Can't tolerate FF mask but jaw relaxes when I sleep

[zipobibrock5e8]

I was diagnosed with OSA a few months ago, did the sleep study, was given a full face mask. I tried many times but just could not use the mask for a number of reasons:

- my skin is very oily even soon after washing
- I tend to sweat around the mask seal, which causes itching
- I have a Van Dyke-style beard I'd rather not shave off
- If I open my mouth even slightly while wearing the mask the pressure inflates my cheeks as if I'm blowing a trumpet. For some reason this happens often, and causes leaks which wake me up

So I had septoplasty/turbinate reduction (it went very well, involved minimal pain, and what a difference!) and tried a Swift FX nasal pillow mask after my recovery. I can easily get a seal, and it's very comfortable, and it works...I get that warm drifty feeling and start to fall asleep like I haven't in years. And then...my jaw relaxes, my tongue falls down, and I wake up when the air starts going out that way.

I breathe through my nose all day without having to think about it. I did so even before my surgery, and after it breathing through my nose takes no effort at all. The Swift is working great, and with my tongue in the right position the _therapy_ is working, and now this.

I tried a "premium chin strap" and honestly, it seems to be garbage. I can't get it to stay on my head, and it has no chance of holding my jaw up at all. I have a large head, so maybe it would work for smaller people, but not for me.

Do I have options? Are there mouthpieces that will hold my tongue in the right place? Other straps, like maybe the Papcap? And if I get something like a Papcap to work, will I eventually learn to keep my jaw in the right place during sleep? Will it eventually work without the strap? If I could just get started with this therapy, I'm highly motivated to lose weight and do everything I can to reduce my pressures and help my OSA, but I have to sleep first. Is there any hope?

Oh, and I'm not willing to tape my mouth. I don't judge anyone who does, but it's not for me.

[netsweeper]

Do you sleep on your back, stomach, or side? I lay on my stomach/side and kinda use a pillow to prop up my chin/hug it.

Maybe something similar would help you?

[zipobibrock5e8]

Right now I sleep in a recliner on my back...I was always a side sleeper but now I get horrible backaches from side sleeping. I think it's my weight. One of the many reasons to get some sleep and lose some weight.

Thanks for the suggestion, though.

[chunkyfrog]

I, too tried the 'premium' chinstrap; the elastic was so tight, I immediately became nauseous.
What were they THINKING about?
I can not tolerate an elastic chinstrap--Have you given a thought to a Papcap?
My makeshift 'Papcap' and poli-grip strips were enough to give me my lowest leak rate ever with the FX.
I can understand your attachment to the beard.
My husband's beard gives off a scent that is very alluring.
Good luck; sleep well, friend.

[zipobibrock5e8]

I am going to order a Papcap, just wanted some hope to get me through the couple of days until it gets here.

Frustrating to be so close...I've actually slept properly for an hour or two with the FX, but now this. Hopefully the Papcap will help.

[Janknitz]

Have you thought of taping if you can work around the beard?

If it's just a matter of your jaw relaxing (as opposed to opening your mouth to breathe), maybe a single strip of tape vertically from a clear area on your lower lip to your upper lip would work (if you don't have a mustache). It doesn't have to seal your mouth--just lightly hold up your jaw. Put some chapstick on your lips so they don't get stuck to the tape and "suck them in" when applying the tape.

I'm a side sleeper and I use a bunch of pillows for comfort. The most important one is the one between my legs, otherwise my hips and lower back really hurt. So you might try again to see if you can find a comfortable position in bed. Back sleeping, even in a recliner, makes the airway more likely to collapse and the mouth to open.

[ozij]

I bought 4 full face masks before finding the one (the fourth) that fit me and let me sleep.

[SleepyT]

I am going to order a Papcap, just wanted some hope to get me through the couple of days until it gets here.

Frustrating to be so close...I've actually slept properly for an hour or two with the FX, but now this. Hopefully the Papcap will help.

I love my PapCap...I think you will like it too. It made all the difference in my therapy. Until yours arrives in the mail, you can rig an old pantyhose to do the trick. Looks ridiculous...but works.

[Muse-Inc]

Might try getting a foam cervical collar and see if it helps; one side will be wider and solid foam, the other is narrower where the Velcro straps connect. A side sleeper since diagnosis in Arp '07, I'm having to sleep on my back temporarily. On my back, my jaw drops and pulls my mask down dislodging my pillows...the cervical collar pretty much prevents that.

[chunkyfrog]

I once considered putting a 5 or 6" chunk of pool noodle under my chin, but couldn't figure out how with what I had.
I think it might have worked.

[davecpap]

I too like my PapCap - I thought it'd be hot wearing a cap all night, but I don't notice it. Made of very breathable thin cotton. Stays in place MUCH better than the other chin straps I've tried - my leak rate graph is a nice flat line now! As a result of getting the leaks under control, the machine is delivering a lower pressure on average.

[zipobibrock5e8]

My PapCap came today, I just tried it on. I'm not very optimistic after having done so, but I'll give it a try tonight. Problems the test fit seem to point to are:

- the front edge rolls so that the corners of the velcro patches on the cap poke my forehead
- my head was noticeably hotter from the 5 minutes I spent wearing the cap
- I could still pretty easily exhale out my mouth with it on

It's hard to know how easy is too easy, I guess. The instructions say that to test it, you breathe out without moving any mouth or jaw muscles. I don't know how successful I was at not trying too hard. It did seem, when I gave up and went to the mirror to readjust, that my jaw pulled back up so my tongue got kind of sandwiched in there. This wasn't uncomfortable and _might_ be a solution. I had to have the strap pretty tight for that, though, so I'll see how it feels when I try to sleep in it.

Does a cervical collar really have any chance of working to immobilize the jaw? I had to wear one for an injury when I was very young, but I can't recall it keeping me from opening my mouth. Are there some collars that do this?

[Muse-Inc]

...Does a cervical collar really have any chance of working to immobilize the jaw?...

Doesn't immobilize the jaw, it just prevents it from dropping down very far towards your chest. Mine cost about $8 from a medical supply place; they had others that cost a lot more, some that obviously were meant to keep the neck rigid which I don't need, just enough material to keep my jaw from dropping very much. Mine is just plain old foam with a Velcro fastener. I bought some scrap fleece and wrapped it around the collar, so I could wash the 'cover' and keep the foam clean.

[bilnap]

try the SP Medical Adjustable CPAP Chin Strap, it works for me. Sold at Amazon.com
Good luck.

[zipobibrock5e8]

I hope I don't sound too negative...does everyone go through this? I was laying on the floor today assembling a piece of furniture and it suddenly struck me how long it's been since I just laid on my side and slept. I felt like Edward Norton in the beginning of Fight Club.

I appreciate everyone's suggestions. Even if some don't work for me, I'll never know until I try, so keep throwing them out there.