask with mouth tape on and off for months. The issue I keep running into is that with humidity on, the mouth tape loosens halfway through the night. Over the past three nights, I turned the humidity off, and the tape has stayed firmly in place—but I'm still getting significant leaks, and I can’t figure out why.

For reference, I rarely make it through an entire night with the CPAP. I know switching to a full face mask might be the practical answer. I've tried the Evora full face (which seems to have fewer leaks), as well as the F40 and F20. But I’m really hoping to stick with nasal pillows, as they’re far more comfortable for me.

Along with the P10, I’ve tried the Solo and Nova Micro. I’ve also returned the Brevida, Evora nasal, and DreamWear nasal pillow masks.

If anyone has dealt with persistent leaks despite good mouth taping and a solid fit, I’d really appreciate any tips or suggestions. Thanks in advance!

[jdougc]

Are you using mouth tape, 2x5 strip of the Kinesiology cotton elastic athletic tape or coverall tape?
Consider the SomNoSeal device.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u_S1ADwVmA

Are you a side sleeper? If so, use the edge of the pillow.

[Deborah K.]

It helps to ensure your mouth tape extends at least an inch beyond both sides of your lips.  Do you feel around your mask to check for leaks? Sometimes you need to tighten or loosen the straps a bit.  

I use the Nova Micro and need to be sure the pillows are pushed far enough into the nostrils.  I sometimes need to move the mask slightly to one side to avoid leaks.  Those solve any problems for me.

I suggest you turn ramp off and change your pressure range a bit.  Your median pressure is more than 11, and you are hitting your top pressure, so I suggest a range of 11.4 to 17.

Your flow limits are quite high too, even when you use EPR 3.  This may mean that you need a bilevel, such as the ResMed AirCurve 10 Vauto.  If you want to pursue this, it may help if you read my thread in which Sleeprider and others helped me get my doctor to prescribe that machine for me.  That long thread is just below my signature on this post.

Best wishes for great therapy and comfort!

[Expat31]

I had a similar problem. My solution was to curl my lips tightly inwards, then apply the tape. 

I also need to use a simple chin strap, The Breveda pillows just needs this extra bit help to cope with my relative high pressure settings.