[CPAP] Starting Bleep (Dreamports) and need help!

[Kathy14225]

    I've been using the Bleep Dreamports for a week now and still haven't been able to connect properly and not have leaks. It's very loud! I have watched the videos over and over and practiced during the day with the QR ports both on and off my nose. The air is blowing from the middle so it must be one of the clips? The adhesive is very tight. Or does air flow this way from the vents? The last few nights I put a cotton ball in between the ports so the air would not blow over my nose, I'm freaked out it will be blowing in my eyes all night.  I am using mouth tape which I didn't need with the nasal pillow I was using. Here is the Oscar screen from last night showing leaking all night! What can I do to make this work?!

[Deborah K.]

When you attach the ports to your nose, the elastic should slightly overlap on your septum.   Do yours overlap?  Once you have attached the ports to your nose, if you put a finger over each plastic port and blow, no air should escape.  Is that the case for you?  If not, you are not putting them on correctly.  Once you get them on correctly and attach the unit and hose, put a finger over the end of the hose and blow, holding your other hand over where the ports are connected.  No air should leak from there either.  They are a little fiddly to learn, but so worth it once you catch on.  Good luck!

[Kathy14225]

I am now getting the ports on correctly, I'm taping down the filter sling on the edges so I can't hear any air noises and I can't even tell it's on! I spoke with the inventor of the mask and his photos helped so much more than the video. I watched other videos and realized I needed the adhesives to point further up for my shaped nose. He suggested turning down the pressure by 2 so that has helped a lot with the leaks but I'm still having them mostly the last hourish of the night. Everything seems secure in the am so not sure what's going on. The bleep is suppose to have no leaks at all?

[Gideon]

Kathy,
Bring some EPR in, that should really help how you feel.

EPR=3, Fulltime.

Then we will see if you need a boost in pressure.
This will significantly help with your very high flow limitations.

[Kathy14225]

I will start with the EPR on one and see how it goes. Thank you

[AndyB]

Kathy -- I agree with Deborah's post above ["They are a little fiddly to learn, but so worth it once you catch on."] You were smart to reach out to Stuart Heatherington -- he's a good guy and incredibly responsive.

One tip, if you haven't already discovered it -- the "mask" part of the Dreamway has a top and a bottom. Be sure when you connect the mask to the ports that the convex side of the mask is up. I occasionally fail to pay attention to this and put the mask on with the concave side facing up. That mistake always results in a poor connection and leaks.

Good luck!

[Kathy14225]

So I turned the EPR to 1 and did like it with this mask. 
I think I was putting it on upside down a few nights, also not completely clicked in a few but the adhesives pointed too low was the biggest problem. I needed them a bit higher, the adhesives were coming off at the tip of my nose by morning. After not getting ports pointed down, which was not going to happened and not clicked in it would get too late and I would go back to the pillows. 
Last night was unusual in that I got up during the night. Then I thought I turned on the machine but didn't, and woke up hours later with water in the tube and the machine not on. This happened my first night of therapy and hasn't happened since so I did turn on the "smart on" this morning just in case it happens again. I truly can't tell it's on! 
Second half of the night I used the nasal pillows.
The events are very typical, I toss and turn 1-1.5 hrs before I wake up and have leakage and centrals. I'm using a cervical collar now and don't mind some leaking but with tossing and turning instead of staying on my back it doesn't work like tape would. Trying to avoid the tape. 
So how do I get rid of the centrals at the end? Not happening as much with Bleep but events are up slightly. Maybe due to lower pressure? Also flow limit didn't go down with the EPR at 1, does it really matter? Going to 2 I might have to raise the pressure a bit?
Oscar graph last night and random Aug. night

[jagmone]

Get the Eclipse; a much better device.

[Kathy14225]

I ordered the Eclipse weeks ago and having problems between doc and new supplier. I call every other day! Will I be putting the halos on the exact same way? I finally got the positioning right, I was pointing them to low so hoping I won't have any problems with the Eclipse, or an adjustment period again?

[AndyB]

As the saying goes, “your mileage may vary”. I’ve tried the eclipse and find it significantly less comfortable than the dreamports. I think it’s because my nostril openings slant backwards from my septum, thereby causing the flat halos of the eclipse to pull the outside edges of the nostrils forward. The result is an uncomfortable twisting of the halos as they try to sit flat against the relatively inflexible mask interface of the eclipse.

Obviously the eclipse works better than the dreamports for some people. However, for others the dreamports are a better solution.