FFM mouth breathing tip?

trice54 · Post by **trice54** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:16 pm

[quote="HelpMeBreath"]I am mouth breather. The first mask I had (I am new to all of this) was a full face mask they used during my sleep study. If you open your mouth it is ridiculous, like a the famous wind tunnel videos. I cant use straight pillows because I will inevitably open my mouth. I picked up a hybrid and its great. I no longer wake up from my cheeks blowing out as soon as I start breathing through my mouth.

So the hybrid doesn;t have that rush of air into your mouth that is being mentioned in this discussion? That sounds like the best of both worlds!
Trice

Lineman · Post by **Lineman** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 12:36 pm

Hmm, I am a mouth breather and only a mouth breather when I sleep. I have never had the option of breathing solely through my nose when I lie down. My docs don't know why my nasal passages close up and don't care either since a CPAP machine solved my apnea problem.

I use a Quattro FFM and it's a perfect fit for me. I do notice my mouth balloons out when I first put it on but then I go to sleep almost immediately. I don't notice it during the night or when I wake up (refreshed). Maybe my face just gets used to that shape LOL.

Dry mouth would be a problem if I didn't have a heated humidifier. This is a must have for mouth breathers IMHO. Turn up the heat to get more moist air (warm air holds more water).

This rig works for my and my big mouth!

-LM

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:10 pm

Dry mouth would be a problem if I didn't have a heated humidifier. This is a must have for mouth breathers IMHO. Turn up the heat to get more moist air (warm air holds more water).

ok, i guess i'll have to depend on the HH because since i've started mouthbreathing--only recently--the dry mouth thing is verrrrrry unpleasant...i am kinda bummed though because i keep my hh very low (1) if i absolutely have to use it, and turned off most of the time

Perchancetodream · Post by **Perchancetodream** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:17 pm

I use a Hybrid and am an occasional mouth breather. I haven't ever had any problem switching between my mouth and my nose and have never really suffered much from dry mouth (I do use a HH).

Never realized that there could be a problem with a full faced mask like the Mirage Ultra or Quattro. I had planned on ordering one of those or else the ZzzzMask next month.

Susan

betty303 · Post by **betty303** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:18 pm

Sharon,

I am a mouth breather until I put on my FF mask. Maybe it is the shape and where it hits under my mouth, but I tend to keep my mouth shut without even trying when I use a full face mask.

But...occasionally I do snore and/or open my mouth, and I can still get treatment with my FF, in ways that I couldn't with a nasal mask.

When I am stuffed up, the FF helps a little, but it is not comfortable to keep my mouth open as I try to go to sleep (wind tunnel syndrome, and feeling of just not getting enough air.) Makes it very hard to go to sleep.

So far I have not found a good solution to dealing with a stuffy nose, and when it is really stuffed up, I just expect to sleep less. Currently I am on a trip away from Colorado where I had a very dry stuffy nose that I just could NOT get resolved. I am visiting Louisiana and the humidity has helped quite a bit...have had the most good nights in a row that I have ever had in the past 14 months of using CPAP. So moisture is helping me.

Other helps are Neti pot. I find the moisturizing gels pretty useless.

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:20 pm

I have a hunch (hope?) that pressurized treatment air rushing out of your mouth into the wide black yonder of the night (...) causes more dryness than breathing treatment air in and out of you mouth when the pressure is held stable within the mask.

O.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 3:17 pm

thanks, betty303 and ozij
good to know!

i feel better folks

dockaos · Post by **dockaos** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:13 am

I've been using a UMFF mask for about a month and notice that at my set pressure (13), my mouth is almost forced to remain open, even though I start the night breathing through my nose. At the lower pressure of my ramp up (4), I can keep my mouth closed pretty naturally.

Oddly enough, the "puffy cheek syndrome" seems to keep the mask sealed better at the higher pressures. Other than a bit of dry mouth, I don't notice any problems and my average AHI for the month is 2.0.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): AHI, Ramp

Rachael · Post by **Rachael** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:40 am

A timely topic, I was up all night because I have the flu, and last night I couldn't breath through my nose at all. Though, the 102 fever may have contributed to my wakefulness too.

