Cervical collar for a weak chin?

[ejbpesca]

I think my OSCAR reports showing clusters of apneas may be due to chin tucking. I get one to two tightly packed clusters most nights for 20 to 90 minutes. Pressure pegs out to max 18 as one apnea after another occurs at an alarming rate. About once a week, no clusters.

I have tried two collars with failure. If my chin were not so close to my neck they may have worked. I have what has been called a "weak," chin. (Queen Victoria had a weak chin.) My chin is at the end of a short, non protruding jaw so when my head goes down, there is little structure for a collar to hold up to prevent dreaded chin tucking.

Can anyone suggest a brand/model collar that may be able to support a small, non protruding chin without having to tighten it to the point of choking?

Thanks.

[ChicagoGranny]

I won't attempt to fit you over the internet. Go to Amazon.com and put in the search box "foam cervical collar". Peruse through some of the photographs. You might have to do some trial and error to find the right fit. So, buy a cheap one. In my experience, the cheap ones are just as good as any.

[ChicagoGranny]

Another idea. Here is what I use under my FFM. If prevents chin drops. (I still use a collar to keep my neck in the best position for airway patency.)

It's sleep strips, a type of tape - https://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Slee ... ef=sr_1_26

[Lucky7]

Granny, hope you don't mind me asking: if you have to tape anyway why use a FFM?

[ChicagoGranny]

Granny, hope you don't mind me asking: if you have to tape anyway why use a FFM?

I leave a little gap to let air escape in case blowfish cheeks try to attack.

[kteague]

Alongside your efforts with a cervical collar, think about gravity and make it work for you. A pillow that does not allow your head to slide into a tucked position may help. As a side sleeper, using a firm flat pillow helped me with that. If you are the hands-on type, you could even consider a cheap flat memory foam tyoe pillow that you scoop out a very shallow area for the side of your face, leaving a slight upslope along the bottom edge for your chin to rest against. Your head cannot tuck without going up and over the slightly upsloped edge. (Disclaimer - don't make enough of a ledge that it presses against your throat. Important circulation going on there. Gentle slopes only.) Good luck with things.

[ejbpesca]

Another idea. Here is what I use under my FFM. If prevents chin drops. (I still use a collar to keep my neck in the best position for airway patency.)

It's sleep strips, a type of tape - https://www.amazon.com/Transparent-Slee ... ef=sr_1_26

For the first time in 15 years of CPAP FFM therapy, I woke today without a desert dry mouth. I used, for the first time, the PAPMD mouth tape strip. 3 other tape products failed to stick well enough. I think I tried the X shaped ones but they could not stick to my full beard. PAPMDs are super sticky. I cannot force my mouth open with one of those on. Should I cut a slit in them to prevent chipmunk cheeks?

Unfortunately last night I did the roll to my back move just before I woke at 1:10 am. I guess rolling to my back may be causing chin tucking. OSCAR showed a cluster of 9 OAs during 20 minutes before I woke. Even with the 9 OA cluster and only 3 hours sleep, I feel amazing alert, better over all than usual.

[ejbpesca]

Alongside your efforts with a cervical collar, think about gravity and make it work for you. A pillow that does not allow your head to slide into a tucked position may help. As a side sleeper, using a firm flat pillow helped me with that. If you are the hands-on type, you could even consider a cheap flat memory foam tyoe pillow that you scoop out a very shallow area for the side of your face, leaving a slight upslope along the bottom edge for your chin to rest against. Your head cannot tuck without going up and over the slightly upsloped edge. (Disclaimer - don't make enough of a ledge that it presses against your throat. Important circulation going on there. Gentle slopes only.) Good luck with things.

Thanks for the pillow tip. I had just gotten a new pillow that fits your description and I think it is helping. I successfully taped my mouth shut last night for the first time in 15 years of CPAP therapy by using a new mouth tape with really strong glue. I woke ≈1 a.m. to find myself having rolled to my back. I think my back sleeping may cause chin tucking. OSCAR showed a cluster of 9 OAs within 20 minutes before I woke on my back. I think the OAs or chin tucking woke me.

