MASK LINERS AND LEAKS?

[Jay Aitchsee]

I've read here where people have been able to control leaks with mask liners from RemZzzs, Pad-a-Cheek, and even T-shirt material. Can anybody explain how that works? I just don't see how using a porous material like cotton will stop leaks. I can see where the material might soften the noise of leaks, but I can't quite figure how it could stop them. What am I missing?

Jay

[adipasqu]

I've read here where people have been able to control leaks with mask liners from RemZzzs, Pad-a-Cheek, and even T-shirt material. Can anybody explain how that works? I just don't see how using a porous material like cotton will stop leaks. I can see where the material might soften the noise of leaks, but I can't quite figure how it could stop them. What am I missing?

Jay

What the mask liners do is absorb oils, perspiration, drool, etc. that provide for a channel for the pressurized air to escape. Also, the liners make for a more comfortable feeling on the face and reduce any irritation from the mask itself. I was skeptical at first, myself. However, after ordering the Remzzzs and Pad-a-cheek liners, I was a believer and it turned me 100% compliant with my ASV, which has the most problems with leaking due to the sudden high pressures and mask farts that result.

-A

[JohnBFisher]

For most people, I'm not so certain they improve leaks more than without the mask liners. But they do make them MUCH quieter. There's nothing more annoying than having my mask turn into some musical instrument created by P.D.Q. Bach! (In other words, the "Face Farts" are ANNOYING when you are trying to sleep!!)

However, if someone has an ASV machine, they wild changes in pressure actually causes the mask seal to "come unstuck". This tends to cause a lot of leaks. The mask liner seems to provide a better surface to help maintain the seal than my oily skin. No matter how much I wash, by the middle of the night a little bit of skin oil tends to make my face more slippery. Thus when the pressure increases, the seal slips across my skin and starts to squeal. Yuck! That just does not happen as much with the mask liners.

Hope that helps explain my own experience with them.

[ameriken]

What the mask liners do is absorb oils, perspiration, drool, etc. that provide for a channel for the pressurized air to escape. Also, the liners make for a more comfortable feeling on the face and reduce any irritation from the mask itself. I was skeptical at first, myself. However, after ordering the Remzzzs and Pad-a-cheek liners, I was a believer and it turned me 100% compliant with my ASV, which has the most problems with leaking due to the sudden high pressures and mask farts that result.

-A

I've been meaning to get these...are you using just the liner, or the liner and the anti-leak strap? Many nights I sweat as bad as a cold soda can on a hot Florida-type day and by 3am my mask is either farting, singing, or trumpeting like Louis Armstrong.

[adipasqu]

What the mask liners do is absorb oils, perspiration, drool, etc. that provide for a channel for the pressurized air to escape. Also, the liners make for a more comfortable feeling on the face and reduce any irritation from the mask itself. I was skeptical at first, myself. However, after ordering the Remzzzs and Pad-a-cheek liners, I was a believer and it turned me 100% compliant with my ASV, which has the most problems with leaking due to the sudden high pressures and mask farts that result.

-A

I've been meaning to get these...are you using just the liner, or the liner and the anti-leak strap? Many nights I sweat as bad as a cold soda can on a hot Florida-type day and by 3am my mask is either farting, singing, or trumpeting like Louis Armstrong.

Hi Ken,

I haven't needed the anti-leak strap. The liners alone have done the trick for me. The Remzzzs work fine, but don't last as long as the Pad-a-cheek liners, which you can wash easily by hand and air dry, and don't stay put when you take off your mask in the middle of the night to use the loo. I just ordered another set of Pad-a-cheek liners, which should be arriving shortly. Best $30 I have ever spent!

-Antonio

P.S. How goes the ASV for you?

[ameriken]

What the mask liners do is absorb oils, perspiration, drool, etc. that provide for a channel for the pressurized air to escape. Also, the liners make for a more comfortable feeling on the face and reduce any irritation from the mask itself. I was skeptical at first, myself. However, after ordering the Remzzzs and Pad-a-cheek liners, I was a believer and it turned me 100% compliant with my ASV, which has the most problems with leaking due to the sudden high pressures and mask farts that result.

-A

I've been meaning to get these...are you using just the liner, or the liner and the anti-leak strap? Many nights I sweat as bad as a cold soda can on a hot Florida-type day and by 3am my mask is either farting, singing, or trumpeting like Louis Armstrong.

Hi Ken,

I haven't needed the anti-leak strap. The liners alone have done the trick for me. The Remzzzs work fine, but don't last as long as the Pad-a-cheek liners, which you can wash easily by hand and air dry, and don't stay put when you take off your mask in the middle of the night to use the loo. I just ordered another set of Pad-a-cheek liners, which should be arriving shortly. Best $30 I have ever spent!

-Antonio

P.S. How goes the ASV for you?

It's up and down, my PTB's jumped up to 93-94% for a few days, but my AHI runs anywhere from 2 to 10. No consistency. I'm experimenting with the pressures a bit, up or down, and leave it for a few days to see how it goes. I seem to stay the same with the AHI"s and PTB's regardless of the pressures.

