Just decided taping is unsafe

[claudann]

I just tonight decided mouth taping is unsafe. My cpap machine went off for no apparent reason tonite while I was still awake. I've been taping for the about 6 months now. But this has me scared. I'm going to call my doc on Monday to request a full face mask. Hopefully I can tolerate it. I have nasal pillows now and they are so comfortable and unobtrusive. I dread giving that up. But I am a serious mouth breather. The taping worked fabulously, but I fear the buildup of co2 if the machine stops in the night. I know the FF masks have a vent to pr event that. I sure hope I don't get flack from my dme provider for wanting to change. My ins wont pay for it at this point i'm sure. I need to look up how much they cost. Ugh. I've got so much to worry about already and here's something else cropping up.

[Pugsy]

Try going without taping a few nights with your nasal pillows. You might have learned to keep your mouth shut and may be able to continue using the nasal pillows. I did. I rarely have any mouth breathing now and when I do it is so short lived that it doesn't even show up as much of a leak and well within acceptable limits.

[ozze_dollar]

I agree. you will eventually learn to keep your mouth shut, some of us take longer tha others.

[welki]

I'm almost a year into cpap and my mouth still isn't cooperating by staying closed when I sleep. Funny, it doesn't stay closed when I'm awake, either

I've tried chin straps, denture adhesives and taping. I liked taping, but ordered some Chin-Up strips a couple of months ago just to check them out and they work wonderfully. They're a little pricey, you might be able to MacGyver a facsimile from tape - but they're another option. They can be a little tricky until you get the knack of putting them on, but in my mind, they're a winner.

You can order a sample pack to see which style works best for you. Here's their link in the USA:
http://www.chinupstrip.com/Strip_Applied.htm

There is a company in Alberta, Canada who sells them, too:
http://www.nosnorezone.com/chinup-strip ... elief.html

welki

[BlackSpinner]

Try the resp care hybrid mask. It gives you nasal pillows with a nice flap over the chin and mouth. It encourages nasal breathing without locking you down.

Almost 3 years later and I still mouth breathe in certain positions.

[meagain]

I am a mouth taper, too. I've had the electric go off more than once. When breathing through that little vent hole fast becomes difficult, I wake up fast ! No problem, no worry with taping.

[rested gal]

I agree. you will eventually learn to keep your mouth shut, some of us take longer tha others.

"Some" (perhaps many) are able to eventually to keep the tongue in a sealing position. With or without the mouth actually closed. It's the tongue inside the mouth that's the key to preventing CPAP air from taking a detour and gushing out the mouth. And it's the sealing position of the tongue that prevents a person from breathing in through the mouth. Mouth open or shut actually has nothing to do with the tongue seal, other than that having the mouth closed does keep the tongue filling more space inside the closed mouth than if the jaw is hanging down (bringing the tongue down with it.)

Mouth open or mouth closed...either way, it depends VERY much on the amount of space and size of tongue inside each individual's mouth, as to whether the tongue can maintain an airtight seal inside the mouth.

Eight years on cpap for me, and I've tried every method under the sun to be able to not have cpap air take that detour and go right out my mouth when I'm sleeping. I continue to tape, in order to wear the nasal pillows mask I personally find much more comfortable than FF masks.

It's great that many people that using CPAP do eventually not breathe through their mouth or have CPAP air sneak out through the mouth. It's great if the architecture of the inside of their mouth and their tongue lends itself to forming a good seal inside the mouth if they are getting sufficient air via CPAP. It's ALL about the architecture of the mouth and tongue for each person. For many, just a chin strap to keep the jaw from dropping down can do the trick. That's not the case for me, and never will be. Tape is what I use. Tape AND a chin strap.

The taping worked fabulously, but I fear the buildup of co2 if the machine stops in the night.

In the eight years I've been taping, I've had the machine turn off a number of times. I don't know how long it was off each time, but I've always (obviously, since I'm typing this... LOL ) waked up and easily taken off first the mask, then the tape. Waked up to a "stuffy air" sensation. Probably the same way we aroused enough to "breathe better" when we were suffering years of nightly suffocating apneas.

I'm not worried about tape and machine stopping. But that's me. Each person has to decide what is right for him/her. Good luck, claudann.

[Pugsy]

An additional thought about power failure concerns.
One can get a power alarm device that will beep and wake a person up should the power fail.
I think around $20.

First night I decided to tape we had a thunderstorm and power failed. I woke up thinking "why are things so quiet" and then realized what had happened. Minor stuffiness but no panic and no where near "suffocating" feeling. I lay there a bit breathing through the vent holes and was not uncomfortable at all till I got bored and took the mask off. From that moment on there was never any concern about power failure because I had already realized that I could breathe adequately through the vents. Not perfectly but adequately and there was no panic feeling at all.

[idamtnboy]

But I am a serious mouth breather. The taping worked fabulously, but I fear the buildup of co2 if the machine stops in the night. I know the FF masks have a vent to pr event that.

FF masks have a vent that prevent, not to prevent. So do nasal pillow masks. The vents are there for proper operation of the CPAP system. The blower blows much more air than you breathe, and the excess has to vent somewhere. I'm convinced that in reality you would wake up from the increased breathing effort long before CO2 would be a problem.

[Matty332]

Hey Pugsy,

Where can you buy a power failure warning device? It sounds like a great idea!

[DocWeezy]

Another trick I used when training myself to keep my mouth shut at night was a small pillow that propped my chin up. It worked great whether I was on my side or on my back, and I quickly got to where I would adjust the pillow without waking up.

Overall, it took me about a month or so to really keep my mouth shut at night....and I was a CONFIRMED mouth breather--I even breathed through my mouth during the day. I have a small nose and throat...but...come to find out...having the CPAP blowing air made a huge difference and my nose isn't stuffy any more, even during the day.

The tongue behind the upper teeth is the other great trick and it's already been mentioned. That's how I sleep now, so even if my chin drops and my mouth opens, there are no leaks.

Weezy

[archangle]

If you're trying to train yourself to not leak air out of your mouth, realize that you're trying to block off air flow with your tongue, not your lips.

I think most insurance will pay for a new mask after 6 months. You might want to check with the insurance company directly instead of relying on the DME.

Have you tried a chinstrap?

I really wish it was easy to find a standalone anti-asphyxia valve that fits between the mask and hose.

[Pugsy]

Where can you buy a power failure warning device? It sounds like a great idea!

They are actually fairly common here in the US and found in a lot of hardware stores.
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/relian ... light.html
Above is one example. Less than $20.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... IkBEPMCMAA

From ultra cheap to quite pricey.
Google....power failure alarms or power outage alarms
and you will find lots to look at.

[Spirit]

I prefer full face over taping. Back when I was using nasal pillows, I had a major case of sinus congestion, my mouth was taped, I woke up suffocating. Quattro resolved all my mask issues, including leaks.

[Passiflora]

Could someone direct me to a thread or outline some of the best taping options out there? What are people using successfully? I have fairly sensitive skin. Right now I am using a full face mask but I want to wear my Swift FX which is SO much more comfortable. The nights I tried to wear my Swift FX, I could only do so for several hours - air coming out my mouth disrupted my sleep severely. I kept trying to pack my tongue in nicely to prevent mouth leaks but I could never get it to work, especially as my pressures increased. I have been using Mepilex Transfer as a mask shield to prevent skin irritation/breakdown. I tried putting that over my lips but it is porous material so air would still leak out and wake me up. I am considering purchasing Mepilex tape (Mepitac - http://www.molnlycke.com/us/Wound-Care- ... ctiveTab=2) to try but don't want to waste my money if there are other cheaper options I should try first.