AirFit F30i Mask Problem

[OldTeacher]

I’ve been on cpap therapy for nearly 7 years with some success. I’ve used the AmarView full face mask most of that time. When I got a new machine recently (AirSense 11 Auto), I saw another full face mask, the AirFit F30i, while at the DME place and asked about it. I tried it on and the tech told me to take it home and try it. I like it a lot, but I’ve run into one big problem. Every so often I wake up with a suffocating feeling and can’t get air. It’s as if someone is pinching my nostrils together making it impossible to breathe through my nose. Sometimes I’ll spend as much as a half hour trying to fix the situation, including turning the machine off and on several times. It usually resolves itself, although I’ve begun keeping the AmaraView mask on hand to switch over so I don’t lose an entire night’s sleep trying to fix the AirFit F30i. I hate to give up on it and go back to the AmaraView mask, but I’m getting discouraged about this problem. Can anyone shed some light on what might be the trouble?

[OldTeacher]

Ok, no replies to my post. Maybe I’m the only person using the AirFit F30i who is having this problem. It continues to happen every night about four hours into putting the mask on for the night. I am now wondering if there might be a problem with the anti-asphyxia valves on either side of the mask. Each night that I take the time to try to fix it to use the mask again when I go back to bed (as opposed to just switching to my back up mask—the Amaraview), I turn the machine off, go to the bathroom and start fiddling with the mask and the valves. Usually when I finish this and the machine has had a chance to settle down, I hook the mask back up and it works fine until I wake in the morning. I’m getting a shipment of supplies from my DEM in the next few days, so I’ll switch out everything and see if a new mask makes any difference. This one came from my brick and mortar DME store from what looked like a box filled with surplus equipment, so I’m not sure if it had had any use and might have been damaged. 
In the meantime, if you have any insights into my problem that I haven’t covered here, I would appreciate a reply.

[Danno75]

Following!

[OldTeacher]

Danno, have you had this problem with your Airfit F30i? What are your other impressions of the mask?

[Danno75]

I'm having an issue with intake airflow. I feel like I'm not getting enough air when I breathe in. I've only had it one day so I'm sure I'll find other issues as I go along but my only issue so far is getting enough air when I'm trying to go to sleep. Of course I do get that same feeling of suffocating when this happens but if I give a good suck on the nose pad I can get enough air. I'm hoping that just moving around some of the ipap and epap numbers might help.

I've only been on CPAP for 8 weeks so this is still all new for me. My F20 works OK but so many nights it starts leaking and moving around in bed causes issues. I've never been able to keep a mask on the entire night so I don't feel like it's helping that much.

[corgan115]

The F30i was a no go for me. My nose seemed to fit right between two sizes of nasal cushion size. The "correct" size felt like it was pinching my nostrils shut. Sizing up alleviated that but resulted in leaks.

Sadly my fix was to give up and use a different mask.

[Bluesv6]

I have the same with a nasal mask or ffm , my sinuses get blocked and I can't breathe through my nose.  The nasal mask and chin strap . It's like someone pinched my nose. So nasal pillow it is for me

[Danno75]

I think I solved my problem with adjusting the head piece a little. But I also think it's going to be an ongoing daily headgear adjustment. But I do like the way I sleep as compared to the F20 I've been using for 6 weeks.

---

I can see that may be a problem for me some day too so I'm keeping my F20 close by in the event I catch a cold or have some allergy reaction to something.

[OldTeacher]

You know, in the seven years I’ve been on CPap therapy, I’ve probably used five or six different masks. The ones I like the most for nightly comfort and good numbers are the nasal pillows that my nose sits on. The problem with those is I get these horrendous nasal congestions that last the entire day after I use the mask. I have even had to take over the counter allergy decongestant medication to relieve the symptoms. So, while the Cpap therapy with them is great, I just can’t tolerate the aftermath. For most of the time I’ve been on Cpap therapy, I’ve used the AmaraView full face mask, which works pretty well. As the masks age, they leak more, but I get more than enough replacement supply from my DME, so that isn’t a problem. I just find them awfully constraining. Not quite claustrophobic, but close to it. So that leaves the F30i, which is the one I’m trying my hardest to get to work. I continue to have this problem with my nasal intake being blocked. And this doesn’t happen from the time I turn the machine on at night. It’s always several hours into the start of the night. I do a variety of things to try to get it to stop, none of which I have a clue is working. After five minutes or so, it just seems to go away. Of course, by then I’m wide awake. Like many posters on this site, I’m really tired of fighting the therapy. The first thing my cardiologist asks me at every visit is, “Are you using your Cpap machine EVERY night?” I assure him I haven’t missed a night in the nearly seven years I’ve been on the therapy. In fact, I literally can’t sleep without it. It would just be nice to feel that my Cpap machine is once and for all working WITH me and not AGAINST me.

[B1Sailor]

I went from the F30 to the F30i. I don't have the problem you have. What is you pressure settings?
I like the F30 for being able to put my glasses on while using. 
Both have problems with leaks. The F30 is much worse. The F30i is the newer design and is better.
My APAP usually runs around 10. I find with the F30s, I have to have the mask much tighter than I am used to.

I have been on CPAP for many years and my old setup was using Respronics Optilife Nasal Pillows. 
It has been discontinued. It had a built in chin strap I believe worked well. 
I would like to hear if anyone knows of a mask close to that design.

I had Nasal Polyp surgery. So my Dr is currently having me use the full mask which is why I chose the F30s.
I still have my old Nasal Pillows and doing well with it. I have to have him relax my prescription. 


So I don't get any lack of air. Sounds like the bridge between nostrils is not placing correctly. You may need a different size.
I am just stretching my straps more than I want to get low leaks.