Hi:

I'm new to the site and have a question or two. I started using cpap therapy about a month ago. The first two weeks were a nightmare. I wouldn't even go into the bedroom because I didin't want to look at the machine. I used a nasal mask and had constant air leaks. I switched to nasal pillows and have dramatically improved. No more air leaks around the pillows. I feel a 100% better even though I still wake up 3 or 4 times a night. One of my problems is that I think I am leaking a small amount of air through the lips. I h ave a chin strap on extremely tight and my mouth doesn't open. I read some where that Curad Scar Reduction Tape over the mouth can help stop this but I don't know what Curad Scar Reduction Tape is or where to find it or how to use it. I don't want to go under a full face mask unless there is absolutely no other way. I had such a terrible experience with the nasal mask. I'm feeling so much better and would like to get the full benefit of my cpap therapy without enduring a mask.

eekerbeeker

eekerbkkker,

I bought mine at a Target store but you should be able to find them at any pharmacy somewhere near the bandaids. Several companies are marketing a similar product, if you can't find Curad there may be others. I'd just ask the phamacist. They consist of patches of soft adhesive silicone designed to be used to reduce the appearance of scars. They work well as a mouth closure for us hoseheads. They stick well but peel of easy in the morning.

You've got the right idea... a nasal pillow interface and a good mouth closure is a very comfortable way to go.

Thanks for the tip on curad scar reduction therapy. Is this safe? I read somewhere that you could possibly smother by rebreathing your own air if the power went off and you were asleep. Anybody else heard of anything like that? I agree with you about the money pit and the uninformed and somestimes disinterested doctors ane dme's you deal with. The dme I dealt with probably spent 5 minutes with me and gave me no choices. He gave me a nasal mask and showed me how to put it on and that was it. I didn't know you could choose your own dme. I called him after about 5 days of misery with the mask and told him that he could have the thing back if that was the best there was and that I had read on the web about the nasal pillows and wanted that. He then told me I had a week to get another mask without any additional charge. He never mentioned that to me at our original meeting. If I call him now, he either doesn't return my calls and doesn't know anything about what I'm need an answer for. The doctors are not much better. Once he made the sale, he was finished with me. So much for whinning. That's life. You learn to deal with it. I'm just greatful to be getting some decent sleep after all these years. I wake up about 3 or 4 times a night but I'm able to go right back to sleep. I don't know why I wake up so much. I don't need to go to the bathroom or anything. I guess it will get better as I go along. I've felt so much better even with the waking up.

Hi eekerbeeker,

Sorry to hear you are having such a rough time with your DME. That was the kind of attitude I got when I started checking around for DMEs. That's why I bought online from cpap.com. I've gotten great service and support.

Did you get your nasal pillows yet?

My thought on taping my mouth shut is that if my machine goes off I will wake up. In theory isn't it the repeated "near suffocation" that we get the cpap for in the first place? My wife asks me what if I have to yell fire or something? Ha..I guess I'll just pull off the patch just like I do in the morning. I like using the patch because the mouth leaks would wake me up unless they were just puffs and then I would just get a crumby night's sleep. Either way I know that air is not escaping out of my mouth with the tape on.