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+--- Thread: Help regarding managing leaks (/Thread-Help-regarding-managing-leaks)
Help regarding managing leaks - Strange54 - 03-09-2024
Hi all,
I am hoping to get some input on my data. I have had to switch back and forth from full-face to nasal pillows recently as I had a URI and couldn't handle the pillows with all the coughing. When I was on the full face mask (which I have rarely used in the past) - F20 (Air Touch), I had almost no leak. I have a facial indentation from skin cancer surgery near on the right side, below my mouth which has historically made the seal on the full face mask difficult. So I just decided to tape the bottom down which eliminated the leak; however, my flow limitations were quite significant throughout the night and I woke up feeling absolutely exhausted. I was diagnosed with UARS. I've read that full face mask may cause narrowing of the airway which actually makes UARS worse. So I switched back to my P30i. I mouth tape and previously was using a chinstrap but it's kind of annoying with the P30i. I have done a lot of work to try to find my pressure needs and it was about 12.4 that my flow limits really started going away, I have had the EPR at 3 now for about 1-2 weeks. When I switched to the full-face, I increased the pressure by 2. Previously tried P10 as well but always seemed to pull at nose with movement. I do have a soft collar but have not used it much as it makes me feel a bit uncomfortable. I will say that I have noticed at some point in the morning I will awaken and feel small puff of air coming out my mouth. I never remember having this problem with mouth taping before (previously it was an issue with saliva causing the mouth tape to become moist and loose). I have since lowered the humidity which resolved that issue. I thought maybe moving around was causing leak from the nose but I am fairly confident this is not the case as I have literally been taping the sides of the mask to my cheeks liberally to prevent movement. From looking at most recent data it seems that I have a cluster of apneas which precedes the leaks and I am unsure what this indicates. I am getting so frustrated with all the tweaks I am having to make and I feel that this 2-3 hour period right before awakening is what is causing the majority of my distress/fatigue/etc. If I could just have the whole night look like the first part of the night, I would be golden. Also as an aside, the data always seems to include like an additional 30mins-1hr at the end when I think I have already removed the mask.
So, I would love some assistance firstly with what this pattern of leak is likely caused by and also if I should try to start using a chinstrap and soft collar again. If so, are there any chinstraps that might work better with the P30i.
I have provided data from two nights of pillow use and one from a night of the full-face mask. Let me know if any other data would be helpful. Thanks!
Thank you for the assistance.