My Mouth is Really DRY!!!!!

[Single_Tasker]

Hi Folks,

I have a 7 year old REMstar Pro- with a humidifier. I use a Mirage Quatro full face mask. Machine is set at 7. Even with the mask I'm a mouth breather when I sleep. I wake up a couple of times per night with ZERO moisture in my mouth- tongue feels like leather, etc. So it takes me 5 minutes to move my mouth and tongue around to get it salivated again. As the years have gone by the humidifier has gotten worse so that now what I described above is happening. I added a room humidifier to a shelf over my head and this helps SOME. I have no trouble with a dry mouth during waking hours. I can't use the nose mask because I feel like I'm not getting enough air.

I've tried all the settings available on the dial- up to having the machine Raining Water On My Face- even then the moisture in my mouth is ZERO. So the sleep doctor's office suggested I get a new machine- a Resmed Airsense. So... anyone else have a dry mouth problem? Any ideas?

Thanks!

[LSAT]

Are you sure the humidifier is working? Is it emptying out during the night? I f you are getting water on your face, it's called rainout. Try lowering your machine so it is lower than your mattress...water runs downhill... Also you may need a hose cover.

[BlackSpinner]

No humidifier is going to do the job. They are designed to keep the nasal passages happy.

Try a chinstrap. Having a dry mouth is death on teeth as it encourages bacteria to grow.

[Cannuck 1]

Dry mouth
From what I have read its from breathing through your mouth, somehow you will have to get a humidifier to supplement your room were you sleep until somehow you get your mouth to close while on Cpap.
viewtopic/t109464/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1 ... =dry+mouth
Here is another link to find solutions.

[So Sincere]

Try a chinstrap.

This. I was having the same problem. I didn't know a mouth could get that dry. Neither my sleep doctor nor RT suggested a chin strap; I found out about it on this site. I now have a new wrinkle in my chin (thanks Obama ) from it scrunching up my face, but it was the break-through I needed.

[JDS74]

Using a chin strap with a full face mask may improve the jaw drop while sleeping but likely will increase the rate of obstructive events because of the movement of the jaw backwards. If you want to help keep your mouth closed better, then a soft cervical collar will do that job better than a chin strap. I get mine via Amazon and they are softer than any you can get locally. My experience with local suppliers is that they are stiffer and really intended to help with head positioning.

OTOH if your humidifier tank is running dry at night, then you will need extra capacity to keep the water level up and the higher humidity all night. Here is my solution to the same problem you are having:

Getting enough humidity

Another poster, AlabamaAL, has a slightly different solution that eliminates the need for a third party heated hose as well as the need to get another humidifier, and also solves the water problem. His is much less costly but a little more hassle to operate. I'll find a link to his post and edit it into this one in a few minutes.
[edit]AlabamaAl's Solution