Posted by RollingThunder on December 15, 2009 at 02:49:27:Hello All,
I have learned something about full face masks after five years. The shape of your face changes with weight loss and it can affect the fit of a full face mask.
I had 100% success with full face maks (nose bridge to chin) for five years. Then I began losing weight and as my cheek bones emerged from under the fat it created a small gap between the cheek bone and the bridge of nose. The seal could not fill the gap and the mask began making farting noises. No amount of adjustment could fix this, even professinals gave up.
Because my face had changed shape the full face mask no longer worked for me.
I am a nose/mouth breather so I had to stay with a mask that accomodated this fact, so I tried the Mirage Liberty;
http://www.cpapwinkel.nl/nl/cpap/250664_PVWEB/images/mirage-liberty.jpg
The Mirage Liberty mask only worked well once I got a CPAP pillow becasue I sleep on my side and rolling from side to side moved the mask and this shifted the nasal pillows a slight bit which caused nostril leaks. Using the CPAP pillow this problem disappears.
The trick to this mask is to ensure the upper mouth seal is well above the upper lip. This puts more pressure on the nasal pillows creating better nostril seals. If the upper mouth seal is too close tot he upper lip it feels like it is fitting but small shifts in the mask will create nasal pillow leaks. I had to learn that one myself.
Even when you think you have CPAP all figured out you can still learn something new.
My AHI (apnea/hypoxia index) score has dropped to the normal level even at a pressure of 5 but my sleep doctor will be weaning me slowly from CPAP. He dropped me from a pressure of 13 to 11. I still have some weight to lose.
The lesson here is not to give up or get frustrated over CPAP but to view it as a learning experience. It is like a math problem, there is a workable solution you just need figure out the math. Ask lots of questions of people who may hold pieces of your personal solution.
Rolling Thunder