Can't stop air escaping from my mouth

[VictorC]

Hello everyone! I have been using my cpap successfully for years now. I have always been majorly slack-jawed when I sleep and always use a chin strap. In the past month the combination of my P10 and a chin strap has stopped working for me. I keep opening my mouth and letting air escape no matter how tight I cinch the chin strap down. Since the chin strap stopped working I tried switching to mouth taping. The tape prevented me from opening my mouth, but air was still escaping from the corners of my mouth.

I don't know what to do or why I suddenly have this problem. The only thing that has changed is that I have lost some weight recently: approximately 20 pounds. I don't know why that would make a difference. I'm including my therapy details below. I appreciate any suggestions or insight you might have.

Machine: Resmed Airsense 10
Mask: Resmed P10
Chin Strap: Phillips Respironics Premium
Pressure: 10-14 cm/h2o
EPR: 2

[ChicagoGranny]

It's common for chin straps to be ineffective.

The tape prevented me from opening my mouth, but air was still escaping from the corners of my mouth.

Which type and width of tape are you using? Are you cutting it long enough to extend 0.5 inches beyond each corner of your lips?

One tip that helps me a lot is to turn the lips in slightly and then place the tape.

[zonker]

Hello everyone!

howdy!

here's what i use instead of chinstrap and tape-

https://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php? ... s#p1086296

i have modified it a bit for my skull shape and to make it tighter. this plus a firm foam cervical collar, which is found in your local drugstore, has eliminated mouth leaks for me.

look for the collar in the section where they keep bedpans or crutches or walkers; things like that.

good luck!

[VictorC]

Which type and width of tape are you using? Are you cutting it long enough to extend 0.5 inches beyond each corner of your lips?

One tip that helps me a lot is to turn the lips in slightly and then place the tape.

I think the tape is long enough, though I could try making it a little longer. I use 2" wide micropore tape. It's wide enough that I can just tape over my whole mouth. I'll try turning in my lips and see if that helps. Thanks!

[LSAT]

Learn to keep your tongue at the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth. You will not lose any air out your mouth...even if you open your mouth a little.

[VictorC]

here's what i use instead of chinstrap and tape-

https://www.cpaptalk.com/viewtopic.php? ... s#p1086296

i have modified it a bit for my skull shape and to make it tighter. this plus a firm foam cervical collar, which is found in your local drugstore, has eliminated mouth leaks for me.

look for the collar in the section where they keep bedpans or crutches or walkers; things like that.

I'll have to try that if I can't get anything else to work. Between the chin strap and the mask I already feel like I have to prepare for bed by performing some rigorous ritual. I can't imagine what it would be like to add a cervical collar to the mix. Still if that's what it takes... But I might hold off on that as a last resort. Thanks!

[VictorC]

Learn to keep your tongue at the roof of your mouth behind your front teeth. You will not lose any air out your mouth...even if you open your mouth a little.

Hi! Thanks! I did this for years and it worked. It's only recently that this technique has stopped working for me.

[zonker]

I'll have to try that if I can't get anything else to work. Between the chin strap and the mask I already feel like I have to prepare for bed by performing some rigorous ritual. I can't imagine what it would be like to add a cervical collar to the mix. Still if that's what it takes... But I might hold off on that as a last resort. Thanks!

i know;i feel like an astronaut getting suited up for a spacewalk.

here's an early pic of me in my rig-



i've since added a bit of "drool catcher" and an extra band around the top of my gob. it looks as dorky as hell, but no leaks and it helped drop my ahi dramatically.

[Jlfinkels]

Here’s the important thing about air escaping through your mouth, you can likely stop it from happening with practice. When I started I tried to use nasal pillows (P10) and after a few days of frustration with little sleep I swore I could never do it. I almost packed it all in, but decided to post here for advice. As a result I started to work on it a bit at a time as follows:

• Switched to a full face mask so I could continue therapy (F20)

• Started to practice with P10 while awake watching TV, reading, practicing accordion (don’t judge)

• Took naps with P10 and realized I needed more help so bought some chinstraps

• Hated the chinstraps and Zonker pointed me to cervical collars

• Added a collar and tried napping again - it worked for short intervals

• After 6 months of practice switched over to the nasal pillows - et voila!

The key thing was not giving up or giving in to frustration, practicing often, and not being too hard on myself for having problems with it. As I could use the F20 fairly successfully I knew I had a failsafe when I had issue with the pillows (and I did quite often so would switch mid sleep to the F20), but I kept at it. I think you and others can do it too, just take your time and forgive yourself when you have problems.

[Pugsy]

If you are otherwise okay with taping just use a bigger piece of tape to cover the mouth better so the corners don't come loose.

[VictorC]

I tried a bigger piece of tape last night, and I think it held better. Now the big issue is that air escaping tends to be loud and wakes my wife up. She in turn wakes me up. I did finally put an SD card in my machine so I have data now. I see several leaks throughout the night. They seem to last about 15 minutes apiece and then resolve.

[jeepdoctor]

Try this. Use a Leader alcohol swab and clean the oils from the skin around your mouth. Tear off a 6 to 8” piece of transpore tape and place over mouth. Tear off a 4” piece of 3M durapore tape and place over the transpore tape. I have been doing this for about 20 years and it works better than anything else I have tried. I buy the tape 12 rolls at a time from Amazon.

[Respirator99]

You could try nasal pillows + chin strap + mouth tape + collar + ....

or you could just change to a full face mask and your problems will go away overnight. I never could understand the lengths people go to in order to persist with a nasal mask when an FFM is such a simple solution.

[zonker]

You could try nasal pillows + chin strap + mouth tape + collar + ....

or you could just change to a full face mask and your problems will go away overnight. I never could understand the lengths people go to in order to persist with a nasal mask when an FFM is such a simple solution.

because it simply won't work for me.

different people have different needs. if not, there wouldn't BE nasal pillows or nasal masks.

note that i never recommend ANY kind of mask because they all come with a large ymmv sticker.

[VictorC]

From looking at my data it looks like I had a pretty good night last night. Still see several leaks, but nothing major. As for moving to a full face mask, I have a F10, but I've never been able to adjust to it. The longest I've ever been able to use it is for 3 days, and then I switched back to pillows, because I was so exhausted I could no longer function otherwise. I know a full face mask would solve my issue once and for all, it just brings with it other problems. Oh and even with a full face mask I'd still need a chin strap. My jaw has dropped under it in the past.