you may need to keep trying different types of masks to get 1 that suits you the straps shouldnt need to be all that tight
pull mask slightly away from face to see if tension is even
make final adjustments to straps when lying down in bed, wear mask higher up on face

you shouldnt need a full face mask, a nose only mask should be OK
therea re CPAP supply places where that will try several types of masks to fit you properly, costs a bit more but worth it

seekinghealthy101, I use a FFM as well and a chin strap, a few suggestions you may or may not have tried, first, use mask liners, if you haven't tried them let me know and I can tell you how to make your own. Second, have your hose coming from above you head over a bedhead or you can buy a hose lift off the net. This changes the gravity so the mask is pulling up not down and saves getting tangled. Third, depending on the chinstrap you use, I put strips if material around were it marks my face, I use the off cuts from the mask liners. I have tried pillows and nasal masks in the past but can't use them. You shouldn't have it too tight just enough to get a seal. Try these things and let us know how you go. Also what brand and size mask do you use?

thank you for your helpful replies. I never heard of mask liners, but my hose is pulling down, and that I can adjust starting tonight to come from above. I use resmed medium ffm, it seems when I move my face like a smile, my cheeks let air out of the mask.

I have been at the cpap supply place and they have come to my house, too. When I get a new mask rubber liner, I have to soak it in soapy water because I was having an allergic dermatitis to the new rubber plastic face mask liners.

I also was having trouble with the bridge of my nose, and they gave me a gel pad, it doesn't stay put very well, you would think they would place these on the mask as a permenant feature.

My husband and I also go to the car supply store to get a seat belt covers in lambs wool to place at the back of our necks, so that the strap does not dig into our neck as bad.

I would be interested in knowing how you make the face liners.

I also have TMJ and I have a mouth guard. I am not good about wearing it all the time....cpap, mouth guard, ear plugs, chin strap, eye mask. ...pretty sexy, huh? lol, anyway, the mouth guard seems to work alot like the chin strap, keeping me from grinding, but keeping my lower jaw upward at night, and I sleep better.

Thanks for your kind offer of information.

seekinghealthy101, I bought some Reszzz's liners, a 6 pack and although they say to only use them once you can wash them and get about 5-6 uses. I then made a template of what I needed from their liners and went to a fabric shop and got 3 ft of 50% cotton/ 50 % poly fabric and cut out my own and they also last 5-6 uses, the next time I bought 3 ft of 50% cotton/ 50 % lycra fabric. That last me about 3 months and costs about ten dollars. No need to do any sewing. I think in the US you maybe able to get them on your insurance from your CPAP supplier. The will really help the allergic dermatitis as it seperates the mask from your face. I also use a eye mask, ear plugs and chinstrap but not a mouthguard. We must really look a sight lucky no one sees me but the way I look at it is who cares as long as I get a good nghts sleep as our health is the most important thing in the world. It may sound selfish but without we can't do anything else for ourselves or others. I used to grind my teeth but since going on CPAP are so relaxed now I don't. I used to kick, toss and turn and even jump 6 inches out of my bed due to the lack of oxygen, now I don't do any of that. With the brode of your nose that is due to the tight straps, hopefully using the liners and having the hose coming from above your head you will be able to lossen the straps slightly. I also use a Resmed FFM, it's a Mirage Quattro. Let us know how you go.

Okay, thanks for the info, I will check with my supplier first and then see if insurance covers the liners and if not, head to the fabric store. Mine is Mirage Quatro, also, I Forgot that part of the description. My husband also wears cpap, and sometimes we tease each other we sound like "dueling banjos" ...no, dueling cpaps, making our sounds back and forth to one another when we get mask leaks....then we tap each other as the universal sign that means :fix your mask!

I will let you know how this works out. I never was told there were liners, just like the gel pad for the bridge of the nose, I guess they don't tell us till we ask.

You could get a dual CPAP machine with two hoses, only joking. I learn't so much more on sites like this and others I'm on than from the medical profession. We are left to do a lot of theis ourselves that's why I try to give others with our illness as much suppourt, advice and assistance as possible, as I was there a bit over a year ago. The internet is a wonderful thing. Do you and your husband look at your data on your machines or get someone to look at it for you. You can tell whether the leaks are a real problem by your data. The main number you should be looking at is your AHI which should be below 5.

well, I just went and cleaned all my gear, and I looked, I have the TANGO machine and it has altitude, humidifier, ramp and on/off.

