Destined to fail

[Rockylinx]

Ok

Here it is- I'm a mouth breather with a pressure of 16. After reading a lot of posts im wondering if this will work for me. I'm a newbie and waiting for my equipment. I was recommended a full face mask by my doctor. I feel like its going to be a rough uphill battle. Any ideas will be helpful

[Wulfman]

Ok

Here it is- I'm a mouth breather with a pressure of 16. After reading a lot of posts im wondering if this will work for me. I'm a newbie and waiting for my equipment. I was recommended a full face mask by my doctor. I feel like its going to be a rough uphill battle. Any ideas will be helpful

It depends on your attitude. Do you WANT to succeed.....or fail?

I had been a mouth-breather all of my life......I was prescribed a pressure of 18 cm. I got a data capable machine and the software to go with it......because when I found out all I had to do to get "well" again was to put a mask on each night and breathe GOOD air......I made up my mind that it would be a "piece of cake". That was three and a half years ago and things got better and at some point, I found out that I can't fall asleep in bed without it. And, the therapy has also been a huge benefit to allow me to breathe through my nose, like I'm supposed to.

It's YOUR choice.....it's YOUR therapy.

Den

[Rockylinx]

Don't get me wrong- i'm super excited to start this new journey. I just want to weigh my options and not rely on one doctors opinion. I'm also thinking of buying a nose only mask and use a chin strap....Who knows that might work for me ?? im fine breathing through my nose when i'm awake, my mouth opens only when i sleep.....any ideas

[Wulfman]

Most of the chin straps don't work that well. Many of the users who use nasal masks have had to resort to taping their or using Polident adhesive denture strips to keep their mouths shut. I knew that I'd need to use a full face mask and that's what I used at my sleep study and then did a lot of research as to what was available.......and made my decision. I haven't found another that works better than the one I originally selected.

Den

[BeanMeScot]

Many who were mouth breathers before CPAP become nose breathers on pressurized air. Just because you breath through your mouth pre CPAP doesn't mean you will with CPAP.

I've got a friend who is a mouth breather during the day but she doesn't at night on the hose.

[DreamDiver]

Rockylinx,

What Den said. Welcome. Sounds like you've probably read the 'Our Wisdom' section under the yellow lightbulb and that you have a strategy. That's most of the battle.

If you know you're a mouth breather, one of the most comfortable masks for most people to start with is the Ultra Mirage Full Face or the Quattro. (Check out this graph of mask popularity over time.) If the one fits, the other probably won't fit as well. Use the measuring system on cpap.com to get an idea of the correct size. A more advanced mask choice might be the hybrid or the liberty, which allow you to wear glasses, if you have them. Both combine nasal pillows with a mouth pillow component to accommodate mouth breathing/leaking. Again, if you can easily wear one of these, the other will probably not fit as well. Mask fit is key. If you're a mouth breather, you'll likely have more of a challenge using a nasal mask. Why not start out easier on yourself by going with a full face for now? When you have an AHI and a leak profile that gives you restorative sleep and you're in a comfortable place, you can always experiment with nasal masks then.

Good luck on your sleep therapy.

[congahands]

I have a pressure of 16. I just woke up from my third night. I'm averaging over 8 hours a night with the mask on. I have the Quattro mask. I can't afford to fail so I'm doing pretty well.

You can do it if you are determined to.

CH

[Snoring Pastor]

I can't give you any advice - just compassion. I am in a very similar situation - just finished my third night on cpap (well fourth considering titration on Sunday) and it HAS been difficult. I am a mouth breather as well as a early awakener. I am using a nasal mask (what they titrated me with) and even in the titration they came in to put a chinstrap on me. I have been able to go to sleep fairly easily, but then wake between three and five hours later. Usuaully the mask is irritating and since the edge is off my sleep I either need to get up, or take the mask off and immediately go to sleep. But - I also can see that even with being on the machine for half the night, I am just as rested as if I slept 9 hours without it. A lot of my discomfort is the feeling "I should be tired because I wasn't in bed long enough". In reality I have had a much more effecient sleep.

Sleeping aids do not help as they are designed to get you to sleep - when I try them I end up feeling really poorly the next day.

I need to persevere - I am sure there will be a magical day that I sleep through the night. I already find the rythmic breathing on the machine lulls me to sleep pretty fast.

As I share my story with people around me, I am also finding lots of folks who also have OSA - I found two people in a room of 10 yesterday!

You can do this.


Blessings,

[carbonman]

Don't get me wrong- i'm super excited to start this new journey. I just want to weigh my options and not rely on one doctors opinion.

Seems to be an oxymoron hidden in there. Maybe another dip in the river of DeNile will help.

im fine breathing through my nose when i'm awake, my mouth opens only when i sleep.....any ideas

Exactly, that is the problem.
Get the nasal mask.
Get the chinstrap.
Get the polident strips.
Get the tape.
.........then get a ffm.

It's your life.
It's my life.

All the best, it IS a journey.

[DreamStalker]

As Den said, attitude goes a long way towards success. This attitude will allow YOU to take control of BOTH monitoring and managing your treatment ... you do have to take control of it and the doctor is merely a technical consultant whose advise you filter, accept, and reject when neccessary.

To maximize options, demand and make sure you get an auto CPAP or APAP machine ... then adjust your budget to fork out for buying the software/hardware to manage your efficacy data.

And finally, as carboman suggested, try several masks and regardless of what type you determine fits YOUR face best, make certain you have at least one useful FF mask if not as your main, then as your backup.

[Guest]

WOW with those high pressures (15-16) you should get a BiPAP! That would make it easier.

[deerhound]

I've been "on the mask" for 10 days now and even though I haven't quite got a handle on mask fit yet I feel so much better. I have eliminated most of the leaks that wake me but even though I do wake for a leak, my sleep is so much more restful. I am striving for perfection in fit and have tried the Ultra Mirage FF in large and the Mirage Quattro FF in large. So far the Ultra is working best, but I have had it longest. Never tried a nose only setup but I like my FF masks. Enjoy your new found energy.
Dale

[skittles]

I am also a mouth breather at night -- I have terrible alergies, and did not think I could use a nasal mask.

I bought the Comfortlite 2 - I use the "full" nose cushion -- I am training myself not to breath through my mouth, as I cannot tolerate a ff mask -- too cumbersom for me --- I have taped my mouth with the blue painters tape (just a little will do for me)
Like everyone said, you have to "experiment" until you find the right mask for you --

Good luck and hang in there!!

Skittles