Taping questions

grumpygirl · Post by **grumpygirl** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:45 am

Hello ALL- I am a mouth breather who cannot tolerate a FF mask. I have been using the Opus nasal pillows which are very comfortable but lately I noticed my leak rate had jumped quite a bit. I have been taping my mouth since starting use of the Opus but now I notice that during the night when I wake up (usually 2 times) I can feel air coming from around the tape and underneath. I double taped last night and still had the problem. What am I doing wrong? In the beginning I didn't have this problem and I am taping the same way as I did then. I really don't want to use a chin strap because I trired one at the DME's office and it was VERY uncomfortable and made my TMJ act up a little. Any suggestions? I usually close my mouth very tightly and roll my lips under a very little bit and then tape a good size piece of Micropore tape over my lips- last night two pieces and made sure the top and bottom are sealed well. ????????

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 9:47 am

You might try the Polident strips along with taping to see if that helps.

jimbassett · Post by **jimbassett** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:20 am

Previously I took a piece of ACE BANDAGE and made a loop to go around my mouth and neck. This reinforces the tape and keeps it from coming loose as the air pressure pushes it out. Use a hot glue gun to fasten the bandage together if you have one, or it can be sewed on a machine. Make it as tight as you think it needs to be and yet still be tolerable. This works for me. Good Luck jim

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:02 pm

Hmmm... (going through the movements).

I drop my jaw slightly, purse in my lips, so the inner part of the bottom one is actually rests on my bottom teath, then I tape, and the, I let my lips and mouth relax.

The result is that my mouth is taped shut even when my jaws drop when I sleep. I'm not using it to keep my jaws firmly shut, just my lips.

Granted, my pressure is low - rarely more than 7.5 - so it may just be the low pressure that keeps me from having blowouts.

O.

Velbor · Post by **Velbor** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:42 pm

If you're not doing so already, wash with soap to remove oils from your face, and leave time to dry thoroughly, before applying the tape.

For men, shave in the evening before applying tape.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:59 pm

An ACE bandage, as jimbassett suggested, or leg from a pair of tights...ANYthing to use as an extra strap over the front of the taped mouth can help if tiny blow-outs at edges of the tape keep happening.

If your cheeks are filling with air and ballooning out, a chin strap (homemade or commercial) that lays alongside the cheeks can help keep them from puffing out. Puffed out cheeks are an indication the mouth is filling with cpap air coming into the mouth....the force of that air is pushing against the tape from othe inside. The less air that gets into the mouth, the easier it is for the tape to "hold". So....flatten those cheeks with a strap of some kind, if the cheeks are ballooning.

The ACE or whatever-homemade-strap over the front of the taped mouth can do double duty to keep the cheeks flat, depending on how you route that strap.

Gerald · Post by **Gerald** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 2:19 pm

Grumpy.........

You might want to try 3M Blue "Delicate Release" 2-inch wide Masking Tape from Lowe's paint department. Use a strip 8" long, fold over the ends 1/2" for "release handles", relax your jaw, and smoothe it down.

I use a loop of panty-hose tights (a leg) on top of the tape and around the back of my neck. I have attached another panty hose leg loop just ahead of each ear......and it goes up and over my head....to prevent the tape cover panty-hose from slipping down.

Someone (Rested Gal, I think) suggested using Hot Glue for panty-hose tights fabrication......instead of sewing (panty-hose is horrible to try and sew).

Mouth taping is a balance......tape must be wide enough....adhesive must be gentle enough to be easy-release......and the adhesive needs to be aided by pressure on the outside (panty-hose tights) to prevent "blow-outs".

Gerald