Problem with Mirage Liberty Nasal Pillows

[SteveM]

Hi All,

I was wondering if anybody could help, I have recently been issued with a Mirage Liberty mask as my full face mask was leaving a red pressure point on the bridge of my nose, the problem I'm having with the Liberty is that air always seems to leak around the nasal pillows, I have tried all three sizes, the medium ones fitted the best but still leaked, has anybody got a wonder cure for this problem?

Cheers, Steve

[Tigers Fan]

Summertime

Hi SteveM

Not a wonder cure, I'm afraid. I gave up on mine with the same problem, which was caused, I think , by pulling the duvet over my head and then turning in my sleep.

I'm going to give it another go in the summer.

Tigers Fan

[badgerno1]

Hi Steve

I had exactly the same problem with my first full face mask, sore nose. I now have the liberty and had the same problem, most people will say that if the nasal pillows leak then the mask is not for you but I tape them up with micropourus tape, it works great for me and although i have only been on CPAP for around 2 months I am getting on average 5 to 6 hrs sleep with the mask on, i am really trying to make this mask work as like other FF masks the Liberty is not so much in your face if you know what i mean.

Hope this helps

Richard

[paulcoyston]

liberty problems

Hi steve i have just found this post as i haven't been on this site for a while this is a very common problem which seems to affect everybody,i have been on cpap for about a year i started out with a gel nasel mask which i did my sleep over with after a couple of weeks it was obviously not for me,i had a sore on my forehead and was breathing out of my mouth,then i was given a fall face mask but like you i just couldnt stop it rubbing if i loosened the straps then it leaked if i tightened then it rubbed,basically i think i am a restless sleeper so as you move around the mask is being pulled about when it starts leaking you wake up.i asked the sleep clinic about the problems and they suggested trying the liberty mask which as you know is a cross between a nasal pillow and a full face mask,after doing some internet research i was not convinced at all,i couldnt find any good posts about this mask most problems seemed to be leaks,well i went for a fitting and was suprised how well it seemed to fit i was a bit unsure about the nasal pillows though.well its taken a while but its the best mask i have had i have managed to adjust it just right i sleep on my side mostly and do tend to get a slight cheek indent off the plastic side strips but in general a good sleep,i found when putting it on sit up right so you can get it even once its on i move the nasel pillows around so the feel comfortable i found if not quite right they dug into your nose then i switch on the machine as the air pumps in it should feel like its inflating the mask and it pushes the seal onto your face the nose pillows are the same if they leak re position them with you finger and thumb until you can breath in and out with out any air leaks i found you can over tighten the straps and it has the reverse affect.if you cant get it to seal sitting up it wont seal when you lay down,when your happy lay down as you would sleep if as you relax you get a leak carefully tighten the straps,i think your head changes shape as you lie down with a bit of perseverence you should get there i hope so any way its the best mask for me maybe the size is wrong for you i was measured for mine at papworth hope this is of some help paul

[scubapauly]

I've had similar experiences with my new liberty mask. Overall its much better for me than the full face mask.

[threewheelweave]

Persevere If You Can!

Hi Steve,
Keep trying if you can. Resmed have recently tweaked the pillows and I'm using the large mask with the medium pillows and it really has been the best type of mask to date for me.
Suggest you contact Sarah at Resmed HQ and ask if you can be issued with the latest set of pillows (particularly if you have bought your own mask).
Make sure that the pillows can telescope up and down, many have them too close to the mask mouth piece so they cannot then adjust as you move in your sleep.
If the shape is slightly out a quick smear with vasaline around the outer pillow can provide an effective seal.
All the best in your efforts I too like this hybrid mask and I hope this helps

TWW
UK

[threewheelweave]

Any progress made?

Hi SteveM
Have you made any progress forward with the nasel cushion sealing difficulty?
If the mask is too tight the edge seal fails, just flick it down to reseal.
Another thing I have found works for me is after pressurising the mask take a deep breath and exhale through your mouth as fast as you can - it seems to be a sure fire way of inflating the seal cushions!

