Posted by Dreaming Fox on October 18, 2002 at 09:10:32:

Hello,

Sorry the following post is so long... please bear with me.

I'm having a problem with my Adam Circuit gear. I am beginning to wonder if I have the wrong equiptment and if the tech who sold it to me just wanted to move unwanted stock. Maybe not, maybe it's me. Here is the problem.

When I got my CPAP, I tried on several mask, but then the tech offered me nasal pillows with Adam circit headgear. She tied me with the narrow holder and the small blue pillows. They seemed to feel ok, but I had nothing to compare them to. The pillows seemed to go rather far into my nose, but she said that was normal. I asked to try bigger pillows or a wider nose piece, but she said what she tried on me was all she had in stock and then mentioned how lucky I was that it just happened to be my exact size. She said the pillows were supposed to go that far into my nose. (they practically disapear) She also said there was no problem with they blowing towards the septum on my nose if I was comfortable with it that way.

It didn't seem that uncomfortable, and it seemed better than the mask felt, so I took her word and got the adam circuit with the narrow nose piece and small blue pillows. It has one swivel piece that connects it to the long hose that goes to my CPAP.

So.. problem one... I have had my CPAP for about a month now and i found out last night that my nasal pillows are now mis-shapped. The opening of my nasal pillows are not round anymore but rather are oval.. very thin and long, almost slit like. They started out round but from being pushed against the inside of my nose over time they have become oval. I called the tech at the med supply store she suggested that I just turn them every few nights.
As they are, last night they push shut in my nose, the CPAP air came out the exhale vent and my mouth opened up so I could breath. I didn't even know this happened until my hubby woke me up because I was snoring... this happened 3 times before I realized what was wrong.

Second problem, the head gear slips off my head most nights, but stragnely enought, about 2 nights a week it doesn't slip at all (never 2 days in a row). I can't figure it out!

I have long long straight hair, which I wash daily with the same shampoohs, so my hair is always the same, I sleep in the same positions from night to night. The room has Air conditioning so the temp and humidity are always the same.

Last night it was off more than it was on. If it slips back, it drives the nasal pillows deeper into my nose (if that is possible).. a rather uncomfortable thing. If it slips back, Which it does most often, the whole thing slips forward, and sometimes I wake up because it's blowing in my face, other times, I don't wake up at all, but the CPAP isn't doing anything for me. Sometimes the whole darn headgear rolls up from the back and kind of turns up like a bowl!

I have tried hair clips...wearing a hat over it... wearing a scarf over it (almost choked me to death!) I lowered it, tightened it, make it shorter, tied the hose to the headboard, tied the hose to the bed post (have a 4 post bed).. I've done everything I can think of!

Anyway.. I called the tech at the company where I got it, and she insist that I have the right size gear, she said she never heard of anyone having a an additional angle or small hose and second swivel as the list suggested and told me she didn't even know if she coudl buy such a thing for me... Her only suggestion was that I come in and purchase something different (of which she said my insurance won't pay)... and on top of that, if I want anything but a mask I have to buy it before trying it cause she won't order it unless I do. I asked if i could try larger pillows and that plastic part that holds them (my are small blue on narrow plastic) and she said I would have to buy them first because she doesn't have any in stock and can't order anymore until she uses what she has or unless the customer orders them. She wants $60 for the pillows and said something like 130 for the nose piece to hold them in (she wasn't exactly sure on that price). She said if they didn't fit, i cannot return them. I just can't aford to pay that to find out it doesn't help.

Dispite the problems I'm having, I still think I prefere to make the Nasal pillows work before I try a mask or buy something that won't work either.

I was thinking of ordering the no slip head gear mentioned on this list before, but I'm not sure it will make much of a difference, as it seems to be just about identical to what I have now. And I don't know why my headgear slips most nights but not others.

If someone out there has experienced something like this please let me know. I know I can get parts cheaper on line, (saw nasal pillows for 25).. do you think it's worth my buying bigger equiptment on line if my current equiptment is being jammed closed?

I don't knnow what to do. I didn't sleep last night again because I was in an ongoing war with my headgear that is supposed to be helping me sleep! How ironic!

You all seem like a great group of helpful people! I hope someone has some ideas for me too!

Gkitchy Metwich (which means...)
Thank you very much!
Nahm-dah Wah-gosh (Dreaming Fox)

Follow Ups:

• Re: problem with Adam circuit gear Rested 11:04 10/18/02 (0)
• Re: problem with Adam circuit gear Kevin (in Walla Walla) 10:55 10/18/02 (0)
• Re: problem with Adam circuit gear Jim in Dallas 10:24 10/18/02 (2)
  • Re: problem with Adam circuit gear Dreaming Fox 14:59 10/18/02 (1)
    • Re: problem with Adam circuit gear Rested 18:42 10/18/02 (0)

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