Newbie having a terrible time with masks

[iwant2sleep]

Hi all,
This is all so new to me (my sorry story is in the Introductions section) and I need advice with a huge mask fitting problem. I'm hoping you can help:

Basically, I am using a Resmed Stellar 100 bipap machine, but am so small framed none of the masks fit me.

Whilst in the hospital I tried the following:
Resmed Swift fx nasal pillows (small) this one kept slipping up off the back of my tiny skull even when tightened to the max; The Mirage Quattro which cut into my bridge and forehead; The Pixi Paediatric nasal mask (to fit ages 2-7, too small even for me). I also tired another one from Philips Respironics I can't remember the name of which was also too big. I came home with the Resmed Mirage FX which I've now realised means I cannot read in bed because I cannot wear my glasses with this mask. (In hospital I just watched the overhead TV, but at home I read every night)

I need something light, extra small and that I can wear my glasses with. I was thinking of either the Resmed Mirage Vista (Seems very adjustable and I'm not a big mouth breather) or the Resmed Swift Bella (has xs pillows and fastens around the ears) If anyone has experience with these two I'd love to hear it. And any other suggestions you could make I'd gladly take on board.

I should say my machine is currently set to 9/4 (I am very petite but currently weigh 10st 9lbs, which is something else I need to address!)

Looking forward to all your replies. Thanks in advance.

[martin]

The sleepweaver might be worth having a look at, I can def use my glasses over it and being material it might be less intrusive...it also looks slightly less darth vader ish if that helps....if that doesn't help it still sounds darth vaderish

[iwant2sleep]

Thanks Martin!
The advice is great and made me giggle, but I don't think my hospital will purchase the dreamweaver. I believe they only use Philips Respironics or Resmed. Unfortunately, my budget doesn't run to buying my own masks, exp as I have no idea how suitable (or not!) they may prove.

[martin]

The masks are a bit pot luck but are the most important bit of successful therapy. Alas sometimes the NHS doesn't seem to realise that. I think tested masks could be sterilised and retried but I'm in a minority (poss not in this forum, tho I'm sure several of us have a drawer of discards) I switch between a gel mask (with Remzz or micropore tape) and sleepweaver to give bits of my nose a break but even after a couple of years sometimes the wee bugger won't behave and I wake up with dry sinus/eyeballs or noises that I won't repeat on a delicate forum such as this. I'm sure other people have said it but all you can do is persevere and hope it works..........not the most earth shattering endorsment of hope but it's kinda all that works

[jackieb]

I agree with what you say Martin after nearly 3 years of mask use I am going through for the first time eye/nose problems and just recently very dry mouth but I am getting between 7/9 hours sleep and that makes up for some discomfort every now and again. I tried various masks I do have a sleepweaver but rarely use it because of the air blowing in my eyes regardless of how I tweak the straps so tend to stick to my NHS one. I do not have to go back to my clinic unless I have any problems for another 6 years because my AHI have come down to 0.5 from a severe 38. So to everyone out there keep trying it does work in the end.

[Sleep2Snore]

Hi JackieB, you are like me then. The Sleeo Clinic more or less said don't come back unless you have a problem.
Only thing is they know your ahi, the clinic I go to doesn't have a clue what mine is. They get you ti filled in the Epworth form, check hours of use and that is it unless you say you are having problems. They will then ask what the problem is and read the card. The first machine I had didn't keeo any data anyway but I would have thought they would wants to know. Especially when saying they don't wants to see you for five years.
Mind you she has always said I was her best customer. Don't know if that was a compliment or not.
Good to see you are doing so well with your treatment.

[Sleep2Snore]

Forgive the typos.
I am on a phone, how I love and hate predictive typing.

[martin]

I have added a heavy dark t shirt to my cpap equipment. Blocks light, the material falls round my mask so I don't get air whoosh in the eyeball and the weight of it seems to make the sleepweaver less noisy. So far the motto on the tshirt makes no difference whatsoever , but that is on a single sample and other people may find that different slogans have different effects..........if anyone is handing out research grants ...

Jackieb.. I sometimes go through phases (brief , thank goodness) of my mouth opening slightly in some sleep postures, not enough to wake me but on occasion my better half will inform me that I was a bit windy last night and hopefully it was the mask. On those occasions the bit of the top of the inside of my mouth that connects with my nose (technical name anyone?)dries out to heck and takes a couple of hours to settle next day (sips of warm water with honey are good). I was considering getting one of the straps that goes under the jaw (as if we don't look ridiculous enough already !!) but it seems to have stopped occurring for now.

Sleep2Snore , Re phones , I recently upgraded due to dropping mine in the loo, (memo don't put your phone in your shirt breast pocket if you are taking a mad cattarh coughing fit) and it is suggesting what it thinks my next word ought to be, have to watch out as some of its suggestions can be ..... inappropriate

[Sleep2Snore]

Phones are like young children, they learn all the bad words first

[Grumpy]

predictive text

hunt around your phone menus; you should be able to disable it.

[martin]

A teenage nephew visited.........the phone is now behaving as i would wish, the function was called "next word prediction", as if anyone would know what it did with a ridiculous title like that.

[jackieb]

Just found this again I should have said my AHI was at the start of OSA 58 times per hour

[iwant2sleep]

Not sure how this thread got hijacked but if anyone else has suggestions to help me, I'd be really grateful...

[martin]

Sorry, we tend to wander round topics. Alas despite being fellow sufferers our usual advice tends to be minor as our problems tend to be minor in comparison, between us we are good at tweaks and data but beyond how to work our lil beasts i think we are a bit lost. Some of us have found particular masks or humidifiers help with particular probs but nothing works for us all. I haven't had to speak to my sleep clinic much (for which I'm very grateful) but they might be the best place for advice. I don't know if there is an equivalent forum between the clinics but they may have suggestions and hopefully your consultant is sympathetic.
Hope its working better for you the last couple of days and at the very least this is a good place to vent steam.

[iwant2sleep]

The problem I have is that I don't seem to 'fit' any forum. CI don't have sleep apnea, but share the use of a bipap machine with some of you here. I have scoliosis, but the vast majority of folks on scoliosis forums are teenagers with mild curves waiting for corrective surgery. I also share some of the breathing difficulties and elevated co2 levels with COPD but they do not have the physical disabilities I have...

I suppose I will just have to try and flit around submitting identical postings and taking what I can from the answers. But that is going to be pretty time-consuming.

What a conundrum!