FullLife Mask - Bridge Beater

[spacetoast]

I know there are several threads on the FullLife already, but I would like to hear an update from owners in regards to how the bridge of their noses are doing. With or without using moleskin, tape, etc.

I got my FullLife yesterday and slept with it last night. At first, it was pretty comfy compared to the ResMed Micro nasal mask I was using.

I was well aware of bridge of the nose issues from reading posts, and thought maybe I'd get by without any damage: Wrong! I woke up this morning with a dime-sized area on the bridge of my nose that is swollen and tender.

So, after a few weeks, what seems to be working for you guys? Are there any of you who are not using a barrier of some kind, but rather, found a better way to adjust the mask? For barrier users, what configuration are you using right now that seems to work the best.

Thanks in advance! Most helpful forum----EVER!

[BleepingBeauty]

I know there are several threads on the FullLife already, but I would like to hear an update from owners in regards to how the bridge of their noses are doing. With or without using moleskin, tape, etc.

<snip>

So, after a few weeks, what seems to be working for you guys? Are there any of you who are not using a barrier of some kind, but rather, found a better way to adjust the mask? For barrier users, what configuration are you using right now that seems to work the best.

Thanks in advance! Most helpful forum----EVER!

Hi, spacetoast.

I've been using the FullLife for nearly seven weeks now, with a piece of moleskin on the nose bridge part of the mask since about the fourth night of therapy with it. (After the first night, I wore a foam bandaid on my nose until I could pick up some moleskin; the moleskin is far more effective, IMO.) Since then, I've worn the mask without the moleskin twice, but my nose was sore upon waking both times, so I continue to use it. The bridge of my nose is still red in the morning; but the redness disappears pretty quickly, and my nose is not sore to the touch (like it was in the beginning). I've had no problems with leaks due to the moleskin, btw. Here's how I apply it to the mask:



A more recent mask adjustment I made was to slightly tighten the neck strap (No. 2) and loosen the upper headgear strap (No. 1) so that the seal at the top of the triangle (over the nose) is allowed to inflate more fully and isn't so compressed against my nose. I haven't attempted a night without the moleskin since I made that adjustment, but I'll do that tonight and report the results tomorrow.

I'd love to be able to wear the mask without the moleskin. But since this mask is giving me the best therapy I've ever had, I'll do what I have to do to make it work for me. If that means using moleskin every night, so be it. (It's a small price to pay for a really good night's sleep. ) My AHI is within normal limits, my leak line is pretty flat, I'm sleeping longer and deeper than ever, dreaming like a mofo(!), and I feel much more refreshed when I get out of bed.

HTH

[sleepngo]

Hi spacetoast, my fix for the bridge beater is the 3M Micropore paper surgical tape, had a couple rolls left over from nasal surgery. Started using it about the third day after using the FullLife mask. It's thin and durable, provides for a good seal, easy to apply and remove, It's Hypoallergenic and doesn't leave red marks after removing. I was also having a problem with the plastic wings that hold the chin strap. Snugging the chin and neck strap would pull the wings into the skin and cause some irritation in that area. I found that routing the neck strap on the inside of the wings, instead of on the outside, prevented this from happening. Simple fix, but it's works. It's been about six weeks sense I started using this mask off and on, my main mask is the OptiLife nasal pillows mask. By fare the fulllife is the most comfortable FF mask I have used to date, so it's a keeper for me until something better comes along. My AHI has been less than 1 to 3, not too bad sense it matches my AHI on the OptiLife pillows mask.

Hope you continue to have success with this mask.

Dan

[Eric_M]

good info... my fulllife should be in any day now. I like the idea of the moleskin.... however, why not just go completely around if going half way? Just a thought..

also, how easy does the moleskin come off the rubber for cleaning and stuff?

thanks

[SaltLakeJan]

Hi B.B.

I'm glad spacetoast posted re the Full Life. At your recommendation I picked up one today from my DME. I put it on for a trial when I got home. After 15 minutes, I could feel pressure on my nose. I took the mask off and the entire bridge of my nose was bright red. It would have gone back tomorrow, if you have not suggested the moleskin. I cut a V shaped piece & put it on my mask the way you illustrated. I also put a triangle the size of the top of the moleskin, in the event I needed an extra lift off the bridge.

