Dear Heron,

Take a deep breath and know that you are NOT alone. This tribe is here for the express purpose of helping those of us with sleep apnea. Okay?

My diagnosis was a mere 6 months ago and during my sleep study when they came at me with that mask I practically freaked; especially when I felt the air pressure blowing through! Now, I don't have fibro, but I do have some similar concerns of my own that I had to deal with in using the mask.

I am a side sleeper too. A very well-fitting mask and a slight adjustment of your pillow will make side sleeping comfortable. My mask is an ultra-mirage by ResMed which I find exceptionally comfortable (as far as a nasal mask goes...LOL). I personally don't even notice I'm wearing it.

I have chemical sensitivities too. Simply washing your mask and hose before your first use will help eliminate the possible "odor" you may be reacting to.

I get nasal congestion ALL the time due to allergies. At night a wear a Breathe-Rite strip on my nose to open the passages wider and allow for freer flowing air flow. Using a simple salt-water nasal spray, such as Ocean, before going to sleep also helps.

Nasal congestion from the air pressure in the mask can be caused by dry air; especially if you live in a cold climate right now and are using heated air in your home. It dries out EVERYTHING! A heated humidifier can be added to your machine which will make breathing at night much more comfortable. Ask your doctor about adding this to your prescription for your machine.

My body is very sensitive to pressure as well, especially my face. And I wear glasses too so I understand. As you wear your mask you will find just the right "spot" to place it so that pressure is lessened. The first night I wore mine, I accidentally placed it such that it rubbed against the bottom of my nose all night and I woke up VERY sore and bruised. I have since learned how to reposition my mask so that doesn't happen. Occasionally I am more sore on the sides of my nose where the mask "seals" but that is usually caused by perhaps the way I've slept that night. After a while, you'll instinctively adjust your position and even your mask in the middle of the night, while you're sleeping, to make yourself more comfortable.

I have thought about the air pillow type of mask but for me, I decided against it. One of the reasons was the configuration of my nostrils. When the home health tech came to my house to outfit me with my system he brought a pair. However, when he met me and saw my nose, he knew the air pillow system was not right for me. Another consideration with the air pillows, especially if you have chemical sensitivities and/or allergies is that the foam material they're made of may really exacerbate an allergic reaction. I can't wear foam ear plugs because my skin swells, itches terribly and turns bright red; another reasons why I stayed away from the air pillows.

I've gotten to know the moderator of this tribe, MC, and Darla well and they've been a tremendous help to me in learning to live with sleep apnea. Look over some previous posts and topics and you may find some more answers to questions you didn't even know you had yet.

Most of all take a deep breath and relax. Your diagnosis is not a curse. You will find it a blessing because now you will start to get the recouperative sleep you need and you will find your quality of life GREATLY improved. My machine is my lifeline and my dear husband has said that now he has his wife back.

Keep in touch!
Leah

Welcome, Heron.
And as some have already expressed, it would have been nice to meet under better circumstances but welcome to the club.

Firstly, I would like to say congrats on the diagnosis. I understand the stress that comes along with the diagnosis but it also represents the beginning of a more restful life. Kudos for actually getting a sleep study done and gaining awareness. I had severe apnea for years and had no idea what was happening to me. I thought I was losing my mind!

I think you are the first person in here who has shared sensitivity to chemicals so I am simultaneously concerned as a fellow apnea sufferer at the challenges that come with that as well as happy we have someone who can add to this uncharted area of our little communal "database" here.

Personally, there is not much I can say to totally alleviate the stress you are going through. Just the idea of getting used to having something strapped to your face blowing forced air is intimidating. I think we can all share, to varying degrees, the uncertainty of having to deal with something that seems so incredibly incovenient and uncomfortable so please know what you are experiencing is expected, understandable aned normal for situations like ours.

What I can say is that it will get better. For some, despite their misgivings, the process is rather smooth and fairly quick. For others, like me, it took years to learn how to comply. All I can say is, you have nothing to lose and despite the short or long of it all, it will only help in the end. So I wish you confidence and patience in your process. Although it took me years to comply with my therapy, when I finally did become comfortable, it changed my life. If you peruse the other posts here, you can read about some of "victory" and "horror" stories and about the long time it took me to get used to is (do we ever really get used to it?).

