dry and mucus coated mouth & lips

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
lunarosa
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed May 06, 2009 8:12 pm
Location: Mississippi

dry and mucus coated mouth & lips

Post by lunarosa » Wed May 06, 2009 8:34 pm

I was diagnosed with OSA 3 years ago. My doctor prescribed a nasal only mask. I have used pillow masks and am currently using the Comfort Gel Mask. My doctor said that I was not a mouth breather therefore I did not require a full face mask. Before using my cpap machine I would wake up with my mouth and lips covered in mucus and my tongue so dry I could not swallow. When I first started using my machine I no longer had this problem. I have a lot of allergies and sinus problem so I assumed that the reason this happened before the new world of Sleep Apnea was because I was struggling so hard to breath that I was pulling mucus for my sinuses.

So here is the question at last. If I'm not a mouth breather then why has the issue returned in the last 6 months. I wake several mornings a week with my mouth dry and my lips covered in dry mucus. I can feel the mucus coating the roof of my mouth and am able to spit it out in the sink. My tongue and other areas of my mouth are very dry, it is hard to swallow. From what I have read here it sound like I am a mouth breather, but after both sleep test I have taken I have been told that I am not. I sleep alone so there is no one that I can ask to watch & see if I'm sleeping with my mouth open. I do not want to switch to a full face mask and I'm not sure what everyone means by taping your mouth. Anyone else have this problem or any suggestions as to what could be causing it?