[Product Review] F&P Brevida

[PaulaO2]

Sonicboom, since your post (and the answers) did not relate to a review, I moved the posts to their own thread in the Main Forum. You can find them here:
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...-P-Brevida

[stephen D]

Its a good mask. However I do find it hot causing perspiration in and around the sealing area. I swap between it and the p10 a bit...

[Sheepish]

I've been trying out this mask for the past 10 days or so. Here are some observations.

Pros:

• At the top of the list has to be that it has a diffuser that essentially eliminates that blast from the exhalation port that most masks still have which will indispose your better half and make you shelve otherwise good masks such as the Dreamwear due to complaints. The P10 also has a diffuser, but this one is easily removable and washable.
  
• It wraps around your nose quite comfortably and its soft "butterfly wings" nosepiece helps keep it in place laterally, so it doesn't slide side to side while sleeping. In fact, combined with the headgear, it stays in place quite well all through the night even if you're a side sleeper, and/or toss and turn.
  
• Speaking of the headgear, it's more adjustable than the minimal P10 headgear while remaining just about as light and unobtrusive. There are adjustable velcro straps on the side, complemented by a subtle notch system to keep the adjustment in place, and the back transitions into a classic stretchy split double strap. The headgear is also easily removable with simple intuitive clips.
  
• It has a ball and socket swivel joint up front connected to the smaller hose it comes with to facilitate movement, though as with all front hose masks it still requires manually repositioning the hose(s) when you turn over, unless you have some sort of hose caddy or hook. Only the Dreamwear, with its headtop hose connection, frees you from this more.
  
• It's very soft and light, and because of its wrap-around design and adjustable heargear, it can be worn looser than other masks, cutting down on headgear crease marks, while still staying in place all night. However, the wrap-around design doesn't feel too obtrusive because it's so loose and light. It's not quite as light as the P10, but can be worn looser than the P10 and still stay in place.
  
• It has a quick release disconnect, always convenient for that midnight dash for a, well, quick release.  
  

Cons:

• The first couple of nights I actually had to take it off and use another mask because the nasal pillows don't just rest on the rims of your nostrils, like the P10 or the Nuance pro, but also enter slightly into your nostrils. The first night was quite uncomfortable with the small/medium default pillows irritating the inside of my left nostril, and after a couple of hours and a dab of Lansinoh, I resorted to the Dreamwear cushion, which has much less nares contact, for the remainder of the night. Wife woke up complaining of the cold air blast on her shoulder, though. The second night I switched out for the medium/large pillows, which was much better -- and provided a better airflow -- but the irritation inside the left nostril was still there from the previous night and I had to switch out for another mask after a couple of hours and another dab of Lansinoh. The third night I got smart and applied a prophylactic dab of Lansinoh about a half an hour before bedtime, and things went OK with the Brevida that night and following nights. After a couple of nights, no more Lansinoh was used and it went well thereafter. Until last night: the irritation came back, so more Lansinoh and back to the Dreamwear. Tonight I'll try some preventative Lansinoh before bedtime and see how that goes. To be fair, the reason I had Lansinoh on hand in the first place was that I've experienced  nasal irritation before with all the nasal pillow/cushion masks I've tried before, even the Dreamwear. That's why I still keep my Pico nasal mask in the lineup, since it's the only one that makes no contact whatsoever with the nostrils, although it is bulkier and obtrusive.
  
• There is a slightly noticeable (by me, anyway) Darth Vader breathing sound when inhaling, somewhat like on the BMC Fealite. Maybe because of how quiet the exhalation port diffuser makes it, I notice it more. Also, because it can be worn so loose, I occasionally hear what sounds like leaking if it's a bit angled up or down too much, but Sleepyhead indicates no leakage beyond what it does for any of my other masks, even slightly better. Go figure.
  
• In winter, I don't feel the "butterfly wing" design makes my nose too hot or sweaty, as others have remarked, and I've even discontinued using a whole room humidifier since the cozy, warm air prevents my nose from drying out like it used to without a room humidifier before CPAP; however, we'll see if I feel the same way in the summer when the weather is hot and humid.
  
• My AHI went up by about one point (from 1-2 to 2-3), though this is negligible to all but the most committed of OCDers, and might be due to my individual seasonal schedule variation.
  

Conclusion:

If I can get over the beginner's nasal irritation (in just one nostril ), this well-designed mask will henceforth be one of my two main masks, along with the P10, first and foremost because it's spouse-friendly (you don't want to chase her out of bed with a cold blast), never mind that it's a quiet, comfortable and effective mask for the guy that's wearing it. We'll see how it goes when winter gives way to spring and then transitions into summer.

[sonicboom]

Nice summary and observations. I have not had any of the nasal irritation with this mask that you have experienced (nor any with the P10s) so this might be an issue unique to you and those with nasal structures like yours. I am now on month 3 with this mask and absolutely love it.

[CZOscar]

I received my Brevida today and tried it and it feels quite comfortable and I liked the way it seals and seemed to stay in place.  Hopefully this will be another alternative/option.  I have the ResMed P10 but it irritates my nostrils and shifts and leaks when I move around while sleeping.  I also have and really like the Respironics Dreamwear cushion - very comfortable but will sometimes shift on me at night.

But I do have a question.  I have the Brevida in  M/L and tried to remove the pillow/cushion from the bracket similar to how the P10 pillows are removed.  I wanted to get familiar with removing it since I hand wash my Cushions/pillows daily - but quit trying since it was not coming off and was afraid to damage it.

Any hints on how to detach the pillow without damaging it?

Thank you and I’ll provide some feedback after a few nights trial.

[Walla Walla]

It just peels off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD_0MLd16wY

[CZOscar]

It just peels off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD_0MLd16wY

Never occurred to me to search for a video and booklet was no help.  This helps will try it tonigh5 and see if it easily peels off in the morning - thank you.

[Sheepish]

Here's a little caveat for this mask I've discovered: it doesn't play well with facial hair. I've recently been letting by beard grow, and the seal has been getting progressively worse. The bushier the moustache gets, the more consistent, tiny leaking there is, at least in my experience. It seems the under-the-nose section of the wrap-around seal, which is normally quite good on a clean-shaven face, is no longer airtight because of thicker moustache hair.

After about a week of reverting to the P10, which only needs a seal over the nostril and therefore works OK with facial hair, I tried the Brevida again last night. An additional week's worth of beard growth made the seal even worse, and I was constantly awoken by the sound of a leaky tire and the need to readjust the mask, to little avail. I also had my worse AHI in a long time. Not catastrophic, but not good. I'll be going back to the P10 or other masks tonight and for as long as I keep the hirsute countenance. YMMV.

[Walla Walla]

Well I guess that explains why I couldn't get a seal with it.

[skylark]

Brand-new Brevida user after using the Respironics P10 and the Swift LT for Her. I just got the Brevida yesterday and used it last night.  Wow.  The comfort level is very, very nice.  It's like sticking your nose in a marshmallow after using the P10 and the Swift.  Like a previous poster, I had trouble with nasal irritation using the P10.  I also had a terrible time with it not staying in place through the night.  While the unobtrusive headgear with the P10 was a nice try, it's a little too wimpy to hold the mask in place, even using the little clips to tighten the straps.

My AHI for night one was <1

So, that's my initial impression after night one.  I will post more if my opinion changes.