Newbie having problems

[robysue]

doccuke,

You write:

caffeinatedcfo the mask is not great, I find that I when I make it tight enough not to leak my face is a bit sore, I have lines in my face from the mask digging in. My nose right on the bridge hurts all the time now and the skin is starting to get raw. Seems like as soon as I make it loose enough to not hurt, it leaks like crazy!!

The mask should not make your face sore. Your signature shows you are using a Quattro FX Full Face mask. That mask uses an air cushion to provide the seal. And it should not be over tightened. As counter intuitive as it sounds, over tightening the mask can make it leak worse because over tightening can prevent the air cushion from fully inflating.

You should read JanKnitz's instructions on Taming the Mirage Quattro for a lot of useful tips on how to fit your mask correctly. While her instructions are written for a different member of the Quattro mask family, the basic principals and tips apply to any mask in the Quattro family since they all use air cushions to provide the seal.

[XXL]

Doc - I also have had the issues with the desert mouth. I like to have cool air blow through the mask. The problem here is lower temp equals lower humidity. The s9's are usually set up to link the temp and humidity controls together. So when your (hose) temp goes up, so does the humidity in order to compensate. In the S9 Clinician's manual it shows you how to set up individual controls for temp and humidity. I now have my machine set to 73 degrees and humidity at 5. This has worked out for me. Hang in there and keep trying!

[SleepyBobR]

Don't know if this will help but the only time I get dry mouth is when I'm sleeping with my mouth open. I don't mouth breathe but my mouth sometimes just falls open inside my ffm and I wake up with Sahara mouth. This happens rarely now but I tamed the problem with a chin strap until I learned to keep my mouth shut when I'm asleep.

[doccuke]

I just wanted to update this again. I am still ahving a great deal of problems with
getting dry mouth bad enough that my wind pipe has closed off on me on more
then one occasion!! I wake up choking, it is not pleasant!!

Overall the CPAP definitely helps me in that I can now stay awake all day, which
prior to having this machine was not possible!!

If anyone has some ideas that will help my drymouth problem I would appreciate it.

Thanx
DOC

[doccuke]

Oh and my equipment is listed, I use a full face mask as my nose is strictly
ornamental!! It has been broken about 3 times so it is not of much use
for breathing!!

[DEXSUZ]

doccuke:


First of all, best of fortunes. I, too, have a QFX and have learned how to succeed and thrive with it after an awful first few weeks in early 2013.

I was a lousy sleeper my entire adult life and began CPAP. Right off the bat, I had many problems but have found nocturnal bliss as I adapted to the gear and the way it works.I've got a simple program that did wonders for my adaptation to assisted sleep. Here it is:

This is the four-step program I devised. I had a tremendous sleep study at the local hospital but ran into a granite roadblock as I attempted to get accustomed to masks on my own. You might want to give this a try:

My main advice is to back away from immediately trying to do all-nighters with your full-face equipment. Use my four-step weekly plan which has worked wonderfully for me:

1) During the first week sit, watch TV, or read with your equipment whirring away next to you. Get accustomed to the sounds, feelings of the moving air, and all the external trappings of the great chance at quality sleep you are nearing. Do NOT go to bed with the equipment.

2) Take the phone off the hook, draw the shades, evict everyone from the house, don't think about any nearby clock, and loosen your clothing as you lie on your bed in mid-afternoon. Turn on the CPAP gizmo, put the mask on your face, and close your eyes. Think peaceful thoughts, whatever they are to you. At some point in the week you WILL fall asleep. After you have this nap, you'll be amazed at what a refreshing experience it was.

3) During the third week have all your CPAP gear ready for action as you go to bed for the night. As you've done so many times throughout the years, you'll awaken far before morning. When you do, slap the mask on your face and turn on the CPAP gear before your groggy brain has any idea what's going on.

4) After successfully completing the first three steps at your pace, decide on a night (mine was March 3rd, 2013) when you have full confidence and will retire for the night WITH your mask on. You'll succeed!

My biggest mistake was expecting everything to go perfectly from the first night. It rarely occurs because the brain must be retrained after all those years of awakening in the middle of the night. One must be patient and keep anxiety as far away as possible. On March 3rd, I had a goofy sort of celebration to mark one year of refreshing sleep I never had - over four decades - before last year.

