Dry crack lips--Cpap air

[Corky1121]

Ive had dry cracked lips for a few years nothing has helped. I started CPAP last Jun. The cracked lips were there prior to treatment but even with vaseline in lips before bed, cracking is still bad. Now that I have to stay on CPAP forever will this continue to dry my lips. I use the humidifier but doesnt matter. Any suggestions.

[Julie]

IF you stay on a nasal mask (I can't see how Cpap would have any effect on your lips that way) it's one thing, but if you change to a FF mask ask a pharmacist for something without vaseline (petroleum jelly) in it because that can wreck the silicone in the masks. If open-mouth sleeping is the problem however, you should probably change to a FF mask because you're probably losing all your Cpap air that way... not much point in using Pap at all!

[robysue]

Ive had dry cracked lips for a few years nothing has helped. I started CPAP last Jun. The cracked lips were there prior to treatment but even with vaseline in lips before bed, cracking is still bad. Now that I have to stay on CPAP forever will this continue to dry my lips. I use the humidifier but doesnt matter. Any suggestions.

Corky1121,

Dry, cracked, chapped bright red "clown" lips were one of my biggest issues during my first year of PAPing. The problem is that the exhaust flow from the mask creates wind in the neighborhood of your face all night long.

I posted on it way back when in this thread: Chapped lips and chapped nares and got a lot of really high quality suggestions.

Among the ones that eventually helped: Keeping myself well hydrated in the daytime. Ample use of various non-petroleum based lip balms both during the day and during the night. The Badger Balm suggested by Muse-Inc has proved to be the absolute best of all the balms I've tried. Using a cloth hanky over my lips has also proved to be important. The hanky protects my lips in the same way a scarf protects them on a cold windy winter day. At one point I was sleeping with a Burts Bees chapstick in my hand all night long. Whenever I woke up enough to know I was awake, I'd slather more Burts Bees on the lips even before thinking about turning the machine off. I could do this without dislodging my mask because I use a nasal pillows mask.

Even today I keep a tin of Badger Balm on the bedside table and I slather it on before bed every night. And if the lips are bothering me at all in the morning? I slather more on before I get out of bed.

[Corky1121]

I had to switch to FFM. Ill stop vaseline at night and try the badger balm. Ty

[Sir NoddinOff]

I've found Lansinoh lasts on my lips, usually all night long. It is thick going on and has no flavor, no smell and doesn't break down in contact with saliva. It's not just for nursing mothers anymore.

http://www.amazon.com/Lansinoh-Lanolin- ... s=Lansinoh