How goes it on your side?

[adipasqu]

What the mask liners do is absorb oils, perspiration, drool, etc. that provide for a channel for the pressurized air to escape. Also, the liners make for a more comfortable feeling on the face and reduce any irritation from the mask itself. I was skeptical at first, myself. However, after ordering the Remzzzs and Pad-a-cheek liners, I was a believer and it turned me 100% compliant with my ASV, which has the most problems with leaking due to the sudden high pressures and mask farts that result.

-A

I've been meaning to get these...are you using just the liner, or the liner and the anti-leak strap? Many nights I sweat as bad as a cold soda can on a hot Florida-type day and by 3am my mask is either farting, singing, or trumpeting like Louis Armstrong.

Hi Ken,

I haven't needed the anti-leak strap. The liners alone have done the trick for me. The Remzzzs work fine, but don't last as long as the Pad-a-cheek liners, which you can wash easily by hand and air dry, and don't stay put when you take off your mask in the middle of the night to use the loo. I just ordered another set of Pad-a-cheek liners, which should be arriving shortly. Best $30 I have ever spent!

-Antonio

P.S. How goes the ASV for you?

It's up and down, my PTB's jumped up to 93-94% for a few days, but my AHI runs anywhere from 2 to 10. No consistency. I'm experimenting with the pressures a bit, up or down, and leave it for a few days to see how it goes. I seem to stay the same with the AHI"s and PTB's regardless of the pressures.

How goes it on your side?

Did you get through all those papers I sen to you? LOL. I've had some medical issues (mainly waking up at 2 AM with severe abdominal pain...lab tests came back fine except for an elevated thyroid stimulating hormone...hunger, temporary low blood sugar maybe?) that have been disturbing my sleep recently, although the past few night have been much improved with a change in my diet. I'm hoping for another good nights sleep tonight so I can catch up on a few poor nights earlier in the week. I hope to god I can sleep in tomorrow. ASV has been going fine, though. I need a new mask/headgear, which I just ordered today, as I just hit the 3 month mark on mine and the headgear is all stretched out and the mask is riding up on my face a little, making it uncomfortable.

[ameriken]

Yes, I got those papers, thanks. Still have more reading to do but it confirms my suspicions. Been thinking about starting a thread about the correlation between methadone and SA, or perhaps just opiods in general and SA.

Good luck on getting caught up, sleeping in tomorrow sounds great.

[rogerconnelly]

As someone who has tried all three (Tshirt material, Remzzzs liners and padacheeks) I just wanted to let you know that for me the padacheek product works by far the best. And to me it seems "magical" that cloth prevents leaks better then the plastic on my mask - but who cares - right? It works, and they are cheap enough that it doesn't hurt that bad to give it a try (and nothing is worse then leaks)!

[Guest]

I thiught the same until I tried Quietus Liners an man do they work well!

[Guest]

It may seem counter intuitive but they really work. I felt the same until I tried quietus liners and what a difference they made. They did stop the air leaks fro my Fisher Paykel mask, were cooler and made wearing the mask bearable. The air leaks are caused by facial oils/perspiration and mov ement. Quietus offers a no charge extra tacking agent that keeps the liners in place and functional all night.

Bud Sysol

[RandyJ]

I've read here where people have been able to control leaks with mask liners from RemZzzs, Pad-a-Cheek, and even T-shirt material. Can anybody explain how that works? I just don't see how using a porous material like cotton will stop leaks. I can see where the material might soften the noise of leaks, but I can't quite figure how it could stop them. What am I missing?

Jay

Jay,

One or more of the above may be right about the "how" but I can attest to the fact that it "does" work... I use padacheek mask liner + anti-leak strap w/my Mirage Quattro, and leaks are zero to minimal - for me a leaky night would be a 95% percentile of 10L/min (unintentional leak).

Before these padacheek products my Quattro was a leak monster. I also have the headgear strap covers from padacheek; my headgear no longer irritates my neck.


RandyJ

[Jay Aitchsee]

Thanks Randy, and others for your replies.
I have tried to use them, but when I use the "mask fit" feature of my S8 with a mask liner on my FFM it always indicates the leak level is unacceptable - unless I make it so tight as to be uncomfortable. So I've never actually worn one to sleep with. I guess I'll have to fiddle with them some more.
Jay

[ala5081]

Remzzzs ended up being a wad in my Mask by morning. Haven't tried the other's yet but will !

[RandyJ]

Thanks Randy, and others for your replies.
I have tried to use them, but when I use the "mask fit" feature of my S8 with a mask liner on my FFM it always indicates the leak level is unacceptable - unless I make it so tight as to be uncomfortable. So I've never actually worn one to sleep with. I guess I'll have to fiddle with them some more.
Jay

Jay,

Have you tried the Padacheek one? It works for me w/Mirage Quattro & no issues w/mask fit feature. Maybe because it's cloth microfiber; I don't know if the disposable ones are cloth & if they seal as well as padacheek one does.

I also like the anti-leak strap because it holds the MQ snugly to my face. I don't mind a snug fit & don't find it uncomfortable.