I was diagnosed with Mild sleep apnea and now have a Remstar CPAP machine and full face mask. Unlike others here, I LOVE the machine and find the mask and pressured air quite relaxing. It is easier for me to breath though my nose and I fall asleep quickly.

My only problem is "tickling of my nose" usually after 3 or four hours of sleep. I wake up and have to scracth my nose. My humidifier is on its lowest setting, so I'm not sure what else I may be able to do. After the machine tickles me awake, I normally remove it so I can sleep through the rest of the night. If I try to fall back asleep wearing the mask after being woken, I cant get back to sleep.

Maybe a nose mask would be better? Can anyone make a recommendation?

I have the same issue although I leave my FF mask on all night. I need to lift up the mask enough to slip a finger under to scratch then put it back in place. Perhaps all that air rushing around the nose? <shrug>

Paul56 wrote:

I have the same issue although I leave my FF mask on all night. I need to lift up the mask enough to slip a finger under to scratch then put it back in place. Perhaps all that air rushing around the nose? <shrug>

Well, as far as I know, the point of a CPAP machine is to allow us to sleep through a full cycle so that we gain the benefits of REM sleep. If the machine wakes me, isnt this just as bad as Sleep apnea? Maybe I'm waking after a complete cycle to "itch my nose" but my problem is that once awake, the machine keeps me from falling back asleep quickly.

After a week or so my average is 2.7 hours per night with the mask. (not good) but I have to sleep. The good news is that I am becoming comfortable with the mask. Now if only it didnt wake me, I'd be fine.

That is terrible.  I also suffer from dry itchy skin so it is so discompforting having an itch and not being able to scratch it!

Same problem here.  I am getting a Liberty (hybrid) mask in a couple of days to see if it helps.

Lets see if there is a common element with what all us itchy folks are doing:

-I have the Resmed Quattro FFM.
-I wash the mask cushion and forehead cushion each day.
-I wash my face with Dove soap before putting on the mask.
-Mask fit seems to be reasonable, I have leak rates ranging from 0.16 to 0.34 L/s.
-My present pressure is 8.
-I have the humidifier on my Resmed S8 Elite II set to II setting.

That high leak rate was from last night which I was expecting. The mask and I had issues last night.    

Have you tried a higher setting on your humidifier? Maybe your nose is drying out by that time and so gets itchy.

I have a full mask as well but my nose itchiness comes as soon as I put the mask on. I then have to lift it off, do the ritual iching of the nose and put it back on. For me, I think it's just that suddenly I can't itch it conveniently so it wants me to itch it.  

My mom had some trouble with her nose drying out and itching and she put some lotion on it but I don't know what the name of that was.

Putting a moisturizer that contains petroleum or silicone on your face, including lips and nose, can damage the soft parts of your mask.  Most moisturizers, lotions, creams, salves, Vaseline, Vicks Vaporub, makeup, chapstick, etc., contains petroleum or silicone based grease or oil.

yohimbe2 wrote:

I was diagnosed with Mild sleep apnea and now have a Remstar CPAP machine and full face mask. Unlike others here, I LOVE the machine and find the mask and pressured air quite relaxing. It is easier for me to breath though my nose and I fall asleep quickly.

My only problem is "tickling of my nose" usually after 3 or four hours of sleep. I wake up and have to scracth my nose. My humidifier is on its lowest setting, so I'm not sure what else I may be able to do. After the machine tickles me awake, I normally remove it so I can sleep through the rest of the night. If I try to fall back asleep wearing the mask after being woken, I cant get back to sleep.

Maybe a nose mask would be better? Can anyone make a recommendation?

Ditto that -- almost exactly (REMStar Auto w/ nasal mask). Except I somehow manage to keep the mask on all night -- but I do wake up every night after 4-5 hours of sleep. Sometimes I can go back to sleep right away, other times I can't.