One thing that was a milestone in my process of adapting was when I realized there were a bunch of different mask designs out there and that each one feels different. I am encouraged to hear you already know about different masks and actually have a choice when it comes to ordering one. I was given a p-o-s mask that was basically a temporary, hospital bed type mask with a few bells and whistles attached. Some things that might help your initial decision (I say initial because the option to switch to another should always remain open) are:

- Whether or not you are a mouth breather or a nose breather (or both) when you sleep. Most masks are for nose breathers but there are a few for mouth/combo breathers (like me). They are fuller face masks (except for one newer design which minimized facial contact). The potential for the smallest profile is with the nose masks. They even have ones now where instead of a seal around your entire nose, two small silicone prongs go in your nostrils creating a potentially better seal with minimal contact with your face.

- There are basically two types of seals/cushions that come with masks: solid silicone and a silicone feather seal. The solid ones are basically solid and relatively thick and conform to your face by becoming distortred around your facial features . The feather seals are a thinner membrane (often a double seal) that uses the air pressure to expand and form a provide positive pressure for the seal letting the mask "float" on a silicone/air cushion. I am not sure which is more comfortable because i have only used the latter.

- The more expensive masks have better adjustability and east of assembly/on/off. I have found that the more adjustments possible, the better the fit for me. I think I also have a wide, flatter face so that could be a factor in all of this.

- Since you are a side sleeper, you might want to move towards a nose-only mask if you are not a mouth breather. They will be much more accomodating for a side sleeper. I have learned to sleep a bit on my side with my full-face mask but it is not the most elegant or consistent method.

- In terms of your sensitivity, different designs have different proportions of plastic and silicone. There is even a new design with minimal contact. I am thinking the silicone is less irritating than plastic so that might be a factor in whch design you choose. However, I am not sure if a smaller profile will neccesarily irritate you less. Also, while I totally believe you when you say you might experience congestion related to the plastic, most of us have found the force air (esp. when it is cooler and dry) contributes to congestion as well. So, I am hoping not all of your congestion is related to the plastic because then at least some of it can be remedied.

As far as what to order, you bring up a concern we all might share and that is the fact that we are more or less in the dark as individuals in the beginning. My suggestions are to try and hit up your ENT for as much info as possible before your fitting. Another is to try and remember the basic design of the mask you used in your study and try to troubleshoot from there. Also, run by any candidate by this group - chan ces are somene here has already used it or is using it currently and can share the experience. In the end, however, some of it will be trial and error. I suppose that is why there are masks on sale by individuals on Ebay. This is where we wish you lots of patience and a sense of humor.

Being freaked out is normal. Please feel free to vent and ask questions in here continually. We might not all have answers but a growing collective wisdom and people who can share your grief here can be very encouraging at times. And read through the other posts - some are quite informative and some are funny.

Once again, thank you for joining our tribe.
MC

thankyou all..so much..

I have read what everyone has said...and I know you all speak from experience!

and loved the humor part..I try to live my life..with as much humor as I can muster..

this one..I MAY NEED TO REV IT UP!

I will take all your advice too...

I think the heated machine would be good..as I live in an unheated room in the winter..

I kinda like a cold room....and what I read was..if the air is cold..the air doesn't pick up as much moisture..

so I will need to find out about this.. breathing heated air in the summer..could be a problem..

wonder if you can shut the heater off in those machines..?

I note what was said about the nose pluggs too...

am glad to hear you all reacted as I have...

I was really intimidated by the sleep test..

and with them wiring me up.. and the way my breathing..actually got blocked up with that mask on

I kept thinking..well 6 am must soon be here..

and they were very friendly and helpful pre test and during..but when it was over..they gave me absolutely no info..except your results will be looked at by the doctor.. and he will order you your maching..

boom..bye bye!

yikesssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss....

so I am kinda a little clueless of what the nxt part of the process is..I got what little info I have from a woman that I walked out of the test with..

they should give you some paper with info on it..when you leave..so you understand..what is up

so with all you folks have told me..I will have some questions to talk about..with whomever calls me next..

thanx..so much..

when I have time..I plan on reading more of your past posts..

I have been extremely busy with work...I have a little store..and tis the season!

but after tommrrow I have a lil time..and will got on reading..

I am sure there is a fountain of info..here

thanx so much..for all your kindness!