FINALLY Found A Chinstrap That WORKS!

[beckah]

Although the Pap Cap helps with my AHI, it is a little confining. I have to wear it really tight to prevent jaw drop. I wonder if a mouth breather would still have to tape with this chin strap. If not, it might be the perfect solution for those of us that have to tape when we use nasal masks.

[lucynethel1998]

Although the Pap Cap helps with my AHI, it is a little confining. I have to wear it really tight to prevent jaw drop. I wonder if a mouth breather would still have to tape with this chin strap. If not, it might be the perfect solution for those of us that have to tape when we use nasal masks.

I almost got that but like my Ventilator caps much better due to the heat here (90+ this week here). And with the complete top venting I sweat so much less I can't wear anything else. And with the chin strap I now use, there is simply no WAY to get your cheeks to puff out OR your mouth to leak. At least not when I try to intentionally. I don't know exactly why it works so well and feel so unencumbered, but it does. I have to force myself to loosen it dramatically even though I am in complete comfort. Only reason I do is that it isn't even necessary to stop ALL my leaks, even when so loose it is falling off. maybe I have a weird head? I just am grateful that unlike all my others, I don't have to tighten it so tight I have a migraine in 10 minutes and STILL leak! If I can take the upcomming Summer heat with this, I will be a new (old) man. If I had to go without it for 3-4 hot months, I still can't use my APAP without it so I ma hoping I can tolerate it. Now the days are around 90 degrees but nights in the 60 degree range. When the nights get hot I will just hope for the best. But what good are all my other straps that simply don't even work at all?

[chunkyfrog]

I found that my home-made bandanna chinstrap did get pretty hot last summer,
(I made it because I read that some folks complained about the PapCap being too large on some folks--and I am a tightwad)
but it (my home-made thing) worked so well with my Swift FX that I was able to skip the tape and only use a little Poli-grip.
I think that now I need to turn an old crochet lace top into a night cap (granny cap?)

[jeja]

I asked about the FFM. My mask leaks at the best of times.

[Gerald]

Jeja.....

Go to the first few posts in this thread and click on the links to the website of the guy who manufactures the chinstrap. View his videos that explain his product. Like me, I think you can determine that his chinstrap could not...in any way....work with a full face mask.

If you are trying to be successful at CPAP therapy, read everything on this site.....click on the yellow light bulb at the top of the page....and educate yourself as fast as you can do so.

One of my best teachers mentioned an old Hungarian (I think) saying..."Roast pigeons do not fly into ones mouth." Eating the "roast pigeon" requires knowledge and preparation. The knowledge must be acquired....in this case by reading, and learning from others. Those of us who've been through the initial struggle to make our therapy successful will be glad to help you.....but, I think that what we say won't make sense unless you've invested some time and effort to gather as much knowledge as you can.

All of us came from a position of "zero knowledge" about CPAP therapy....we all had to struggle to learn......in order to achieve success.

You can do it too.....

[rested gal]

I believe that Rested Gal was going to try on of these chinstraps. I wonder how it worked for her.

It didn't stop my mouth breathing, which is what I hoped it might do.

I went back to taping my mouth, as usual, along with a less bulky chinstrap which I use to keep my cheeks from ballooning out when my mouth fills up with taped back air.

Here's a link to roster's topic back in March:
"Radical chin strap - What do you think?"
topic started by roster - March 1, 2011
viewtopic.php?p=572098#p572098

I'm sure it would work well and comfortably for some people. Just didn't for me.

[SleepingUgly]

RG, did it stop your jaw from dropping? What chin strap do you use now? Why isn't taping enough?

[Country4ever]

I'm going to look into this.......although it does look very confining. Right now I use a Swift nasal pillow with an extra 2" piece of elastic to stabilize it from the sides around the back. It works great. I've been happily using 1" blue painter's tape for a couple years to keep my mouth shut. But yesterday, someone here posted a cautionary note from the manufacturer about the possible toxins in it. I am sooooo bummed.
But just this morning I was thinking of how to fashion a benign piece of material to firmly cover my mouth, so air won't come out. Then I saw this thread about the chin strap. My only hesitation is that it seems so danged confining. The tape I could handle, but I don't know about this thing. But......as most of us know, once we get great sleep, we're willing to wear just about anything!

