Finishing up 2nd month and what I have learned

[Breathing]

At the end of the month (which is in a couple of days) I will have been using my CPAP for 2 months. I have done a fair amount of adjusting and tweaking different things, the main one being the chin strap problem.
I am using a nasal mask, which fits my face pretty well, but because of this, I need a chin strap to keep me from mouth-breathing. I have taken a nap or two without a chin strap and dreamed about being on fire, and woke up with a very dry, unhappy mouth.
I started out with one chin strap provided by the DME folks. That one slid around and would not stay on. I bought a wider strap, but with a relatively small chin, it slid back and felt like it was strangling me, and I took it off in my sleep. Then I got a narrower one with a cloth chin cup that worked pretty well, but still slid around. So I bought another strap to go around the back of my head to keep it from sliding forward. That worked out, but over the night, it still tended to slide up over my face. Then I decided to try a "low profile" chin strap that hooked onto the mask straps, but duh! that pulled the mask downward and I had to tighten the straps up very tight to keep it working. Mostly what it did was pull the mask down and left marks on my nose. I heard people talking about "taping" and although I am not keen on taping my mouth shut (there might be some who would disagree with me on that), I knew from athletic taping that I might be able do a decent tape job. I was able to. It took a couple of nights to get the tape just right, but I think I got it pretty well figured out. Then I found an ad for a guy who pre-makes tape out of a very nice lightweight surgical tape, so I ordered a few samples to see if they would be o.k. on my skin. The first couple of days with my self-taping, I had some irritated skin, and if this is going to be a daily thing (which it is) that is not going to work. I was happy to see that after washing my face and putting on a moisturizer, I wait for about 1/2 an hour and put on the tape thingie. It holds all night, and peels off in the morning without leaving any marks on or damage to my skin. it's from a company called http://www.chinupstrip.com

Really, really happy to end up my 2nd month.

Breathe on!

[Sir NoddinOff]

Welcome to the Taper's Alliance. You'll but getting some responses that state you will die if you tape your mouth shut. Take it all with a grain of salt. Some full face mask users revel in trying to scare us.

[Breathing]

I don't "tape my mouth shut" and neither do the strips. the tape and the strips pull the lower lip and tissue up to support the mouth closed, just like a chin strap does. You can see pictures and video here: http://www.chinupstrip.com video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy96tt480pE

[archangle]

Welcome to the Taper's Alliance. You'll but getting some responses that state you will die if you tape your mouth shut. Take it all with a grain of salt. Some full face mask users revel in trying to scare us.

And some people who do risky things are in denial and take offense when someone points out the risks. Just like some people who refuse to do CPAP get offended when you point out the health risks.

Not a full face mask user here, but the FDA and the mask manufacturers think there's a risk of suffocation from taping.

Taping your mouth risks suffocation or other problems if the machine quits blowing and you don't wake up while wearing a nasal mask. You will be rebreathing your own exhaled air. Oxygen will decrease and CO2 will increase. This can cause you to sink deeper into unconsciousness and stop breathing. This is why all full face masks to have an anti-asphyxia valve.

Most people will wake up and be able to take the mask or tape off, but it's not a sure thing.

There is a risk of aspiration pneumonia if you vomit before you can get the tape off. Aspiration pneumonia is very bad. Google it.

Many people tape anyway despite the risks and have no problems. The risk may be small, but you'll probably be doing this for the rest of your life so risks add up.

[kaiasgram]

I checked out the website -- these chinup strips are FDA approved and don't cover the whole mouth. If you watch the video you see that it's possible to open your mouth to talk (even if mumbly!) and cough if necessary. Just curious if others have tried these strips.

[archangle]

I checked out the website -- these chinup strips are FDA approved and don't cover the whole mouth. If you watch the video you see that it's possible to open your mouth to talk (even if mumbly!) and cough if necessary. Just curious if others have tried these strips.

I'm a LOT less worried about taping where you can still open your mouth with the tape on it. There might be some minor risk that you will lapse into unconsciousness if it takes some effort to open your mouth.

[JoeP]

I am curious about the taping thing. Why not just try a hybrid mask? Not even considering the suffocation aspect it just seems that the hybrid mask would be way less hassle.

My mouth stays closed with a chin strap but I think I would go hybrid before taping. can anyone who does tape explain why they chose that over a hybrid?

Thanks

[archangle]

I am curious about the taping thing. Why not just try a hybrid mask? Not even considering the suffocation aspect it just seems that the hybrid mask would be way less hassle.

My mouth stays closed with a chin strap but I think I would go hybrid before taping. can anyone who does tape explain why they chose that over a hybrid?

Thanks

Lots of the tapers have tried a lot of things, including FFM and Hybrid, and decided taping is the way to go. For many people, there is a substantial cost for each mask they try. Taping is cheap and easy to try.

[chunkyfrog]

Out of the twenty masks I have tried, (yes, I counted them) only three give me consistently low leakage.
Only one is a full face, so, yes, I tape.
I made myself a custom-sized pattern for my own chin-ups,
and I cut them out of either blue painter's tape or J&J cloth tape.
The mouth is not covered, indeed, but my lower lip has to be pulled way up for it to work.
(Singapore: I dare you to find this image!)

[Sir NoddinOff]

Welcome to the Taper's Alliance. You'll but getting some responses that state you will die if you tape your mouth shut. Take it all with a grain of salt. Some full face mask users revel in trying to scare us.

And some people who do risky things are in denial and take offense when someone points out the risks. Just like some people who refuse to do CPAP get offended when you point out the health risks.

Not a full face mask user here, but the FDA and the mask manufacturers think there's a risk of suffocation from taping.

Taping your mouth risks suffocation or other problems if the machine quits blowing and you don't wake up while wearing a nasal mask. You will be rebreathing your own exhaled air. Oxygen will decrease and CO2 will increase. This can cause you to sink deeper into unconsciousness and stop breathing. This is why all full face masks to have an anti-asphyxia valve.

Most people will wake up and be able to take the mask or tape off, but it's not a sure thing.

There is a risk of aspiration pneumonia if you vomit before you can get the tape off. Aspiration pneumonia is very bad. Google it.

Many people tape anyway despite the risks and have no problems. The risk may be small, but you'll probably be doing this for the rest of your life so risks add up.

Most people vomit 4 to 6 ounces of fluid. Explain the physics of, say a 2 oz air space cavity in a FFM, taking all the volume of vomit and some of it not going back down the throat? You're the one living in denial. Oh yeah, you'll say you will automatically rip the mask off, yet you never take the time to read my posts explaining how I prepare the tape by pre-oiling it against my forearm and how I fold over pull-off tabs or how I only use a short strip (or none at all) if I'm not feeling well. For a safety relief feature I cut a 1/4" slit in the center of the tape, more than enough to allow me to breath in conjunction with the vent in the nasal pillow. This may be shocking to you, but if I prepare the tape correctly, I can actually open my mouth if I pull hard on my lips. You only want to see things thru your own biased eyes. What, do you own a full face mask company or something?

[RoxanneY]

I do not understand why you would not want to try a full face mask if you are a mouth breather? It really is no big deal. I started on Zest and now use a Quattro FX.
Try it.