Mask air leak

[DaveL]

I'm back to using my AirFit F30 FFM. For the last two nights, my leaks have been 2 L/min. I have to believe the air leaks have to do with the headgear straps not being just right. 

I did tighten them up a bit last night. I'm going to do a bit more adjusting tonight. My AirFit F20 does fine by me. But, it's a bit obtrusive and can be claustrophobic at times. 

Never in my life would I have ever thought that I'd be messing around trying to get a face mask just right when I sleep at night. 

Been there. With nasal pillows masks I found myself waking up to check for leakage...

that's why i've switched to nasal masks. 

I finally found a new sleep doc and had a sleep study, about 8 months ago.  He said my pressure could be kept at 11 as it had been for a long, long time. He increased it to 13 so that I would have more curative sleep.

I was thinking of one of your posts last night. I thought I would pass this on.

[Big Guy]

Been pretty good at bringing my mask leakage back down substantially on my F30 AirFit. I'm now down to like 1-2 L/min. 

Tightening up the head gear straps worked. 

[Sleepster]

Tightening up the head gear straps worked. 

Yes, it is amazing how much of a difference it makes. I often make small adjustments of just a quarter inch or so at a time. I find that the mask straps lose their elasticity as they age, and they have to be tightened just a bit to compensate for this.

[theoak]

I really liked the AirFit F30.. That QuietElbow is ... well ... quiet. I just kept wrestling with the hose.

Hence my journey to the top of the head style masks which has improved the quality of my sleep.

Currently with the P30i. I have little spikes of leaks that last for maybe 5-10 seconds. I think that is me just rolling over, bearing my head in the pillow, or the like and seem to resolve themselves once I finish moving. The leaks, that I am aware of at least, do not wake me up. If it was not for OSCAR I would not know I had them. My AHI has been in the 1 to 2.5 range - once I started taping - just like my F30. I'll hang on to my F30 though as a backup in case the P30i goes south in some way.

[snorybob]

I really liked the AirFit F30.. That QuietElbow is ... well ... quiet.  I just kept wrestling with the hose.

Hence my journey to the top of the head style masks which has improved the quality of my sleep.

Currently with the P30i.  I have little spikes of leaks that last for maybe 5-10 seconds.  I think that is me just rolling over, bearing my head in the pillow, or the like and seem to resolve themselves once I finish moving.  The leaks, that I am aware of at least, do not wake me up.  If it was not for OSCAR I would not know I had them.  My AHI has been in the 1 to 2.5 range - once I started taping - just like my F30.  I'll hang on to my F30 though as a backup in case the P30i goes south in some way.

Have you ever thought to try the Hose Buddy?  (amazon -cpap hose holder)


                  sb.

[Hydrangea]

Have you ever asked a technician at your DME if they've worn a mask?  With a machine running?  Should be a requirement before they help us.

I have asked every single technician and doctor I've chatted with (both in person and by phone) if they've ever 1) had a sleep study, 2) tried a CPAP, or if they are a CPAPer.  The answers have been pitiful.

One of my sleep study techs told me his company requires the techs to do a sleep study annually, to keep them sympathetic toward the process. I thought that was nice.  He was the most caring person I've come across on this journey. 

Other than that, a couple techs have told me they've tried a couple masks (with the machine on).  But for the most part, almost all the techs (and also my original sleep "doctor"), have only head knowledge about it all, and lack any personal experience.

Surprisingly, my PCM became an ally because he had recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea.  (He was the most awake I'd seen him in years. So his machine must be working!)

[DaveL]

My experience has been that when I start to feel badly after sleeping that the mask is the cause. Usually it's leakage. Leakage has been caused by wear and tear and use. the mask cushion doesn't seal. I've always replaced the mask entirely; i've never replaced the cushion alone.
Once I've replaced the mask it takes a while to feel better. I don't notice that I feel better right away. YMMV>
I've only missed one night's cpap in over 30 years. I stayed awake that night because I couldn't plug in....

When I replace my masks they look ok. When I look really closely, the head gear is stretched. Every time. And the cushion on the mask is intact, but doesn't have the flexibility that the new one has.

Kind of like running shoes. Run a lot; replace the shoes. You'll feel better for it.

(edit: the reason I asked the question is because I feel strongly that support staff and sleep docs don't understand the problems we face. Look how high the failure rate is...people that refuse to use cpap. Look at posts here to see that we real patients have to turn to each other for solutions.)

[Big Guy]

I'm still experiencing hit & miss success with my AirFit F30 FFM. Compared to my AirFit F20, the F30 isn't nearly as robust. It's much more flexible and it seems to shift around more on my face. 

I'm still going to work with it and try my best to get it figured out. But, I think the next time I'm due new equipment, I'm gonna tell my DME supplier that I want to go back to the AirFit F20 mask. 

I can put that sucker on and know that it's going to do well thru out the whole night.

[DaveL]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it...

(I modified the headgear on a Dreamwear mask, adding a velcro strap at base of my skull. Before that the Dreamwear used to move so much I used to wake up frequently just to check for leaks.)