I find that my noses itches due to condensation build-up, which causes little droplets to run down my nose, and this itches terribly. It's much worse when I use the humidifier, even on the lowest setting. But I find that I wake up after 4-5 hours whether I use the humidifier or not -- my nose just doesn't itch as bad if I don't have the humidifier going. Last night I tried sleeping with the humidifier off when I went to bed, and then turned it on after the initial 4-5 hour sleep period. It seemed to work OK, although my AHI was higher last nigh than in previous nights -- but that could be from any number of things.

My nose was getting itchy on the outside... including some other areas covered by the mask.

I increased the humidity setting last evening and the problem appears to be gone for the most part.

Jethro wrote:

yohimbe2 wrote:

Maybe a nose mask would be better? Can anyone make a recommendation?

Ditto that -- almost exactly (REMStar Auto w/ nasal mask). Except I somehow manage to keep the mask on all night -- but I do wake up every night after 4-5 hours of sleep. Sometimes I can go back to sleep right away, other times I can't.

I find that my noses itches due to condensation build-up, which causes little droplets to run down my nose, and this itches terribly. It's much worse when I use the humidifier, even on the lowest setting. But I find that I wake up after 4-5 hours whether I use the humidifier or not -- my nose just doesn't itch as bad if I don't have the humidifier going. Last night I tried sleeping with the humidifier off when I went to bed, and then turned it on after the initial 4-5 hour sleep period. It seemed to work OK, although my AHI was higher last nigh than in previous nights -- but that could be from any number of things.

I think you hit the nail on the head. This is exactly whats happeneing to me, the droplets itch like crazy. (Like a spider crawling around in my mask). I am not using the machine without any humidifier at all and things are much better. Maybe some people can live without a humidifier? I dont feel dry at all without the moisture and the air seems more natural to breathe.

I'm still averaging 2-3 hours a night with the mask. It wakes me and I take it off. On the bright side, I'm getting used to it quickly. I can hardly tell Im wearing a mask anymore, especially when I'm going to sleep.

Now I'm hoping I get at least 1 REM sleep in that 3 hour period. According to my sleep studies I never enter deep sleep. 1 good sleep cycle is better than none right?

Jethro wrote:

yohimbe2 wrote:

Maybe a nose mask would be better? Can anyone make a recommendation?

Ditto that -- almost exactly (REMStar Auto w/ nasal mask). Except I somehow manage to keep the mask on all night -- but I do wake up every night after 4-5 hours of sleep. Sometimes I can go back to sleep right away, other times I can't.

I find that my noses itches due to condensation build-up, which causes little droplets to run down my nose, and this itches terribly. It's much worse when I use the humidifier, even on the lowest setting. But I find that I wake up after 4-5 hours whether I use the humidifier or not -- my nose just doesn't itch as bad if I don't have the humidifier going. Last night I tried sleeping with the humidifier off when I went to bed, and then turned it on after the initial 4-5 hour sleep period. It seemed to work OK, although my AHI was higher last nigh than in previous nights -- but that could be from any number of things.

I think you hit the nail on the head. This is exactly whats happeneing to me, the droplets itch like crazy. (Like a spider crawling around in my mask). I am now using the machine without any humidifier at all and things are much better. Maybe some people can live without a humidifier? I dont feel dry at all without the moisture and the air seems more natural to breathe.

I'm still averaging 2-3 hours a night with the mask. It wakes me and I take it off. On the bright side, I'm getting used to it quickly. I can hardly tell Im wearing a mask anymore, especially when I'm going to sleep.

Now I'm hoping I get at least 1 REM sleep in that 3 hour period. According to my sleep studies I never enter deep sleep. 1 good sleep cycle is better than none right?

I tend to go to sleep very easily now with my nasal pillows on and the humidifier set on #2.  I do wake sometimes and find that my nose is itching.  Not always though.  I think it has to do with my humidifier too and condensation as every time I go to scratch it, there is water in my nasal pillows.  I was doing very well with my mask until I got a sinus infection last week.  Boy did that ever sideline my sleeping with the mask on.  I couldn't breath with it on so had to go for 3-4 nights without -good- sleep.  I found out that the benefits of that machine are tenfold.  I am back to using the mask/machine now and am getting back to my routine finally.