By the way, I went to bed last night 11:00 a few nights ago and awakened non-stop at - ready for this? - 7:00 this morning. For DECADES that never happened. It was only a dream but now it's a reality.

Be patient, best of luck and God bless

[Pugsy]

Dry mouth means mouth breathing (especially in your situation) and sometimes the added moisture from the humidifier simply is not enough to rehydrate the mouth sufficiently.

There are some options that might help...are you using the ClimateLine heated hose?
If not, what is your humidifier setting?

Sometimes with maximum humidity being delivered with the Climateline heated hose...there just isn't enough added moisture to make the mouth comfortable. The humidifier was really designed more to help the nose and nasal mucosa and not the oral cavity which is so much larger.
Products like Biotene can help some..and for some people is enough. Worth a try. I have no personal experience with it to offer which might be best as they offer several products.

[doccuke]

Hi Pugsy
Yes I have the heated hose. I am using biotene as well. It helps a little bit, but noy much. Some nights are worse then others.
I woke upo at 5 this morning literally choking from being so dry. My lips were sticking together and if I tried to talk I just produced a dry cough. I drank about a quart of water and laid back down without the mask. IU did have 6 hours with the mask on by then, I just wish I could get by the excessive dryness issue. I have always hated using the CPAP but love the results, so I use it!! I can now stay awake all day which had not happened in decades.

I have tried the temo all the way up, all the way down and in the middle, same with the humidity. Oddly, it actually seems a little worse with the humidity on 6 instead of 2!!

And like I said, I breathe through my mouth or I do not breath, my nose is pretty non-functional for breathing at any time including when awake

[Pugsy]

Using the Climateline hose....are you getting a temperature choice on the machine's LCD menu or just the 1 through 6?
If you have the Climateline hose attached (and it is working properly) the default is for automatic humidity delivery set to 80% but you should have a temperature control.
Or have you already set the humidity with the Climateline to Manual...where you can adjust temperature and humidity separately?

If all you have available is the 1 through 6 setting...something is not right if Climateline hose is attached because you should also have temperature available.

Dry mouth though if your nose is ornamental...I don't know if the maximum available humidity is going to be enough to fix your dry mouth or not. Just too much real estate in the mouth to try to hydrate.

[doccuke]

Hi Pugsy

Temperature options are off then 60 to 85 degrees. Humidity is off then 1 to 6 The
humidity settings do not say anything referencing a percentage, just off then 1 to 6

[Pugsy]

Okay, then you have the Climateline set to manual.
We are never told what humidity is being delivered at each setting...6 is the highest...I don't know if it is more than 80 % that is supposed to be delivered when set to automatic.

It is possible that even at the maximum (whichever setting gives it) is not enough to adequately rehydrate the mouth due to mouth breathing. Some people just have more dry mouth than others.

Increased leaks might also contribute to the dry mouth...so you might check your leak data.

[doccuke]

Thanx, I will investigate suggestions for leaking. I am assuming that the increase in airflow is what makes my drymouth worse then
not using the CPAP. If I sleep without it my drymouth is greatly reduced, but then my apnea is raging along!! My prescribed setting
for air pressure is 16. I use the ramp function which does help me get to sleep. When at 16 it is a bit hard to tolerate but if I fall
asleep first it does not seem to bother me

Maybe I am making the mask too tight, I did read where that can cause more leakage

I'll keep at it, like I said I hate using the dam thing but I do love being able to stay awake the next day, so it is worth the fight!!

[deuelpm]

I wonder if they had trouble titrating you.

Also, has the machine ever had the auto climate _activated_? If it has never been set by temp, perhaps it's worth a shot, as well as validating all your clinical settings (like being in cpap rather than autopap).

It is also said that most people these days tend to run dehydrated, I know I was; first thing I did to try and stop snoring is to stay well-hydrated during the day. While it did nothing for osa, it does keep me from having to wake up for thirst...

Good luck, Doc, and do keep posting your progress!

[doccuke]

When I ran it in CPAP I had more difficulty tolerating it and getting to sleep. I drink 4 to 6 20oz
bottles of water a day so I don't know if I could drink allot more then I already am!! I will keep
you all posted on here.
Thanx
DOC

[herefishy]

I put a sugar free cough drop in my mouth at bedtime and it is still there 5 hours later, and my mouth is not dry. That said, I don't mouth breathe, so don't know if that would be a cure for you.