When i first started using the nasal pillows, a couple of things bothered me.  1st my nose got so cold all the time and sinus was irritated.  Sleep doc changed the hose to a heated hose and told me to up the humidity, that did the trick and helped a lot.  also, my nose got a bit raw on outside, but some lotion helped that.  Recently i found about about bella loops, its loops that attach to the nasal pillow and wrap around your ears instead of the typical head gear.  they working ok for me.

I know what you mean about drowning on air. I was recently hospitalized for Sepsis. In the ambulance, they tried putting a huge heavy mask on my face that pushed air in as well as sucked it back out. One minute I was drowning in air and the next minute it is being sucked out of my lungs and I felt like I was suffocating. I was litterally fighting the doctor's hands off my arms so I could pull the mask off my face. They eventually had to sedate me.

Have you tried talking to your doctor about the nasal pillows? Some people talk about nasal pillows further down on this board, and they say the nasal pillows can irritate the nostrils. I think I would rather have that than the mask. I think the mask would just bring horrible flash backs of me fighting the doc, plus I just can't stand the mask and absolutely refuse to wear it!

I hope things work out well for you. If you do test positive for sleep apnea, keep diligent on the nasal pillows. That's what I am going to do. Good luck.  

I just had a sleep study to determine the level of airflow for the CPAP and it was horrible! I felt like I was drowning on air! A horrible horrible feeling. They used the full face mask and when I said I wanted the nasal pillows they said the doctor will only allow the face mask because that's what the testing was done with. I really don't think I will use the full face one. It cause me so much anxiety and I woke the next morning with a splitting headache that lasted almost all day long. 

Does anyone know if there's any hope that I can use the nasal pillows? Any suggestions on how to proceed? I just had the study Saturday night and now I'm waiting for the home health company to call and make appointment to get me set up. I feel like this is some sort of nightmare I am in - I never saw this coming! I don't feel like I have any of the symptoms of sleep apnea.

Anyway, sorry to ride along on your post, Miss Kitty. I'm looking forward to responses to your question.

Sheryl

My doc also thinks I have sleep apnea. They were supposed to try nasal pillows on me when I was hospitalized with Sepsis, but they didn't have the right size nasal pillows for my nostrils and it took too long for an order to come in.

Nasal pillows are allot like the oxigen tube they put across your face when in the hospital, except the nasal part is bigger and is supposed to fit snuggly in your nostrils.

My doc wanted me to try this because I refuse to wear the mask.

Has anyone tried this or know of anyone who has? Thanks.

I was first diagnosed in 1997 and I believe the setting number was a 7  not very strong.  I was tested again several years later and got yet another new CPap and the number was raised but I do not know why.  Since that time I have had to go very strong pain medication for 3 failed back surgeryies with nerve damage that was caused between the first and second surgery that was 4 weeks apart that goes down my left leg and into my foot.  I take Morphine 12 hours release every 12 hours and quite a bit of it.  The last time I was tested they changed me to a BiPap even though all these years I have not been able to wear the masks.  Since I was told my WLS Dr. Glas**** requires you to wear it I have been trying to wear this thing now for several months and still with several different masks have not been able to wear it.  With the machine I have now BiPap i have 4 different settins and one of them is 30 and it causes the air to blow past the mask which wakes me up and it causes a suction that has that masked sucked onto my face to the point the last time I tried to wear it for approx 40 min I woke up and the whole right side of my face was numb.

The pulmonary Doctor I was sent to before my surgery is schedules said there was a different type of machine I should have been put on and I'm affraid my surgery will not be postponed even though I have passed everything that is required just so I go through yet another sleep study and get yet my 4th machine that my insurance company has to pay for that I can't use.  I believe this is ridiculous when in fact when this surgery works I won't have this problem any longer.

Any ideas for me?