Sore tongue

I was diagnosed with sleep apnea over 2 years ago, but was in denial and just started on CPAP a week ago. I recently got married and my husband insisted I do something as I was scaring him to death every night. Yes....i am a newlywed with a mask! it is very sexy, lol. I've been reading the forums like crazy and have learned a lot, but realize there is so much I don't know (so please excuse me when I don't use the correct terminology). I think I'm adjusting as well as can be expected. I have a nose mask, but am going to go get a nasal pillow mask tomorrow. I have trouble with leaks, comfort, etc. I finally realized last night that a lot of the problems stem from them giving me a mask that is too large. I have to make it really tight, and it still leaks. I think this is causing my teeth to hurt. My biggest problem, and one i can't seem to find addressed here, is that my tongue hurts. I find that I push it up against my teeth which makes it feel like I've been chewing on the sides of it all night. If I try to relax it, my mouth fills up with air which poofs out. Does anyone else have this problem? Do you have any suggestions? I'm scared I'm going to have to develop calluses on it before the pain lessens. I actually took the mask off last night after waking up and battling with leaks and tongue pain and the mask pushed into my face. I'm trying to have a positive attitude about this and not take it off to sleep again, but I need help! Does anyone have any suggestions? And thank you for being here! Just finding this forum has been such a huge encrouragement for me.

You may very well be chewing on your tongue while you sleep. I know that if I don't wear a chinstrap to hold my jaw closed, my jaw opens when I sleep and it slams shut with either my lips or my tongue in between! Talk about rude awakening!

Have you tried using a chinstrap? I know it's not sexy, but neither is a sore tongue!

Thank you for your reply. I'm actually pushing it up against the roof of my mouth and it's going between my teeth on both sides and getting rubbed raw. If my parents had sprung for me some braces they'd probably meet better and this wouldn't happen, lol. I figured out last night that was what was causing the pain, but if I relax my tongue my mouth immediately fills up with air. This whole CPAP experience is certainly like nothing else! I thought maybe someone else had the same problem and could tell me how they resolved it.

You might try one of those boil and fit sports mouth guards -- once fitted it might provide the filler to keep your tongue from going between your teeth or at least provide a smoother surface for your tongue to go up against.

OutaSync wrote: I know it's not sexy, but neither is a sore tongue!

Lord, give me the strength to NOT go there...

LinkC wrote:Lord, give me the strength to NOT go there...

I did bite my fingertips to keep from going there. Newly weds. Oh my..

Since I didn't have anything constructive to offer I was a good girl for a change. Though now that someone mentioned the boil n bite mouth guard (cheapo at Walmart sports section for about a $1) that would be an idea to try.
I can see where in small mouth with tongue placement to prevent chipmunk cheeks, the tongue could rub against the teeth and get abrasions. Anything that would be a barrier to the teeth would possibly help.

If the boil-and-bite alone doesn't work, you can tape your mouth to keep you from filling up with air (see my current thread on Blowfish Follies describing my tape learning curve). If you look at taping as bondage you might be able to regard it as sexy

DD

I just got a cpap machine and am having the same problem. The chin strap just makes it worse. I was thinking about getting a mouth guard too. Would love to hear how you solve this problem!

Start a new thread - you're talking to people who left long ago (look at the post dates).

Tip10 wrote:You might try one of those boil and fit sports mouth guards -- once fitted it might provide the filler to keep your tongue from going between your teeth or at least provide a smoother surface for your tongue to go up against.

As a person with TMJ problems and a custom made oral appliance/ nightguard, I would NOT advise getting one of these "make it yourself" mouth guards. I have bought them, and even after going through the process of having a custom mouthguard made by a dentist numerous (probably more than 10) times in the last 30 years, I could not figure out how to make one of the "boil and fit" ones. If made wrong, a mouthguard can throw off your bite and give you numerous dental problems.

I do where a custom made nightguard/ oral appliance when asleep, along with CPAP on Autoset setting. I sleep better with the nightguard but can sleep with CPAP without it.

I wish I had an answer that would help with your sore tongue but I have no clue what may be causing it. Are you having any other dental problems? Not everything that happens when you are using CPAP is caused by CPAP.

I am new to using a cpap machine too and have this problem. I have only had it for 2 weeks and initially the pressure was set wrong and I seem to have bitten my tongue on the underside but also my inside of cheeks. The pressure is much better now but the air pressure seems to be stopping them from healing. I have turned up the humidity to see if this helps

I would think the air would help to heal them, and (hopefully not tho') more humidity could even set up for fungal problems, if not very likely (like thrush, etc). Give your dentist a call - he/she should know a trick or two (or even your pharmacist).