TAPE OR NO TAPE AND AHI

Hello, I know this question probably has been answered before. I tried using the micropore tape last night (vertically by the way) all the way down to my chin. I tried taping my mouth closed with it and could not cough with it on. So I ripped the tape off my lips. With the tape vertically going down the middle of my mouth, obviously there is openings on each side. I unfortunately woke up with dry-mouth, but my AHI was 0.2 and the average leak per month is 16 according to the machine. I cannot download Sleepyhead, but just looking at those numbers, would it be ok if a little air comes out of my mouth. The chin strap is nice (Ruby Pursome) but I have to put felt pads on each side of the straps, as I am getting horrible indentations on my cheeks on each side. So I thought I would go with the tape. If my only issue is a little dry mouth in the morning, with an AHI of 0.2 or 0.4, is this ok? Thank you.

That's an excellent AHI. Anything below 5.0 is considered therapeutic levels of APnea.

So I guess my question is: Then even though I am leaking air out of my mouth, I could "afford" to leak away, with an AHI of 0.2 or 0.4. One morning it was 0.0

It's a question of what's more tolerable to you: any changes in the quality of your therapy that result from some mouth breathing, or controlling leaks but being annoyed by the tape. Your AHI is great but you might find you feel better if you get the leaks under control. The machine will compensate for some leaking, but all else being equal, you're probably better off with the lowest leak rate you can manage.

Since your AHI is under 1, how you feel will be a better guide for what to do.

OP, I am thinking of trying tape, since I exhale through my mouth "flapping" my lips. Was this the problem you had? Did the tape stop it?

As long as the leak stays below large leak territory (above 24 L/min on ResMed machines) the machine should be able to compensate for the leak no matter where it is coming from.

Luthie2006 wrote:average leak per month is 16

Is this the number off the LCD screen? If so that is not an average like you are thinking...it's a 95% number when means that for 95% of the time you were at OR BELOW that number. People often forget the "or below" part of the definition.
Also if that is really a monthly number...last night's data won't impact it much as monthly reflects 30 days.
Now if you meant single day nightly number for just last night...then that's actually a decent 95% number and as long as the leaking didn't wake me up I wouldn't worry about it....

Sometime or other I would really like to see some of your leak graphs because maybe your mouth breathing isn't causing massive horrible leaking at all. I am just curious as to exactly how much impact any mouth breathing might be doing on your therapy. Dry mouth might be from mouth breathing but it doesn't take much mouth breathing to dry out the mouth.

Thanks Pugsy and others. Yes, I took the number AH1 0.2 and 0.4 by pressing the number buttons together, LCD screen. It is the daily number. This is the number that I press each morning and it is sometimes 0.0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.8. (I have mild apnea to begin with) The leak of 16 ml that I saw is from the monthly number of 30 days. That never changes and stays the same all the time. Leaking through my mouth doesn't wake me up but I know it's there because I have "desert mouth" in the morning. I really need to take the data card in to the DME soon to be downloaded.
The tape across my mouth, made me not be able to cough or yawn, so like I said, I put one long piece vertically down under my chin up to the nasal pillows. (not covering it of course). I do think this is better than the chin-strap as long as my leaks aren't terrible. Since I wake up anyways a lot, I am not sure if the therapy is doing what it is supposed to do, but I think so. Maybe a reason for the low AHI's, is because I am not sleeping very much. And If I am not sleeping, then I am breathing well.

The 30 day leak number isn't ever going to change a lot because it is a 30 day average of that 95% number.
There is a way to change the 95% leak number so that it reflects 1 day and not 30....so a 1 day number would be a better guide for evaluating the leak with whatever method you are using to try to keep the mouth shut.
The law of numbers will prevent any significant change in a 30 day average.
For all we know you might have had a nearly flat 0.0 leak graph line last night. Can't tell it at all by looking at the 30 day average for that 95 % number.
You would need 30 nights just like last night to know if the vertical taping was changing anything.

Nyre wrote:Anything below 5.0 is considered therapeutic levels of APnea.

and considered "barely acceptable" hereabouts.

Thank you very much Pugsy:
Palerider: Not sure what you meant about "barely acceptable hearabouts."

Luthie2006 wrote:Palerider: Not sure what you meant about "barely acceptable hearabouts."

nyre says "Anything below 5.0 is considered therapeutic levels of APnea." which, although worded awkwardly, refers to the prevailing doctor belief that "under 5 ahi is good enough".

but, that still means you're being roused up to 5 times an hour. or, on average, no more than 12 minutes of rest at a time, *on average*.

that kinda sucks.

I'd call under 2 fairly decent for getting your rest.