Why do you tape your mouth shut?

[rubymom]

Actually I know why from reading this forum--I guess my question is if you need to tape your mouth shut, why don't you just wear a full-face mask? It seems easier to me but obviously I'm missing something.

[LaurieJ31981]

I though the same thing... so I switched to a full face mask, and my AHI went up to 40... No idea what went wrong, but I would rather tape my mouth and have an AHI of 4.8 like last night...

I think when I use the FF mask, My tongue rests on the back of my throat and it blocks the pressure, even though it's supposed to keep the airway open... and then I stop breathing out of my nose... With the nasal, I don't have to worry about that... Taping is a pain, but it works...

[Muse-Inc]

FFM = plastic baggie over head

Why would some do riduculous things like taping to avoid a FFM -- sheer terror of suffocation and claustrophobia!

I'm gonna try the Hybrid 'cause I started mouth leaking...grumble grumble 18 mos of effective therapy and now I gotta find a new mask and deal with my claustrophia and a whole bunch more stuff on my face . But...there's a therapy for a potentially fatal condition...I can't complain too much

[gingerdos]

My husband also has sleep apnea. Several years ago he started opening his mouth when asleep. It sounds like a freight train. His blowing is very loud ,and then there is also lip movement with another loud annoying sound like woo woo woo. I think I sleeping with the three stooges. I do not want to sleep in another room. So I forced him to get a full face mask. He wore it about 3 minutes then refused to put it on again.

We were both on 15 at the time.

I couldn't understand so I tried it. The air pressure forced my lips back over face. I though if I left it on I would end up swallowing my own head. Picture my lips being rolled back over my head. Also it forced my mouth wide open and puffed up my checks. I found it very uncomfortable.

Now he wears a chin strap. It helps a little. We have the TV on with a movie playing with the sound up. I hate having the TV on he likes it; The sound of the movie is much better then the sound he makes. His AHI is 5. He will not tape his mouth closed.
Ginger

[snoregirl]

We tape our mouths closed because even with tape the nasal pillow or in other people's cases, nasal mask is sooooo much more comfortable than a full face mask. I started with a ff mask and once I switched, I would do just about anything to stay with it and not go back. Personal preference. I am not scared of tape at all. I am more scared of the power going out with that full face thing strapped to my head than from the need to rip the tape off my mouth.

[rubymom]

Thanks--I understand better now.

The thought of the "freedom" of a nasal mask is appealing to me. But I've always been a mouth breather and the thought of taping my mouth shut and breathing only through my nose is kinda frightening to me. I'll have to think on this and maybe try it.

Thanks!!

[LinkC]

Have you considered a Hybrid or Liberty -type mask?

I couldn't do FF after repeated sores (and a permanent scar!) on my nose bridge. I used an Optilife for a few months and chinstrap/tape/poligrip strips.

Then I tried a Hybrid which was OK, but not perfect for me. I recently bought a Liberty at auction and love it. It is SO much easier than the nightly tape/goop ritual. Not to mention safer!

[rubymom]

Yes, Link I am using the Liberty and having good luck with it. Not perfect...I still have my moments of feeling like a tornado is blowing in my face, but most of the time it's very comfortable.

Thanks!

[kebsa]

i tried full face masks at first but we just could not find one that would seal properly, i have a very small bridge of my nose, getting spectacles to stay in place has always been a disaster, i have just gotten used to constantly pushing the darn things back where they should be- i guess given that i should have realised that full face masks may be a problem too- i could not stand the thought of taping my mouth shut as i get claustraphobic plus i tend to get skin problems from prolonged use of tapes- thankfully i found that the activa lt nasal mask and a chin strap works well for me- i have always been a mouth breather and that is why i tried full face masks first- the interesting thing is that using a chin strap seems to have "trained me" to sleep with my mouth shut most of the time now and i also decided to try the saline sinus washout kits and after years of dealing with chronic sinus congestion i can now easily breath through my nose most of the time! i hate the feeling of squirting fluid up my snoze but i must admit that it works better than all the decongestants and antihistimines i have tried put to gether- such a simple option!