dry mouth & jaw dropping

Hi, I'm a total newbie with a couple of problems. I went into this blind and this site is opening my eyes. First, I have to wear my mask very tight - second, as I fall asleep my jaw drops, I develope chipmunk cheeks & eventually wake up (if I can fall asleep) with a dried up mouth (even tho I have the humidifier up as far as it will go. My "therapist" is sending me a chin strap. Any help would be greatly appreciated. My pressure is set at 20 as they said my oxygen level is low.

Chin straps help for some. It does sound like you are mouth breathing and you need to find a way to stop that. Some here tape their mouth and use a nasal mask or nasal pillows, while others go to a full face mask to handle mouth breathing.

Although it is a full face mask, the Liberty is hard to keep everything in place so you get good therapy with your mouth closed. There are many posts on her about using Womens tights cut into bands to help hold the mask in place. You may want to try that and/or see about getting your DME to fit you with a Ultra Mirage Full Face Mask of the correct size (there are 6 sizes) or a Mirage Quattro (some of them leak at the swivel, but is simply fixed with a piece of teflon tape). Either of these masks should be easier to use and help hold your jaw in place without a chin strap. I use the UMFF in a small (normally wear a medium in other masks) and the Quattro seems to run a little smaller). Be sure they fit you with the correct size mask as one too large will leak into your eyes and make nights miserable for you. Getting the correct mask is very important, but some DME's don't give it the importance they should. You can also train yourself by putting your tongue on the roof of your mouth at your upper teeth to prevent breathing from your mouth, even on a full face mask!

Sorry! Didn't notice you are already using a full face mask. I was answering someone else about the time, who is using a nasal mask.

So---what ww said!

aaah the dry mouth...tell me about it...seems I do better with setting at 2 or 3 on the humidifier.

I have the Hybrid which is kinda like the liberty but it has a chin holder with it. https://www.cpap.com/productSearch.php?q=1&query=hybrid
I tried blue tape- taping mouth shut and woke up feeling like i was gasping for air and felt horrible for quite a while. Not sure I want to try that taping again.
I also have the Mirage Quattro ( and about 3 others )

I use a nasal pillows mask. The addition of a chinstrap has helped me a lot. Really, it has allowed me to get decent therapy. Chinstraps don't work for everyone. Some people still get mouth flutters and puffs.

My leak rates are nearly always 0.00 L/s and my mouth is rarely dry.

Assuming you have the software, how do your leak lines look?

Thanks for all the replys I'm beginning to believe a different mask is the way to go but because of $ concerns I will try all of your suggestions. I have a data card??? I would like to monitor myself. Is that possible with this unit? Thanks again

I use a Mirage Quattro and really like it. I can wear it pretty loose at the top (not really loose though) and try to get it to kind of float on the face as the gasket needs air in it. I have gotten a sore nose bridge that also eventually opened up into a wound, but I was able to get it to heal by using small plastic bandages, which didn't cause any leaking when I got the mask positioned properly.

With jaw dropping, also my problem, I did not have success with two chin straps that I tried or homemade solutions. I use a dental retainer which was expensive and supposedly an option instead of CPAP which it didn't end up being for me, but it does a good job at holding my jaw closed but I have it sewn with dental floss more closed than it's basic design.

Also crucial to jaw drop for me, is not sleeping on my back. The difference between back sleeping and side sleeping and results and rest is like night and day for me. I use a tennis ball in my T-shirt to try to keep me off my back, though my head sometimes finds non-side positions and my #'s go up and sleep deteriorates.

Side sleeping with a FF mask is tricky. Contoured PAP pilows are probably a good idea and I'll be getting one at some point. I have carved up my curved foam pillow and that helped to make room for the mask, and usually the mask isn't pused around ..... that I know of. My leak rates are low.

I tried Nasal Pillows but for not long enough to really figure them out, but I found the air rush noise was just WAY TOO LOUD, so for that reason alone I don't see myself ever trying them again.

Sometimes I do get a bit of a dry mouth when I do sleep on my back, or my nose is a bit congested and so mouth breathe a lot, but I also don't use my humidifier and haven't found it to be really dry.

I also read on your other thread with a similar title, that you use a pressure of 20? My pressure is on average around 7-8, with 10 being the high, so I can't quite relate to your pressure and the problems that it may create. But I'd still first try to do all you can to stay off your back when sleeping and perhaps look into a dental appliace to help keep your jaw closed. Also, if you can get your mouth closed more often, maybe you can lower your pressure? You may also have to experiment with mouth taping. Keep us posted?

NEEDSTOSLEEP wrote: ... as I fall asleep my jaw drops ...

Whe I tried a FFM, I found that using the bare minimum chin strap (the white elastic one) bracing my chin and mask helped a lot with that problem. I found that I couldn't get the position right for this unless the elastic was "off-center," so needed to use the bracing strips on my forhead and from the sides down under my chin. The main strap doesn't stay straight, but my chin doesn't drop and I don't blow air through my lips.