xPAP still a disaster

[Soothest Sleep]

Positives in life are really hard to find when all we look for is negatives.

I think part of that is because when things are positive, we have a tendency to just cruise along enjoying life - we usually never stop and think about it being positive.

The negative stuff stops our happy cruise and by doing so, jumps in our face and makes the negative blatantly obvious.

Agreed. One of the strategies that has helped me cope with very difficult times in my life has been to acknowledge every positive thing I could, whether miniscule or large, whether related to the crisis or not. There's a reason for sayings like "count your blessings" and "practise gratitude;" they're not just platitudes. Every time we acknowledge a good thing, thought, or action, we are actively creating better balance in our emotional lives to offset the negativity and impact of that "jump in the face."

Pugsy, an apnea treatment journey must be a walk in the park compared to what your family is going through with your mother's health. Sending prayers for strength, courage, and good sleep to see you through it.

Jean

[TedVPAP]

Is mouth leaking causing you problems, or just your wife?

Both, so it's 2 problems, not just one.

What does data show?
If taping did not stop mouth leaking, then you are not doing it correctly.

Data shows large leaks anywhere between 15% and 30% on average. The mask itself has never caused a large leak as far as I know - it actually seals very well, even at higher pressures.

As for taping, short of using something like duct tape and wrapping it around my entire head multiple times, I cannot find anything that actually sticks well enough to keep my mouth closed while just allowing my jaw to relax (which is what happens in sleep).

Pull the upper lip over the lower. Then add tape (sticking to the skin, not the lips). Then add a chin strap to keep the mouth closed.

[MaxINTJ]

Pull the upper lip over the lower. Then add tape (sticking to the skin, not the lips). Then add a chin strap to keep the mouth closed.

Not sure what kind of lips you have, but my upper will not go over the lower.

Or are you, in part, referring to Carol Burnett's description of giving birth?

[AMK]

I don't know about pulling the upper lip over the lower, but I use a one-inch strip of Bandaid brand paper tape to seal my mouth while pressing my lips together and I wear a chin strap. The combination keeps my mouth shut all night while not requiring that I use a stronger tape that would be painful to remove. It's a lot of crap to have on my face, but it gets me through the night while using cpap. Some people here use a neck brace to keep their mouths closed, but my sleep nurse begged me not to try that.

[Arlene1963]

.

[nicholasjh1]

My hybrid mask by innomed seems to have stopped my mouth leak issues. You could just try bunches of masks like many around here do. Other possibilities are mouth guards (the sports kind with a plug which you don't take out for cpap usage). Also Tappap which my be similar...someone else here uses that, I can't really speak to it too much. the mouth guard stopped my mouth leak, but I have a reactoin to silicone, and I was drooling so much it woke me up, but I've heard it works for others. also cervical collars, and hair bands for keeping the mouth shut can work too. when I used a chin strap (before my hybrid mask) My favorite was just a regular black target strechty hair band... much more comforatable, and the stretchness encouraged me not to open my mouth, but was more gentle then the "CPAP" Chin Straps.

[TedVPAP]

Pull the upper lip over the lower. Then add tape (sticking to the skin, not the lips). Then add a chin strap to keep the mouth closed.

Not sure what kind of lips you have, but my upper will not go over the lower.

Or are you, in part, referring to Carol Burnett's description of giving birth?

Well if you are having trouble understanding how the lower lip can be covered by the upper lip ... then you are having trouble.

[MaxINTJ]

Well if you are having trouble understanding how the lower lip can be covered by the upper lip ... then you are having trouble.

I still don't see how a person with relatively normal lips can pull the top one of the bottom one without going through all sorts of jaw distortions.

Can most/some of you others do this in a normal position?

[Pugsy]

Can most/some of you others do this in a normal position?

Yeah...and I don't even have to pull it up over with my fingers. I can just move the lower lip up over the upper lip.
Stick the lower lip out and then up. Easy to do.
Think of someone doing an exaggerated pout and sticking lower lip out.

