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Hi, new to all this, diagnosed with severe sleep apnea a month or two back (47). Things have not been going well. But then I'm dealing with a torn meniscal root at the same time and in pain. It's like...too much all at once, you know??
I don't even understand why they call the f30i a full face mask. But even more than that, I don't understand *precisely* how it is supposed to interface with the bottom of my nose!! The manual and everything I have found online just say it "sits under the nose." Yeah, that's really vague. Flat up against the bottom of the nose, or what? Should it be 1/4" away? What if the nose holes on the mask don't line up with your nostrils?
Because what wakes me up time after time is not being able to catch a breath. And the reason is that the mask has suctioned onto the bottom of my nose, coveriong my nostrils, and so I just cannot breathe. It's crazy-making. This is my 4th mask. I really thought this one would be better and at least I can see over it to read!
But I really don't understand how this is supposed to sit or fit or whatever you call it. When I turn the machine on, if the mask is kinda close under my nose, it sucks up all the air with a thwack as it bonds to the bottom of my nose and I have to peel it off some so I can breathe. Is anyone else experiencing this and/or does anyone have any suggestions? Please please please!
So far, I have to say that I find it SO much less stressful to sleep without the CPAP!!!! Cat
You likely have the wrong pressure settings and/or mask. Not every mask works for everyone. It sounds like your sleep doctor left you on your own to figure things out. Unfortunately that is all too common.
The machine/mask will not “suck up all the air”. It is blowing the air which closes the exhaust valve in the mask.That is the sound you hear.
If you want help please download OSCAR and post some charts. The links in my signature explain how to do that.
In the meantime, if you are not a mouth breather get a nasal pillow like the ResMed P10 to try. If you do mouth breath and are not happy with the P30i, there are other make/model options.
The F30i mask is supposed to fit snugly right up against your nose so that air can't leak out around it - so basically yes, it should be "suctioning" to the bottom of your nose. If the holes in the nasal piece don't line up with your nostrils, you might need a different size. The air should be going from the mask through those holes into your nostrils.
One thing that helped me with the F30i was to use the ramp feature for 5 minutes (I use a fixed pressure), so the pressure started out low for a few minutes when I first started the machine and it was (or seemed) easier to breathe, and I could adjust the mask if it didn't seem like it was fitting right. By the time the ramp period finished, I didn't really notice the increased pressure.
I don't use that mask anymore - partly because I had leaking issues, and partly because I didn't like the strong air flow from the mask exhaust vents and how noisy the whole setup was. I've given up on the "i" series masks and am using the F20 right now. But I have considered trying the regular F30 when I'm eligible for a new mask, since I can't wear my glasses with the F20. I thought the hose-on-top masks would be better since I roll around a lot, but the F20 has a 360-degree swivel on the mask connection, and that seems to work just as well (I use a hose hanger to keep the hose up and out of the way). I'm pretty sure the F30 has that as well. Plus the F20 and F30 use the QuietAir elbow, and it's VERY quiet - the only noise I hear is from the machine, not from the mask or hose.
I completely sympathize with your pain issues! I had a partial meniscectomy 6 months before I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, which had helped somewhat with my pain but still left me with a lot of discomfort and swelling. I also have shoulder pain from rotator cuff issues and chronic tailbone pain - so trying to deal with all of that even without the CPAP is bad enough, and the CPAP definitely just adds to the stress and sleep loss. After 3 months of CPAP and 5 masks, I'm finally doing a little better, though I still can't say I sleep better with it than without it - it's probably a toss-up. But my O2 levels are better with it, which is the whole point.
What masks have you tried? We all have different face shapes, pressure settings, sleep positions, tolerance for noise, etc., and it's a challenge to find one that works for us as an individual (and to find the right size). I found that I had to use a full face mask, and it was my 3rd of those (the F20) that got me to turn the corner. The quietness has made the most difference in letting me sleep, as well as not having any strong air vents either from the mask itself or from the hose connections on the top-of-the-head masks (not to mention the air in the tubes running along your head).
Hi and many thanks to both of you for your advice and encouragement!
I think I am a mouth breather and that is why I've been trying the fuller-face models but at this point am willing to try the nasal for sure. I've tried the F20 and one before that I've forgotten and now am on F30i. Now that I know how it is supposed to fit, thanks to you, it went a little better last night? I think? Only I woke up with a really bad headache and my top front teeth were killing me from grinding. I haven't done ground my teeth in years, only very rarely when under a great amount of stress. I do like the ponytail-on-top-of-the-head style of this F30i. I flip from side to side all night long. My sleep study report showed that I really do move a lot.
