New solution for Dry Mouth?

[NateS]

I think I have tried everything to try to solve my dry mouth/mouth breathing problem.

I went to the concept of a full face mask because I couldn't stop the mouth dryness and yet I get the same mouth dryness with a FFM (AirFit F10) as I got with the Wisp and other nasal masks. I thought that a FFM would be the solution, but at least for me it was not. Same dry mouth. An elastic headband over my mouth seems to cut down on my leaks from mouth breathing, but not enough to eliminate dry mouth.

But I recently discovered a solution, quite by accident, which I don't think I have seen or read about before, here on cpaptalk or elsewhere, so I thought I would pass it along, just in case it might help anyone else.

Taping didn't work for me because of my beard and mustache and sense of panic, and after messing around with all the goopy gels and gummy products, the special mouthwashes, plus the sugarless lozenges which always ended up irritating my stomach, I sort of stumbled on a solution that works for me, mostly out of sheer desperation.

I found that, whenever my dry mouth wakes me up during the night, as it does about 2-3X a night, if I just pretend I have a lozenge in my mouth, and make the same sucking motions I made with a lozenge, without anything in my mouth, within seconds my mouth re-moisterizes itself in the same way as it did with the lozenges! With no stomach distress and no fumbling around in the dark trying to find my stash of lozenges and unwrapping one.

Maybe this will help someone else, as it is helping me. And of course I would be curious to know whether anyone else tries this and finds that it works.

And I hope it doesn't sound too disgusting!

Best wishes, Nate

[Logies101]

Doesn't sound disgusting at all, after all that's what spit is for My 94yr old father in law used this technique to get rid of acid reflux, he said he just made a lot of spit in his mouth and swallowed and it neutralized the acid. Sounds good to me.

[Darth Lady]

Works for me, sure. But what I really want is to stop waking up because of it . I've got a couple of chin straps on order; maybe that will help.

[mgaggie]

I would get a horribly dry mouth, felt like someone had sucked me dry of any moisture. Quattro didn't help much as my mouth would drop below the mask and cause leaking. The only thing that has helped has been switching to the Innomed Hybrid. My mouth will open slightly and I'll get a slightly dry mouth occasionally. Best of all large leaks are almost non exsistant.

Nate, glad to hear you've found a solution for you. I hope it keeps working

[Elle]

I got rid of mine by lowering my pressure. It also lowered my AHI....bonus

What about keeping water by your bed?

[rebe]

Did anybody try Aveo TSD (Tongue Stablizing Device) ?

Supposed to keep tongue from slipping back and helps keep the mouth closed.

[CPAPIST]

New solution for Dry Mouth?

jeez, I should have read the question mark with an emphasis to it. You wake up and you move your tongue around in your mouth to moisten it well. That is not a solution! That's a common sense, almost instinctive, response to a train wreck that has already happened. I got excited and thought you had found a novel solution. So disappointing!

BTW, I am using Ora Jel as recommended here. Most nights it provides relief all night long. You have to be careful with how you apply it when going to bed. You don't want to suck it all out before you go to sleep.

[CPAPIST]

Did anybody try Aveo TSD (Tongue Stablizing Device) ?

Supposed to keep tongue from slipping back and helps keep the mouth closed.

I have one of them. A terrible joke that cost me $110 as well as I can remember.

[ChicagoGranny]

I am using Ora Jel

+1

See http://www.drugstore.com/orajel-dry-mou ... tid=183812

[NateS]

I am using Ora Jel

+1

See http://www.drugstore.com/orajel-dry-mou ... tid=183812

Thank you both for the suggestion. Yes, I've got, I've tried it, and I still keep it by my bedside. Maybe I've been too impatient with it, but so far it just seems like a goopy, sloppy mess. Seems like I either apply too much or too little to help, but thanks to you both for reminding me to try it again.

Best wishes, Nate

[NateS]

New solution for Dry Mouth?

jeez, I should have read the question mark with an emphasis to it. You wake up and you move your tongue around in your mouth to moisten it well. That is not a solution! That's a common sense, almost instinctive, response to a train wreck that has already happened. I got excited and thought you had found a novel solution. So disappointing!

I guess you're right - it doesn't prevent dry mouth. But I was surprised to discover that it works as well as a lozenge in relieving dry mouth without the unpleasant side effects of lozenges.

BTW, I am using Ora Jel as recommended here. Most nights it provides relief all night long. You have to be careful with how you apply it when going to bed. You don't want to suck it all out before you go to sleep.

What's your secret for being careful as to how you apply it in order to prevent dry mouth?

Best wishes, Nate

[NateS]

I got rid of mine by lowering my pressure. It also lowered my AHI....bonus

What about keeping water by your bed?

Hi Elle,

I have central apnea, not obstructive, so my machine provides continuously variable pressure. I barely notice any pressure most of the time.

Yes, I did try keeping a small bottle of fresh water with a hinged lid next to my bed, which sorta worked, but which involves removing my mask when I used an AirFit F10 FFM, or moving my sweatband which I keep over my mouth when using my Wisp.

With my imaginary lozenge trick, I don't need to move or remove anything.

Regards, Nate

[NateS]

I would get a horribly dry mouth, felt like someone had sucked me dry of any moisture. Quattro didn't help much as my mouth would drop below the mask and cause leaking. The only thing that has helped has been switching to the Innomed Hybrid. My mouth will open slightly and I'll get a slightly dry mouth occasionally. Best of all large leaks are almost non exsistant.

Nate, glad to hear you've found a solution for you. I hope it keeps working

Thanks, mgaggie.

One of the odd things I discovered was that after everyone was suggesting that I give in and switch to a FFM to positively eliminate dry mouth, I did just that - bought and tried to use an AirFit F10 FFM for over a month, but found I was getting very dry mouth with the FFM! Very frustrating. So I'm back to my Wisp and all the tricks to try to eliminate dry mouth.

C'est la vie!

Best wishes, Nate

[NateS]

Doesn't sound disgusting at all, after all that's what spit is for My 94yr old father in law used this technique to get rid of acid reflux, he said he just made a lot of spit in his mouth and swallowed and it neutralized the acid. Sounds good to me.

Thanks for your encouragement, Logie!

Regards, Nate

[NateS]

Works for me, sure. But what I really want is to stop waking up because of it . I've got a couple of chin straps on order; maybe that will help.

I hope you have better luck with those than I had, Darth Lady. I think I've got a collection of almost every brand and type chinstrap ever made. None of them did me any good at all, except the Ruby, which helped me reduce my leak rate somewhat. I found that covering my mouth with a forehead sweatband was much more effective in keeping my leak rate down than trying to hold my chin up, but even that did not eliminate dry mouth.

Best wishes, Nate