[ejbpesca]

Granny, hope you don't mind me asking: if you have to tape anyway why use a FFM?

For the first time I got tape to hold my mouth shut last night. I have used a FFM for 15 years. I guess if I can keep my mouth shut, could I use nasal pillows? I only got 3 hours sleep last night, but it was nice to wake for the first time in 15 years without a desert dry mouth. A new tape product just delivered to me, with super sticky glue, worked. I had tried 3 other tape products with failure.

[ChicagoGranny]

I guess if I can keep my mouth shut, could I use nasal pillows?

You should be able to. I did it for six months.

Should I cut a slit in them to prevent chipmunk cheeks?

Did you have blowfish cheeks (Sorry, I've gone marine.) when using the PAPMD tape? One thing that can help in the long run is to practice keeping the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth. When I do this, I don't have blowfish cheeks. If I am in a firm habit of doing it, it still works when I fall asleep.

Should I cut a slit in them to prevent chipmunk cheeks?

One thing that can be said about a lot of these tricks is that you have to do trial and error to find out what works for YOU. In other words, YMMV. (OK, that's letters, not words.)

the PAPMD mouth tape strip

You exercised the nuclear option.

[Janknitz]

I have micrognathia (a very small and receded lower jaw), which is what you call a "weak chin". Mine is the result of a genetic condition I have, but lot's of people have this. Because of my short "webbed" neck (also due to the genetic condition) a cervical collar would be royally uncomfortable for me. I have one of those C-shaped neck pillows filled with buckwheat hulls. The hulls are removeable, so I've removed about half of them so that the pillow is very soft and moldable. I fit that under my chin and it helps a lot, particularly because I sleep on a stack of pillows and lately on my back.

[Lucky7]

Granny, hope you don't mind me asking: if you have to tape anyway why use a FFM?

For the first time I got tape to hold my mouth shut last night. I have used a FFM for 15 years. I guess if I can keep my mouth shut, could I use nasal pillows? I only got 3 hours sleep last night, but it was nice to wake for the first time in 15 years without a desert dry mouth. A new tape product just delivered to me, with super sticky glue, worked. I had tried 3 other tape products with failure.

I'm on the hunt for tape. Which ones did you try? Thanks!

[ejbpesca]

I am on tape number four and found two that work.

PAPMD does well even with my full beard. I had a few strips fail but was informed I had some from a bad run. A replacement pack was shipped and those are doing the job.

I just got in a product from Amazon called Cover-Roll stretch tape. This roll of tape is wide, has stretch, can be cut to the same size as the PAPMD strips, and really sticks well. The consequence is that it is a bit more difficult to remove.

Cover-Roll brand sticks and holds so well I cannot force open my mouth. That's kind of scary but gets the job done. It leaves a bit of residue as compared to PAPMD. The price is much lower.

The previous tapes and strip tapes did not hold. Now I wonder if I may move to a nose type mask since my mouth, after 15 years of therapy, is finally shut. I think my relative may want me to use the tape outside of sleep.

[ChicagoGranny]

Cover-Roll brand sticks and holds so well I cannot force open my mouth. That's kind of scary but gets the job done.

You may have read the common forum advice to fold under a corner to use as a quick release in case of emergency. If you are missing your right arm, fold the corner on your left side and vice versa.

[ejbpesca]

Have tried three collars and they all cause neck pain due to their thickness pressing against the side of my neck especially while sleeping on my side.

I wonder why chin tucking was never mentioned to me after my 5 sleep studies. I wonder if chin tucking can skew the results of a sleep study. Would wearing a collar during my studies have shown different AHI results? Would possibly I not be diagnosed "severe," apnea if I had worn a collar during the studies?

A new collar has come to ads on FaceBook claiming a collar is THE remedy of sleep apnea, not the CPAP machine. Yes, I know, there are many such claims. Some claim a mouthpiece is the cure for apnea/snoring. A mouthpiece worked on neither for me.