MNewbie mouth breather ready to call it quits Part 2

mouthbreather7 · Post by **mouthbreather7** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:16 pm

This place is great for ideas and encouragement I saw my Dr. two days ago and went through all my trials. She says that my facial structure type is always a difficult fit. (slim face, roman nose, small chin) I told her about what I have been doing. Using nasal pillows and taping my mouth every night. She grinned and was glad I had not quit, yet. She gave me a larger-stronger chin strap (failed the first night, I still open my mouth) and lowered the pressure on my machine in hopes that a seal on the full mask will stay sealed. (yet to try it and am concerned because now my pressure is the same all the time now, no ramp up) . I am sleeping all night using tape and nasal pillows but not sure the machine is stopping the apneas now. Since I have not really noticed a consistent difference with the machine, how will I know it is working? I am taking the card to my machine provider after Christmas so maybe the machine will give me the answer. Can anyone that has been successful tell me how they know when their machine is not doing what it is supposed to do, I mean like side effects or something? And any ideas about keeping mouth closed by something other than chin straps and tape? You guys are great, did I say that already?

xenablue · Post by **xenablue** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:25 pm

Please go to account options and add your equipment so we can help you.

If you have a data-capable machine, then it will be simple for you to see if your therapy is working.

Good to see you're not calling it quits - yet.....

Cheers,
xena

robysue · Post by **robysue** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:27 pm

mouthbreather7 wrote:Can anyone that has been successful tell me how they know when their machine is not doing what it is supposed to do, I mean like side effects or something?

The most obvious thing I can think of is learning how to check your own data---provided, of course, that the DME set you up with a machine that records full efficacy data. In my own difficult first days, seeing that my AHI was down below 1 most days was a major incentive for keeping at making this crazy therapy work for me.

What machine do you have?

west nile · Post by **west nile** » Fri Dec 02, 2011 4:30 pm

Hi Breather--

I'm a noob myself and a lifelong mouthbreather. A nasal mask is out of the question for me; it felt like my sinuses were being blowtorched. I use a full mask, which leaks around my chin unless I REALLY snug down the straps. I always expect to have a red ring on my face in the morning, but so far so good.
Why won't your sleep doc let you breathe through your mouth? That's all I CAN do.

mouthbreather7 · Post by **mouthbreather7** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:17 am

Sleep doc is not making me tape my mouth. I have not been able to get any mask to not leak and ue the nasal pillows. If I breathe through my mouth using the nasal pillows I might as well not use the equipment.

mouthbreather7 · Post by **mouthbreather7** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:41 am

I placed my machine info in my profile but it was hard to get a match to what is written on my invoice.
Respironics Remstar Pro450P
Respironics System One Humidifier
Currently using a Go Life for Men and surgical tape.

I sincerely want to track each night to see what is happening.

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:47 am

should be a PR S1 Pro with CFLEX +

PR is for Phillips Respironics
S1 is for System One

Fully data capable CPAP

mouthbreather7 · Post by **mouthbreather7** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 5:41 pm

Cflame 1, So I you telling me that I tell my Dr. that she did not prescribe the right equipment for me??????? I have the equipment that was issued to me by those she entrusted my care to. I do n ot know enough to know if all of this is helping me or not.

snoringshrink · Post by **snoringshrink** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:23 pm

Hi mouthbreather.

The problem might not be with your doctor. When my doctor wrote my prescription, he specified the type of machine, but not a specific model. The specific machine is between you and your DME. There are good DMEs and not so good ones. Folks on this forum can help educate you on how to deal with them. I'm new to this too and can only encourage you to stay with it. The consequences of no treatment are not something you would like to deal with. Best wishes.

snoringshrink · Post by **snoringshrink** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 6:31 pm

One more thing that might help is check out the posting under Janknitz, a user on this forum. Janknitz has posted some great stuff on dealing with DMEs. Also, you would probably benefit from having a respiratory therapist fit you with a mask that will work for you. Keep your spirit up. The learning curve is steep but the benefit is worth it. I hope this helps to steer you in the right direction.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:04 pm

mouthbreather7 wrote: I do n ot know enough to know if all of this is helping me or not.

I suspect that you have the PR System One Remstar Pro CPAP with CFlex + machine
this one
https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/respi ... -plus.html
The humidifier for this one is the PR System One Heated Humidifier
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/respir ... ifier.html

In the equipment drop down menu in your profile look for PR System One grouping of equipment.

What you have chosen now is this old machine which was used prior to 2007. I doubt very much that your DME gave you this machine but please look to make sure. Easy to see if your machine looks like this one or the one above. This is what you have chosen at the present...Remstar Pro with Cflex..https://www.cpap.com/cpap-machine/respi ... cflex.html

So please confirm which machine you actually have and if it is the PR System One Remstar Pro CPAP then you have software choices to help you see what is going on and be better able to evaluate the effectiveness of your therapy and even leaks. I have some examples here that you can see.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=64906&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... re+options

mattleffler · Post by **mattleffler** » Sat Dec 03, 2011 8:26 pm

I'm also a newbie and a mouthbreather and last week wasn't so good for me either.
I doubt there's one user in this forum that at some point didn't come across difficulties with the machine/mask or doctor and didn't consider quitting.
First,your mask isn't for mouthbreathers-if you know you are a mouthbreather you should try another mask on !
Second and most important-DO NOT QUIT.CPAP therapy isn't supposed to make us feel comfortable (though i know it's getting more and more the past years) ,it's supposed to support a very basic function that when not functioning well can make us pretty miserable and rightfully so.So many basic organs have to work harder and harder-when this works for you ,you'll be a whole different person.After 3 weeks on my AutoPap my resting heart rate decreased by 10 beats per minute !
Right now ,machines are much more user friendly,provide feedback.There are so many different masks for all kinds of head shapes and nose sizes,mouth breathers,nose breathers you name it.
Think it's only a matter of time till you find what works for you but do yourself a favor and try out all possible combinations of masks/pressures/doctors/pillows/mattresses before thinking about quitting.
The accumulated knowledge and experience in this forum is really helpful-the problems i mentioned earlier were mostly resolved last night after following a fellow member's advice a few hours before last night's sleep !!! And for some more problems remaining i will follow another helpful member's advice tonight !!! You are not alone in this ! Keep trying !

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:18 am

mouthbreather7 wrote:Cflame 1, So I you telling me that I tell my Dr. that she did not prescribe the right equipment for me??????? I have the equipment that was issued to me by those she entrusted my care to. I do n ot know enough to know if all of this is helping me or not.

That's not what I was saying... I was giving you a correction to the equipment that you have listed in your signature, just like Pugsy did above.

mars · Post by **mars** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 5:26 am

Hi All

This is what I used to change from over 50 years of mouth breathing to nose breathing, awake and asleep -

http://www.3m.com/product/information/M ... -Tape.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microporous_material

easy to apply, keeps the mouth shut, but, if you want, you can easily open the mouth without difficulty.

cheers

Mars

BrianR4743 · Post by **BrianR4743** » Sun Dec 04, 2011 11:20 am

You are absolutely headed in the right direction, just stick with it. What you are short on, is the ability to monitor on a daily basis your numbers. Whether it's a LED readout on your machine in the morning or a card reader to download your data, you'll be flying blind until you can see it yourself.

Give the 3M micropore paper tape a shot as well. It's real easy on the skin when removing it.

Good luck!

MNewbie mouth breather ready to call it quits Part 2

MNewbie mouth breather ready to call it quits Part 2

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