Full face masks - any suggestions?

oldgearhead wrote:Personally I think the following is true:

1) At least 60% of the group who use nasal pillow, and 40% of the group who use "nasal enclosed (Activa type)" masks have problems keeping their mouth closed when asleep with pressure on.

2) Of this group, maybe 25% have the problem solved with chin-straps.

3) The rest use tape.

Don't leave out us DIY mouthguard types. Or am I the only one? I just made a new one over the weekend that I managed to work down to a very thin guard. Starting with the youth size guard instead of an adult size helped a lot. Cut the droolage down to nil.

oldgearhead wrote:

I cannot provide advice on the FF masks but feel that any mask used for mouth breathing will result in dry mouth to some degree ... perhaps using the humidifier on high or even using dual humidifier system may mitigate the dry mouth issues

Whenever I have turned up the humidifier when using the Hybrid, I wake up
with the seal moist and its slipping all over the place. I must turn humidifier off and heated hose on to prevent this from happening..' '

For mouth breathers, the mouth and mask share the same environment -- I don't think you can have it both ways (dry seal and wet mouth) ... you will either have wet mask and moist mouth or dry mouth and dry mask. I may be wrong but that is my take on the matter.

- r

I was having some discomfort from the chin-strap after my first couple weeks as well. I decided try it without for a while and see if I could train myself to keep my mouth closed.

I think I'm still losing a little pressure in the morning from 2-3am on to 5:30 when I get up because I toss and turn a bit during those hours.

My breakthrough discovery was that my deepest sleep occurs from 9-10 to 2-3 and during that time I generally sleep on my stomach. I realized that If I burrowed my head deep enough into the pillow the position itself kept my mouth shut.

Also I discovered that my swift works better with the hose side down (even better when wrapped in a sock) because rather than being displaced on the offside by the pillow, the hose pins it in place against my nose.

However, I seem to have caught mask mania (fairly common malady on this board) I would also be interest in any recommended Full Face masks that work ok face down.

I'm going to chime in with a vote for the Ultra Mirage FF mask. I've been using that one pretty much 100% for the last 20 months or so. I have a nasal interface that I swap off for a day or 2 maybe once a month, but always end up going back to the Ultra Mirage. It took a while to get it adjusted properly (like a week or 10 nights or so), but I wear it pretty loose at the top and medium firm on the bottom. Pressure on my APAP is 9-14 and I rarely have leaks. I'm a side sleeper and that doesn't seem to be a problem either.

Kajun

This therapy WORKS!!!

snoregirl wrote:Your doc is wrong only a fraction of us stop "mouthbreathing" and losing therapy. Most of us tape our mouths shut. Can use a chin strap or ace bandage too, but the tape for a lot of us is key.

Lots of threads under taping.

Thanks all for great contributions! but where do you get the tape? is it special tape, or the good old packing tape?

swifty wrote:....................................
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Thanks all for great contributions! but where do you get the tape? is it special tape, or the good old packing tape?

Please use a medical grade tape. There are several good brands but here is the one I prefer and it should be available in Sydney:

"Tape: Nexcare Gentle Paper Tape (3M Micropore Surgical Tape) 2-inches wide (available from many internet suppliers; I buy mine from Walgreen’s - US$6.99 for 360 inches or about 900 cm)."

Here is another post of interest concerning procedure for mouth taping: viewtopic.php?t=9653&start=0

Ultra mirage full face seals better than the comfort full by respironics, but the respironics is less than half the price~~~~

jackdaniels wrote:Ultra mirage full face seals better than the comfort full by respironics, but the respironics is less than half the price~~~~

True. On the other hand, there's a trade-off.....the UMFF has replaceable seals.....which are less expensive to buy than replacing the complete mask.....whereas the CF2 does not.....so you would have to buy another complete mask.
In the long run, the UMFF might still be the better value (even at the higher prices).

ResMad (management) sucks.....but they make good masks.

Den

I can sleep on my stomach with my Hybrid. When I wake up in the morning I can tell I've been mouth breathing cuz my mouth is so dry. But it doesn't wake me up. The Hybrid has made me 100% compliant, and I feel 90% better!