Severe dry mouth and nose

[stevesgrl98]

I am currently using the LIberty mask w/ nasal pillows and my nose and mouth get so dried out at night, that I cannot use it all night. My pressure is 15. I have a Resmed s9 w/ the heated humidifier. The current humidity level is at 4.5 and if I turn it up any higher I get rain out. I use the saline nasal spray every night before going putting on the mask. It was so bad last night that I took it off at 2 am and "slept" without it.

I have a ComfortGel FF mask as well, but it leaves such sores on my nose (I have a small nose)that I can only wear it for 2 nights in a row. If I loosen the straps anymore, I get leaks.

My lips are so chapped this morning, my nose feels like I was punched in the face and my tongue is sore from being so dried out. Last night alone, I drank 2 bottles of water in the night prior to giving up at 2 am.

I call my DME, and they have been great, but I feel like I should be ok by now and I am not. It seems everytime I get something fixed something else starts to bother me. I keep hearing that it gets easier with time, but so far the easiest thing is to take it off and "sleep" without it.

Thanks for your help.
Shannon

[BlackSpinner]

Humidity issue - cover the hose to keep it warm or get a climate line hose.

Dry mouth means you are mouth breathing and should be using a full face mask because you are losing most of your therapy to lose lips.

There are liners available for full face masks or you can make your own. Just lay the mask on a piece of well washed cotton knit (old t shirt or undies) draw around the mask, cut about 2 cm outside that line. cut a small triangle for nose and mouth, try it on and enlarge the hole as needed.

[stevesgrl98]

Humidity issue - cover the hose to keep it warm or get a climate line hose.

Dry mouth means you are mouth breathing and should be using a full face mask because you are losing most of your therapy to lose lips.

There are liners available for full face masks or you can make your own. Just lay the mask on a piece of well washed cotton knit (old t shirt or undies) draw around the mask, cut about 2 cm outside that line. cut a small triangle for nose and mouth, try it on and enlarge the hole as needed.

Thanks for your reply. My Liberty mask has a mouth cover too. Sorry, I am very new to this. It has pillows and a mouth cover that blows air. Is this considered a full face mask?

Thanks
Shannon

[chunkyfrog]

Hybrid masks like Liberty are considered full-face, and I was told to use the full-face mask setting on my S9 Elite

[stevesgrl98]

Hybrid masks like Liberty are considered full-face, and I was told to use the full-face mask setting on my S9 Elite

I will change my setting tonight.
Thanks.

[jbenenson]

The S9 (with the humidifier and Climate Line tubing) has a climate control feature that allows you to set the temperature and it keeps the humidity at constant 80%. Otherwise, without climate control you can set the humidity to just below rainout (by experimentation). With climate control my mouth is a little dry, but not much at all. As soon as I wake up in the morning, everything is back to normal in three seconds.

[indianaterri]

Help! I am having a problem with a dry mouth. I switched to a Swift Nasal and keep waking up with dry mouth. I mean repeatedly, over the course of the night I will wake up with a dry mouth. I have a low pressure, 5, and have adjusted the humidity to 3 or 4 (perhaps I should switch to 5?) I have been using tape after the first night of switching masks from a FF Quattro. Tried the paper tape, not strong enough, seemed to come undone. Then painters tape, one piece, then 2, then 3 pieces...still waking up repeatedly with a dry mouth. Last 2 nights have tried polident strips. Last night I am just sure my mouth did not come open, but I woke up with a dry mouth. What else could it be? I never thought I was a mouth breather, never a problem with a dry mouth pre-cpap.

I have a chin strap, may try it tonight...perhaps the polident AND taping tonight? I am pretty comfortable with my Swift, don't want to go back to a FF, but the dry mouth wakes me up! Even with the wake ups though I more rested than I was pre-cpap too...

[robysue]

You might also want to try putting some Lanisoh lanolin on the chapped lips and around (and inside) the nostrils to help protect them from the CPAP airflow. The lanolin won't hurt the silicon the way petroleum jelly does.

If this is a problem that's significantly affecting your ability to use your machine every night, you might also want to call the doctor's office and try to talk to a nurse or physician's assistant. They may be able to give you some idea of how to keep the mouth properly hydrated at night.

Good luck

[indianaterri]

well...I feel like Emily Litella "Never Mind..." my humidity was set to 2, NO WONDER! I cranked it to 5 last night, still a little dry in the back of my mouth, but nothing like the past week. I'm not understanding how I'm mouth breathing though. My lips are gummed up, and I taped over them too last night. I will say the tape was loose when I woke up, so perhaps I am opening up at night? And close again before I wake up?

[BlackSpinner]

Hybrid masks like Liberty are considered full-face, and I was told to use the full-face mask setting on my S9 Elite

I will change my setting tonight.
Thanks.

Try adding a gentle chin strap to help keep your jaws closed.
You may want to invest in a room humidifier too. We are all different with respect to humidity.

[Mary T]

I had to wrap an ace bandage around my mouth a couple of times even with a chin strap but i tell you it works best. I do not tie it coz it might cause choking, but i secure it on top of my head with a big safety pin. works better than tape which my mouth blew open at night. and the cpap air pressure pushed the tape open. I think the ace bandage works best even with the chin strap for mouth breathers. but be careful you do not tie it around your neck or sleep where it could choke you in the night. I feel like a mummy but it works for me.