WHEN I buy a new or used car, I get to test drive the sucker. Are there no providers who can do this?
It seems that comfort level for masks varies after just a few hours, so patients must wait weeks to replace, or longer if insurance balks at returning HW.
This site discusses so many variant of masks, and CPAPs, but not in MD's office, where s/b.
Resmed, Respironics and Fisher & Paykel all will replace FREE to the local DME provider most all of their mask models that patients have tried and been unsuccessful with IF the DME will fill out a form and return the form and mask W/IN 30 DAYS.
I'm starting to review masks at www.cpapmaskreview.blogspot.com I'm trying to add at least one a week. Keep checking back to see more.
Sometimes it's hard to find a mask that works for you. I had to try a few before I knew what I wanted. I blogged a little about that too at www.sleepandcpap.blogspot.com
Everybody has good points so far. I think you do have to "take it around the block" before you know a mask is for you.
I must have gone thru AT LEAST a dozen masks at home before I found the two that work for me - comfortable and relatively leak free. I don't even want to guess at how many I tried in my DME provider's office that couldn't cut the mustard for me.