Large Leaks wit Nasal Pillows

[highlandwarlord]

Hello, I was recently diagnosed with sleep apnea @~24AHI with my O2 dipping into the 60% range. I was prescribed a CPAP an have used a couple different mask. I like the Resmed Airfit P10 I have bee using. I call it the mini elephant trunk. However, it seem like I am starting to get a lot of air leak. Could it be from mouth breathing. or inadvertently having my mouth open at night?

[hydra]

I read other threads where people who had leaks changed the size of their masks and it solved the leaking.

[Sleepy Quixote]

@highlandwarlord, I'm a pillows user too, Resmed P30i. Those look like mouth leaks to me, at least mine were similar in OSCAR. Are you waking up with dry mouth? If so then that's probably it. To get my mouth leaks under control I had to go as far as using a Respironics chin-strap and mouth tape. For the mouth tape I use both cover-roll stretch tape and knesiology tape (avoid the fancy branded stuff, generic is half the price and works just as well.) I don't use both at the same time just alternate for different reasons. I have facial hair, its short cropped but still presents challenges.
 
I started with a soft travel donut neck pillow, then moved up to a soft 4" cervical collar, both helped reduce the leaking but did not resolve it, graduated to the chin strap, and finally added tape for good effect. The combo of the chin strap and tape gives me excellent results on the leak stats. Getting that leakage under control is a huge part of getting maximum therapeutic benefits. Still get chipmunk cheeks from time to time, but no more motor-boating and dry mouth. Lol what an odyssey. 

Currently working on mewing to increase tongue tone and position to reduce the ole chipmunk cheeks.

Good luck! 

There's other folks with a lot more experience than I who will drop in and give their two cents too.

[highlandwarlord]

    @Sleepy Quixote, yes I do at times wake with dry mouth. I do have a  Resmed chin strap, but I think it’s on its way out. It’s small and just doesn’t seem to do the job. I think I need a better one. Last night I turned my ramp back on and seemed to fair better. I did use my small strap, but for some reason I did not have any events, which seems odd.

[highlandwarlord]

@Sleepy Quixote, yes I do at times wake with dry mouth. I do have a  Resmed chin strap, but I think it’s on its way out. It’s small and just doesn’t seem to do the job. I think I need a better one. Last night I turned my ramp back on and seemed to fair better. I did use my small strap, but for some reason I did not have any events, which seems odd.

[Sleepy Quixote]

@highlandwarlord, congrats those leaks look much better, but still more to do. If the Respironics chin strap is too flimsy, Ruby makes a nice one. Just google Ruby Chin Strap. The next step in your journey may be... mouth tape. That was the final piece of my mouth leaking puzzle.

Back to the pillows, do you ever get air leaking around the pillows into your eyes or on the upper lip, it can be very subtle, just a cooling feeling? If so make sure those pillows are washed daily, just the part that touches your nose for the most part. The rest can be rinsed every couple of days, its the oils from your skin that compromise the seal. Makes it slickery so it slides around easily while you sleep in different positions leaking to varying degrees. Also would recommend trying all three sizes available, even if you think its too small or too big, just try em. I've used all three sizes of the P30i, started with the small, graduated to the medium, and occasionally use the large if the others aren't working. Another key to pillows is stick to the replacement cycle insurance allows, they loose their consistency after numerous wearing and washings. I stretch the wear cycle pretty significantly and just change the size requested from the DME under replacement cycle to keep the variety on hand.  

GoodLuck and keep at it!