You guessed right, I needed a small cushion. The mask felt comfortable, I'll see how it goes tonight. A Pure genius, that's what you are.

Jan

[BleepingBeauty]

good info... my fulllife should be in any day now. I like the idea of the moleskin.... however, why not just go completely around if going half way? Just a thought..

Hey, Eric. I only put the moleskin on the bridge of the nose because the mask fits me well and doesn't cause me any difficulty around the mouth. But there's nothing stopping anyone from using moleskin however they want to.

also, how easy does the moleskin come off the rubber for cleaning and stuff?

thanks

The moleskin peels off the mask very easily. It's good stuff.

[BleepingBeauty]

Hi B.B.

I'm glad spacetoast posted re the Full Life. At your recommendation I picked up one today from my DME. I put it on for a trial when I got home. After 15 minutes, I could feel pressure on my nose. I took the mask off and the entire bridge of my nose was bright red. It would have gone back tomorrow, if you have not suggested the moleskin. I cut a V shaped piece & put it on my mask the way you illustrated. I also put a triangle the size of the top of the moleskin, in the event I needed an extra lift off the bridge.

You guessed right, I needed a small cushion. The mask felt comfortable, I'll see how it goes tonight. A Pure genius, that's what you are.

Jan

Hi, Jan. It's nice to "see" you.

I'm so glad you didn't have to wait until the end of the year to try a different mask! And congrats on your decision to try the FullLife. Biased as I am, I think it's a good choice. Watch the fitting videos if you're having problems with adjusting it (http://fulllife.respironics.com/rightfit.aspx). I found them very helpful.

Also, in case you missed it in my post above, I've recently tightened the neck strap and loosened the one that attaches to the sides of the mask, so that the top of the mask sits further out from the bridge of my nose. It puts less pressure on it, as a result.

I wish you the best of luck with your new FullLife tonight, Jan. Like any mask, it may take some patience to get it adjusted properly. (In my own case, the results were certainly worth the effort.) Feel free to PM me with any questions you might have, but it sounds like you're off to a good start.

[spacetoast]

So last night I taped some of the micropore tape on my nose as suggested by sleepngo. Mainly because I forgot to swing by the Walgreens for the moleskin.

My nose was tender and somewhat sore all day long yesterday after a night with the mask and this morning it seems no worse than yesterday and maybe a little bit better. So, it seems the micropore tap will probably work for me.

I also tried loosening the straps per BB's suggestion, but was getting too many leaks, so I tightened them back up sometime in the night.

I was using the small cushion because that is what the RT at the DME suggested. I got the fit pack, so tonight I think I'm going to try the Medium just to see if it's a better fit.

This morning I examined the cushions to see if I could get an idea of why these cushions are so brutal on the nose. I'm no mask expert by any stretch (heck, I only have the FullLife and a ResMed Nasal Mask), but there are two things about the FullLife cushion that I suspect. The mask texture where it contacts the bridge of the nose is somewhat satin-y as opposed to perfectly smooth like the very fringe of the mask. Also, there are ribs there that I assume help with keeping the shape of the mask formed to the bridge.

My nasal mask rides a little bit higher up on my nose than the FullLife, and the mask interface is perfectly smooth and not satin-y like the Full-Life.

I'm not having any other issues with my skin where the mask touches my face, so assuming the mask material is the same all around, I would probably rule out reactions to the mask material.

The other thought I had with regards to the ribs is that perhaps the ribs are pinching that area of the nose too much and the pinching is causing the irritation?

I don't feel like the mask is vibrating through the night and I don't feel like I'm moving around so much that I would attribute the mask moving on the bridge to cause the irritation. So far, all I can come up with is either the satin-y finish on the mask has something to do with it, or the ribs pinching in on the nose...maybe a combination of the two.

I just realized that there are probably several members of the forum who are demoing the FullLife right now for cpap.com and cannot make any comments until after the Product Challenge is over. Otherwise, they'd probably be all over this thread.

[SaltLakeJan]

Spacetoast and B.B.

