I am a newbie, my dad just passed from this and the doctor said it was hereditary,so I went for the studies. After three studies the doctor could not believe I am still alive. I have extremely high pressures required, which causes face toots that wake me up when I am just about to doze off. What face mask provides the best seal at pressures above 19?

Very sorry to hear about your Dad, but I'm glad you are getting the proper therapy.  I'm using the ResMed Activa, which seems to seal pretty well if you're a nose breather (which I'm not all the time). I'm currently at 14 cm and no 'tooting'.  BTW that's a perfect term "face toots".  I love it, and only a PAPer would really understand.  You didn't say what mask you're using, but if you need a full face, I've heard good things about the Fisher and Paykel 432.  I have an appointment with the DME to pick one up this week.   Right now I'm borrowing a Comfort Full II from him, and it toots big time.  Hope the FP works better.

Like George said, my condolences to you but I am glad that you went and had it looked after. I am using the Fisher/Paykel one, and i find it great. Sometimes if I am llying on my back and the mask have moved a bit I get a little toot and then I just fix it in place again.  Good luck with all the new things you are about to encounter. One of them being a new life.

My pressures are some of the highest recorded at 19 and 15. I will look Fisher up and see if it can seal any better than the Responics that I received with the BiPAP. Has anyone had the surgery? I do breath through my mouth, I have to keep the mask so tight that it blocks off my sinus passages. I also get a very dry throat and can barely swallow. Any ideas how to rectify this?

He also just passed from problems associated from heart, apnea and pain problems, back in Jan. He had very irregular heart beat. I just got done wearing a monitor because my study showed irregular beats night and day...

 My pressure was just set up higher to 12 and I'm getting a fisher PP 432. I hope this will resolve the face poots I have....I get them at my eyes and mouth...will let you know by end of week if it works....as to the dry mouth, I swear I believe it gets worse as the humidity goes up. I'm going to put a ROOM humidifier in and turn up my machine's gadget too. If you are a mouth breather....there is no cure other than a big gulp of water by the bed. I've gotten used to it but it is bad. Make sure you brush and floss your teeth well because of no saliva flow! I love my machine even if it is a pain sometimes. I FEEL normal....first time in 3-4 years. Sara

Cheeps and others,

Actually, there is a cure for mouth-breathers other than a chin strap. I'm using a new mask called the Hybrid. It's great because you can use it for both nose and mouth breathing. It's basically a clear shell that fits under your nose and your chin. It has two little nose thingies, which I find annoying because they tend to pop out of my nose during the night. I usually put a strip of tape across them and stick it to my face on either side of my nose. It comes with 3 sizes of silicone rings and 3 sizes of nose pieces that can be cut apart if you have different size nostrils. Highly recommended!

NancyRN

popsfl wrote:

My pressures are some of the highest recorded at 19 and 15. I will look Fisher up and see if it can seal any better than the Responics that I received with the BiPAP. Has anyone had the surgery? I do breath through my mouth, I have to keep the mask so tight that it blocks off my sinus passages. I also get a very dry throat and can barely swallow. Any ideas how to rectify this?

There are some contributors here on pressures of 25+.

The pressure has no bearing on the severity of your apnoea. Did your doctor say what your AHI was ? This figure gives an indication of the severity of your apnoea.

As a mouth breather you should look towards the full face masks from Respironics, ResMed or Fisher & Paykell. Having the straps very tight will lead to further leaks. You must allow the cushion to inflate from the cpap air pressure and it is this inflated cushion that gives the best seal to your face.

Failing these, the new hybrid mask seems to be quite effective (if you google hybrid mask you will see a good image of it), however a recent poster complained of poor headgear with it.

'The surgery', there is none. There are quite a few different procedures ranging from upper airway surgery (such as the UPPP), to lower airway surgery, tongue suspension and maxillofacial surgery......with a number of options in each category. The only truly successful surgery is the traceotomy.............surgical bypass of the airway.

With the exception of the tracheotomy the success rates with surgery are not good and are completely dependant on the severity of your apnoea.........back to the AHI.

Best of luck.

Daniel.


_________________
The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

"Face toots" is a funny name. I know them as "face farts".
 
NancyRN

Thank You for the info, my heart goes out to those of you who have a pressure higher than mine. I know how difficult that must be for them. I will ask my doctor what my AHI is. I am still trying to come to grips with this whole thing. What do you use to clean the hose and mask? I used Quatinary Amonimum, it supposedly kills 99.99% of all germs. I do not have a brush though. I will look for a hybrid mask, does anyone know any dealers of this product. I spray OUST now around the house. My doctor said my pressures were very high and that some day I may need surgery. Why? Does the BiPAP make the diaphram weaker over time?

I feel your pain. I have been dealing with the same problem my pressure is 23/15 bipap. The best fix I have found is using a UMFF with a chin strap wrapped around the front of the mask the hole in the strap fits right over the intake elbow. There is no way you can go by the directions and leave the straps loose with this kind of pressure. I hope someday the make us a mask that will handle the higher pressures. I have tried the Hydrid, Comfort Full, and the Mojo I always go back to the UMFF. Good luck

Quote:

I am still trying to come to grips with this whole thing. What do you use to clean the hose and mask?

Best thing to use is soft soap and water..........not every day. A quick rinse with cold or luke warm water is sufficient. A brush is not a good idea as it will tear the silicone or gel. If you have a ResMed mask you can remove the cushion and brush the hard plastic part, but its really not necessary................any germs are your own (LOL) and are probably friendly towards you.

Quote:

My doctor said my pressures were very high and that some day I may need surgery. Why?

Beware the medic who advocates surgery, based on pressure settings. You need a second opinion on that.......and answers to a lot of questions............most importantly, can they guarantee a successful outcome (doubtful).

For the present you must concentrate on becoming compliant with BiPAP. Not easy, but there is plenty of help available here.


Daniel.


_________________
The untreated Sleep Apnoea sufferer died quietly in his sleep.......
Unlike his three passengers who died screaming !!!!!!

(Anon)

what is a face toot?

Nancy, I looked at the hybrid but dislike having those nasal pillows to deal with. I don't like having something up my nose....but one day I might change my mind!!

popsfl wrote:

Thank You for the info, my heart goes out to those of you who have a pressure higher than mine. I know how difficult that must be for them. I will ask my doctor what my AHI is. I am still trying to come to grips with this whole thing. What do you use to clean the hose and mask? I used Quatinary Amonimum, it supposedly kills 99.99% of all germs. I do not have a brush though. I will look for a hybrid mask, does anyone know any dealers of this product. I spray OUST now around the house. My doctor said my pressures were very high and that some day I may need surgery. Why? Does the BiPAP make the diaphram weaker over time?

I bought some CPAP wipes for the face mask. It tells me in my literature to use pure soap and water to clean the hose and other hard surface parts. My DME said to use white vinegar which I do. I soak mine for a few mins every week, except for the soft mask piece.  and I wipe the mask daily with the wipes.

I also find that the higher pressure gave me a better seal. I put the mask on first and then turn on the pressure. It seals itself.

No apnea surgeries are very effective for the vast majority of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) sufferers.  I do not know of any surgery that is known to reliably reduce the required CPAP pressure.  UPPP is probably the most common surgery and it can actually cause an INCREASE in the required CPAP pressure.  There is an interesting post about UPPP at http://www.apneasupport.org/about6132.html