Switching from nasal to full face mask

[Big Stevoreno]

For years I've been using a Respironics Profile Lite gel nasal mask but due to recent mouth breathing issues I've had to deal with which a chin strap hasn't seemed to help I decided to switch to a full face mask. I'm on CPAP and my pressure is 18. I've been on a full face mask for a week now and I have been sleeping better, not feeling tired as much during the day, the only negative I have experienced since I've been using a full face mask and I'm still opening my mouth at night is the inside of my mouth and my gums in the morning feel like they've been scrubbed with a Brillo pad. My CPAP machine has a humidifier on it which previously I have set to low, if I turned up the dial on my humidifier would that help out so I wouldn't feel this scrubbed feeling inside my mouth each morning or not? Do others who use full face masks who also have CPAP pressures of 18 or more also experience this problem and if you do how do you deal with it?

[Big Stevoreno]

68 views since my initial post and there is nobody, I repeat, nobody here who can address my question?

[LSAT]

Not too many people have CPAP pressure of 18 or more. Why haven't you tried increasing your humidifier????

[Big Stevoreno]

I haven't thought of that but if I turned my humidifier up too high would I experience "rain out"? While I was using a nasal mask I have always kept my bedroom cool at night and set my humidifier's dial to the setting of "1" but since I've been using a full face mask for about 2 weeks I have increased the humidifier's dial setting to "2", my machine's dial can go from 0 to 5 so are you suggesting I try moving the humidifier to 3? Not many here have a CPAP pressure of 18? Do you consider 18 to be an unusually high CPAP pressure? What is considered to be a normal CPAP pressure? Thanks for the post.

[Tired Linda]

Although my pressure is only a "mild" 12, I use a full face mask. You may need more humidity, it's an individual thing. It seems that no matter what I do, my mouth still opens somehow, and I've recently been experimenting with taping as well. I use about a 3" strip of micropore tape vertically from under my nose to down below the chin. Keeps my mouth shut and it's not all dried out in the morning.

[snoozysue]

I have been using CPAP for about 7 months and when I first started the inside of my mouth, and in particular my teeth, felt awful each morning - I even had a dental splint made ($1000) as I my dentist and I thought it might be the air pressure (usually 16-18). As we were just going onto autumn (down under) I bought a heated hose and the difference was incredible. It was the cold air that was causing me so much discomfort, so the splint was not needed. I also have the humifidier set at 3 now - I did have it at 4 but our weather is starting to warm up and I want to see what happens. I am still using the heated hose - our day temps are about 25deg C.

[cflame1]

a lot of people when they hit as high as 18 will get moved to Bilevel/BiPAP/VPAP

[Big Stevoreno]

Although my pressure is only a "mild" 12, I use a full face mask. You may need more humidity, it's an individual thing. It seems that no matter what I do, my mouth still opens somehow, and I've recently been experimenting with taping as well. I use about a 3" strip of micropore tape vertically from under my nose to down below the chin. Keeps my mouth shut and it's not all dried out in the morning.

You have a CPAP pressure of 12, use a FF mask and you still tape your mouth shut? What does your sleep doctor think of that? Taping your mouth shut? Isn't that dangerous? You must not have any nasal congestion issues, I certainly do. I have a deviated septum on my left side, use Nasonex nasal spray to try to keep my nose open but every night my left nostril seems to stop up so open goes the mouth. I'm going to up my humidifier's setting to 3 tonight and see what happens. The highest setting on my machine is 5.

I just don't want to set it so high that I experience "rain out" nor do I tolerate warm air blowing up my nose that good. Do you lubricate your nostrils with an ointment to keep them moist? Fortunately where I live the winters are very mild and I don't have to run my heat that much besides I seem to sleep better at night when my bedroom is cool. It got down to 46F here last night, I set my central heat on 70F last night, slept OK except for waking up to a very dry mouth and tongue. Thanks for your post.

[Big Stevoreno]

I have been using CPAP for about 7 months and when I first started the inside of my mouth, and in particular my teeth, felt awful each morning - I even had a dental splint made ($1000) as I my dentist and I thought it might be the air pressure (usually 16-18). As we were just going onto autumn (down under) I bought a heated hose and the difference was incredible. It was the cold air that was causing me so much discomfort, so the splint was not needed. I also have the humifidier set at 3 now - I did have it at 4 but our weather is starting to warm up and I want to see what happens. I am still using the heated hose - our day temps are about 25deg C.

If I'm right you're heading into spring down under or is it summer? What does the heated hose do? Prevent "rain out"? Can you sleep comfortably at night with warm air blowing through your mask? I didn't check your profile, are you using a nasal or a FF mask? I feel confident if I was able to sleep with a lower pressure I wouldn't encounter these dry mouth, tongue issues. The part that bothers me the most is the inside of my mouth, opposite side of my cheeks which have felt like they have been scrubbed during the night with a Brillo pad since I started using my FF mask about 2 weeks ago. My RT from Apria brought me out a different FF mask today, one by Respironics but it didn't seal as good or feel as comfortable as the Resmed FF mask I've been using for the last 2 weeks. The RT also suggested turning up my humidifier tonight. Thanks for your post.

[Big Stevoreno]

a lot of people when they hit as high as 18 will get moved to Bilevel/BiPAP/VPAP

My RT from Apria came out today and brought me another FF mask to try, one by Respironics which didn't seal as good or feel as comfortable as the Resmed FF mask I've been using for about 2 weeks. The Apria RT admitted to me today that she slept with BIPAP. I asked her what her pressure was, she said 12 but said she couldn't tolerate a pressure of 12 on a CPAP which is why she's on BIPAP. I asked her about her mask type, she said a nasal mask and she also uses a heated hose. If I were to guess the RT probably didn't weigh more than 115 pounds. I always assumed most CPAP patients were like me, heavy but I was proven wrong today. Thanks for your post.

[DoriC]

[ Do you lubricate your nostrils with an ointment to keep them moist? .

Ayr Nasal Gel is very soothing, my husband put as dab in each nostril before masking up.

[spitintheocean]

Your concern about rainout can be easily addressed by ensuring your blower is located below the height of your mattress (it doesn't have to be by much) such as on a night table and you loop your hose above your head such as over (or through) the headboard). This creates an arc that will ensure the any vapour will run back into your unit as opposed to travelling into your mask.

Just do a quick search for "rainout" on this site for plenty of alternatives.

[amos]

Hey...is this Steveo from Biloxi, MS? If so I have missed you old friend. Hope all is well with you and yours.

amos

[Big Stevoreno]

[ Do you lubricate your nostrils with an ointment to keep them moist? .

Ayr Nasal Gel is very soothing, my husband put as dab in each nostril before masking up.

I see in your profile that you use a FF mask but your pressure is only 12, have you encountered any problems with dryness inside your mouth while using a FF mask with a pressure of 12? I decided to switch to a FF mask because of increasing number of mouth breathing issues, no chin strap around seemed to work. Is that why you are also using a FF mask? Because of mouth breathing issues? That nasal ointment is called "Ayr nasal gel"? Is it odorless or does it have a smell like Vicks? Thanks for your post.

[Big Stevoreno]

Hey...is this Steveo from Biloxi, MS? If so I have missed you old friend. Hope all is well with you and yours.

amos

Would you be the "Famous Amos" from Atlanta, Georgia? I am the "Big Steve" from Biloxi, MS, thanks for asking.