BiPAP advice

[samsmom]

We got the BiPAP delivered for my 86 year old father today. Though the tech was great at showing how easy it is to use, my father does not seem interested in even trying it. Any advice on how to encourage him to use it? Any workarounds for his glasses? He's got the bigger mask because he's a mouth breather and he can't wear his glasses which makes trying it while watching tv less appealing.

 

[Amy Perdomo]

hi Samsmom, my mom passed in january 2013...i miss her terribly, and i always had the biggest issues with the Bipap, she never wanted to wear it, she hated it, and honestly i would try at first, but when i saw she was so uncomfortable with it after she yanked it off her face i wouldnt fight with her to wear it again, sometimes you have to let them do what they feel comfortable ...its quality of life now...obviously she will know when she HAS to wear it will be up to her..my mom had bulbar ALS with some FTD which made it so much more difficult. she was diagnosed 09/2011 passed 01/2013..it was very quick for her, but in a way i am grateful for that, as cruel as that sounds...its hell to see our love ones fo through this disease ! I HATE ALS !

 

[BlueK58]

Hi! We went through so much trouble with my mom when it came to the bipap! I really hope you can find something that works for you guys.

We were advised to have mom use the Bipap at bedtime. Not sure if that is an option for you or if your dad would be willing to do this. My mom has crippling anxiety due to ALS and felt suffocated by the Bipap and refused for months. we were eventually able to get her to wear it for 2 hours or so during the day with the help of xanex and the tv. Motivating her to wear it was difficult

Motivating can be tough. W I know you said he cant see the Tv. Does he like books? Someone could read to him, it could be a really nice social interaction and time to bond. There are also books on tape or sports radio? I don't know if he is religious but there are some church things you can listen to

 

[BrianD]

Getting a mask that allows him to wear his glasses may help with motivation. I wouldn't push to hard to get him to try it as he might just need a few days with the thing just sitting there until he wants to try it.

Getting a mask that is comfortable enough will be key. Your supplier should be able to let you try different ones. And for me I had to turn the pressure down alot to get used to it before gradually turning it up to the prescribed pressure.

I resisted as well and just had to keep trying until I stuck with it. Eventually I got to like being on it cause it makes you save your energy.

 

[lgelb]

Agree w/ starting at bed, not TV time. Not sure why/how most FF masks would conflict w/ glasses, though, unless he was sized too large or the mask is loose. If the noise bothers him -- again, with minimal leak, it shouldn't -- maybe fall asleep to music or books on tape or the TV audio.
Best sales pitch I know at the beginning is better sleep. If the settings are right, it absolutely is.

 

[samsmom]

lgelb, he's a mouth breather so it's a big mask that covers a lot of his face. In order to get a good seal there is a piece over the bridge of his nose. The glasses can't fit underneath and can't fit on top. The tech and nurse suggested he start with tv to get used to it. I guess he'll have to try without his glasses. He didn't try it yesterday or today. I think he just doesn't want to.

 

[BrianD]

I wear my full face Resmed Quattro FX with my glasses. I wear it 24x7 on the bipap. I actually use a medium size during the day, and a large size during the evening while sleeping. The medium just gives me a little more space above the mask to make the glasses more comfortable, where the large seals a little better when my air pressure on the bipap goes higher. It also has the benefit of shifting the pressure point on the bridge of my nose between the different sizes.

There is a decent handful of people that like the Resmed Mirage Liberty hybrid mask which doesn't go over the bridge of the nose at all. Do a search on those and you can see pictures.

Honestly, I think I might have called it quits if I couldn't have worn glasses. But I'm even using a Dynavox Eyemax to type this post.

 

[samsmom]

Thanks so much Brian. I think he's got the Resmed Quattro now and the glasses just don't work. I will check out the Resmed Mirage Liberty.

 

[samsmom]

One more weird question. Should my dad try to stop breathing through his mouth? He is a mouth and nose breather.

 

[BrianD]

Just to be clear, Resmed has the Mirage Quattro which completely covers the bridge of the nose all the way up to the forehead where the pads are where glasses won't work . The Quattro FX is a different mask entirely which only goes partially up the bridge where glasses may fit dependent upon the shape.

The technicians and nurses like that Mirage Quattro because it is a very good mask for CPAP use which has a lot more people using. But I wish they would not pull it out first for people that are going to use the mask when awake.

There is no need to retrain the way he breathes except perhaps if he can become a nose breather his mouth may not dry up too much. I am a consistent mouth breather.

 

[lgelb]

No, there is no point to trying to change how he breathes. There are plenty of full face mask options out there. As Brian says, the Quattro FX is one option for glasses.

 

[samsmom]

Brian-

Thank you so much!

 

[cervus]

My husband was also a mouth breather, most of the time, and had a mask and although he had laser surgery on his eyes, the mask wouldn't have affected him were he to have worn glasses. As other's have said, let your dad choose what he's comfortable with. Sorry you're all going through this. Yasmin.