[Country4ever]

I went and looked at the videos. Looks good.
But a few things I was wondering about........
So if you do blow air out your mouth, it can't get through the material?
Also, I guess I'm made weirdly, but if certain points on my face and neck get pushed on, I feel like my head/face sill explode..........like its impeding the bloodflow out of the area. Has anyone experienced this?
Also, his site says that it doesn't put any backward pressure on the jaw. Is that really true? I wear an expensive MORA (mandibular orthopedic repositioning appliance) for my TMJ, and I wouldn't want this thing to negate the good that its doing.

And about the chinstrap that is meant just for people who snore..........Couldn't that possibly cause even more hypoxia? Seems like people who snore badly are having sleep apnea.
Thanks!

[jonnybee]

RG, did it stop your jaw from dropping? What chin strap do you use now? Why isn't taping enough?

In my case, taping alone is not enough because my jaw is still allowed to drop due to my lips stretching. When my jaw drops, my mouth starts to fill with air and my cheeks start ballooning and it wakes me. As long as my jaw is held up, the leakage into my mouth is minimal and can get along without tape at lower pressures. but I have recently been forced to increase my pressure so I now have to use both a chin strap and tape, otherwise air starts to leak thru my lips and that wakes me.

Never ending battle. Sometimes I am soooo tempted to give it up. I ordered the "ultimate" chin strap but only because it supposedly is guaranteed and maybe I'll be able to get a refund when I find this thing doesn't work. Yes, I realize this is negative thinking but I honestly don't see how fabric will keep air from leaking thru my lips and waking me. I'll report back as soon as I get it and give it a try. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.

[DadscreepyCPAPmask]

This has peaked my interest. I guess I'll wait for more feedback on it

[nanwilson]

Why oh why would you want to add ANYTHING more to your face than your mask?????????? Isn't the mask, strap covers & liner enough? Over the past year I have also done the tape, mouth strap, chin strap,,,,etc etc - then I looked at myself in the mirror one day Told myself "what a stupid broad you are, just use a ffm and stop this silliness". So, now I have three ffm's, my old quattro, an ultra mirage and my favorite hybrid. Silliness done with!!!!
Cheers
Nan

[Country4ever]

I've only tried an hybrid mask and it leaked tons. I think its more effective for some of us to have a nasal mask that doesn't leak, and do all this other stuff to keep air from coming out of our mouths, than to try a dozen ffms. I think just about any mask has its problems. I use a Swift nasal pillow and added a 2" band of elastic to anchor the bottom of my headgear around my head and it works great. And the tape works great.......but having heard about its possible toxicity, I'm looking for another way to keep my mouth closed.
I just don't think ffms are always the answer.

[tst29m]

I use the Ultimate Chin Strap! I'm a mouth breather, and it really does help. I use the ResMed Swift FX nasal pillows. It did take a couple of days to get used to the chin strap, but once the adjustment period was over, it was good to go. The cons for me: it's bulky and tends to migrate to my forehead (I use bobby pins and that solved that problem); it gets too warm at night (but I just ignore that); it has a tendency to itch in places (though, I'm the type of person who thinks of an itch and the itch appears! I just scratch from the outside of the strap!); the price is expensive (but worth it since it works). The pros for me: it works. The part that folds under the chin does keep my mouth closed. The other chin strap that I have is the Respironics Premium Chin Strap, and this strap just won't keep my mouth closed.

[OutaSync]

I've been wearing a nasal mask with tape and chinstrap for a several years now. It's a miserable experience every night, what with the pressure on my nose and upper teeth.

I've been trialing the Quattro FX for about a week. I cannot tolerate the feel of air blowing around inside the mask on inhale. I thought it was because I'm used to taping my lips. So I started to tape my lips under the Quattro FX. As I drift off my jaw relaxes and my cheeks immediately fill up with air, jolting me awake. So I put my chinstrap back on. Now I have tape, chinstrap and a full face mask!! What's wrong with this picture?!! The difference is that the Quattro FX doesn't put the pressure on my nose bridge and upper teeth the way nasal masks do, but it has it's own set of problems.

Next time I'm eligible for a new mask, I'm going to try the new Mirage FX. Maybe this chinstrap will work well with that.

Sigh!