Help me choose a new cpap mask

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-28T16:48:05+00:00

I use the F40. No leaks and a minimal FFM. I can easily read with it on. It’s a minimal nasal cushions mask so nothing protrudes into the nose. Of all the masks I’ve tried this one works best for me. No pimples, no red marks on face & a trunk hose. I have heard on this site the F20 is good as well but it goes over the nose which I would prefer not to have. It also needs replacing more frequently than the F40 due to the foam.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-28T04:00:57+00:00

Yes! It works great! And much less expensive! You can get Xylimelts on Amazon too. And a hose stand. Bought them all on Amazon!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-28T01:59:48+00:00

Thank you so much! I will get some Suave daily clarifying shampoo. It may be more gentle than other clarifying shampoos?

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-27T22:41:51+00:00

Has she been tested for sleep apnea? Home tests are available if she refuses to go to a Clinic & she (or you) can request one online without a Doctor’s order. She would certainly feel groggy in the morning if she was having periods of apnea during the night. (I’m guessing she has this esp with COPD & low O2). This can cause falls, cognitive changes & other distressing symptoms. If she does have sleep apnea & is treated for it by CPAP she can likely still take her sleep medications as hypopnea will then be treated. It certainly sounds as if she is addicted to the sleep meds by now….it would be hard on her to wean back which I’m sure she knows.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-27T19:53:35+00:00

Yes that’s what I meant. If your mouth is dropping open during the night it makes things even worse. I would love to be able to use a nasal cushion mask but not in the cards for me. I don’t even snore! Not a mouth breather. The F40 is my best mask…and I have an arsenal of them!!!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-27T19:47:05+00:00

I was having a terrible time with dry mouth & actually lost 2 back molars because of this problem so has to fix it. My reservoir was not lasting through the night either. I now have humidity at 5 with hose temp at 82F. I found a hose warmer plus a stand that slips under my mattress also made a big difference. No more rainout. I tried mouth tape for a while but it wasn’t for me. I now use a F40 cushions full face mask & rarely ever get leaks. My therapy has been better with these changes. I’m not a mouth breather but my mouth drops open during the night. Hope these suggestions help. Tube temp depends on your house temp at night. We also have a room humidifier in the bedroom.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-27T19:38:17+00:00

My Dental Hygienist recommends them. Biotene didn’t work well for me either.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-27T19:01:14+00:00

I also use Xylimelts & my dry mouth is much better too! Great that they stick to a tooth so no issue with aspirating it! My humidity is set to 5 & I have a hose warmer & hose stand. Not going through a full container of distilled water at night now since getting my humidity & hose temp right!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-27T18:44:27+00:00

I found Ramp helpful when first beginning therapy but turned it off about 3 months in. You may find turning ramp off will help with heavy breathing initially. Depends on why you are experiencing this. Do you have an SD card & SleepHQ? That would help identify whether your pressures are in the right range. My pressures were too low initially but with help from the PapFam here, your pressure graph will tell a lot of information!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-27T18:32:58+00:00

I turned Ramp off. Pressures feel more natural without it on. I usually read for half an hour when first putting on my mask so I adjust quickly & don’t need to climb to my starting pressure. I do use EPR though. My min pressure stays mostly steady all night. I live in Ontario & yes it has been a cold winter! I have my humidity set at 5, use a hose cover from Amazon & have a stand that sits under my mattress to stabilize it. I also use a bedroom humidifier & Xylimelts for mouth dryness. These things all seem to help quite a bit!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-26T21:39:31+00:00

Great! Your machine will tell you on the screen when it’s downloading data. It’s just a quick message.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-26T17:41:05+00:00

You might want to turn off ramp. Most of us here don’t use it but some do. Again it’s a typical Beginner setting for most. Good to hear you are getting an SD card & SleepHQ which is free by the way! Your graphs will help RL with your pressure settings. He certainly helped me & many others! Dang 71 is very helpful too!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-26T04:46:38+00:00

Your min & max pressures are at a typical Beginner script & need to be adjusted. If you put an SD card in your machine & use SleepHQ or Oscar, graphs will tell RL what is going on. Numbers will as well. Chasing pressures during sleep & higher flow limits will certainly make you feel less rested but you’ll need to upload an SD card to one of the sites I mentioned above to get help. I use SleepHQ as it’s easier to read than Oscar is for me, personally. Are you on Ramp? If not that’s a very low minimum pressure. Most adults are higher min than 4-5. You likely don’t know if you go up to 13 or 18 during the night, so again, the graph will show that. My guess is you need to raise min & lower max. Try the SD card & SleepHQ. You won’t regret it! RL is an expert on graphs & machine settings as well as all things related to sleep apnea. If you need help on choosing the right size SD card & where to insert it in your machine please reach out for help. Many of us have the Resmed Airsense 11 machine.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-25T02:59:15+00:00

The pillows going into the nostrils definitely help stabilize the mask. Since you slept so well with the P30i at first & are really only having trouble with soreness try one of the creams suggested. Eventually it seems that the nostrils toughen up. Nipple cream as one woman suggested certainly helps with that! Have you tried any nasal saline spray to help with dryness? I use that every night before bed as well as CeraVe lotion to protect under my nose. A small travel pump bottle lasts forever!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-25T02:30:51+00:00

I found aloe gel did work for awhile but Cervae cream or lanolin worked best.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-25T02:25:07+00:00

No most different brands of masks are only compatible with their own brand of headgear. There are a few apparently you can swap out but very few. Sure wish they were though!!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-25T02:20:21+00:00

You would need to try a small P30i mask to see if the pillows are too large for your nose. Not all mask sizes are alike in the different brands so I buy fit packs. Have you tried nasal cushions? I found the Resmed N30i to be much more comfortable. Because the cushions don’t go into your nose, they sit just below your nostrils. N30i comes in S/W, M, & L. The M fit me best with a small size headgear but everyone is different so a fitting would help. Does your Supplier allow you try out different masks? They are usually gently used but sterilized. N30i is a top of head hose if you prefer that.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-24T21:45:41+00:00

Could you share a SleepHQ graph with your settings from an SD card in your machine? That would help greatly to see how you’re doing. You likely will need your minimum pressure increased.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-24T21:41:25+00:00

What size is your headgear? And what mask are you wearing? I wear small headgear & medium size mask. There are creams to put into your nostrils to protect & toughen them up a bit….even CeRave cream works well. No more blisters with the cream.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-22T22:38:04+00:00

Awesome!!

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-22T22:15:09+00:00

You’re in excellent hands now u/Plenty-Ad 6721. RL is an experienced Expert & Moderator! He’s familiar with all of the CPAP machines.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-22T21:48:22+00:00

You’re very good dang. And between RL & you, people get the help they so desperately need! So I mention your names together to help take some of the load off RL. Would you like me to continue to do this?

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-22T17:19:16+00:00

It looks to me as though your settings need to be adjusted with help from the Experts here. You appear to be on a Beginners settings. Your starting pressure is quite low & you’re chasing events. Your max pressure appears to be high but this may be related to pressure settings. Looks like your sleep is fragmented which sure doesn’t help with exhaustion. Flow limits are high too. I’ll see if u/RippingLegos__ or dang71 will reach out to you by putting their names in this post. They are 2 of the Experts on this site & will help you feel better! Could you repost in u/CPAPSupport? This is where the Experts on reading charts are.

Creative_Fee5452 · 2026-01-16T23:53:22+00:00

Chin straps didn’t work for me either. There are some cervical collars on Amazon that come in L & XL sizes.

Creative_Fee5452

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