Anyway hope this is of assistance - all the best

TWW
UK

[joeandhelen]

Hi SteveM
Have you made any progress forward with the nasel cushion sealing difficulty?
If the mask is too tight the edge seal fails, just flick it down to reseal.
Another thing I have found works for me is after pressurising the mask take a deep breath and exhale through your mouth as fast as you can - it seems to be a sure fire way of inflating the seal cushions!

Anyway hope this is of assistance - all the best

TWW
UK

HI Guys!
I have recently been allocated this mask for the same reasons as stated above. If it helps I found the same problem but when having my APAP rrecordings fed back to me last week. This mask has proven very successful and the nasal pillow leakage has little interference with the success of my CPAP effectiveness. MY sleep service nurse told me we are always looking to prevent leakage but that there will always be some leakage.

This is not an answer to the problem but hopefully will help ease concerns about the leakage problem. This is my third attemp at finding an effective mask and this is the best one by far. More freedom and comfort.
Cheers,
JoeCool

[Simes2112]

"there will always be some leakage"

I got told the same by the lady at Resmed I met last week. Problem for me was that any leakage however slight was waking me up.

However, using the RemZzzs over the weekend seems to have stopped me getting woken up by anything to do with the mask. And since I still feel good, awake and alert all day long I am assuming they've not done anything to damage the therapeutic value of my CPAP rig.

Also, the RemZzzs material feels so much nicer on my skin compared to the silicone ... AND ... I can nudge the mask around my face much easier during that first 10-15 minutes settle down period in bed.

Cheers,

Simon

[joeandhelen]

using the RemZzzs over the weekend seems to have stopped me getting woken up by anything to do with the mask. And since I still feel good, awake and alert all day long I am assuming they've not done anything to damage the therapeutic value of my CPAP rig.

Also, the RemZzzs material feels so much nicer on my skin compared to the silicone ... AND ... I can nudge the mask around my face much easier during that first 10-15 minutes settle down period in bed.

Cheers,

Simon

Thanks Simon,
I am a little confused here. How can the RemZzzs work for the Mirage Liberty Mask which only covers the mouth. It is the nasal pillows slipping out that are the key problems with the libery mask and I cannot see how the RemZzzs can help. If I am proved wrong then that is great. I'm sure the RemZzzs work with the mouthpiece although they seem to be designed for the full-face and nasal masks!
Thanks,
JoeCool

[VeraBale]

Hi

I have only been using cpap for a couple of weeks, sue to discomfort of full face mask, the hospital sent me a Mirage Liberty Nasal Pillow which I used properly last night for the first time. I keep checking through reviews and forums for someone with the same worries I have but haven't found any yet. Are the nasal pillows going to keep my nostrils inflated? I know it sounds funny but mine feel really flabby at the moment, but I don't know how much is my imagination! My air pressure is 8.8 and the first time I tried the pillows it felt as though it really ballooned my nose, so I quickly removed it and carried on with my full face mask, but that one makes my eyes uncomfortable. What a pain eh?

Regards
V

[joeandhelen]

Hi

I have only been using cpap for a couple of weeks, sue to discomfort of full face mask, the hospital sent me a Mirage Liberty Nasal Pillow which I used properly last night for the first time. I keep checking through reviews and forums for someone with the same worries I have but haven't found any yet. Are the nasal pillows going to keep my nostrils inflated? I know it sounds funny but mine feel really flabby at the moment, but I don't know how much is my imagination! My air pressure is 8.8 and the first time I tried the pillows it felt as though it really ballooned my nose, so I quickly removed it and carried on with my full face mask, but that one makes my eyes uncomfortable. What a pain eh?

