Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Beverly Sutton on April 28, 2009 at 12:43am

Talk to your doctor. Get him to prescribe one for the times you have a cold. Then the DME will get paid for it. I all boils down to money. you can always try to buy one on your own. The Fisher Paykel is a full face mask which comes with all 3 sizes of inserts, small, medium and large.

cathy huffman said:

Not using our cpap isn't a really good option for any of us. Though it sometimes comes down to doing so.

I have severe allergies to just about everything and take benadryl and Aleve cold and allergy meds nightly.

I asked about a full face mask for such times that I can't breathe, and the response I got was no. I could only get the one that is on my "list"

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Janelle Marie Rosen on April 28, 2009 at 3:01am

I also am a Respiratory Therapist and use CPAP. My pressure is 15 cmH2O, and I use both Swift LT nasal pillows, and Activa LT nasal mask. Because I'm a Therapist, I've had the luxury of Sales Reps giving me masks/pillows to try (and hopefully recommend to my patients!), so I've been able to "play" a lot more than most people get to do! I'm very impressed with ResMed as a company, and all my "favorites" are theirs - so for a full face mask, I will add that I am most comfortable with the Quattro. However, it is very true that the "best" mask is personal preference! Since you use the Swift LT nasal pillows, I will point out that I like them for their adjustability and for the double membrane in the pillow, which diffuses the pressure that is otherwise "shot" directly into your nares, which is the "downside" that most people complain about with nasal pillows. That double membrane is how I get away with using nasal pillows with a pressure of 15!

Having a bit of increased congestion is normal when you're first starting CPAP therapy. Your body is reacting to suddenly having all that extra air/dryness. The humidifier helps, also using nasal sprays - even just the saline ones like Ocean, etc., if you don't want to use medication. The Sudafed helps - I just use a daily 24 hour antihistimine (I use Loratidine, which is the generic of which Claritin is a brand name) and only resorting to Sudafed when it's really bad. I have never seen an allergist, but I'm sure it's a good idea. Using your CPAP when you are congested actually helps the congestion, unless you have severe sinus infection, which I have also heard that you should then avoid using CPAP (using "CPAP" as generic term for any PAP therapy). If you are so congested that you absolutely cannot move air thru your nose, then you won't be able to use your CPAP until you either get it to clear (flush it), or it clears a bit on it's ownl

Using a full face mask is very common, though not as common as nasal mask or pillows because they can be more difficult to get used to if you feel at all claustrophobic. They are great if you're a mouth breather (like me - I use a chin strap, the alternative available for mouth breathers who want to use nasal mask/pillows)! Many (most?) insurance companies will not pay for you to have both a full face mask and nasal mask or nasal pillows. If you have a prescription for both, however, you may be able to private pay for one of them - at least that's how we can do it where I work!

There are special cleaners available online for cleaning CPAP supplies, but I don't think they're really necessary. Vinegar and water used to be recommended for cleaning mask/tubing, but it really isn't necessary. I don't advise my patients to use vinegar/water. All that is necessary is a sink of warm water with a squirt of liquid dishwashing soap - but mild soap, no bleach or antibacterial. If you want "extra" cleaning, you could leave everything to soak for 10 min., but that is really the most that would be necessary. Your tubing and humidifier chamber should be washed once a week (and filters, if they're washable filters, e.g., RemStar machines - but make sure they're completely dry before putting them back into your machine!), and "the part that goes on your face" (pillow, part of mask that touches your face) should be washed every day to get the facial oils off (a clean face at night helps with the seal, as well!) - easiest done with a washcloth on mask.

I read in a post about turning your humidifier up high - do you know how to deal with "rainout" if it occurs? Rainout is when the moisture in the warmed air condenses back into water because the tempurature of the air around your tubing (room air) is colder than the warmed, moistened air in the tubing. I discovered rainout when I woke up at 3 a.m. with water running down my chin, water in my mask, and water up into my sinuses - ouch! The solution is to insulate the tubing, thereby "protecting" the warm, moist air. Simplest - take the tubing under the covers with you - yuck (for me, at least!)! Or - you can get tubing covers online, about $15-$20, depending on which you decide on (some with zippers, some with velcro, different colors, etc.). Or - use "tube" socks, those atheletic socks without a heel? Open up the toes, string them along the tube, connect them together - stich them, tape them - whatever! Or - get creative! Maybe you'll find some cool fleece at the fabric store and you can make your own! Or?

