AirFit F20 Irritating Nose Bridge

[ECM5]

I did actually try one of those under eye gel pads on the bridge of my nose last night, it stayed in place and completely eliminated irritation as far as I can tell.  They are made my Acure.  I don't know if they are better than the ones specifically made for cpap masks but they definitely stay put.

[SavvApnea]

Thank you all SO MUCH for all of your replies, insight, shared experience, and tips/suggestions!! I wasn't expect this much help. I'm very thankful.

Thanks to your advice, I ended up ordering a large headgear strap and a large foam cushion mask replacement, for my F20. If this doesn't fix the irritation issue I'll look at going to a different model. I really do like how comfy the cushion is so hopefully a large is perfect. If not, I'll use it for 30ish days and go to a different model entirely.

I've read every single one of your replies and have saved this thread. I'll be referencing it as I make decisions over the next month or two. But I'm not going anywhere, this forum is great. Thank you all <3

[DreamerDude]

Thanks to Labromaniac for suggesting trying a larger size Airtouch cushion. I normally wear a medium cushion with the F20 and actually had tried a large Airtouch which didn't seem to help withe problem I was having. But I still have that large cushion and dug it out of the closet to try again. You never know.

[Labromaniac]

Cool, let us know.

[SavvApnea]

Last night was my first night with a large cushion and a large headgear. The large headgear is amazing and a perfect fit. It's definitely what I needed. Unfortunately the large mask is a no-go for me. Lying on my back, if I keep my head pointed at the ceiling, it fits okay. But if I tilt my head left or right on my pillow, it breaks the mask seal. I've been using my CPAP long enough I can tell it's a fitment issue not a new mask issue. And it still left a mark on the bridge of my nose.

I have no regrets and the money spent was worth it to know for sure if a large would work! But I'm going to try a different model entirely. I'll read back through the comments and consider all suggestions.

[cberistain]

>>Another thing to consider is that your machine has a setting for the different mask types (P/N/F).  If you switch from a Full Face to a Nasal you should change the setting appropriately on the machine<<

question:  how does this setting impact how the machine performs and the results?
I frequently change from nasal to  face and try to change the machine settings each time.

[jerrydaw]

I used the F20 for years. Great mask, but I always awaken in the morning with a red whelp on the bridge of my nose. I tried gel pads, etc. Nothing worked. I finally tried the F30 mask. It worked better than the F30 insofar as irritations. However, even on F30, i get a slight irritation from the mask top strap where it runs across the top of my ears. It also leaks a lot. But despite the leaks, my AHI's are 2.0 per hour or less. Seems there is no perfect mask. All in all, i have found one no better than the F30.

[SavvApnea]

I used the F20 for years.  Great mask, but I always awaken in the morning with a red whelp on the bridge of my nose.  I tried gel pads, etc.  Nothing worked.  I finally tried the F30 mask.  It worked better than the F30 insofar as irritations.  However, even on F30, i get a slight irritation from the mask top strap where it runs across the top of my ears.  It also leaks a lot.  But despite the leaks, my AHI's are 2.0 per hour or less.  Seems there is no perfect mask.  All in all, i have found one no better than the F30.

Shoot... yeah that's exactly what happens to me, even with the foam mask, to my nose every morning. It takes hours to mostly go away and subtly stays there 24/7. My AHI's stay under 1/hr with the F20 at least.

If you don't mind replying when you have the time: where does the leak occur in your specific situation?

Maybe one day we can just sleep in a pressurized full-body pod and eliminate masks haha

[DreamerDude]

I normally wear a medium Airfit F20 and get the red beak too. When I tried a medium Airtouch, it seemed to clamp down on the sides of my nose so I couldn't breath. So last night I tried (retried actually) a large in the Airtouch with standard headgear. It feels huge but was nice and comfortable. Unfortunately, I still got a red beak and had some leaks. My AHI wasn't great at 3.2, but I've been fighting with my AHI for the last couple of months or so anyway. I did sleep better though. I'll keep trying to tweak it to see what happens.

I think going with an under the nose FFM would be the way to go if I can get it to work for me. I've tried all the ResMed and Phillips models without success and now I'm trying to get the F&P Evora Full dialed in. I get a great seal, but for some reason I get a terribly itchy nose with it which is nearly impossible to scratch at night without breaking the seal and screwing the whole thing up.

[SleepinAZ]

I have an F20 along with several different masks I bought, or was given by my DME provider while trying to find something that worked and didn't drive me crazy, or leak. I had the same experience with the F20 digging into my bridge. As a result I could only use it for a night or two and then had to take a break. I tried a large cushion in both the AirFit and AirTouch, however the large was too big for me (leaks) and sat further up on my bridge. I might suggest the F & P Vitera as it seems to sit just below the bridge and has more cushion as part of their "role-fit design" Otherwise as others have suggested an under the nose FFM, the F30, or the new F & P Evora full face which has become my go to FFM when I need a break from my everyday P-10 set up.