Regards
V

HI Vera,
The feeling of having inflated, flappy nostrils will be your brain thinking they are. You have heard of people losing a limb yet still feeling that limb is still there when it is not. Well the same is happening here. Your nostrils are being blasted by air with the pillows are stretching them a little. The next day they will still feel stretched. It is a bit like sailors feeling the land is swaying after they have been at sea a while. I suffered from sore sinuses for a while, after using the pillows, but that soon subsided. I also have a full-face mask and use it most of the time. The secret to a successful CPAP is perserverance and if one mask is not working then you try another until one works. The sucess of felling alive again is worth working towards.
If you contiue to have problems please feel free to seek advice on these forums. There is a lot of good people here who have lots of experience. No problem is too silly or problematic!
Good Luck and let us know how you get on!
Joe Cool

[VeraBale]

Nasal pillows

Dear Paul

I have just found your reply and you seem to be the only person I have found with experience of this Liberty mask and my question is...do the nasal pillows 'bloat' your nostrils and do they stay 'puffed out'? Sounds daft I know, but I have only been on cpap for 3 weeks and was supplied with a full face mask, which leaks and is really uncomfortable so they supplied me with the Liberty nasal pillow one, when I first tried it on, it puffed my nostrils right out and it put me off wearing it! My machine is set to 8.8 ahi, since then I have only worn it once and kept on pinching my nose all day! regards V

Hi steve i have just found this post as i haven't been on this site for a while this is a very common problem which seems to affect everybody,i have been on cpap for about a year i started out with a gel nasel mask which i did my sleep over with after a couple of weeks it was obviously not for me,i had a sore on my forehead and was breathing out of my mouth,then i was given a fall face mask but like you i just couldnt stop it rubbing if i loosened the straps then it leaked if i tightened then it rubbed,basically i think i am a restless sleeper so as you move around the mask is being pulled about when it starts leaking you wake up.i asked the sleep clinic about the problems and they suggested trying the liberty mask which as you know is a cross between a nasal pillow and a full face mask,after doing some internet research i was not convinced at all,i couldnt find any good posts about this mask most problems seemed to be leaks,well i went for a fitting and was suprised how well it seemed to fit i was a bit unsure about the nasal pillows though.well its taken a while but its the best mask i have had i have managed to adjust it just right i sleep on my side mostly and do tend to get a slight cheek indent off the plastic side strips but in general a good sleep,i found when putting it on sit up right so you can get it even once its on i move the nasel pillows around so the feel comfortable i found if not quite right they dug into your nose then i switch on the machine as the air pumps in it should feel like its inflating the mask and it pushes the seal onto your face the nose pillows are the same if they leak re position them with you finger and thumb until you can breath in and out with out any air leaks i found you can over tighten the straps and it has the reverse affect.if you cant get it to seal sitting up it wont seal when you lay down,when your happy lay down as you would sleep if as you relax you get a leak carefully tighten the straps,i think your head changes shape as you lie down with a bit of perseverence you should get there i hope so any way its the best mask for me maybe the size is wrong for you i was measured for mine at papworth hope this is of some help paul

[MrsDanvers]

I haven't been around for a while and found this post looking for others' experiences with the Mirage Liberty.

I've had this mask for about 3 months now and started having problems waking up due to air leaking from the nasal pillows. For thew last two weeks I've been sticking micro pore tape across the top of the pillows, which is where they tend to leak, and seem to be having some success. As the tape is hypo-allergenic and not very sticky there are no side-effects for my skin or the mask.

[joeandhelen]

Try elastic band or Remzzz comforters!

Hi All,

I was wondering if anybody could help, I have recently been issued with a Mirage Liberty mask as my full face mask was leaving a red pressure point on the bridge of my nose, the problem I'm having with the Liberty is that air always seems to leak around the nasal pillows, I have tried all three sizes, the medium ones fitted the best but still leaked, has anybody got a wonder cure for this problem?

Cheers, Steve

Try an elastic band twisted between the two pillows, it worked for me!
Good Luck,
JoeCool
PS: I had problems with the bridge of my nose but the remzzz mask comforters did the job and I now use my full face mask again! I can ease the straps and there is little leakage. They are available at the eu-pap online store!