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Need advice/encouragement
I've been on cpap now since October of last year, and for that first month it was working great! I had more energy and I wasn't sleepy during the day. In December I had sinus surgery and it seems like cpap therapy has taken a nose dive. I have an appointment with my doc at the end of the month, but I've been feeling like crap. I bought some accessories hoping that they would help, I don't know if I'm not using them right or if they're just not working. I bought the cloth that goes over the mask from pad a cheek, and I also bought the chin strap and head gear padding. The first night that I got the supplies I wore them and slept horribly. The mask kept leaking at the eyes and shifting through the night. The chin strap pinched my ears. I liked the head gear padding though very comfy. I don't know if I'm wearing the face cover or chin strap right. I need some help. Any tips suggestions?
Views: 179
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Terry Vella on
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Aanna, what type and brand of mask do you have and the brand of chin strap. In the short term can you go back to how you had it in the first month.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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Anna, had anything changed besides the sinus surgery when you started to feel so bad?
As Terry said, we need to know the brands and specifics of the mask and chin strap you are using. Has the mask always leaked around the eyes? There is yet another comfort accessory called the gecko from ResMed (look at it on cpap.com) which is used to pad the nose area from irritation. I don't know if it would help with leaks.
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Permalink Reply by rickr209 on
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well i read ur page and was hoping to share some info this is my way of using my cpap machine
1st i make sure the water level is full i hate running out of water it dry's my nose wakes me up
2 then i turn it on full blast on mine it's level5 i guess i adjust the mask loose center the mask pillow to nose then i tighten it just enough not too tight i gjve it a little play
3 inhale exhale with my mouth open so i know its doing it's job then breath in with my nose i push the lil button sometimes that starts it of slow then it slowly raises the pressure ohh i almost forgot if it's cool i like to throw my blankets in the dryer so they are worm before i start the process then once i have my mask on i wear a beany i found out that it helps me keep the mask on instead of taking off the mask during my sleep know the only thing that i have no control over is my son he is the 1 that takes my mask off and tries to wear it because he says that he needs a cpap to sleep lol he is only 3 and wants to be like his dad hope this helps i preffer cpap then knife.
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Permalink Reply by Anna Garcia on
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This the liner that I bought. The mask that I have is a medium full forma face mask. 
this is the chin strap that I bought. I had trouble with the mask leaking into my eyes before, and neither of these has helped it. I can breath through my nose now that I've had the surgery that's the only major things that's changed.
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Anna, now that you can breathe through your nose, do you think you could try alternative masks? Most DMEs allow another mask purchase after six months. Does your sleep clinic or DME offer mask fittings? Also, CPAP.com has a mask exchange program for $14, but by law they require a Rx that you need CPAP.I'm suggesting alternatives as the surface area of the FFM makes leaks a challenge.
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Permalink Reply by Lisa on
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Anna, I can really sympathise with you, I used to have lots of problems with mask leaks when I was on a fixed pressure CPAP. For me, changing to an auto adjusting machine made a huge difference. I know it isn't for everyone but it seems to work better for me.
Is it possible for you to check in with your sleep clinic earlier than the end of the month, Anna, to sort out whether the leaks are a mask fit problem or a pressure setting one?
Hope you get sorted soon.
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That chin strap doesn't look to be positioned properly. It would be best if the chin fits in the center of the width of the chin strap and then the chin strap fit higher on the skulll.
The chin strap I liked best for effectiveness, comfort and stability was the cheap ole Respironics simple white chin strap (not the premium white). The simple white has a silky chin "cup" or "saddle" w/straps made of headgear material. It comes w/4 small squares of velcro. You position the 4 squares of velcro on your mask headgear to properly place and hold your chin strap. It is a very individual fit that way as you can move the velcro squares anywhere on the mask headgear needed to ensure the proper chin strap placement.
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The weight of the mask pulls it down thereby messing up the fit around the eyes. The hose hanging down and constantly tugging on the mask as you move around in your sleep also messes up the mask fit around your eyes.
It is a REALLY BIG HELP to hang your hose above your head to reduce or eliminate the tugging of the hose on your mask.
One of the reasons for the advice to fit your mask whilst laying down is to eliminate the problem of the weight of the mask disturbing the fit around your eyes.
Keep in mind that facial tissue is subject to the law of gravity when fitting your mask.
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My machine has the ramp up setting so it starts at 6 and adjusts itself during the night. I want to try the pillows now that I can breath through my nose. In the mean time I've been fiddling with my mask and trying to get a good seal, so far I haven't been successful. I'be been waking up in the morning exhausted and falling asleep within an hour of waking up. My husband is getting bugged by the fact that I can't stay awake in the morning when I wake up. I'm getting irritated that I'm not sleeping well.
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As a last resort try the old Macks silicone earplug method. Macks Silicone Earplugs are available at WalMart and many drug stores. Take a few of the plugs, roll them in your hands until soft and pliable. Fashion into a thin rope the size of a pencil and put around the perimeter of the mask where it touches your face. It worked for me. The only drawback is that it takes a few minutes and has to be redone everynight. I would just remove the silicone in the morning and roll into a ball and place into an airtight container until the next night.
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I sewed my head gear and it's working! No leaks! I'm not feeling tired in the morning anymore. This is going to help me until my appointment. I just wish the mask wouldn't smoosh into my eye :/
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