Hope this helps!
Janelle RCP RRT

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by LilaH on April 30, 2009 at 10:59pm

Thanks for all these super helpful suggestions. The most helpful thing of all has been learning that it's normal to need to make little adjustments and accommodations not only to use the cpap but to keep using it comfortably.

I have purchased the pressurized bottle made by the people who make the neti pots, and although I'm not crazy about the feeling of having water in my nasal cavity, I'm getting used to it and will continue to use it if it will help. (BTW, do you use the saline irrigation every day, like brushing your teeth, or only when you're congested?)

My pressure is low (7) which has probably made to adjustment to the nasal pillows easier. And thanks to Beverly's post, I see that I have been unknowingly making the shift from mouth breathing to nose breathing as I've gotten used to the feeling of having an open airway (how can I tell I'm not mouthbreathing anymore? No drool marks on the pillow! No dry mouth or fuzzy teeth!). And I have found that I'm vaguely aware in the night of wanting and trying to keep my mouth closed to maintain the pressure and thus the more comfortable breathing.

On the other hand, every few nights I'll wake up and find that I've taken off the mask and fallen back asleep without it. My next step is to try to figure out how to look at my data (I have a Resmed S8 Escape II, which I learned from reading another discussion here just a few minutes ago is NOT fully data-capable). My prescribing doc is my primary care doc, not a specialist, and I don't think she monitors patient's cpap data.

I'm enough of a geek that I'd really like to get software and monitor it myself -- and may end up challenging my DME to replace my CPAP machine with one that IS fully data-capable (which is what I asked her for, darn it!). I would like to know what, if any, information my current machine's data card can provide, so if anyone knows the location of information on the topic, please point me in the right direction. I did a keyword search of the forums but didn't find any info about my particular machine.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Mike on May 1, 2009 at 4:53am

Lila -- isn't is soooo helpful just to know that making adjustments to cpap is a normal and never ending process? you're right to zero in on that. that was one of the most useful things i learned in the forums myself. as for the data on your resmed machine, you might leave a comment on Judy's page -- she tends to know ResMed machines inside and out. kudos to you for wanting to understand your data. i don't see how you could not want to. it's your life depending on it!

LilaH said:

Thanks for all these super helpful suggestions. The most helpful thing of all has been learning that it's normal to need to make little adjustments and accommodations not only to use the cpap but to keep using it comfortably.

I have purchased the pressurized bottle made by the people who make the neti pots, and although I'm not crazy about the feeling of having water in my nasal cavity, I'm getting used to it and will continue to use it if it will help. (BTW, do you use the saline irrigation every day, like brushing your teeth, or only when you're congested?)

My pressure is low (7) which has probably made to adjustment to the nasal pillows easier. And thanks to Beverly's post, I see that I have been unknowingly making the shift from mouth breathing to nose breathing as I've gotten used to the feeling of having an open airway (how can I tell I'm not mouthbreathing anymore? No drool marks on the pillow! No dry mouth or fuzzy teeth!). And I have found that I'm vaguely aware in the night of wanting and trying to keep my mouth closed to maintain the pressure and thus the more comfortable breathing.

On the other hand, every few nights I'll wake up and find that I've taken off the mask and fallen back asleep without it. My next step is to try to figure out how to look at my data (I have a Resmed S8 Escape II, which I learned from reading another discussion here just a few minutes ago is NOT fully data-capable). My prescribing doc is my primary care doc, not a specialist, and I don't think she monitors patient's cpap data.

I'm enough of a geek that I'd really like to get software and monitor it myself -- and may end up challenging my DME to replace my CPAP machine with one that IS fully data-capable (which is what I asked her for, darn it!). I would like to know what, if any, information my current machine's data card can provide, so if anyone knows the location of information on the topic, please point me in the right direction. I did a keyword search of the forums but didn't find any info about my particular machine.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• Next ›
• Page