Mask for a mouth breather with minimal strapping

[pnfog]

I've been using the Airtouch F20 for over a year.   I've become accustomed to it and was increasingly & blessedly SLEEPING through the nights.   Have noticed over the summer that a headache that I thought I'd worked my way out of has been creeping up on me.  Saw a massage therapist a week ago thinking it would work the area that is unhappy.  It inflamed the back of my neck just at the base of my skull where the strap secures.   This isn't a matter of loosening the strap -- that simply creates leaks.   I have been sleeping in a recliner for the last 5 nights because I can't stand the pressure at the base of my skull/which spreads to the back of my head when I lay down.    I'm becoming <even> more ornery than usual.      I've got my 1 year compliance visit this Friday and the office knows I'm not using my cpap right now.  I'm not <too> worried about this compliance as my data shows that I've been wearing my mask all night for many many months.   The tweaks I made after asking questions a few months ago  (raising the ramp & lowering the high pressure) made a very nice difference. 

The office recommends that I try a Bleep Dreamport sleep mask.  Of course I have 3 months before I'm "due" for a new mask so this will be out of pocket but I'm motivated if I can find something that works.  I'm looking at it & it looks intriguing but I'm very much a mouth breather and don't see how this could work for me much as I love the idea of not having that blasted strap around the back of the head.   I thought she mentioned a mouthpiece that would keep my mouth from dropping open but am not seeing this.  Search Supplier #1. She also mentioned cpap pro but I see that's no longer available.  I wonder if anyone who is a mouth breather has tried the Airway Management TAP PAP Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Improved Stability Mouthpiece that they are recommending in its place??
Link removed.

Lastly, & I know I'm throwing a lot into this but I'm at a very difficult place with this headache that DOES NOT SEEM TO WANT TO QUIT.   I had TMJ surgery back in the 80s (if I knew then what I know now!!) & the headache has been with me since.   It's exacerbated by anything of weight (glasses/earrings/hearing aids etc.) I'd worked my way out of much of the pain but of late this is back & health care professionals just c**k their head to the side & say something like, "that's odd".   That's NOT helpful.  Has anyone dealt with anything like this?  Given how hard it was for me to start cpap & get used to it, it's a bit devastating to be back trying to figure out how to use cpap due to this headache that no one can seem to figure out (& i have had the CAT scans & MRIs etc. to no result).

-----
Moderator Action: Link Removed

To maintain our status as an educational organization, the only commercial links allowed in this forum are to CPAP-related manufacturer websites.  This is stated in the Apnea Board Rules with details given in the Commercial Links Policy section.

-----

[ragtopcircus]

The F30 helped me transition to breathing through my nose only, but it can be finicky. I’m now using a P30i pillow mask primarily.

If you are stuck with full face, I’d try to minimize the frontal area of the mask. The bigger it is, the harder it will pull on the straps when the air is on. It is directly proportional to the air pressure and the mask area. The F30 might be worth a try from that perspective too - it’s a lot smaller than a true full face mask like the F20.

Maybe some sort of cap under the straps would help, by spreading out the load.

[ragtopcircus]

Speaking of the P30i, while I wish they offered extra large pillows, it is working well for me overall. I’m bringing it up because while it does have a strap behind the head, it rides higher than the F20 or F30 straps - well away from the neck. I also find that it works best with that strap quite loose.

If my nose is totally blocked, I use an F20. I’ve carefully tweaked the straps as loose as I can get away with, but I really feel that tension on my neck after the loose comfortable P30i.

Maybe a Dreamwear or P10 would be worth a try for the same reason - no pressure at the base of the skull.

One way or another, I suspect the answer is going to be figuring out how not to be a mouth breather.

[pnfog]

Speaking of the P30i, while I wish they offered extra large pillows, it is working well for me overall. I’m bringing it up because while it does have a strap behind the head, it rides higher than the F20 or F30 straps - well away from the neck. I also find that it works best with that strap quite loose.

If my nose is totally blocked, I use an F20. I’ve carefully tweaked the straps as loose as I can get away with, but I really feel that tension on my neck after the loose comfortable P30i.

Maybe a Dreamwear or P10 would be worth a try for the same reason - no pressure at the base of the skull.

"One way or another, I suspect the answer is going to be figuring out how not to be a mouth breather."

i'll take a look at the P30i and the others.    Re. your last comment -- that's the trick, right?  

My dentist did a 360 xray last year that showed my throat which he said (i'll have to dig up those records) was considerably narrower than per usual.   The Otolaryngolist response was that it was narrow in one direction & the other (providing it doesn't collapse at night) was close to "normal".   My nose also seems to have a narrowing obstruction on one side.  Perhaps the surgery for that at some time in the future would provide an easier means of breathing without the mouth open...

[ragtopcircus]

I’m right there with you on sinus issues. Despite my large nostrils, the septum is badly deviated, and my nose is fairly narrow. It is a struggle to keep my nose open enough to breathe through.

The P30i (and, to a lesser extent, the F30) helps a lot by inflating the lower part of the nose, opening it like a breathe-rite strip. That doesn’t happen with the F20.

I’m also alternating between Fluticasone and capsaicin nasal sprays.

I found that the F30 helped with the transition because it opened my nose some, and made it easier to keep my mouth shut by reducing the pressure difference.

[pnfog]

That's promising. I'll check out the F30. Thanks.

[ragtopcircus]

It is finicky, and may not provide enough relief at the base of your skull, but it should be a little better than the F20. It is important to keep the strap tension very balanced, and don’t overtighten the top strap. I found it helpful to use a sharpie to mark the straps as I adjusted them. Hopefully it will help you transition to something else that doesn’t need a low strap at all.

The TAP PAP is kind of intriguing, but I suspect I might end up chewing or grinding on the mouthpiece.

[ragtopcircus]

The Amara View might be another option for you. It didn’t fit my facial structure enough to even turn the air on, so I can’t say much about it. In principle though, it is similar to the F30, so it may also allow you to reduce the strap tension a little.

A lot of people, myself included, seem to have trouble with leaks at bottom of the Dreamwear full face. Unlike the regular Dreamwear, it has a lower strap, and I had to cinch it pretty tight. That one doesn’t seem like an obvious choice ....

[ragtopcircus]

Btw, pillow masks do help open the sinuses, but I find I need to set the humidifier higher with them.

[DaveL]

Hope this helps...I mouth breath sometims, and I use a nasal mask. So I use a chin strap or chin support. Lately I've been using a cushion under my chin that I made up myself.
I recently made a simple change. It was suggested here. I'm using a cable reel that isolates my hose. It holds it up. I used to drag it on the mattress or pillow. Result was it tugged on my mask, and I slept poorly.

Headaches are a bear. I went from '96 to about 3 years ago getting 3 migraines a week. It was hard to function.