Open mouth and fullmask issues....

[woozie38]

I definitely get a dry mouth if I mouth breath while in my FFM, even with the humidity set to it's highest level. I found that if I push the mask up to where it overlaps my bottom lip I tend to mouth breath a lot less. Mask is a Simplus FFM.

Hi Ed, My experiences seems to indicate that mouth breathing under an FFM is of itself not a problem, but if combined with mask leaks, than it is. Mask leaks occur as the APAP pressure rises due to airway restriction or blockage & this is usually the result of sleeping "supine" or on one's back. Leaving aside sleeping position, I use a Simpus mask and have designed a device which I've called the "Woozle". With a Simplus, pushing the mask upward is not a good thing to do because the mask then rides higher on the bridge of the nose where the nose is at its narrowest. This will cause air to leak into the eyes which is problematic. My Woozle draws the mask downward to where the nose's bridge is wider, which achieves a much better seal. In my opinion, there is no way to prevent mask leaks caused by a supine sleep position. The APAP will rise & the mask will leak. My woozle will however stop a lot of leaks. The instructions on how to make one are out of date, but if you PM me I can send you an updated version.
Best of luck,

[eseedhouse]

Hi Ed, My experiences seems to indicate that mouth breathing under an FFM is of itself not a problem, but if combined with mask leaks, than it is.... With a Simplus, pushing the mask upward is not a good thing to do because the mask then rides higher on the bridge of the nose where the nose is at its narrowest. This will cause air to leak into the eyes which is problematic.

Well it's definitely not leaks, which do occur but only for a few seconds and rarely more than a minute at most. The machine gives me a nice smiley face on that one as does the "myair" site.

I find that I can adjust the silicon at the top so that leaks at the top don't happen either. It does take a few minutes of fiddling but I've been successful so far.

My mouth still does drop open sometimes and I can tell when I wake up because my mouth is definitely dry when that happens. Eventualy I might try a chin strap or mask but for now I'm coping fine.

I have the humidifier set on auto these days but even when I ran it full out to the point of condensation in the hose I still get a dry mouth. Maybe I'm not supposed to, but I do. We are all different, and all the same.

[tommyngo]

On my 4th day on the APAP machine, I still woke up twice last night and did not feel fresh in the morning . In fact, I felt worse with the machine !! The AHI was 18.2 ( from a baseline of 29.7 before treatment . the previuos 3 nights, the AHI were 20, 12, 18 respectively ) .

My issue is the air entered my mouth ( i.e. full mask) , enlarged the cheeks and caused leaks around the face mask with accompanied flapping noise of mask seal around the mouth . These combined incidents woke me up . They were particularly bad in the early morning ( i.e. 4:30 AM to 6:00 AM ) . At the same time, I felt the air pressure on my face ( which was on automatic control for a range from 5 - 20 cm H2O ) . I had to open the mask and re-adjust it several times before I could go back to sleep .

I wonder if my case is typical for a first time user ? Please comment and advise before I lose hope with my ResMed Airsense 10 . Thanks .

[iSnore]

Like you, last night was my fourth night on CPAP, and I awoke twice aware my lips were open (and fixed that) but the leak was minimal to none, and that's with nasal pillows. I have to attribute that, and much of my success, to something called "tongue vacuum" which I picked up from a post by one of the ladies here. It seems counter-intuitive, but placing my tongue in the roof of my mouth, and applying suction to it, it stays there while I'm nose breathing, even with pressure as high as 11 cm, the max I've seen, even while sleeping. You might give it a try.

[PaytonA]

I have tried vacuuming with my tongue........but the carpet keeps getting damp. Leaves a bad taste and leads to dry mouth too.

[PaulaO2]

CPAP use is not an instant cure. It can take "a while" for results to be noticed. This is because your body and brain have to get used to everything in addition to enjoying the sleep they are finally getting. Some of us, our bodies enjoy the sleep too much and we feel more tired than before! But this is normal. Keep at it.

You can't look at the data for every night and say X is going on. You have to look at data over several nights. You are looking for trends. There are so many variables that go into a good or bad night's sleep. So we gather data and we look at the overall picture, not just a night or two.

Since you are starting out, those numbers are going to be crazy for a while. And that's fine! Totally normal! Feel free to ignore them, actually, for the first two weeks. Instead, focus more on the mask. Yes, the air hitting your face and blowing your mouth open is common. It gets better with time. What you can do is sit up with it on during the day and get acclimatized to it. Wear the mask with the machine on while reading or watching television. It won't get as high pressure as when you are sleeping but it will give you a chance to still feel it.

I am assuming the doc has it set to "wide open" as a way to determine your treatment pressure. Once he/she has that figured out and narrows down the range, some of that weird sensation and mouth getting blown open will ease up quickly. Until then, you can try a chin strap or make your own out of an ACE bandage. You want it tight enough to hold your mouth shut yet not so tight you cannot chew without effort.

[tommyngo]

..... but placing my tongue in the roof of my mouth, and applying suction to it, it stays there while I'm nose breathing..

Thanks for an excellent tip ! I tried this technique last night and it was quite effective in my case ! Hope it gets better with practice .

Best regards,

[tommyngo]

[quote='PaulaO2' pid='124712' dateline='1438465456']

Thanks PaulaO2 for all these wonderful comments . I 'll keep on trying for another few weeks and see ..

[Shastzi]

Hi Tommy,

I would suggest as your next goal to start posting your ResScan charts here or
getting SleepyHead going and posting the S.H. charts here so folks can help you get that thing dialed in.

The machine needs to be *optimised* to your dynamics.
Something the Docs usually don't want to take the extra time to do.
(Here is your machine, just use it. Now get lost! Next PLEASE!)

Not all docs are this way. We have a few here that are exceptionally good!


So... it becomes *your* job to make sure YOU get the best therapy for yourself.
This is where apneaboard comes in.

It's even easier than programming your VCR!

[tommyngo]

[quote='Shastzi' pid='124865' dateline='1438559221']

Thanks for the encouragement ! I was still woken up a few times on my 5th night on the APAP machine due to episodes of open mouth breathing under the full mask .

I'll try a chin strap and mouth tapes to see if the conditions improve .
So far , I feel worse off than before using the machine due to frequent wake-ups !

I am wondering if people on CPAP really have uninterrupted sleep seesions of 6 or 7 hours per night after a few weeks adapting to the machine conditioned environment ?

Please inform. Thanks .