I've always felt like I can't breathe well through my nose at night? I have allergies for sure so I figured that was why, but of course I don't actually know. But I'm williing to try anything. I'm pretty miserable. I kinda dread going to sleep and feel that I sleep much better when not using the cpap. I hope this changes eventually.
The only reason I really did the sleep study was because my daughters were always remarking on the loudness of my snoring. But honestly, I felt that I was sleeping really well for the first time in my life, these past few years. Only I guess medically speaking, I wasn't. I'm supposedly in the severe category, but no hypopneas, only apneas, if that makes any difference (I guess it doesn't, because everyone seems to treat them the same?).
The dr initially had pressure set at 10-20. I messaged the nurse and said it was blasting me in the face so hard I couldn't catch my breath. I think that was on the F20. So they changed it to 5-20, which is where it's at now. Makes no sense to me, or at least it's not intuitive, to adjust the low end of the pressure when it's high pressure someone is talking about.
Hope that all makes sense. I did my screenshot from last night and will attach. I was wondering if it might make sense to look at a weekly or some other view, like more than one night. Or do you have to post each night separately? Thanks again and I look forward to any further advice from anyone!!! Cat
The issue with our initial reaction to the air pressure from the CPAP is based on not being used to it. The pressure is not enough to blow up a balloon. When we are new to CPAP we have the natural instinct to fight the machine, but the machine will always win. Once we allow ourselves to relax and breathe with the machine, it quickly becomes much more comfortable.
Onto your chart, basically you need more pressure. Try the following settings:
Min pressure 8
Max pressure 12
EPR 3 full-time
No ramp
That should be more comfortable and help with the pressure swings.
01-12-2024, 10:39 AM (This post was last modified: 01-12-2024, 10:46 AM by DancesWithCats.)
RE: New CPAP User - f30i Mask Troubles
The f30i is a full face mask because it covers both nose and mouth. It's a "hybrid" because it does that without going over your nose, which (for me) was a big deal, as the mask that did that gave me severe pain in my sinuses at any adjustment of the straps where it wasn't leaking excessively. So I've been using one for over 2 years.
If the holes in the nose section don't match the holes in your nose, it's either not seated correctly, (pulled to one side) or not the right face-piece for your face, though you can carefully trim them larger. No one mask is right for everyone.
A counterintuitive common problem for new users is overtightening mask straps - beware of that. Without the machine on, the mask doesn't or shouldn't feel particularly sealed because what makes the seal is the thin, flexible part of the mask getting inflated by the machine. Cranking down on them can cause discomfort, or may relate to your "stress-induced teeth grinding." There's a long and detailed mask fitment article on the board. Tips from there that might not be obvious other than light pressure are to clean your face and the mask so that there's some grip at the skin interface, and carefully adjusting straps for symmetry to limit having it pull to one side.
As for "adjusting the low end of the pressure when it's the high end you're complaining about": Your machine is an APAP, in APAP mode, and the first A is for "Automatic" - the minimum setting sets the low end of where it will run, and it will only apply as much pressure towards the high setting as is needed according to its analysis. A higher "low" setting is going to keep the pressure higher by default, a lower low setting will use lower pressure until it detects an event and raises the pressure to compensate.
Not sure whether to start a new post or what so for now I'm replying to my original thread.
I'm still pretty miserable at night. I did switch recently to a nasal mask, first time I've tried that. Kinda worried about mouth breathing. Anyway, it's the Dreamwear under-the-nose mask. Pretty minimalistic, which I definitely do like.
i feel like it's the same thing always waking me up on and off all night long--I just feel like I can't get a good, deep breath. I'm really struggling. Before I'm actually asleep and while still reading, I sometimes just need a big ol' yawn. So I have to temporarily divert the air away from my nose so I can get the really deep yawn that I crave.
Once the breathing issue wakes me up a certain number of times, I just want to SLEEP and so I take it off. i'm pretty tired in the mornings
This mask just came Friday and I had the best results by far with it that night, so that is the data I am showing.
I'm not used to looking at this Oscar info. Anyone see anything "off" or have any suggestions for improving my sleep?
Thanks for any help. Trying to hang in there!! --Cat
