Okay I know It sounds strange  - But here is my story - I've been using a bi-pap set at 17/11 for about 10 days.  I have a nasal pillow that works fine but my nose is getting really sore.  Seems the "ports" rub and have made my nose a bit tender.  Everytime i move the ports rub the tender area and I wake up.  I'm not sure I'd like a mask - Looking for comments and suggestions.  To tell you the truth I'm not looking forward to 40 years on this machine.

Bob, you may want to try using Ayr gel (saline aloe gel) on the edges of your nostrils!  You can get Ayr in the colds/nasal spray section of the drugstore, and it works wonders . . . I also suffered from sore nostrils with my nasal pillows until I tried this stuff.

Another gel is called Secarius which is available over the counter at your local drugstore. Apply to the inside of each nare using a cuetip swab. You may want to try the next size up in your interface.

I have to agree with Skitter. The AYR gel helped, but I also increased my humidity level. All nose problems (sore nostrils/stuffy nose) disappeared with those two changes.

DD

OOh! I totally forgot about the nasal pillow size thing AND the humidifier thing!  Duh!

Yeah, what they said.

 

Bob,

Nasal pillows can be irritating. Make sure you have the mask set on your face correctly and that your headgear isn't too tight. If you are feeling that your nose is too dry on the inside, ask your DME or physician if you can get a humidifier that attaches to or can be combined with your flow generator. Humidity, especially warm air, is a great help.

If you want to try something different, you don't have to go with a full face mask. There are other nasal masks available. Some of them are less obstructive to your vision than others. ResMed has some nice masks like the Vista that you can wear with your glasses if you wear glasses and enjoy reading before bed, or if you are claustrophobic.

GOod luck!