New F&P Evora Full Face Mask--Leaks!

[DaveL]

I bought a new F&P Evora Full.
From my wonderful DME Supplier in Burlington ON.  

Wore it all night

Most leaks were small!

Wonderful news for me.

No tape on my lips.
No soft cervical collar (comments would be wonderful.)

Great news.

DaveL

[DaveL]

I saw your chart.  I think you need to play with the mask adjustments.   Several members have stated that they need to keep the top straps very loose and adjust the lower straps.  I'm an old F&P user (Simplus, Vitera, Brevida, and now Evora FFM) and the loose top straps seems to be one of their design signatures.   A trick I use is to get maximum sealing is to allow the CPAP to achieve full pressure and then slightly pull the mask away from my face to allow the seal to fully inflate.  After full inflation, I gently release the mask, slightly oscillating it to allow it to self-center on my face.

A sidenote; I have tried the F30 previously, and the Evora FFM requires about half the strap tension to obtain a good seal. . . No sore nose!

I hope this may help you.

- Red

Red it helps more than you know. I guess I had to prove it to myself.

Took a long time.

The F&P Evora Full--first mask didn't suit me.  That's where all the posts come from. Second mask does suit me.  Paid $350 CDN for a second one on Thursday two days ago.  They set it up (tighter than you would appreciate)  I move a lot when I sleep.

Conclusion: wonderful mask. Wonderful fit.  I'm very happy!

DaveL

[Bluesv6]

I bought the Evora.mask a few weeks ago. The silicone very tacky , got amazing seal and then lost its tackyness . Unsure if the soap I used ? But wanted to mention.

The exhalation port sucks and usally wakes my wife up especially when she's nice enough to cover me up. So switched back to the F20 this week

[DaveL]

There isn’t a perfect mask!

I don’t wash my masks

I have finally bought mask wipes. Noise?  I’m hard of hearing

When I tried the new mask At my DME I Sid it was noisier. I had my hearing aidsin!

I move badly when I sleep. It was Dog or me. I’m in the guest room!

Have you tried mask wipes?  Baby wipes?

[DaveL]

I have 2 F&P Evora Full full face masks.

Second one -- the new one -- was gold when I started. Concern. my DME supplier/fitter has it set very tight. First two nights were wonderful; except for nose discomfort. I tried adjusting it loose and AHI was 8.4 on apap. So I've set it back where the DME fitter set it. Her suggestion is that it's necessary because I move a lot and the mask leaks a lot. Last night was about 2.2 Woke up to mask strap marks and a sore nose. (Another fitter in another DME shop had adjusted it loose; that didn't work.
One night I used the F&P Evora Full and used my Knightsbridge Dual Cap chinstrap over it as suggested by the DME fitter. That was the 8.4 night.
Observation--It's not easy.

[Columbiabill]

DaveL.

I have been trying to wear this damn mask for in excess of 3 months. I go one day perfect then 2 days are disgusting with leaks. Then I have to go back to the Remed F20 FFM to get rid of the headaches and fogginess.   Then I try it again with every bit of determination that I can conjure up and it just repeats the situation......1 day very good then a couple dreadful.

I did a post in the mask review forum a month or so ago and there is also a 14 page post on this page with all the ins and outs that have arisen so far. I agree the mask can be so comfy and so minimally intrusive but it you move at all, the seal breaks. My pressure is low, 11.6

Issues I have are:

1. Retaining a seal
   
2. Makes the skin at the bottom of my nose between the nostrils rather tender
   
3. When I first wear it I get the urge to sniff because i feel even the largest size mask pushes on the side of my nose and closes the nostrils a bit
   
4. I feel the mask size overall is not wide enough, that being the whole frame, as such if its not perfectly loc ated i get leakage from the side or on two occasions I have woken up chewing the bottom of the mask. 
   

I certainly agree the top straps can be loose because if they have tension on them i found it increased the pressure on the nose and made them a bit more tender.

The mask is almost perfect, but just not enough for me to keep trying it. I now recall how crappy I felt when i was not on cpap and in all honesty, it scares me to death. As much as i hate the Resmed F20 it does work for me so i will keep using it. AT $200 a pop i really cant afford to be buying masks that dont work.