I was going to call my DME and see if they would bring me a quattro. I am due for a new mask, my insurance will pay for one every six months. My hope was that I could still use my nasal mask most of the time, but have a full face backup for when I am stuffy.

So, and forgive me if this is a dumb question, is this a good idea? Should I skip it and save the co-pay?

I feel like I read somewhere last night that the quattro is pretty quiet? I wear a petite comfort gel, and a small mirage, would I need a small or extra small quattro do you think?

Ugh, I can't think straight. Stupid flu.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 11:24 am

Hi Rachael

I was a small Ultra Mirage Full Face, and I find the Quattro is a bit wide on my cheeks, so it leaks a lot. Can you try it on before you actually decide to buy it - and try it on under pressure to see how the leaks are around the eyes and your cheeks?

Lineman · Post by **Lineman** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:40 pm

sharon1965 wrote:
Dry mouth would be a problem if I didn't have a heated humidifier. This is a must have for mouth breathers IMHO. Turn up the heat to get more moist air (warm air holds more water).

ok, i guess i'll have to depend on the HH because since i've started mouthbreathing--only recently--the dry mouth thing is verrrrrry unpleasant...i am kinda bummed though because i keep my hh very low (1) if i absolutely have to use it, and turned off most of the time

_________________

Why would you not want to use the HH?
It is supposed to cure dry mouth and certainly does for me. I have mine set at "3" which is the lowest setting that will keep my mouth moist. I did have it on "5" (max) for awhile but my water tank ran dry way before I was ready to get up. I find that a setting of 3 (or 4) is good for me.

If you are worried about all that water going into your lungs ... well, I asked my sleep doc about that. He said it is not a problem. Lots of people use this without any harmful side effects.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 4:56 pm

Lineman wrote:
sharon1965 wrote:
Dry mouth would be a problem if I didn't have a heated humidifier. This is a must have for mouth breathers IMHO. Turn up the heat to get more moist air (warm air holds more water).
ok, i guess i'll have to depend on the HH because since i've started mouthbreathing--only recently--the dry mouth thing is verrrrrry unpleasant...i am kinda bummed though because i keep my hh very low (1) if i absolutely have to use it, and turned off most of the time

_________________

Why would you not want to use the HH?
It is supposed to cure dry mouth and certainly does for me. I have mine set at "3" which is the lowest setting that will keep my mouth moist. I did have it on "5" (max) for awhile but my water tank ran dry way before I was ready to get up. I find that a setting of 3 (or 4) is good for me.

If you are worried about all that water going into your lungs ... well, I asked my sleep doc about that. He said it is not a problem. Lots of people use this without any harmful side effects.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:01 pm

[quote="Rachael"]A timely topic, I was up all night because I have the flu, and last night I couldn't breath through my nose at all. Though, the 102 fever may have contributed to my wakefulness too.

I was going to call my DME and see if they would bring me a quattro. I am due for a new mask, my insurance will pay for one every six months. My hope was that I could still use my nasal mask most of the time, but have a full face backup for when I am stuffy.

So, and forgive me if this is a dumb question, is this a good idea? Should I skip it and save the co-pay?

I feel like I read somewhere last night that the quattro is pretty quiet? I wear a petite comfort gel, and a small mirage, would I need a small or extra small quattro do you think?

Ugh, I can't think straight. Stupid flu.

mindy · Post by **mindy** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:49 pm

Sharon,

The Quattro tends to run bigger than the stated size. It also comes in a size small and "petite" (cute little thing!). Unfortunately I seem to be in between a medium and small.

Mindy

jomac30 · Post by **jomac30** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:53 pm

Sharon1965:
I have the same question you do about the FFM.
I don't think I could tolerate a wind tunnel blowing in my mouth. It would feel suffocating. Please let me know how you tolerate it. I'm having a mask fitting next week and was thinking of getting a FFM unless I can find another way of keeping my mouth closed all night.

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