First night on Full Face . . . this is a great mask, it fit my face quite well, I kept it on for 8 hours & my F&P machine apparently only records the sleep hours. And a strange thing happened to me last night, I had one realistic dream after another. I haven't had a dream in years. The headgear slipped off twice night. I was in a deep!! wonderful sleep, I couldn't understand why someone was vacuuming in the middle of the night . Finally got conscious enough to realize what happened. I had followed B.B. 's suggestion

A more recent mask adjustment I made was to slightly tighten the neck strap (No. 2) and loosen the upper headgear strap (No. 1) so that the seal at the top of the triangle (over the nose) is allowed to inflate more fully and isn't so compressed against my nose.

I checked the headgear this a.m. . B.B. Oh, you did say to slightly tighten the neck strap and loosen the upper headgear . .I loosened the upper h.g. too much, & Woops , didn't make an adjustment to the neck strap. Also I'm glad you included a link to the videos. That helped tremendously. Thanks much.

Now for the unfortunate part, After the best sleep I have had since I started Cpap, when I took the mask off this morning, I had a raw spot on the bridge of my nose about an inch long. It is red on the sides of my nose.
But the raw spot . . is just that. The skin under my eyes, turned darker . . B.B. I sure hope I am not going to look like someone has given me a couple of "shiners and a banged-up nose" for our vacation photos We go in four days.

So last night I taped some of the micropore tape on my nose

spacetoast, I think the skin on my nose is to raw to consider micropore tape right now. As as soon as it heals, I will try that with B.B.'s moleskin. This morning I painted an application of "NuSkin" on the "skinless" areas. Even the bone under those areas hurts. I am going to tinker with any & all solutions to solve this.

I am going to make this mask work. Anyone have suggestions.
Jan

[BleepingBeauty]

So last night I taped some of the micropore tape on my nose as suggested by sleepngo. Mainly because I forgot to swing by the Walgreens for the moleskin.

My nose was tender and somewhat sore all day long yesterday after a night with the mask and this morning it seems no worse than yesterday and maybe a little bit better. So, it seems the micropore tap will probably work for me.

I also tried loosening the straps per BB's suggestion, but was getting too many leaks, so I tightened them back up sometime in the night.

Hi, spacetoast. Glad to hear the night went pretty well for you with the micropore tape. When I started using the mask and my nose became swollen and sore, I didn't enjoy pulling tape off my tender skin in the morning. The moleskin was more appealing because there was only a soft cushion against my sore nose, and the adhesive was on the mask instead of on me.

Re: the strap adjustments I made recently not working well for you, it could be that your headgear was already adjusted properly. Or it could be that you just loosened the mask strap a little too much. (It sounds like you you loosened both straps. I tightened the neck strap and loosened the mask strap, to give the seal more depth over the nose.)

I'm not having any other issues with my skin where the mask touches my face, so assuming the mask material is the same all around, I would probably rule out reactions to the mask material.

Same here, so I agree that it's not a reaction to the material. For me, it's strictly a pressure issue.

So far, all I can come up with is either the satin-y finish on the mask has something to do with it, or the ribs pinching in on the nose...maybe a combination of the two.

I assume the (satiny) finish on the top of the seal provides better adherence to the nose, where the seal experiences the most "stress." Re: the ribs, I'm guessing their foremost function is stability, but they also maintain the depth of the seal. But since they're on the sides of the mask, I don't think they're responsible for the irritation I experienced on the top of the nose. I think my headgear strap was just over-tightened, compressing the seal in that area.

I just realized that there are probably several members of the forum who are demoing the FullLife right now for cpap.com and cannot make any comments until after the Product Challenge is over. Otherwise, they'd probably be all over this thread.

I believe the results are scheduled to be posted on October 6th. It'll be interesting to hear what others have experienced.

I did wear the mask last night without the moleskin, and there's no big difference this morning. The redness on my nose is taking a little longer to disappear than it usually does, but I can live with that. My data is what I consider "normal" with this mask at this point. There are a few small spikes in my (usually pretty flat) leak line, but that's nothing to worry about. (Perhaps I need to make another small adjustment to the headgear, now that the mask is moleskin-free, but I'll wait a few more days and see how things go. One night is nothing to base a change on.)

[BleepingBeauty]

Spacetoast and B.B.

