CPAP vs APAP vs Pressure = Mouth Breathing

Just wanted to share something my husband discovered about CPAP/APAP/Pressure and mouth breathing. At least for me.

I had begun to breath through my mouth (leakage) after my titration pressure was raised from 6cfm to 9cfm and I was put on straight CPAP with C-Flex. Don't you just love waking up with dry mouth every morning?!

Last night (first night with the OptiLife), my husband realized that after I had fallen asleep and the pressure had reached the 9cfm level (ramp had finished) ... I started to breath through my mouth ... again!

He quickly changed the settings to APAP with A-Flex and set the pressure at 6 to 9cfm (without waking me). He said that I immediately stopped breathing through my mouth (APAP ?)... my breathing went to pretty much normal ... that is, without the pauses indicating apnea, as it had with any setting tried during the previous 5 months. According to the LCD reading, my AHI had dropped to 2 (!) and my 90% number was only 7.5cfm (not at a 90% 12cfm with a setting of 6 to 12cfm as was tried earlier by the DME).

We're thinking that ... at least for me, the 9cfm (at CPAP, even with C-Flex) is enough to cause me to start breathing through my mouth. By applying APAP (and a narrow pressure range), it became easier to breath ... keeping me from breathing through my mouth. With what he observed ... I had "normal" breathing (without the apnea pauses) ... it would seem that the change in settings was doing a better job in reducing the apnea ... without having to constantly go to the maximum setting of 9cfm (90% of 7.5cfm).

This was only one night ... but it seemed to work for me, so I thought that I'd pass it on.

I rambled a bit ... so I hope it all makes sense,

It is really important that you not breathe through your mouth as it completely voids your therapy and the machine will not record any correct data during that time! A chinstrap is normally the first recommendation, although they don't work well for many people. A full face mask is the preferred option, and they usually work quite well. There is lots written in the forums on this subject, so you may want to read a little more. Several of us (me included) started out with the OptiLife nasal pillows and finally switched to the ResMed UMFF because it just simply works better day in day out. Others use tape or poligrip strips to keep their mouth shut and have equally good results. If you have the software, publish your leak and pressure data and let others her give you feedback. Here is one post I made with the Optilife mask trying to figure it all out! viewtopic.php?f=1&t=29565&p=254533#p254533