barbz

I have a friend who is also claustrophobic and he uses the Oracle Mask by Fisher Paykel. It is a mask that goes in your mouth and for many is not the easiest mask to get used to, but it has its positive sides. I used it for a long time as my sinuses would not let me use any mask that had air going into the nasal cavities. I first started raising the head of my bed when using the Oracle and continue to do so...for me, it is back issues also.

Hope your positive movement forward continues...

pattyloof...welcome. I have found Xylimelts to help greatly with my dry mouth. It is a tablet that will stick to wherever you want it to be inside your mouth. It will slowly dissolve during the night and stimulate saliva to remove that dry mouth issue.

I tried that whole face mask and really liked it a lot. My problem with it was the fact my face is too narrow for it to work well without leaking. I especially liked the fact I did not feel the air blowing into my sinuses.

For extra humidity I have the HC150 external humidifier hooked up along with my units humidifier. I need that extra push of moist air. Many do not like humidity at all! We each have to find that balance that works best for us.

I have had maybe 5 sleep studies done over the years. There has never been a doctor present during any of them, even at those labs connected to a sleep doctor's office. I do not think it is standard practice. The price of a study is high enough, but I would hate to see the bill if the doctor was present!

There is a company at this link: http://axgsleepdiagnostics.com that is more involved regarding the hookups. There are several levels of sleep studies listed.

I have used SecondWind...great customer service. Good people to deal with. The owner is a respiratory therapist. Very knowledgeable in all ways.

Love XyliMelts!

I alternate with a nasal mask at times and agree that the soft cervical collar is the way to go. While I tape my mouth when using a nasal mask, it is not horizontally. I put a 1/2 inch wide strip of tape vertically. I cut enough tape to cover the sticky side where it touches my lips. My skin cannot handle heavy taping.

I am now using the AirFit F20. Since I use liners that I make from an old t-shirt, I often just use a Citrus wipe to clean my mask. I also have the Contour spray for CPAP mask cleaning.

Loved the Amara View, but it did not love me. The AirFit F20 seems to be the one for me. This doubles the point wiredgeorge makes about the importance of mask fitting.

Try taking Gas-X or Simethicone to relieve the pressure of the swallowed air. I sometimes drink plain, non flavored seltzer water when I get up. The carbonation seems to help the swallowed air escape.

I know I put a Quattro cushion in the AirFit F10 frame.

Instead of a separate chin strap to hold my jaw up and still be able to relax it, I make a strap that goes from one side lower mask hook up to the other side. I make these from past head gear parts with the Velcro, those Velcro cable ties and also form an old Oracle neck strap. Because I do not push down heavily on my impromptu chin strap, it does not mess up the way the mask fits.

I just got the AirFit F20 with the magnetic connections. At first I was worried that my chin strap would break the magnetic connection. Nope!

As I make my chin strap, I test the length several times to make sure it does not mess things up. I also put some padding on the strap for comfort. Right now, my old Oracle strap has some flannel wrapped once around and very loosely stitched so if I need to adjust it, it is not a big hassle. Hey...got my photo in! Hope it helps. Sometimes I just wrap strap with cotton and it is not as bulky