what is role of tongue in air leaks?

[ltd123]

I am trying to make a new DIY mouthpiece to keep my tongue wherever it should be to block the escape of air out my mouth during the night. I followed directions a few months ago and made the DIY which worked great. After awhile it no longer worked (it didn't seem to change in any way - I think my tongue works hard to find a way around the thing) and I added taping my mouth and that worked awhile. My tongue seems to figure out how to override whatever combination of taping/ mouthpiece using I have come up with. Just taping doesn't seem to work because my cheeks puff out with the air and that wakes me up over and over all night.

I just spent some time playing with my bipap and mask this morning - putting various things in my mouth and trying to shove my tongue somewhere that would prevent me from being able to let air out thru my mouth. I can't find anything that works. I tried making little ledges with the mouthpiece, flipping it over, upside down - using the whole mouthpiece back at the base of my tongue.... nothing seems to prevent me from letting air escape in this "research" session.

The reason everything worked well for a couple of months is that I was taking ambien cr which seems to knock me out enough that I don't react to the irritations of mouth puffing, rain on my nose, saliva pooling up, etc. I do not want to take ambien forever so I am trying to come up with a system I can make work without the sleeping pills.

My goal is to make a new DIY mouthpiece that would keep my tongue in the correct place.

Information, opinion, experiences would be appreciated.
Laura

[roster]

[quote="ltd123"]................................ Just taping doesn't seem to work because my cheeks puff out with the air and that wakes me up over and over all night...............................
Laura

[ltd123]

I ordered the hybrid mask yesterday!! It should arrive in a week . I am so happy to hear it might help with this problem; it was all I could think of left to try.
Do you still tape and/or use a mouthpiece with the hybrid?
Laura

[roster]

I ordered the hybrid mask yesterday!! It should arrive in a week . I am so happy to hear it might help with this problem; it was all I could think of left to try.
Do you still tape and/or use a mouthpiece with the hybrid?
Laura

Thank goodness, no tape, no mouthpiece.

The purpose of a full face mask like the Hybrid is to let air flow in and/or out of your mouth without loosing your titrated pressure.

What I found when I started using a full face mask was that my cheeks still puffed. I had to train myself to leave my mouth slightly open so that air could flow through and not create puffed cheeks.

The training was pretty easy because I just made sure my mouth "was ajar" when I got in bed for the night and checked again anytime I would wake up during the night.

Leaving the mouth open takes some getting used to mainly because you get dry mouth. The first week I thought I would never get used to it but it is amazing what we can adapt to. Now I still don't like it but see it as a minor inconvenience to be able to sleep and breathe at night.

There is a product, Biotene Oralbalance Dry Mouth Moisturizing Gel, which helps. It is sold at most major drugstores. I use it twice per day - once a few minutes before I put my mask on and again before I leave in the morning.

When you get the Hybrid you most likely will find it takes some time and experimentation to do the fitting and adjusting. Watch the manufacturer's dvd several times and ask us if you are not satisfied with the fitting.

Good luck,

rooster

[roster]

Laura asked: "what is role of tongue in air leaks?"

Second answer: To complain to your spouse.

[rested gal]

Laura, (I'm a Laura, too )

The only configuration of a DIY mouthpiece that absolutely works for me is to get my tongue shoved straight back far enough so that it widens, thickens, and completely blocks the entrance to the back of my throat.

A "shelf" to keep the tongue up against roof of mouth does not work for me. The air will still escape out around the back of my tongue.

I suppose it depends on each person's particular mouth architecture as to exactly where the tongue needs to be to seal well. The DIY I made has a thick blob cupped out a little, to act like the front of a bulldozer, shoving the tongue straight back -- almost to the point of gagging.

Some might say, "Oh, but tongue falling back contributes to obstructive apnea...surely you wouldn't want to deliberately PUSH the tongue way back!!" Right. You wouldn't want to sleep that way unless you were using cpap. With cpap going, everything is clear.

With my DIY, I can sleep with mouth totally relaxed -- hanging open even. The DIY keeps my tongue shoved back to block the cpap air from detouring into my mouth. Since the air can't sneak into my mouth from the back...no balloon cheeks either.

I still use tape most nights, instead of the DIY. I usually pop the DIY in if I'm just taking a nap or have gone to bed earlier than usual and might need to catch the phone.

[JeffH]

Mouth taping and an old head band cut with velcro attached to both cut ends (so I can tighten it as needed) has cured the puffing cheeks for me. I just wrap it around my head, across my mouth and sleep the night thru.

[tooly125]

Hi Laura,

My original pressure was 19 so no matter where I put my tongue I would get leaks,this puts me in the category of needing a full face mask.

I tried three other FF masks before settling on the Hybrid.
With all the other FF masks and even at first with the Hybrid my cheeks would puff out a lot.

Wish I could tell you what I did to stop the cheeks but to be honest they stopped on their own!
It may gave been the Hybrid or maybe just my body getting used to the therapy.

By the way with the Hybrid I only breath through my nose, the chin flap keeps my mouth shut and my tongue just seems top park itself with the tip against the back of my front teeth.

If the Hybrid fits your face I think you will be happy with it.