Terrible Dry Mouth

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Luthie2006
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Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Luthie2006 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 8:56 am

I know this has been addressed somewhere on here but I am using tape to seal my mouth shut at night and my mouth is staying shut very well. However, my mouth is so dry, I have to pry my tongue down to try and get it to "unstick." I know air is not leaking out of my mouth and I don't have chipmunk cheeks. Is this because the CPAP air is rushing into my mouth or can a terrible desert dry-mouth just be part of the CPAP therapy for some? Thank you kindly.

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palerider
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by palerider » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:22 am

Luthie2006 wrote: Is this because the CPAP air is rushing into my mouth
If you're mouth is taped up and you're not leaking through your lips, then there's no air rushing into your mouth...

to rush into your mouth, it has to have somewhere to go, right?

I'm no expert on dry mouth, so I'll let others address that part.

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Luthie2006
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Luthie2006 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 9:35 am

Thank you Pale Rider: Well, I learned one thing from you is that the air is not leaking into my mouth. My mouth is totally sealed and signed with tape, no way it opens unless I remove the tape in the morning.

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OkyDoky
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by OkyDoky » Tue Apr 21, 2015 10:50 am

This is what helps my dry mouth. Before bed, I put some on the end of my tongue and rub it between cheek and gums. I haven't had dry mouth since using it. http://www.amazon.com/ORAJEL-MOUTH-CHUR ... +dry+mouth
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palerider
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by palerider » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:03 am

Luthie2006 wrote:Thank you Pale Rider: Well, I learned one thing from you is that the air is not leaking into my mouth. My mouth is totally sealed and signed with tape, no way it opens unless I remove the tape in the morning.
just to confirm, try blowing air out your mouth when you wake up... before removing the tape.

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Luthie2006
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Luthie2006 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:14 am

Thank you OkyDoky: I will try this product as soon as I can order it from Amazon. I thank you.

And Pale Rider: Yes, I did try blowing air out of my mouth when the tape is still on and no air comes out of my mouth at all. Great test! I have had dry-mouth before from CPAP, but never like my mouth and tongue are glued together. (Like the glue from the tape is always taping my tongue and cheeks shut too inside, lol) I thank you as well.

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palerider
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by palerider » Tue Apr 21, 2015 12:07 pm

Luthie2006 wrote:(Like the glue from the tape is always taping my tongue and cheeks shut too inside, lol) I thank you as well.
mind you, dear, you're only supposed to put the tape on the OUTSIDE of your mouth!

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Wulfman...
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Wulfman... » Tue Apr 21, 2015 1:19 pm

Luthie2006 wrote:I know this has been addressed somewhere on here but I am using tape to seal my mouth shut at night and my mouth is staying shut very well. However, my mouth is so dry, I have to pry my tongue down to try and get it to "unstick." I know air is not leaking out of my mouth and I don't have chipmunk cheeks. Is this because the CPAP air is rushing into my mouth or can a terrible desert dry-mouth just be part of the CPAP therapy for some? Thank you kindly.
Other than mouth-breathing/leaking, some of the other things that can cause dry mouth are medical conditions (like Diabetes) or certain medications. If you're taking medications, look them up with Google searches or more specifically at http://www.drugs.com (that's a good source of that type of info).

And, yes, it gets discussed here very frequently.


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JDS74
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by JDS74 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 2:41 pm

if this is a long term problem, speak to your dentist about how to control it and how to protect your teeth from the dry mouth effects.

Short term, the various oral moisturizers seem to be a way to go.

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Luthie2006
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Luthie2006 » Tue Apr 21, 2015 5:00 pm

Thanks everyone. Proud to say I am on NO medications except for some herbal supplements. YES! Dry mouth (and I mean Sahara Desert dry) only from CPAP. I will try the BIOTENE and I have already ordered the OraJel Dry Mouth Moisturizer on Amazon thanks to the wonderful people on here, Oky Doky, Pale Rider and a host of others. Thank you.

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ephraimh
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by ephraimh » Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:27 am

I believe your dry mouth is being caused by the machine.

The only time when you get Sahara-dry is at night when you use the CPAP. No other times? It has to be the machine; it's the only difference between day and night-time breathing.

You're inhaling pressurized air through your nose with your mouth closed and lips sealed.

That air goes into your nasal passages, through your sinuses, passes the oropharynx, and then it hits and opens the epiglottis. On it's way to the epiglottis a very tiny amount will slip out of your airway through the oropharynx into your mouth. That causes some drying, miniscule, but drying nonetheless.

Think of it this way:

Cut a very small hole in a hose and run pressurized water through the hose. Almost all the water will be pushed out the other end of the hose but a tiny little bit will be pushed out through the hole. The pressurized air is the water and the oropharynx is the hole. Every breath you take will blow a very very tiny amount of air through the oropharynx into your mouth.

When that pressurized air hits the epiglottis, most will pass through the opening but a very, very tiny amount will bounce back up to the oropharynx and seep into your mouth. The air always travels the path of least resistance and as Newton said: for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

CPAP will always reduce the moisture in your mouth. It's just a matter of much drying you can stand. If your mouth produces enough saliva to offset the drying, you'll feel fine. If your mouth doesn't produce enough moisture, you'll notice the dryness. It's not a leak past your lips; it's air forced into your mouth through the oropharynx. It's an infinitesimally small bit of pressurized air, but it's happening all night long. My typical RR is about 10 times a minute so that's 600 times an hour that the air can be forced into my mouth.

I know its only a smidgeon of air but even the tiniest amount of a chemical, change in pressure or movement can throw any system out-of-whack. Just a speck of a peanut could kill someone with a nut allergy. My wife will cry if she looks at a habanero pepper. Some people can eat a half a cup without batting an eye.

That's my take

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sleepydc
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by sleepydc » Thu Apr 23, 2015 1:26 pm

Curious: have you tried sleeping with your tongue placed agains the roof of your mouth as others have described the technique on this site? I'm wondering if, to the extent it "closes" the entry in your mouth and keeps most of the air passage through your nose, the the technique could help....

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Luthie2006
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Luthie2006 » Fri Apr 24, 2015 7:49 pm

Thanks Ephraihm and Sleepydc
I bought some Biotene and that is helping and I have ordered the OraJel Dry Mouth gel recommended by another wonderful helpful member and this has helped this dry Sahara mouth situation.
Thank you all...

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Sir NoddinOff
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Sir NoddinOff » Sat Apr 25, 2015 11:28 am

Just to add to the Orajel mouth moisturizer comments above - here's the cheapest place I've been able to find it. Just be sure not to order the Orajel cold sore medication, that's a completely different product.

http://www.dentist.net/products/orajel- ... rizing-gel

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Luthie2006
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Re: Terrible Dry Mouth

Post by Luthie2006 » Sat Apr 25, 2015 8:19 pm

Thanks Sir NoddinOff: And by the way happy birthday. I did order the OraJel on Amazon and did pay a little more. Right now I wished I hadn't. Unrelated, I ordered a mattress protector from Amazon (but one of their sellers) and I they sent me the wrong item totally a mattress pad when I ordered a mattress protector. I went online and saw that the mattress protector was unavailable and so they sent me a mattress pad (which I own) and thought I would be ok with that; a "switch and bait". I called them and they are going to write the seller and back me up eventually on the bait./switch order. I ordered the Orajel too and have to wait until May 7th to receive it. Kind of wish I didn't. Thanks SirNodinnOff, appreciate your dentist website.