CPAP silicone allergy: Anyone know of other options? Solutions?

Hello @dancingcat, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. The CPAP mask is part that gives most of us the trouble. I think I have been through 6 or 7 different masks. I currently use a ResMed AirFit F20 full face mask with a CPAP comfort cover cover (https://cpapcomfortcover.com/). I tried the Dreamweaver under the nose mask but I have a deviated septum which causes issues with the nose breathing and it didn't work for me. I did find a padded cover that may help with nose and surrounding area problem you are having. The cloth cover made all the difference in the world for me. Here's a mask liner that works for your mask - https://www.padacheek.com/dreamwear-full-face

Another solution is the Sleepweaver line of non silicone masks: https://circadiance.com/sleepweaver/.

Dreamweaver was by far the most comfortable mask for me also when I was able to breath successfully through my nose. Now that I see someone has made a cloth cover I may switch back to the Dreamweaver mask (if I can find it!). Have you tried using a cloth cover between the mask and your face?

The web page for the cpapcomfortcover does have a ling for nasal cushions but on this pages states that "There are no products listed under this category." For their nasal mask page, there is nothing shown for my Dreamwear maks by Philips. Their link to email them is very confusing, so I was not successful.

@dancingcat The web page does leave a lot to be desired but I think this is a direct link to the one for the Dreamwear Nasal Pillow mask -- https://www.padacheek.com/product-page/barrel-cozy-for-dreamwear-nasal-pillows-only.

@starfish had a similar problem and I believe switched to the cloth mask by Circadiance and may have some suggestions for you. Here is a link to their masks: https://circadiance.com/sleepweaver/

Are you able to work with your sleep medicine doctor or a local sleep medicine store and sleep therapist to help with the problem?

Thanks very much. This is the mask that I have. I have just sent a message to Pad a Cheek asking what the material is that contacts the nose directly. From the photos, it does not look to be cloth like the rest of the item. I do hope it is not silicone.

If I cannot find anything suitable myself, I will need to contact the provider of my CPAP. My sleep medicine MD didn't seem to know very much about the device when I saw him when I first started to use the CPAP.

This is a great forum. Thanks again.

I just started using CPAP and was given an Airtouch F20 Mask - within 2 days I developed severe acne around the perimeter of the face mask. The supplier replaced it with another Airtouch F20 Mask but this one had a foam cushion attached to the silicone. Same result - except it got worse - started with a sore bridge spot on my nose. After the 2nd night usage, I developed a huge boil at the upper bridge of my nose, acne (white heads) all over my nose, the roof of my mouth swelled and my lips had a numbness to them. Anyone have this reaction so quickly and what did you do to rectify? Thanks

Hello @cpapboy, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I currently use an AirFit F20 full face mask but I have tried the AirTouch F20 full face mask and it didn't work as well as I thought it would for me. Also, you can't clean it like the normal mask. You have to use a non-alcohol CPAP wipe or it will damage the memory foam. I also think they told me you have to replace the mask every 30 days but I'm not sure. I was getting the CPAP nose and cheeks and talked with my sleep medicine PA and she recommended making or buying a cloth cover for the full face masks. She told me about the CPAP Comfort Cover that some of her patients used and I went online and bought a set of 2 of them. They work great for me and I generally wash them once a week by hand and switch them out. I now have a stock of the comfort covers and can switch them more regularly. Here's the website if you want to see them - https://cpapcomfortcover.com/comfort-cover-choices/full-face-mask-covers-nose-and-mouth/

You might have a silicon allergy causing the reaction to the skin. If you do have an allergy, there are CPAP masks made of fabric - https://circadiance.com/sleepweaver/

Can you talk with your sleep doctor about the reaction to the mask?

I am taking my findings to my personal doctor today with hopes he will write a prescription for a "soft material mask" that is supposed to be non-allergenic. I will keep you all posted.

Has anyone had allergies and constantly sneezing, blowing nose or nose dripping like a faucet .. and started after using the cpap. I’ve always had allergies but this is beyond terrible. Because I’ve been allergic to band aids and all sorts of plastic and rubber type materials and thinking that all the tubing, mask and everything is made from one of these… what other option would there be?

Hi @dshep2001, welcome. You'll notice that I moved your message to this existing discussion about silicone allergy and CPAP. I think you'll appreciate reading through past messages from members like @sanibelsandy @miniray @cpapboy @johnbishop and others. Several solutions and tips are shared in the discussion.

Dshep2001, since you're allergic to other things like Bandaids, plastic and rubber, an allergy seems to be a likely suspect to explore.

I’ve noticed I dripping nose just recently. I’ve had my C-Pap for over 5 years.