facial swelling from full face mask

[foxhunter]

I did ask this question somewhere but this ite takes some getting used to and I don't know whether it posted or not...Bear with me.
I use a FP Forma full face mask and an S8 machine. After one week, I have mastered it but for one big problem. In the morning I wake looking like a prize fighter with my eyes almost swollen shut!
I lay down for an hour with an ice pad over my eyes to limited effect. The pharmacist says it looks like an allergy but my DME says he has never come across this. He gave me a Quattro to try this weekend.
I don't want to have to quit this therapy, which I truly believe in, but neither do i want to walk through life in dark glasses afraid i may scare the hell out of the young kids on the street. Believe me, it is ugly!
Anyone experienced this?

[cflame1]

Did you wash it before you tried it?

[foxhunter]

Yes No problem for the first three nights then all hell let loose

[cinco777]

Do you have air leaks into your eyes? I have used an F&P FF Mask (431 or 432, predecessors to your Forma mask) for 6+ months. During my first week of use, air would sometimes leak into my eyes and they would be swollen and sore in the morning. Once I learned how to tweak my mask to stop the air leaks, I no longer had sore and swollen eyes.

You may want to soak your mask seal (silicon piece) in a vinegar and water solution (1:10) for 15 minutes. I do this every week or two, followed by a soak and wash in Johnson's baby shampoo. I wash the silicon seal daily in Johnson's baby shampoo, rinse it thoroughly, and let it air dry.

After 6 months of wearing my FF mask, I do have some new face wrinkles. For me, the wrinkles are a small price to pay for a restful night's sleep.

[raggedykat]

I have had this problem since I started with cpap in August. Some days it is worse than others and there have been a few days when there was hardly any swelling at all. My eyes always water also. Sometimes the swelling on my cheeks is so bad I can see it when I am looking straight ahead. I am waiting to try some nasal pillows to see if they work as well as the ffm has worked for me. I have had great results otherwise from it. I have just resigned myself to the fact that I have to put up with it.

[Julie]

You can tell if it's an allergy (and it really does sound like one) by taking a Claritin, or Reactine or some antihistamine before bed and seeing how you look in the a.m.

[foxhunter]

I tried the large quattro last night and believe I saw some improvement but too early to tell. At least I eliminated my concern that the Forma foam insert what giving me an allergic reaction. I will try the quattro medium tonight.
Julie, I will also try your claritin suggestion and see what it tells me, Thankyou.
cinco, I was able to adjust the quattro with the bridge adjustment and eliminated the possibility of eye leak. In that the quattro works well. My overall sleep quality was as good but no different to the forma so adjustment to the therapy is no longer a problem for me, just the ugly swelling!
Raggedy cat, I relate to all you said but I refuse to accept this problem and will find an answer one way or another. should I find it, you will be the first to know. Quitting is not an option!!

[BlackSpinner]

Be aware that leaks into the eyes can come from inside - via the tear ducts from the nasal passage.

[foxhunter]

I tried the quattro medium last night and also the claritin. The swelling is still a problem although not quite as pronounced. don't think its an allergy.
i am considering changing from the Forma which was a real problem (seemingly) and using the Quattro medium as my full face mask. Also I think i may invest in nasal pillows as this would surely take any presuure off my cheeks?
The pillows were discarded as an option at my titration as they were dislodged whenever I lay on my side, but as I now have a cpap pillow, I think I can overcome this problem.
Seems like a plan to me....How say you?

[foxhunter]

Raggedy Kat, I started using the Swift LT and the results are very good. I am wearing it on the loose side so am getting a little leakage wich I have to find the adjustment for, but the swelling has almost gone. At my titration, we abandoned the nasal pillows because they would dislodge when I turned on my side. Now I am using a cpap pillow and all is well. I find with this mask that if I advertently open my mouth the mask almost grabs me by the neck and corrects me. Such an odd feeling but it works for me. I CAN RECOMMEND IT.

