Extremely Dry Mouth

[michael9346]

Happy Friday all... I have been cursed with an extremely dry mouth. I have used Biotene liquid, spray as well as gel. Also have used Act 1 and none of these work. I usually set my humidity level at "3" and closer to morning I reduce it to "1" due to it getting too warm. I have  switching from a Wisp Nasal Mask to the Airtouch F10 FFM. My numbers are better with the Wisp, as I use tape to keep from opening my mouth. I am posting my results using the Wisp + Tape and my FFM Airtouch F20. I appreciate any options I may be given. (BTW, I'm not a fan of the tape)







   

[michael9346]

Doesn't look like both attachments made it on the post. First attachment is the Airtouch and 2nd is the wisp

       

[ShaunBlake]

michael9346, I'll let the folks who know something provide the advice; I just want to say I'm worried about you, lad.  Your events with the F10 are scary but at least your leaks are marginally better, and your Tidal Volume is above the 400 level.  I hope you can get some help with the dry mouth, and I desperately hope you can get some help with the events.

[OpalRose]

Happy Friday all... I have been cursed with an extremely dry mouth. I have used Biotene liquid, spray as well as gel. Also have used Act 1 and none of these work. I usually set my humidity level at "3" and closer to morning I reduce it to "1" due to it getting too warm. I have  switching from a Wisp Nasal Mask to the Airtouch F10 FFM. My numbers are better with the Wisp, as I use tape to keep from opening my mouth. I am posting my results using the Wisp + Tape and my FFM Airtouch F20. I appreciate any options I may be given. (BTW, I'm not a fan of the tape)

Hi michael9346,
I’ll try to address the dry mouth issue first.  If you are mouth breathing, even while wearing a full face mask, then you will experience a dry mouth.  Have you tried to use a soft cervical collar to keep your jaw/mouth from opening?  This has worked for many folk here.  Also check out Amazon for some popular collars that support the jaw like The Eliminatir or Dr. Dakota’s collar. They don’t wrap around the back of the neck like a cervical collar.

There are medicines out there that cause dry mouth, so check out your meds and see if they could be the culprit.  Other than using dry mouth rinses, they can only do so much when mouth breathing.
Try to find the right solution as this can over time have a very negative effect on gum tissue.

The first graphs numbers aren’t really that bad, but there was a cluster of Obstructives where you may have been sleeping on your back.  Not that that’s a problem in itself, but it’s pretty well known that in that position, the tissues in your throat can collapse faster than on your side, and using a Phillips Respironics machine doesn’t help as the algorithm isn’t fast enough to raise the pressure when needed.
I would use slightly higher pressure, move the minimum up to 11cm and the max up to 14cm.

Use whatever mask you feel most comfortable with, but with either one, you should get your mouth breathing under control just to help with the dry mouth.

I don’t see any problem with leak rate.  The Respironics Cpaps report Total Leak Rates (intentional and excessive), and your numbers are acceptable.

[Walla Walla]

For dry mouth I use Xylimelts from Amazon. They work great for me.

[michael9346]

Thanks OpalRose. I very well could have been lying on my back to create that cluster. As far as a collar, I purchased a firm travel collar but I seen no results other than making my neck too hot. I will order the Dr. Dakota collar on Amazon as well as the Exylimelts as Walla Walla suggested.  I had 2 sleep study's inside 13 months as the first study came before I retired. Unfortunately the DME claims they couldn't contact me as they lost my contact info. Now due to my insurance renewing at the beginning of 2017, I would have to pay to get the machine. After I retired we moved to another state to be closer to our sons and their family. At that time my son gave me this machine and I set it to my first sleep study's numbers.( 4-7cm H2O) until I had to take another sleep study as they wouldn't accept the other because it was ordered by a NP, as my doctor pulled out of BCBS's insurance program due to Obamacare. The machine was originally set to the first sleep study which had a 7 max setting. One year later I get my second sleep study and the new max was set to 10 -14cmH2O. 

My first DME here gave me a Resmed Airsense 10, but after 6 days of calling to get some answers on my mask leaks I returned the machine due to not returning my calls. The second DME was a hair better but after 3 masks she wanted to charge me for any future mask. I also told her my Phillips DreamStation was too loud and wanted the Airsense and I got a big fat NO! Shortly after I went to DME #3 and after starting to handle my order, their company pulled out of Medicare. I am now talking to DME #4, but so far they have ignored me. It looks like I will have a race with my System One to see who kicks first, me or the machine? I truly believe they get their DME's from the local job pools in the cities they are located in.

As far as the cluster of OA's I had just returned from the bathroom and many times I notice clusters appear. Generally it takes me 20 to 30 minutes to fall back asleep so I was curious if they are real. As far as the meds, I have had no issues with dry mouth before sleep therapy.

I am so happy I found Sleepyhead as I see how many 1000's of people it helps. I was close to giving up, but now I am fully aware there are people who care and help so much. It seems the DME's, and some doctors really don't seem to care. Is this the reason over 50% drop out of Cpap therapy? That's why we need to Donate AND tell others we know about the blessings of Sleepyhead. It very well could save their life!

[OpalRose]

I guess I'm lucky to have the same DME I started with, but they are a pain to deal with!
Good luck, hope you get some answers.  And don't worry too much over the System One.  I think mine will outlive me.  I've pulled it off my nightstand twice, and it
keeps on ticking.  

[SideSleeper]

I also use Xylimelts and they are a lifesaver!  I register very low leaks on Sleepyhead but always had a really dry mouth.   Mastering the "tongue suck" and get only a few mouth leaks, usually on my back.