Do anyone recommend a good full face mask for high pressure bipap?

[DunCO2]

My medical issue is co2 retention so I tend to breath shallow breaths and don't fully expell co2 from my lungs mainly when sleeping. I've been on cpap for about 20 years and the pressure required as slowly crept up.

The doctors recently changed me over to a full face mask and the one I've been using is the airfit f20. They put me on that when I was recently in hospital because they saw I had begun to mouth breath.

I use a bipap machine which is set to a different inhale and exhale pressure, and also a setting so when the machine pushes air in to me it holds the pressure to keep my lungs open.

But there is a curious problem I have. The elbow to the mask, which is the quietair version, that I got from the hospital works perfect. But any new f20 mask I've bought since the elbow lets too much air out. So the mask doesn't build up enough pressure to hold my lungs open as the air goes right out of the vents on the elbow. So because it doesn't hold my lungs open co2 slowly builds up.

I've experimented by buying a new mask and the same happens until I replace the elbow that came with the mask with the old elbow and then it works perfectly again.

I'm not sure what is different between the old elbow and the new elbow (both are quietair), and I have washed it in water multiple times and can't see anything lodged inside it.

So I'm currently having to use this old elbow on each new mask I get. So I have a couple of questions.

1. Is it safe to partially block a vent?

2. Are there better masks that would do better?

It as me puzzled this issue as I've used hundreds of masks (mostly nasal cushion) and I've never noticed such a difference with the amount of air expelling from different masks.

Do anyone have any guesses as to what is happening, or any advice as to what I should do? Is there a better full face mask I should try?

[Kelly @ Intus]

Good Morning,

Thank you for your post.

Resmed are slowly changing their current masks over to the QuietAir elbow versions. The box that the Airfit F20 mask comes in will have a QuietAir logo on the front. If it does not have this logo on the box, then this is an older mask without the QuietAirelbow.

Do you know if your new mask had the QuietAir logo on the box? Did it look the same or slightly different?

In regards to your questions...

1. We do not recommend partially blocking the vent on the CPAP mask.

2. What other masks have you tried, as we sell a wide variety of masks - https://www.cpap.co.uk/shop/cpap-mas...ace-masks.html

3. Is it the QuietAir elbow function that works the best for you?

Kelly

[DunCO2]

Hi thank you for replying to me.

Sorry it as taken me a while to reply.

Yes the version that is working for me is the QuietAir elbow. But for some reason other QuietAir elbow's let out too much air.

I can see this on my machine as it monitors leaks, and I also don't feel like the pressure is opening up my lungs before it escapes through the vents.

I know its specifically the elbow as if I swap a new elbow with an old mask I get the same "blowing" issue. If I get a new mask I end up having to re-use the old elbow.

I'm not sure why the old elbow doesn't put through a lot of air. I've washed it on numerous occasions and I'm confident there is no gunk stuck in there. I really like the mask but the elbows just let out too much air that when I wake up I can physically feel the co2 build up. When this happened last time I put the old elbow in and had to use the mask again for a couple more hours.

I haven't tried any other masks yet. I have an old mask I'm going to try. Though it's an old type design.

It just seems weird why all the other elbows let too much air out yet this one elbow doesn't. It's confusing

[Kelly @ Intus]

Good Morning,

Thank you for your reply.

Are you 100% sure both elbows are the QuietAir ones, and not one QuietAir and one old version of the Elbow.

If you are happy with the mask, but it is just the elbow causing you an issue, then I would suggest contacting ResMed directly to see what they advise.

Here is a link to their contact details - https://osahub.resmed.com/about/contact/

Kelly

[DunCO2]

Hey there,

Yes they are both QuietAir.

I was experimenting last night with the one that works.

By putting my hand just above the elbow vent air comes out as its supposed to do.

But the difference seems to be at the bottom of the elbow, where it goes to the tube. On the one that works only a small amount of air comes out. On the others the air is blasting out more than the air from the vent.

I think it might be a manufacturing fault as I've noticed other people on the forum complaining about air leaks from the elbow. It seems to be a pot luck to get a good elbow that doesn't leak. Its a real shame as the mask itself is great.

[Kelly @ Intus]

Hi

Thank you for your post.

If both the elbows are QuietAir and identical, but perform differently then I would suggest contact ResMed to see what they advise. They may offer a replacement elbow?

Here is a link to their contact details - https://osahub.resmed.com/about/contact/

Kelly

[Sleep2Snore]

Be careful that one is not pertly blocked, these can choke (according to others on another forum) and need to be cleaned more often. If one is partly choked it will cause the other to expel air under higher pressure and feel as if more air is coming out of one. If it is at a joint, it may be worn or just a bit to loose. If it is a joint problem, check it is not worn or deformed or just to loose.

[DunCO2]

Thank you for the reply. Sorry I haven't replied sooner.

I wrote to them a while ago. I think they are wanting me to test another joint before they escalate it. Which I'll do once I'm ready to swap the masks out.

I've looked as much as I can see on the joints and I can't see any difference between the one that works and the one that doesn't. It's a catch-22 situation that I can't give them my working one to try or I'll have none to use.

The ones that don't work blow out a consistantly higher level of air. Before I lay down I monitor how much air is escaping. The working one is in the lower 40s, sometimes 39.. while the ones that blow out too much air are always 47+, sometimes in the 50s. So much air comes out it doesn't fully expand my lungs.

I'll check that suggestion about cleaning those ones out more to see if it makes a difference.

At the moment I can't spot any difference between the good and bad, which is kinda annoying. It would be good to be able to point some difference out then a solution can be found.

[Kelly @ Intus]

Hi DunCO2,

Thank you for your post.

Please let us know how you get on with ResMed and testing another elbow, as it would be good to hear what the outcome was.

Kelly