[raggedykat]

Foxhunter - Do you have any sinus issues? When I started with cpap I had an appointment with an ENT who told me I have a deviated septum and other issues that I might need surgery for. It seems like I have at least one side of my nose blocked at all times. I am worried that this will make it hard for me to use the pillows. I sure hope I can, it sounds like they are doing the trick for you. I had an appointment with my family doctor and she said that it was fluid being trapped in one spot on my face. She said that everyone gets extra fluid in their face at night (I guess from laying down for so long) but it usually is not a problem because it is equally distributed over your face but wearing the mask stops it from spreading out.

[foxhunter]

RaggedyKat, I don't have any sinus issues that I know of so can't advise you there. The fluid buildup in the face when laid down sounds logical to me. As I said, the pillows seem to be an improvement for me other than the leakage issue. Frankly i am not sure how critical this is but i would rather have a little leakage problem than a beat up face. I am working on the leakage isuue now by making subtle adjustments to the mask and monitoring the results numbers. The way I see it the nose blockage problem you have should be the same whether full face or pillows unless of course you are a mouth breather, then you have a different set of complications to overcome. I wish you luck in your search. Persevere!

[Catnap]

I have this issue with both the Quattro and the UltraMirage. I never thought my eyes were particularly close-set, but when I wake up the edge of the mask is often literally in my eye on the right and nearly so on the left. There isn't enough room between the side of my nose and the corner of my eye for the width of the edge of either mask. No, I'm not cross-eyed, and yes, even I am having a little trouble picturing this description It takes just the barest fraction of a millimeter for the edge to be in the corner of my eye instead of on my face. I also think having the mask sitting on my face, and the fairly taut straps running across my cheeks and forehead, might interrupt the flow of fluid in the tissues, causing some facial edema.

Anyway, the only thing that has resolved it consistently for me is using the Nasal Aire II mask. I have NO eye swelling, bags, or soreness when I use it; the difference is really remarkable. In fact, if I have to go somewhere the next day (I work at home, so don't have to go out to work each day), I make a point of using the NA II so my face looks normal in the morning. The headgear is loose (so loose that it's an issue for a lot of NA II users), and since it's not really a mask but a nasal cannula setup, it doesn't constrict the facial tissues at all.

It's not a perfect solution all the way around (no mask I've tried yet has been), but it absolutely resolves the face and eye swelling issues for me. Incidentally, I have some nasal problems, too, and usually can breathe out of only one nostril (which one tends to vary depending on which side I'm lying on), and it is no problem with the NA II. Apparently enough air can get in via one naris (which, by the way, is the singular of nares, not "nare") to keep my airway splinted open. I also consistently have a zero leak rate and an AHI of less than 0.10 when using the NA II, which I don't achieve with the Quattro or the UltraMirage.

[FoxNewsFan]

I tried the large quattro last night and believe I saw some improvement but too early to tell. At least I eliminated my concern that the Forma foam insert what giving me an allergic reaction. I will try the quattro medium tonight.
Julie, I will also try your claritin suggestion and see what it tells me, Thankyou.
cinco, I was able to adjust the quattro with the bridge adjustment and eliminated the possibility of eye leak. In that the quattro works well. My overall sleep quality was as good but no different to the forma so adjustment to the therapy is no longer a problem for me, just the ugly swelling!
Raggedy cat, I relate to all you said but I refuse to accept this problem and will find an answer one way or another. should I find it, you will be the first to know. Quitting is not an option!!

Just another $.02 to throw into the pot. When I was about to order the quattro I assumed that I would take a large. I printed out the ResMed sizing template and was surprised to find that I was a perfect fit for the medium. I used the medium for several months with moderate success. (small amount of leakage into the eyes) When it came time for my DME to send a new one they sent small by mistake. As I was traveling at the time and it wasn't convenient to send it back, I thought, what the heck, I'll try it. Turns out my results were even better than with the medium.


Ed

[brain_cloud]

My eyes also get puffy when using the Quattro, but I still like it better than my other two (nasal) masks so I usually use it. The eyelid puffiness wears off over a few hours.

I guess in some ways it's easier to be a man with CPAP. I don't give a fig about the facial effects of CPAP: strap marks across the cheeks, forehead impressions, red spots on bridge of nose and often under the nose, puffy eyelids. Only in my case, the latter causes some risk of my left eye actually falling out (it's a prosthesis of course)! Hilarity ensues!