Recommended chin strap for chipmunk cheeks?

[gcritchley]

Hi - I mouth tape with a nasal mask. When my tongue inevitably relaxes and falls during sleep (YES, I'm working on keeping it sealed to the roof of my mouth already), air comes into my taped mouth and blows up my cheeks, awakening me, with sleep deprivation being the very reason I use CPAP. So, the treatment becomes the problem, or equal to it.

Is there a product that will hold my cheeks in? The mouth tape doesn't allow air to escape, so that's covered - now if i could just eliminate arousals from my cheeks puffing out suddenly when my tongue falls, I might have a chance at some zzzzzzzz's.

Any suggestions? thank you!!

[Ratchick]

I don't have any advice. but hopefully someone else can provide some suggestion. Chipmunk Cheeks are so annoying for me too - I actually am considering a mask with a built-in chin piece to just keep my darn jaw shut.

[sheepless]

on the one hand chipmunk cheeks is a good thing because your taping keeps your mouth/lips closed, preventing leaks. unfortunately, as far as I know, the only way to avoid air getting into the mouth is with the tongue positioned to divert exhale to the nose. (I've too have been working on this for years with little success.)

when I have a problem with leaks, aerophagia or chipmunk cheeks, I reduce pressure to the point it relieves the problem, then incrementally work my way back up, looking for that subjectively acceptable balance point between ahi and leaks, aerophagia & chipmunk cheeks.

less than ideal, but I suppose you could tape in a way that allows some lip leakage, trading cheeks for leaks (!) if more comfortable.

[pholynyk]

I use what is called a Ruby-style chin strap. Two straps come up the sides of your cheeks and meet over the front top of your head, and two straps run above the ears to the back of the head, with Velcro at the top and back.

I think the side straps contain my cheeks pretty well.

[WakeUpTime]

when I have a problem with leaks, aerophagia or chipmunk cheeks, I reduce pressure to the point it relieves the problem, then incrementally work my way back up, looking for that subjectively acceptable balance point between ahi and leaks, aerophagia & chipmunk cheeks.

less than ideal, but I suppose you could tape in a way that allows some lip leakage, trading cheeks for leaks (!) if more comfortable.

I use the same strategy. 

Also, I'm a tape user.  Some are extensive tape users, covering a broader territory, however I just go for a strong seal in the middle.  If the pressure should get to high, no doubt there will be escape on the sides of the mouth.

In a perfect world, I'd use an ultra slim low-profile dental appliance along with a PAP machine. Someone should invent something like that, specifically geared for PAP users, to keep the jaw closed and pull the upper plate back to increase airflow.

[Ratchick]

So, I actually have some feedback. My Resmed P10 finally arrived yesterday, so I could, at least, give the bridge of my nose a break. As a horrible mouth breather and chin dropper who sometimes gets chipmunk cheeks even with a FFM, I prepared by buying some tape I hoped wouldn't irritate my lips as well as a chinstrap. The tape alone led to chipmunk cheeks which, as you say, woke me up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Just as I dropped off, my jaw would drop, my cheeks would blow up and I'd wake up.

So I put on the chinstrap and low and behold, it works a CHARM. I don't know if it's available on the US site, I got mine on the UK Amazon store. I like it because it has two sets of straps, one over the top of the head and one around the back, plus a slit to allow it to cradle the front and the underside of the chin too. Once I put that on, not a single incidence of chipmunk cheeks. I still had the tape on to stop leaks because my lips do part, and I suspect this will have to be only a temporary thing until my nose heals up because my lips are going to complain bitterly about the tape, but it's great to have the option when both the F20 and F30 are bothering the heck out of my nose and/or face. 

The product was sold by a seller called Magik and the name was about a generic as you can get (Snore Stop Belt Anti Snoring Cpap Chin Strap Sleep Apnea Jaw Solution TMJ Blue (Blue)) but this is the image that was included.

[sheepless]

I should add that I use a soft cervical collar, partly for clusters of oa, but mostly to reduce my lip leaks, which it does pretty well at therapeutic pressures. then, if pressure rises above a certain level, lips part, allowing mostly small leaks & avoiding chipmunk cheeks. a guess it's a bit of a compromise.

[mktmgrjrm]

So I put on the chinstrap and low and behold, it works a CHARM. I don't know if it's available on the US site, I got mine on the UK Amazon store. I like it because it has two sets of straps, one over the top of the head and one around the back, plus a slit to allow it to cradle the front and the underside of the chin too.

I was able to find this chinstrap on Amazon in the US - just do a search on the description Ratchick provided.

[Ratchick]

Awesome, glad you could find it!

But Sheepless is also right, a cervical collar would work in the same way to stop your chin from dropping and that may also work if a chinstrap fails (or worsens obstructive events).

[gcritchley]

So, I actually have some feedback. My Resmed P10 finally arrived yesterday, so I could, at least, give the bridge of my nose a break. As a horrible mouth breather and chin dropper who sometimes gets chipmunk cheeks even with a FFM, I prepared by buying some tape I hoped wouldn't irritate my lips as well as a chinstrap. The tape alone led to chipmunk cheeks which, as you say, woke me up EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Just as I dropped off, my jaw would drop, my cheeks would blow up and I'd wake up.

So I put on the chinstrap and low and behold, it works a CHARM. I don't know if it's available on the US site, I got mine on the UK Amazon store. I like it because it has two sets of straps, one over the top of the head and one around the back, plus a slit to allow it to cradle the front and the underside of the chin too. Once I put that on, not a single incidence of chipmunk cheeks. I still had the tape on to stop leaks because my lips do part, and I suspect this will have to be only a temporary thing until my nose heals up because my lips are going to complain bitterly about the tape, but it's great to have the option when both the F20 and F30 are bothering the heck out of my nose and/or face. 

The product was sold by a seller called Magik and the name was about a generic as you can get (Snore Stop Belt Anti Snoring Cpap Chin Strap Sleep Apnea Jaw Solution TMJ Blue (Blue)) but this is the image that was included.


Thanks so much for this - i can't find it