dry mouth even with mouth taped shut

[merhaba12]

This is my first time posting on this forum. I have read many helpful threads! Thank you to all of you who help out us newbies!

I have struggled with various masks, mainly because I am trying to find out if I am a mouth breather and may need a full face mask. Currently, I use a nasal mask but I wake several times in the night with very dry mouth. I read that you can tape your mouth shut and that should take care of dry mouth. I use Biotene mouth wash and Biotene gel but they don't seem to work. By taping my mouth shut, shouldn't it keep me from getting dry mouth?

I use straight CPAP at a pressure of 14cm or I have tried APAP with pressures of 13cm - 15cm.

Thank you!

[zonk]

See if it help to to turn up the humidifier a notch or two. How is the leak?
Mouth breathing can dry your mouth...Try a chinstrap or full face mask
Welcome to Apnea Board

[PaulaO2]

All opinions of taping aside, yes, you can still get a dry mouth. If the tongue falls back and blocks the airway, the air is going to go into your mouth and dry it out. Unless you taped your lips completely closed, air is going to escape in that situation. Unless you used duct tape and pretended you were a kidnap victim on a crime show, air is going to escape even without an apnea event.

Learning to keep your mouth closed during sleep is not easy. It takes a lot of practice. In some situations, a chin strap will work but in others, it doesn't help (especially in the above example).

Are you sure it is you mouth breathing? Could it be a medication or a bad tooth? Or some other condition?

I once tried a hybrid full face mask and I can understand you doing other things to try and avoid it. But, even with the frustrations I had, I would never ever ever tape my lips closed. The risk and danger in that is just too great. I would use a full face mask again before I did it.

[weeble]

Hi Welcome, I agree with Zonk about the humidifier - when I first started using my machine I had very dry mouth and lips - I changed the humidity setting and it worked. I am now using a chin strap and once again, waking up with dry mouth and lips so think I am one of those people who just can't have a decent relationship with a chin strap. Good luck

[Sleepster]

I have struggled with various masks, mainly because I am trying to find out if I am a mouth breather and may need a full face mask. Currently, I use a nasal mask but I wake several times in the night with very dry mouth. I read that you can tape your mouth shut and that should take care of dry mouth. I use Biotene mouth wash and Biotene gel but they don't seem to work. By taping my mouth shut, shouldn't it keep me from getting dry mouth?

In the above paragraph you seem to be asking us if taping will keep your mouth from drying out. But in the title you seem to be stating that your mouth is dry even when you tape it.

There are muscles that lift the back of your tongue up against the roof of your mouth preventing air from escaping into your mouth. When these muscles fail at this task pressurized CPAP air escapes into your mouth inflating your cheeks and pushing your lips open.

I had to train myself to keep this from happening, and I was able to do it. However, my jaw drops when I fall asleep so I need the help of a chinstrap.

Not everyone is lucky enough to be able do this, and so they have to go with a full face mask. Some people are so lucky that they can do it without the aid of a chinstrap.

If your mouth is still drying out while taped shut my guess is that the pressurized air is still escaping into your mouth and that's what's drying it out. You can probably feel the air pushing out on your cheeks, like a balloon being blown up.

Taping is a foolish and irresponsible thing to do. You could suffocate. If you insist on taping at least use the chinup strips (google it). It leaves an opening for you to breathe. Chinup strips are marketed in the UK as a rememdy for snoring. I made my own once using three strips of tape joined in a "U" shape.

Like I said, I was lucky in that I could get the chinstrap to work for me. To train myself I practiced tucking the tip of my tongue up against the roof of my mouth, behind my front teeth. I even practiced doing it during the day.

[trish6hundred]

Hi merhaba12, First of all, WELCOME! to the forum.! Taping your mouth is EXTREMELY UNWISE.! I would encourage you to try other things before doing such a dangerous thing such as that. I think there might be some other threads on this subject on this forum that you might look into. CPAP therapy can take lots of TIME and PATIENCE and I know this can be frustrating. I hope you can find a better way to deal with this difficulty, best of luck to you.

[PaulaO2]

Why don't you tell us what else you have tried? Maybe one of us has something else not on your list.

[merhaba12]

Thank you for your responses.

I have played around with the humidifier setting from 2-4, but it doesn't seem to help. I'll try again. My leaks vary from night to night and mask to mask. When I tried the nasal pillows I had huge leaks. I can't seem to get a tight enough seal without discomfort to my nostrils. I have more luck with my nasal mask. When I first started 3 months ago, I had a full face mask and I hated it because I had huge leaks up my forehead or out my ears. Part of the problem was I had a horrible machine - a PR DS150 with no exhalation relief. My pressure was 14cm. I traded the full face mask in for a nasal mask. I am able to switch masks now, but I don't know what to try. The Hybrid sounded good until I found out I am uncomfortable with the nasal pillows.

I will stop taping and try my chin strap. The Resmed one didn't work at all. I tried the Puresom Ruby Chinstrap. I read that it shouldn't be too tight. I think I was tightening it too far. I'll give it a try tonight. Otherwise I'll look into Chinup Strips.

Paula02 - I'm not at all sure if I am mouth breathing. I breathe fine through my nose during the day, so I doubt I am mouth breathing at night. It wouldn't be a bad tooth or medication or I would have dry mouth during the day.

I will definately practice with my tongue up against my teeth.

You have given me lots of great suggestions! I'll see how my night goes!

[trish6hundred]

I sure hope it goes better for you and PLEASE keep us posted.

[zonk]

My pressure was 14cm.

Now you,re using auto range 13-15. I would try to set the minimum pressure lower ...maybe 10 and see how it goes
Its no point to have more pressure than needed