[MaxINTJ]

Can most/some of you others do this in a normal position?

Yeah...and I don't even have to pull it up over with my fingers. I can just move the lower lip up over the upper lip.
Stick the lower lip out and then up. Easy to do.
Think of someone doing an exaggerated pout and sticking lower lip out.

You've got it reversed - he said pull the upper over the lower.

TedVPAP wrote:
Pull the upper lip over the lower. Then add tape (sticking to the skin, not the lips). Then add a chin strap to keep the mouth closed.

[Pugsy]

Okay...I misread it but I can still put my upper lip down over the lower lip. Just draw the lower lip inwards a bit.
Thinking of biting lower lip.

The idea of either is to create a flat surface to tape.
Having the lower lip inwards with upper lip down over the lower lip area creates a fairly flat surface and more so than the pout way.

I think that for me it's not so much the upper lip being down and over the lower lip as it is the lower lip just rolled inwards a bit so the surface is more flat.

But when I taped I did neither. I just smacked the tape on with lips in normal position.

[TASmart]

When I have taped with the micropore product I overlap 2 strips of tape to make one wide strip, then I don't have to do anything with either lip nor lips.

[Kiralynx]

I have not found a solution for my mouth blowing open when pressure rises so my mouth feels like the Sahara Desert every morning.

I have tried a chin strap (pressure came out my lips), tape (haven't found any that sticks yet), and a FFM (which lasted an hour until it leaked like crazy and woke me up with face farts.

(/rant off)

I don't know that I can address any of your other issues. But I might be able to help with the jaw dropping open business.

I'm terribly claustrophobic and couldn't use a chin strap. But my mouth kept dropping open. So I had to invent my own device. I called it a "brandy keg," ala the cartoons of St. Bernard dogs with brandy kegs under their chins.

I bought a 4" diameter piece of medical foam, and cut a 4" piece off it. I drilled a hole down the center of the cylinder. Wrapped the foam in fleece, and put a strap through it. I snug it under my chin.

I sleep on my side, and the strap keeps me from loosing the cylinder, while the cylinder keens my chin from dropping.

I've been using it for 9 years.

https://imgur.com/pJ0PHAD

[RiverDave]

I have not found a solution for my mouth blowing open when pressure rises so my mouth feels like the Sahara Desert every morning.

I have tried a chin strap (pressure came out my lips), tape (haven't found any that sticks yet), and a FFM (which lasted an hour until it leaked like crazy and woke me up with face farts.

(/rant off)

I don't know that I can address any of your other issues. But I might be able to help with the jaw dropping open business.

I'm terribly claustrophobic and couldn't use a chin strap. But my mouth kept dropping open. So I had to invent my own device. I called it a "brandy keg," ala the cartoons of St. Bernard dogs with brandy kegs under their chins.

I bought a 4" diameter piece of medical foam, and cut a 4" piece off it. I drilled a hole down the center of the cylinder. Wrapped the foam in fleece, and put a strap through it. I snug it under my chin.

I sleep on my side, and the strap keeps me from loosing the cylinder, while the cylinder keens my chin from dropping.

I've been using it for 9 years.

https://imgur.com/pJ0PHAD

Kiralynx,

That's cool!. I'll have to try that one. It's not a big issue for me, but I think it may be worth a try.

[Kiralynx]

https://imgur.com/pJ0PHAD

Kiralynx,

That's cool!. I'll have to try that one. It's not a big issue for me, but I think it may be worth a try.[/quote]

Yes -- pardon the grubby cover -- it was headed for the washer. Then it occurred to me that I might want to get a couple more covers, and snapped the photo real quick to send to Karen at Pad-a-Cheek, as she made that one.

But one time, when I managed to leave the darn thing home, I improv'd with some cheap WalMart fleece, a piece of stretch velcro, and a roll of toilet paper in the motel!

The strap shown there is half of an old Comfortlite 2 mask strap.