First night on Full Face . . . this is a great mask, it fit my face quite well, I kept it on for 8 hours & my F&P machine apparently only records the sleep hours. And a strange thing happened to me last night, I had one realistic dream after another. I haven't had a dream in years. The headgear slipped off twice night. I was in a deep!! wonderful sleep, I couldn't understand why someone was vacuuming in the middle of the night . Finally got conscious enough to realize what happened.

That's fantastic! What a great first night.

Now for the unfortunate part, After the best sleep I have had since I started Cpap, when I took the mask off this morning, I had a raw spot on the bridge of my nose about an inch long. It is red on the sides of my nose.
But the raw spot . . is just that. The skin under my eyes, turned darker . . B.B. I sure hope I am not going to look like someone has given me a couple of "shiners and a banged-up nose" for our vacation photos We go in four days.

I guess I was lucky when I began using the FullLife. For all the soreness I experienced, the mask never actually rubbed my nose "raw" like that. If it's as sore as it sounds, you should let it heal before assaulting that area again. You don't want any permanent scarring there.

I don't know why you seem to have dark circles under your eyes this morning, especially if you feel like you slept well. Perhaps someone else will have an idea to share on that subject. (But in the meantime - and for the sake of your upcoming vaca photos - MAKEUP! )

I think the skin on my nose is to raw to consider micropore tape right now. As as soon as it heals, I will try that with B.B.'s moleskin. This morning I painted an application of "NuSkin" on the "skinless" areas. Even the bone under those areas hurts.

That NuSkin is awesome stuff - especially for areas that are hard to cover with a BandAid. Good move.

I am going to tinker with any & all solutions to solve this. I am going to make this mask work.
Jan

That's the ticket, my friend - a great attitude, desire and perseverance. I have no doubt you'll get there, Jan.

*After my third night with the FL, I went back to my Swift LT for one night, to give my nose a break from the irritation of the new mask. Then I started using the moleskin on night #5, and I've been getting good therapy with the FL since. Adjustments always take time, but keep at it and you'll find the "sweet spot" for you. Just take good care of your sore nose in the meantime.

[tattooyu]

I'm going go over the fitting videos for the FL with a fine-toothed comb. As you may have read from me in other posts, I was able to get a fairly decent seal at the DME office, but at home... it leaks all over the place. I think I'm between a small and a medium cushion, and my DME seems to think it's better to err on the side of larger to get a better seal.

[spacetoast]

Last night with this mask, I did notice that at some point I drooled and it was leaking where my drool dribbled out. Ew. That was a little gross... Gross, but true.

[BleepingBeauty]

I'm going go over the fitting videos for the FL with a fine-toothed comb. As you may have read from me in other posts, I was able to get a fairly decent seal at the DME office, but at home... it leaks all over the place. I think I'm between a small and a medium cushion, and my DME seems to think it's better to err on the side of larger to get a better seal.

Since the Small just clears the corners of my mouth, I tried the Medium. But I found it was actually too big for me, as the lower part of the cushion sat too low on my chin, and the upper part was leaking all around my nose and into my eyes. I tried to adjust it for a few nights, but I couldn't get rid of the leaks. Like you, I suspect my ideal size would be somewhere in-between the Small and Medium. But as long as I can get the Small to fit well and work well, I'm good.

FWIW, I think the FullLife is a little more complicated to adjust than most other masks, in part simply because it's designed with no easy-release mechanism on any of the straps; at the least, you have to readjust the neck strap every time you put the mask on. Poor design in that regard, IMO.

I think it's working well for me because I amended the mask so that, once I properly adjusted the straps, they all stayed in that configuration. With my paper-clip easy-release fix, I don't have to readjust anything now. (FYI, the details of my fix are here: viewtopic.php?p=395422#p395422.) But you wouldn't have to go to the trouble I did if you wanted to do something similar; there's an easy-release clip made by Respironics that's available on cpap.com (https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Respir ... -Clip.html). You could just add that to your neck strap and achieve the same result.

Good luck, Kenny. I hope it works as well for you as it does for me.

[spacetoast]

I got the clip you are referring to, BB in anticipation of trying this mask and it does work. I actually trimmed the velcro piece a little bit to make it a tad thinner to fit in the slot of the mask frame.

The clip isn't the best type and a little difficult to pop loose, but it's better than readjusting the mask every night, I would guess.