I was never taught how to retrieve any data from my machine. I know the setting for the actual +18 cm air pressure is in the back under a little cover, and I never have messed with that.

I have had my cpap since 2008, and this is my husband's second machine since 2005. When I went in for a last check up, they just wanted to know how many hours are on it, and the doctor said, it is amazing, because I have passed over 10. 000 hours and rolled back over to zero, so many people quit using their cpap.

I know it is a bit to adjust to for the beginning time period, but, compared to the alternative, I don't know how people stop using a cpap. For me and my hubby, that would be an early death, our bodies were suffering so from lack of oxygen at night. We both were in denial of how bad off our sleep apnea was, despite the fact that we would wake ourselves up snoring or with closed airway. When we had our sleep studies done, (3 years apart) we both had oxygen saturation go down into the 60%.

I am so grateful that we both got treatment.

Some of the older machines don't have the same data capability as the newer ones. Mone is only a bit over a year old and tells me everything that happens during the night. I've got software over the net for free that allows me to check and graph the data daily. As long as you feel OK that's all that matters. My CPAP has also saved my life, I wasn't in denial just wasn't diagnosed and have had to live with it for 49 years. The day I meet my sleep specialist then got my machine were the best days of my life. I was getting to the stage I didn't know what I was doing, could hardly walk and couldn't live life. I now feel fantastic and are on my way to the gym right now. I jog 5 kms per day now what a change anyway hope you and your husband have a good nights sleep.

I had that problem when I first started using a cpap mask. My face actually hurt in the mornings. My mom uses tissues between her face and the strap. I made myself a "Rube Goldberg" padding contraption that seems to work, at least I don't get the marks anymore. I don't use the mask all night anymore. I find it thrown on the floor some times. Best of luck to you finding your own solution. This is a real pain isn't it?

hello all!

i talked to my cpap equipment distributor today, and I was advised to use an old thin t shirt to cut a cpap liner out and use. She said the liners cost $40 via insurance for a single. So, I think I will go to the fabric store and try out cotton poly or cotton lycra blends.

I will keep keeping you posted. Until next time, sleep well!

seekinghealthy101, that's not entirely right, there is a 6 pack for about $6 and a 30 pack for about $30, I suggest you get the 6 pack as a trial and then you can make the template and make your own. I have tried the t-shirts but doesn't work that well.
I have attached the Remzzz website below.

http://www.remzzzs.com/?Click=2625&gclid=CIXJ2uiu_LECFUFT4god_CwAZA

Tez,

Thank you....I would have taken her word for it. I checked and bookmarked the website page for Remzzzs, and I will call and discuss it with her.

Wow, how I appreciate you sharing your experience so much...thank you!

seekinghealthy101, on one of the other posts, I have given you the site for sleepguide, if you become a member another member on there works for Remzzzs and is always trying to push her product and will assist you. I don't know that she likes me because I have given others the idea of making there own.

http://www.sleepguide.com

Dear tez,

I did not check out the sleep guide, yet, but I did order the sample pack for both me and my husband (different sizes) to use as a template. Then, today, I needed to order regular supplies, and I got a different service rep than the girl who told me one liner is $40.

He said that it is a box of 30 that is $40, and when covered by insurance, that makes my co-pay about $8 for a box of thirty, which is reasonable, considering paying for gas to go buy the fabric and the time to cut them all out. If I had not gotten a different representative, I would have taken the first girls word as true.

It is disappointing she tried to steer me away from ordering the liners via insurance, when they are available and payable. This is a lesson for me, to check out the answers more carefully, and check them over with more than one person when needed.

I will let you know how these work out! Hope you are having a good day.

seekinghealthy101, just one thing, they say they can only be used once, this isn't right, I use the once each side then wash them in soapy water and use both sides again so you should get about 4 uses by then they are out od shape and no good. Looking forward to your results and whether they help or not.