Switched from nasal to FFM. Not going as planned

[duece12345]

After years of using a nasal pillow/chin strap combo, my doc wants me to go with the FFM.  His reasoning is I have allergies and small Petri dish cold-carrying kids.  Needless to say my nose is stuffed up regularly which makes me not use the mask.  So I have given in.  

I have trained myself to be a side sleeper, but now I end up drooling inside the mask.  Is it better to just go to back sleeping?  

Also, my cheeks blow out do to the pressure and I feel like a chipmunk. Is that normal?

Thanks!

[farnsy]

Two comments come to mind:

1. Why not use the full face only on days when congestion prevents use of the nasal?
2. I don't see drooling in your mask as a huge problem. Just clean it out well in the morning.

The only concern you have raised that sounds problematic to me is the cheek blowing issue. I can't say how much of a problem this is or what the solution is, since this has only happened to me a couple of times and not for long.

I have had persistent and very troublesome congestion problems at night for years, but when started CPAP, these problems have basically gonea way. The warm, humid, clean air is really good for my congestion...it's one of the most important aspects of CPAP therapy in my case.

[duece12345]

Yeah maybe I’ll look into FFM during congestion times

[Plmnb]

This may be a really stupid reply, but it happened to me. 

Did you remember to change on your machine the mask type?  When I had the wrong mask type selected I got blowing out of the cheeks quite often.

Just ignore if this isn't the case. 

Regards and good luck,
Plmnb

[duece12345]

No reply is stupid and I appreciate you speaking up!  But yes, I changed it.  Thanks for the back up though!

[Plmnb]

Good morning.

Glad you didn't think that was a dumb question.  I spent a few weeks with the wrong setting and had issues galore that I could not figure out until I changed the setting.  Still issues, but not the same ones, lol.

Another question though, I don't see where you mention what style or brand of FFM you have switched to.  I have had three styles this go around, the Phillips hybrid nasal/mouth Dream something or other, the ResMed AirFit F20, and the ResMed AirTouch F20.  This last one seems to be the keeper.  The AirFit has seals made of silicone or some type of material.  I kept getting leaks with burping sounds.  It also slipped around so much that it was super annoying.  Not to mention my skin feeling slimy.  

I visited the DME and was given the ResMed AirTouch F20.  What an amazing difference!  Leaks have gone way down, no more slipping, burping sounds and leaks are much less an issue.

Interested in reading your reply,
Plmnb