Open mouth and fullmask issues....

[tommyngo]

Keep trying out new masks till you find one that doesn't leak so much and you can wear it all night.

Hang in there!

Thanks Shastzi for your kind encouragement ...

I am still struggling with the FF mask & open mouth issues ! I really do not know why I am still woken up due to the air being pumped into my mouth . I feel the air ballooning up my cheeks after a few hours and wake up , even though my machine is an APAP with auto range set at 5 - 20 cm H2O !

In the 2 previous nights, I even tried mouth taping . The AHI decreased 50% but I still woke up due to air pressure in my mouth ( i.e. my mouth filled with air ) . I had to remove the tape to let the air out , retaped, re-put the mask on and went back to sleep !

The air may come from nose breathing ? I really do not know . I just wonder if anyone tapes his mouth and has similar experience ?

Please comment . Thanks.

[Shastzi]

You probably got a mask that *feels comfortable* when things are static.
When you take things to bed...stuff happens. Everything is dynamic!
If you can try out more full face masks (I went through 8) till I found any with the right *contour*
on the sealing surface to stay sealed all night.
(that includes washing the seal & face and wiping it down with alcohol to get it tacky)

I was still breaking out in leaks now and then so now I am testing a new sealing compound.

Avery Permanent Glue Sticks! (no toxic/washable/acid free)
(Elmers and UHU also make them too)
I found out that professional movie/theatre make up artists use these to stick
latex prosthetics on peoples faces with these.

they seem pretty safe since kids can even eat them without ill effects.
(Bleah!)

So far I have been sleeping all night and only small leaks if any.

Yes you can still get your mask off if you need to. It's just a good bit stickier,
Cleans up with a damp cloth or alcohol.

If your mask already has a fairly decent seal but just needs a little help, this may be it.
Try some and see if your skin can tolerate it ok.
Worse that can happen is a bit of a rash if anything.

Yah, I know sounds crazy.

[tommyngo]

[quote='Shastzi' pid='126009' dateline='1439322628']

Thank you for sharing your precious experience with the full mask . In actual fact , the air leakage in my case is below 24 liters per minute ( i.e. less than 11 liters/min.) .

My problem is the air pumped into my mouth , waking me up after a few hours !

[Shastzi]

Hang in there and keep up the good fight!

[tommyngo]

Last night, I taped my mouth again . This time , I made two overlapped holes ( 1/4 in. diameter each ) , with a paper punch right at the center of the tape . When I taped my mouth, these holes were placed at the middle of the closed lips . In this way, I could avoid being choked if my nose was blocked for any reason during the night .

The AHI was only 5 . ( compared to 19.3 without mouth-taping the night before ! ) and I woke up only once ( compared to 3 or 4 times without mouth taping ! ) .

So far so good .... I 'll keep trying this mouth taping to see if it really works in the long run .

[Ghost1958]

If cheek puffing is a problem for you, as much as i love the simplus, try a respironics fitlife totsl face mask.
Pressure is even all over your cheeks and face so there is no cheek puffing or pressure sensation..
No reg ffm will stop cheek puffing for anyone it bothers.

[tommyngo]

I just bought another mask . It's the ResMed Mirage FX Nasal mask . Last night, I tried it on for the first time and the AHI plummeted to 2.5 from about 20 with the FFM . I woke up only once after 4 hours of sleeping !

With the nasal mask on , the air escaped from my mouth each time my lips opened (i.e. my mouth ballooned up then the air flowed out in a rush !). Is this normal ? Please comment .

[PaytonA]

It looks like you are mouth leaking a lot. What is your leak rate?

[tommyngo]

It looks like you are mouth leaking a lot. What is your leak rate?

I checked the leakage rate ..It's less than 10 liters/min ! But I am sure the air comes from inside my mouth ( i.e. the air is expelled from inside out ! ) . Where does this air come from ? How would you explain this air flow ?

BTW, my AHI was 2.6 last night ! very good trend , indeed , with using the the nasal mask !