I'm a newbie, although I'm 70. I was diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea. I'm on a ResMed Climate Air with a memory foam mask. My AHI, which was in the 50s, has dropped to around 6. The problem is the mask is waking me up due to frequent (every 10 minutes to every 40 minutes) leaks at the apex of the mask, blowing cold air into my eyes and waking me up. Has anybody had this problem and does anybody know how to fix it? Thanks. Alan
When first starting therapy many of us have had to try five or six masks (or even more) to find one that worked well and didn't leak too much. It is a journey. And just when you get one you like, the manufacturer stops making it, and you have to search all over again. Of course they are always looking to make them more cheaply and that can interfere with quality and ease of usage by the patients. I believe there is also software to help with mask fitting.
Go back to your sleep lab and have the techs there work with you to find a better fitting mask. There may also be some pads that might help. Good Luck!
It sounds like you are using a full face mask. I have tried the ResMed F20 mask and another ResMed Quattro mask and could not get used to them. Same problem as you have -- they leak around the nose and blow air into my eyes. I have tried three other nasal pillow masks and have settled on one that I like. I found the ResMed Swift reasonably comfortable but the air vents blew air at a high velocity. It did not go in my eyes but it was enough to wake me up. The F&P Brevida was better but it seemed to irritate the part of my nose between the two nostrils. My wife likes that one, but I settled on a ResMed AirFit P10 mask. For me it is quiet and has no disturbing air flow, but it is a nasal type so it requires you to keep your mouth closed or to tape your mouth at night.
How much pressure are you using? The higher the pressure the harder it is to make the mask seal and be comfortable.
Hi Sierra
Thanks for your kind advice. I'm not using a Full Face Mask now, I'm using the ResMed Air20, and I'm trying to adjust the tension on the forehead and chin tethers, without much success. I happen to be in Nova Scotia (the Maritimes in Canada -- drive to Maine and then head North) and the provider doesn't seem to have access to some of the models you mention. I do seem to have access to the Vitera Full Face Mask, which appears to be more stable, but appearances can be deceiving. Do you have any experience with this mask/brand? Again, many thanks for responding and for your advice. What's a little difficult is that the cure for my sleep apnea seems to be affecting me more adversely than the sleep apnea did. Can anyone tell me why my mask might start to leak at 45 minutes, as opposed to 40 or 30 or 10. Any advice would be welcome.
Thanks. Alan
Alan I am also in Canada, but in Alberta. The Vitera mask is a F&P (Fisher and Paykel) full face mask. If you can keep your mouth closed at night a nasal, or better still a nasal pillow mask tends to be easier to fit, and more comfortable than a full face. The Air20 does not seem to be a full description of a ResMed mask so I am not sure which one you are talking about. Would it be the AirFit N20? CPAP Outlet is one place in Canada that I buy CPAP supplies at. See this link on their current specials. I see the AirFit N20 there.
https://www.cpapoutlet.ca/en/Special
Are you aware of the freeware program called OSCAR? It requires a PC or Mac and a SD card reader. It lets you see your mask leaks minute by minute as well as the pressure being used. It can help determine when and what is causing the leaks.
As I mentioned earlier I think the F&P Brevida and ResMed AirFit P10 are two of the better masks that I have tried.
Hi Sierra. At least I don't have to explain where Nova Scotia is. I shall try and obtain a precise description of the masks(s) I am using. The provider is Sleep Therapeutics and I have no idea whether they are well regarded or not. I purchase the product through them, and they have advisors whose experience doesn't seem to match what I have encountered already on this forum. I will keep you advised and hope that your trove of experience may prove to be of use to me.
Again, many thanks for your contribution to reducing my ignorance.
Alan
I know Sleep Therapeutics well. Both my wife and I got our sleep test done through one of their clinics in Edmonton. We did the take home sleep test and got a trial machine from them. However, we do not have private insurance and found their prices to be very high. I recall they wanted $2400 for the machine and mask setup. We both bought ResMed machines with a mask on line for about $900. We have not been back there since.
Now I just shop on line at a variety of places, mainly in Toronto for what I need. CPapoutlet.ca would be one of them. There is also a place in Alberta now called Sleep Yeti where I have bought a few things.
Hi Sierra
Thanks for the info. I'm new at this, and just assumed that a certified provider would be providing equipment at a competitive price. Wrong, but I'm stuck with it. If I decide to switch machines, I'll take your valuable advice and go online.
Thanks again for your help. Alan
They provide free sleep tests but "no so free" equipment! However, there has been a big change in pricing and supply of machines since the pandemic and supply chain issues. The ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet used to be $800 on line. Now it is $1280 for a complete kit, but they have no stock, and you have to put your name on a wait list. I don't believe there is any shortage of masks and you should be able to get a good price on line. Unless it is a specialty mask for a portable CPAP they are a universal fit, with any brand fitting any brand. . What brand of machine do you have? OSCAR will work with the ResMed and Phillips DreamStation machines, but I am not so sure it is compatible with the F&P SleepStyle.
Hi Sierra. The unit that I'm trying to accommodate myself to is the ResMed Air 20, but I may have the number a little bit wrong because the only leaflet they provided me with is for the base unit ClimateLineAir Oxy. Supply chain issues indeed. And with that, I venture into the unknown and to (I hope) sleep. Again, many thanks. You are truly a trove of valuable information.
Alan
