Infrequently exhaling through mouth

After eight days of trialing a CPAP machine I found myself doing a strange thing in the mornings from time to time: exhaling through the mouth. I hardly open it almost just let the air out through almost closed lips – I know it's a weird description.

I don't think I actually breathe through my mouth, only do these strange exhales. I only notice them in the mornings. It also looks like I only do a few of them in total. I'm using a nasal pillow mask and my leak levels mostly stay normal. The mask I'm trialing doesn't have a humidifier, so I thought that it could be related to cold/dry air, but I'm not sure. I'll need to buy my own machine soon and I wonder if I should go with my original plan and get a nasal pillow mask (I was thinking of P10) or if I should consider a full face one instead. I'm 99% sure that the nasal pillow one should be fine, at least in the beginning, but I thought I'd ask here.

Did you experience anything similar?

You haven't said which machine you use, but while I don't particularly think exhaling through your mouth is peculiar or something to worry about if only occasional, if you feel it happens because your pressure is too high, that you have actual trouble exhaling, it's very likely your machine has an exhale pressure relief (EPR) or 'flex' feature that lowers the exhale pressure a bit (you set the level). But if it doesn't affect you except as a curiosity, I wouldn't be concerned. Btw, if you DO decide to try EPR (or A-flex, depending on your machine) be aware that your AHI might jump 1-2 cms as a result - not usually something to worry about, but to be aware of.

It is also possible your DME has already set the pressure relief feature on your machine without asking (happens all the time) and you could check your settings and turn it down or even off if you don't want it.

If there are any other factors you think might be involved you could DL Sleepyhead (free) software and see what's going on, if anything.

reinvigorated wrote:I found myself doing a strange thing in the mornings from time to time: exhaling through the mouth

Is this after you have turned off the machine in the mornings and going about your usual routine?
If so, I don't think it really means much except I think that you simply notice your breathing more now than before.

Hi Pugsy and Julie,

This tends to happen in the mornings while I'm still trying to sleep. I guess it's possible that it happens at night too – perhaps I simply don't notice it because I'm in a deeper sleep.

The machine is Philips Respironics 550P. The mask is Philips Respironics Dreamwear Nasal Pillow, this one: https://www.cpap.com/productpage/pr-dre ... -pack.html

My pressure seems to stay 4 and 7 and stays at 4 most of the time. It jumps to 5.5 quite frequently but quickly goes back to 4. It very rarely goes above 6 or 7 (only on a few nights).

Thank you!

I've realized that there is another topic about the same problem: viewtopic/t155876/Air-blowing-from-my-m ... mwear.html

Also, the topic starter uses the same mask.

reinvigorated wrote:My pressure seems to stay 4 and 7 and stays at 4 most of the time. It jumps to 5.5 quite frequently but quickly goes back to 4.

Those spikey saw tooth looking things on the pressure graph are the test pressure probes.
The machine periodically increases 1.5 cm to test things....now what it tests is unknown
They look more rapid on the SH pressure graph than they really are. In reality they take several minutes to make the trip up and the trip back down.
If you were to zoom in much closer you could see how long it takes and it's a very gradual up and back down during those several minutes.

The machine when in auto mode just does the test pressure probes no matter what the minimum pressure setting.
It's just what Respironics does. They even do it with the auto bilevel but they increase a little more than 1.5 with the bilevels.

Those test probes have nothing to do with actually responding to some sort of apnea event...responses look different on the pressure graph.

I would go into more detail but it's more than likely that you will be getting a ResMed machine and it doesn't do those test pressure probes so not much sense in my going into more detail but if you have a specific question about this machine I would be happy to answer it. I had years on a Respironics APAP so I am quite familiar with the basics...just have never used the DreamStation model.
Respironics didn't change the basics...just added some new features and did a cosmetic change. The overall basics haven't changed for years.