cpap users- any advice about "rug burns" from the mask?

[mopinko]

this is not a request for medical advice, as the marks that you get from a cpap mask hardly constitute any kind of serious medical issue.
so, anybody else have this problem, or have a good plan? i am tired of looking like i fell down the stairs. especially since the damn thing doesn't help that much, anyway.

[Cirque du So-What]

1. Perhaps the straps are too tight

It's counterintuitive, I know, but tightening the straps increases the likelihood of leaks. The mask should 'float' freely, rising and falling with each respiration. Too-tight straps will most definitely put long-lasting creases in your face.

I advise giving the CPAP a decent trial. It's changed my life for the better. Not only is my daytime drowsiness a thing of the past, it's helped with a vast array of other conditions as well. For instance, I used to get up 3 or 4 times in the middle of the night to urinate, but that's gone after using CPAP. What I had assumed was either BPH or too many fluids before bedtime turned out to be a physiological response to high levels of carbon dioxide in my blood due to the sleep apnea. The right side of my heart was working harder, and my body thought I was experiencing pulmonary edema (buildup of fluid in the lungs). In response, a hormone was released to stimulate the kidneys to work harder at eliminating fluid, causing me to get up in the middle of the night.

[Wapsie B]

2. sounds like you need a different style mask.

there's scores of different kinds out there and a mask that fits on one fact may not fit well on someone else. first step would go back to your dme, the homecare co. that set you up with the cpap to start out. ask to be refitted for a different style mask. some places are lazy about that, little if any follow-up with the patient, just set 'em up and out the door. makes the field rife for scoundrels.

edit: if asking nicely does not work demand to be refitted or take your business to another place. if you are using a properly fitting mask all night long and the pressure is set correctly for you there should be no issue with fatigue. if there is you need to see the dr. and talk to them.

[mopinko]

8. thanks

this is the second mask, and been scuffed up by them both. (although none as bad as the titration sleep study.) but i can bug them for another. they fall all over themselves. they are owned by the hospital, but they are new, and they offer you several other providers. these guys are cranking out dx's at the rate of 6 or 7 a day. money makin' machine.

going to see my pcp this week. not real fond of sleep doc. i feel a tiny, little bit better, maybe, but i would consider it pretty much of a waste if i wasn't so glad to be rid of the nightmares. docs are adamant, since they are convinced that it will help my acid reflux/asthma. tired of them all, frankly.
probably other things causing the fatigue, just don't know what.

thanks for the offer of help. hope you are as busy as the guys around here.

[laughingliberal]

9. Look into the nasal pillows

They seemed to work well on those patients for whom masks just would not work.

[Orrex]

3. I have to say that I totally misunderstood the subject line of this thread.

Don't have any advice for you, though, not even after understanding what you really meant!

[cliffordu]

5. Yep. I misunderstood too....

My thought was to keep your face off the rug.

[MiniMe]

4. If the straps are the problem, there are several things you can try

You can get covers for the straps that will fix the strap marks. I buy mine from here: http://www.padacheek.com/ They are a good product and the woman that runs it will custom make one if you have a mask that she doesn't currently have.

[Pennie109]

6. Wow! What a clever idea.

Thanks. Both my husband and I use CPAP and quite a few of my coworkers, too!

[lazarus]

7. your mask needs to be adjusted

or replaced. Have you had a followup with your pulmonalogist since you got your CPAP? I see mine every six months to make sure everything's going okay.

At first, I had marks on my face that would fade after an hour or two, but I had it too tight. I didn't realize that a little leaking on the sides is normal, because of the higher pressure.

If the machine is helping, the pressure is likely wrong. My doc said that most people adjust to it in a week or two. It was overnight for me, instant help.

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

10. Vaseline. At least that's what I heard.

I am being serious. I have heard doctors recommend vaseline for irritation left from the mask.