New to forum, looking for mask leak advice

[Rrelef]

Hi, I am new to this forum and am looking for some advice adjusting to a newish mask. I don’t know the protocol for exactly what to post, but here is the pertinent info:

[*]Diagnosed 2013, tried CPAP, non compliant due to anxiety/difficulty adjusting
[*]New sleep study 12/17 thanks to (new) amazing boyfriend who woke me with tears in his eyes to tell me I wasn’t breathing.
[*]Started bipap 1/18 with dreamwear nasal mask, much easier to adjust and had 100% compliance first 90 days.
[*]Started having increased dry mouth and daytime drowsiness, told to try chin strap.
[*]Terrible, traumatic experience with chin strip for 1 night, validating by data showing markedly increased AHI.
[*]Follow up, pressure increased to 18/13 and dreamwear full face mask ordered.

Here’s where I get to my problem. I’m having a hard time adjusting to the dreamwear full face due to leaks and needing to really tighten the straps. The first few nights I wore it I noticed a real improvement in my drowsiness the next day. I even tried to take a nap and couldn’t. But it’s very difficult to keep a seal, especially around the nose. It’s the same size as the nasal mask I have, and I never experienced leaks at all with that one. In fact, it is so comfortable that I rarely mind wearing it which is a HUGE change for me. But apparently my data showed some occasional snoring with the nasal mask, and more importantly I was still drowsy at times, though it was better than it had been without the bipap.

Currently I’m trying to full face mask for a couple of days at a time, then I give up and go back to the nasal mask for a while. I still need to schedule my next follow up to see if there is an improvement in my numbers/snoring with the full face mask but I imagine there is. I recently discovered that one problem I seem to have is that my face gets oily and the mask starts to move around, causing it to leak and me to wake up a lot and try to adjust it. So I’m looking for any advice regarding adjusting the full face mask for better fit without really hurting my face, especially in dealing with the oily skin. I see there are mask liners that some people have had success with but I can’t find any for my mask. Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Okie bipap]

In order for someone to help you, please fill in your equipment as instructed here:
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

[ChicagoGranny]

looking for mask leak advice

To reduce unintentional mask leak -

- Make sure the mask is fitted properly. (See mask manufacturer's video.)

- Make sure the headgear is adjusted properly (See mask manufacturer's video.)

- If you use a low ramp pressure or a low minimum pressure, you should fit and adjust your mask at the higher pressures it is operating at for most of the night. You would temporarily change the machine pressure settings while you do the fitting and adjusting. It's best to do this well before bedtime before you are tired and ready for sleep. Don't forget to change your settings back to the ones you prefer.

- Make sure to use good hose management - the hose should not pull on the mask. Notice how your hose is positioned between machine and mask. It should be positioned to minimize any pull on the mask. Hose management is an individual practice. How it is done depends on the mask, the position of the machine, your sleeping position and other factors specific to the individual.

- If you still have problems, learn from the forum what mask liners are available.

- Start a thread in cpaptalk asking for help. Subject: Need Help with Mask xxxxxx

- If your mask still has excessive leak, try other masks. Many people report trying several masks before they find one that works well for them.

Note: Links to just some of the mask manufacturers' instructional videos can be found on the forum host's website - https://www.cpap.com/cpap-masks.php and https://www.youtube.com/

- CG

[Janknitz]

Full Face masks are VERY hard to make leak free--just because there's so much surface area they must interface with and it moves all night! And oily skin sure doesn't help.

If you go back to the nasal mask you can try two things together or separately:
1) Some people find a soft cervical collar supports the chin enough to keep your mouth closed.
2) Taping. Some people use surgical tape to seal their mouth closed (you search for taping in the search box for instructions). But you can also use just a single vertical piece of tape from chin to upper lip just to support the jaw, not to actually seal your lips, if that's enough for you.

Go to Padacheek.com. The owner, Karen, is a member here, and she may work with you on coming up with a mask liner for the dreamwear. Make sure you tell her it's the FF version.

[Rrelef]

In order for someone to help you, please fill in your equipment as instructed here:
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

I tried copying this into the address bar but it doesn’t work, and it’s not a link.

[Rrelef]

looking for mask leak advice

- If you use a low ramp pressure or a low minimum pressure, you should fit and adjust your mask at the higher pressures it is operating at for most of the night. You would temporarily change the machine pressure settings while you do the fitting and adjusting. It's best to do this well before bedtime before you are tired and ready for sleep. Don't forget to change your settings back to the ones you prefer.

I have spent 15-60 minutes adjusting the mask at the highest pressure each time I’ve worn it. Each time I have had to readjust it more than once in the middle of the night, and with 4 adjustable straps it’s hard to know if I’m making it worse or better. Eventually I get it to where it seems to be leak free if I sleep on my side, which I prefer anyway, but after a few hours I wake up and have to start all over again.

[palerider]

In order for someone to help you, please fill in your equipment as instructed here:
wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

I tried copying this into the address bar but it doesn’t work, and it’s not a link.

This is:

wiki/index.php/Registering_Equipment_in_User_Profile

[lastlib]

If you are looking for a mask leak I have one I will sell cheap.

[D.H.]

When you reported a dry mouth from a nasal mask, did your stats also show significant mask leaks or poor mask fit. If not, there's really no reason to use a FF mask.

[Selenium1%]

I am amazed. A D.H. post has survived several hours without a comment from one of the terrible three.

[Muse-Inc]

To reduce mask leak, I have found that my skin must be oil free and mask must be free of oil. If your mask has silicone parts and they are filmy/hazy, they might need replacing or boiling in baking soda (distilled water, 1 tsp-1 tbsp baking soda, boil 2-5 mins, rinse & dry). The boiling restores the tackiness to a brand-new state. Make sure you have backup parts BEFORE boiling, just in case.

I started CPAP therapy with a pillow mask, the same as used in my sleep study. After nearly 2 years I had become a mouth breather & intolerant of single pressure, so my doc let me trial an APAP (hooray, pain went away) and with help/suggestions here on the forum I tried the hybrid-style full-face mask (FFM) listed in my profile (pillows and covers my mouth). Click on it for details.