06-14-2024, 04:17 PM
RE: Severe CSA: my astounding results with mouth taping
I agree - mouth tape is an absolute game changer, if you can tolerate it. I tried it for months and during the time I could keep it on, Oscar showed my flow improved and mouth leaks greatly reduced. Unfortunately there's just something about tape that makes me feel panicky and gives me nightmares. I tried all the tapes - Cover roll, medical tape, cloth tape, kinesiology tape, just the sticky part of sensitive-skin band-aids, branded stuff like Hostage tape, etc. I tried covering my entire mouth, part of my mouth, and those tapes that look like an X that just hold your mouth closed. The only one I could stand to wear for more than a couple hours was the X-shaped tape. That didn't really do much for mouth leaks tho.
I did everything to try and stop mouth leaks because after trying all the masks as well, I found that nose pillows worked best for me, both for comfort and fit - virtually no leaking from the cushions. But nose-only masks are almost useless if you end up mouth-breathing during REM, like I do. I tried the cervical collar (uncomfortable), the chin straps (multiple kinds, all would slide off or were uncomfortable) and the mouth tape (couldn't keep it on) without success. So frustrating.
Recently I discovered the V-Com after seeing some youtube recommendations from the Australian guy and the lefty guy. I was like "how the eff is that supposed to do anything" but I decided to try it anyway. They said for an APAP, you need to turn off the ERP and up the pressure by 1 or 2 to compensate for the device's dampening, so I changed my settings from pressure 10-18, ERP 3, no ramp to pressure 11-18, no ERP, no ramp + the device, and my mouth leaks are down to almost nothing.
It's only been a couple of days so it's way too soon to call this a win. My treated AHI remained <3 like before, but my leak rate & flow graphs stopped looking like seismographs during an earthquake. All my other numbers are good and I feel more rested because my flow is evening out. I'm cautiously joyous!
So as of now I'm a fan, but with some caveats. First, the price is RIDICULOUS. $25.00 for a 2-inch piece of plastic that can be made for 25 cents? Greedy. Second, the device goes between your mask and your hose, and the fit is secure but not perfect. It's a piece of hard plastic with no give, so temperature changes in your bedroom affect how tight it seals, which sucks. Hopefully some engineers can improve the design so it becomes more secure.
Sharing my experience with it since I didn't see much chatter on here about that particular device. If you've got your mouth leakage under control, tape or otherwise, pass this overpriced widget by. But it works for me, for now at least, and I don't have to put extra stuff on my face.
I did everything to try and stop mouth leaks because after trying all the masks as well, I found that nose pillows worked best for me, both for comfort and fit - virtually no leaking from the cushions. But nose-only masks are almost useless if you end up mouth-breathing during REM, like I do. I tried the cervical collar (uncomfortable), the chin straps (multiple kinds, all would slide off or were uncomfortable) and the mouth tape (couldn't keep it on) without success. So frustrating.
Recently I discovered the V-Com after seeing some youtube recommendations from the Australian guy and the lefty guy. I was like "how the eff is that supposed to do anything" but I decided to try it anyway. They said for an APAP, you need to turn off the ERP and up the pressure by 1 or 2 to compensate for the device's dampening, so I changed my settings from pressure 10-18, ERP 3, no ramp to pressure 11-18, no ERP, no ramp + the device, and my mouth leaks are down to almost nothing.
It's only been a couple of days so it's way too soon to call this a win. My treated AHI remained <3 like before, but my leak rate & flow graphs stopped looking like seismographs during an earthquake. All my other numbers are good and I feel more rested because my flow is evening out. I'm cautiously joyous!
So as of now I'm a fan, but with some caveats. First, the price is RIDICULOUS. $25.00 for a 2-inch piece of plastic that can be made for 25 cents? Greedy. Second, the device goes between your mask and your hose, and the fit is secure but not perfect. It's a piece of hard plastic with no give, so temperature changes in your bedroom affect how tight it seals, which sucks. Hopefully some engineers can improve the design so it becomes more secure.
Sharing my experience with it since I didn't see much chatter on here about that particular device. If you've got your mouth leakage under control, tape or otherwise, pass this overpriced widget by. But it works for me, for now at least, and I don't have to put extra stuff on my face.