I hope that you can resolve your issues and will follow this post with great interest.

I have to use a chin strap with any type of FFM due to jaw drop and the breaking of the seal at the corner of the mouth.  I agree on your assessment with this mask, that it would be better if the mask was a little wider at the bottom corners.  If I use this mask with my KB chin strap I end up with an overall leak rate below 18 on average.  I have nights where I am at a low of 5 and a high of 18.  I used to average 10-13 with a nasal or pillow mask but that ended up changing on me all of a sudden to the mid to high 20's every night over the summer for several months.  I probably keep the lower straps a little looser than what they should be set at but if I tighten them to keep my leak rate below 10 my jaw and teeth hurt so I am going to take comfort over that.  Just my 2 cents on the mask.

[Columbiabill]

Dave, I know this is an old post but I had to use a KB chin strap with my Evora FFM to limit leaks.  I try to keep my leak rate below 18 on average.  If I crank the lower straps tight where I can slip 1 finger under them I can get a leak rate below 8.  I prefer to fingers below the lower strap so I end up with a little higher of a leak rate but more comfort.  Due to severe jaw drop I have to use a chin strap or the seal will break at the corners of my mouth.  I hope they design a wider cushion one day, but overall this is the most comfortable full face mask that I have ever used.

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

I am very thankful for this thread! I was struggling for the past few months with bad sleep increasing due largely to leaks using nasal pillows (after almost 5 years of daily use with no issues), even with a soft cervical collar. Tried everything from replacing the entire mask and headgear, hose, and water chamber. Still no improvement.

I read this thread and decided to give the Evora a try. So far so good. Three weeks into using it and after watching a few YouTube fitting and adjusting videos (LankyLefty27 had the best I think), no leaks and much improved sleep. I know it does not work for everyone, but this thread has been most helpful for me even though it is not consistent for DaveL and others.

Keep trying! You will find what works for you. At least for a while 

[DaveL]

@Columbiabill

Knightsbridge Dual Band....
I started with amazing results with the first 2 I bought.
Later I had real issues with the cap slipping forward over my eye, and even had jaw pain because I did it up too tight.  I think it's significant that one of my Large caps is larger than the other.
I bought a third.  I bought he new cheap version. I don't like it as well. My fault.

Hindsight?  the issue is *I think* the velcro on the back that allows me to adjust the fit at the back of my skull.

Frankly I've had better luck with a soft cervical collar. I thank the people here who suggest that.

DL

[DaveL]

@Columbiabill


"Dave, I know this is an old post but I had to use a KB chin strap with my Evora FFM to limit leaks.  I try to keep my leak rate below 18 on average.  If I crank the lower straps tight where I can slip 1 finger under them I can get a leak rate below 8.  I prefer to fingers below the lower strap so I end up with a little higher of a leak rate but more comfort.  Due to severe jaw drop I have to use a chin strap or the seal will break at the corners of my mouth.  I hope they design a wider cushion one day, but overall this is the most comfortable full face mask that I have ever used."

I have a bunch of chinstraps.
* CPAP cap  slips over my eyes. I hate it when that happens.
* 3 Knightsbridge Dual Band Caps (see note above)
* Some that worked, but aren't sold anymore.
* Some that never worked. That pile keeps growing.

Larry is designer / owner of KDB.  His instructions were not always helpful. I bought the first two from him. The cost was very very high when they landed at my door. I even paid duty.  But then I had to buy a larger nasal mask to fit over the cap. $300 CDN and tax. My attitude changed....
He now says wearing his cap over or under the cap is ok.  

I really like the quality of the F&P Evora Full full face mask. I don't like the leaks when they happen.

My routine now is to:

* put on the mask without hose
* attach the hose and do a mask fit test. (Every time I do that I remember the person here who suggested that. Great respect!)

There is a guide to fitting masks on this site.
* make sure that you make little tiny changes in length. Shorten a little bit; or, lengthen a little bit.  Like 1/8th of an inch.

That saved me recently and that's how I figured out my current settings.

I'm using my F&P Evora Full every night now.  Halleluiah!

DL