Mask Trial Periods

[FozzyDaBear]

Hi, I'm new to the cpap world and have just been on therapy for 2 weeks. I'm conflicted about the best type of mask for me. I like full face masks in that it seems to minimize the exhaling pressure and I don't have to worry about my mouth so much. However, I don't like the size of it (Airfit F20) being on my face. I like to sleep on my side and feel the mask gets in the way. It also feels like I have an alien sucking on my face.

I've tried a nasal mask one night and two different nasal pillows one night each (Dreamware and Airfit P10). I like the minimalist feel to the nasal pillows but the thing I don't like is the feeling of having an air pressure relief value at the back of my mouth ready to go off at a moments. Occasionally I'll open my mouth and the rush of air will come out. Even with my mouth closed I'll still sometimes have a little leak come out.

Basically each mask has their own pluses and minuses and they're each different. I know everybody is different but curious if there is a recommended time frame to try a mask before deciding if you should move on to another one? I feel like I'm a single guy asking people if/when they knew their mask was "the one"? 

Thanks!

[Gideon]

Welcome to the Apnea Board.

First read the Mask Primer, there is a ton of info in there.

Many, many years ago I started with a Full Face Mask,  Then I went to a nasal mask (Mirage Activa) for a lot of years, it litterally floats on your face.  I would on occasion open my mouth and I could not turn off the flow of air out my mouth.  To correct I would shutdown my CPAP and restart, the few times that didn't work I'd go back to my FFM and use it for a night or 2.  That always fixed it.

Side sleeping, on occasion I do that, I use a plain pillow and make sure the mask hangs out over the edge.  There are different materials that pillows are stuffed with to facilitate CPAP use, There are even CPAP specific pillows with cutouts for side sleeping CPAP users.

My mask of choice is the P10 now.

A nasal mask isn't for everyone, but my suggestion is to try the smallest, least intrusive masks first, pillows, than nasal masks and finally the full face masks.

It is much easier to say what is going on if you can post SleepyHead daily charts.

Fred

[FozzyDaBear]

Thanks, I did read the mask primer which why I'm used the P10 last night. I started off with the FFM but decided to give the nasal pillows a shot. Last night with the P10 was the greatest but going to give it some time.

[FozzyDaBear]

The mask primer was great and it's what convinced me to give the nasal pillows a further try when I read it last week. I'm still a forum newbie and can't upload my sleepyhead yet. Said I have have 4 posts first.

[trish6hundred]

Hi FozzyDaBear,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Good luck with CPAP therapy, and also with finding a mask that you really like, hang in there for more responses to your post.

[Gideon]

The mask primer was great and it's what convinced me to give the nasal pillows a further try when I read it last week. I'm still a forum newbie and can't upload my sleepyhead yet. Said I have have 4 posts first.

When you change from "New Member" to "Member" is when you copy and paste that IMGUR link
In the meantime just add a space "htt p://IMGUR.com/xxxxxxx.png"

Fred