Help me keep my mouth shut? (chin strap/mask advice needed)

[the_nap_ster]

Hi all,

Sigh. Okay, I'm 1.5 months in, and I've got a problem. I'm tired and irritable after no sleep last night, so please forgive the rambling nature of this post.

Every night is one of two extremes: awesome or terrible. This is dependent on whether I can keep my mouth shut. (I'm pretty sure I just walked into a joke here. )

I am not so much a mouth breather as I am a "mouth air escaper." I never inhale through my mouth, but some of my air does passively exhale through there. And on nights when that happens, I wake up feeling horrible.

Here's what I've tried:

-- Respronics chin strap with chin cup from my DME. Just didn't work at keeping my mouth closed at all.
-- CPAP.Com Deluxe-style chinstrap, with straps directly over my mouth. Tried this with and without tape. Works sometimes, just can't find a rhyme or reason for WHY it works some nights and not others. And I have to wear this so tight that I get crazy marks in the morning. (Which are worth it if it worked!)
-- PAPcap: I had high hopes for this since the chin strap isn't as stretchy, but it just didn't work for me. The strap just bit into my skin, didn't keep my mouth shut. The chin strap part is too narrow for me, I think.
-- Ruby strap: I ordered it in an L/XL since I have a GIANT skull (thanks Viking ancestors!) and can't wear normal hats and such, but the L/XL is too big. Nevertheless, I tried to monkey with it to see if the general shape would work for me. Doesn't seem like the strap effectively keeps my jaw up.
-- Ace bandages/vet wrap: Wrapping this stuff tight enough to keep my jaw up forced the flesh of the rest of my face to swell and hurt.
-- Hybrid mask: I had high hopes for this, since it seems like it is well suited for my problem. Seems like it's basically just nasal pillows with a mouth back up. But man, the mask did NOT fit my face. I have a very heart-shaped face, wide cheekbones and tiny chin. No sizes worked for me. (On the up-side, if someone wants to buy a barely-used Hybrid, I'm your girl).

Now, I'm all about taping if it gets the job done, and I've messed around with a wide variety of tape techniques. Even if I seal my mouth, little bits of air gather in my mouth and I chipmunk, waking me up.

I am totally *not* against trying a full-face mask, but I am someone with very fair skin who bruises VERY easily. So I'm worried about general skin unhappiness. I was thinking of trying the Quattro FX since it lacks forehead support, but I HATE that you have to order each size individually. I have no idea what size I am! I tried to measure as they showed on their video, and I'm about 4" (so a medium), but I find that this is no sub for trying on a mask and checking it.

I am paying out of pocket for masks right now, so I am hesitant to just buy this mask and give it a go, sinceI have never used a full-face mask before and have no idea what size I am (and they are pricey!). I have put my name in with the CPAP Library to rent one of these puppies, but I am so miserable not sleeping, I'm not sure if I can wait that long.

So here are my options (I think). What do you think I should do?

1.) Order a Quattro FX in medium with return insurance, try it out, and return it if it doesn't work.
2.) Order some other full-face mask that is awesome (I'm open to suggestions!)
3.) Try adding a boil-n-bite to my chin strap routine and see if THAT helps (though I have no idea which one to get).
4.) Try some other magical method to keep my mouth from leaking air and waking me up.

Any thoughts? Help?

[LSAT]

You could try the CPAP mask library..Try it for free...just $14 shipping fee
http://www.cpaplibrary.com/mask-trials

[xenablue]

I, too am a nocturnal mouth-opener. Obviously I'm not trainable because after 18 months I still need to wear a chinstrap to keep it shut (hubby wants me to wear it around the house, so your joke is viral). I consciously tuck my tongue to the roof of my mouth, just behind my teeth, but sometimes despite this and the chinstrap, occasionally I wake with the 'desert mouth', however the strap works 90% of the time.

You could try a FFM - I have one of these also - it didn't stop MOUTH FALLING OPEN one bit, but it might work for others.

Every now and then I try to go without the chinstrap to see if I've been 'trained' - it works sometimes, mostly not.

There's taping, but I just don't like that thought of role playing like I've been kidnapped and gagged - makes me feel claustrophobic just thinking about it.

Good Luck!

Cheers,
xena

[LSAT]

I, too am a nocturnal mouth-opener. Obviously I'm not trainable because after 18 months I still need to wear a chinstrap to keep it shut (hubby wants me to wear it around the house, so your joke is viral). I consciously tuck my tongue to the roof of my mouth, just behind my teeth, but sometimes despite this and the chinstrap, occasionally I wake with the 'desert mouth', however the strap works 90% of the time.

You could try a FFM - I have one of these also - it didn't stop MOUTH FALLING OPEN one bit, but it might work for others.

Every now and then I try to go without the chinstrap to see if I've been 'trained' - it works sometimes, mostly not.

There's taping, but I just don't like that thought of role playing like I've been kidnapped and gagged - makes me feel claustrophobic just thinking about it.

Good Luck!

Cheers,
xena

XENA...If you are wearing a FF Mask, it wouldn't matter if your mouth fell open. You will still get your therapy since the mask is sealed.

[SleepingUgly]

Did you try the Ruby Adjustable chinstrap?

[the_nap_ster]

Hi all,

I am signed up for the CPAP library, but it is a wait. And I am slowly feeling worse day by day. I am trying to decide it it's worth it for me to bite the bullet and buy a ff mask (with return insurance), to try. Worst case, I'm just out insurance, I suppose.

And yes, I did try the Rudy Adjustable. I feel like I must have a face shaped like an alien or something. These chin straps just don't seem to keep my damned mouth closed!

Sleepily yours,

-- T

[SleepingUgly]

How about ordering the Ruby Adjustable in the smaller size if the one you ordered was too big? I would not be leaping to a full face mask yet if I were you, especially if you're describing a small chin relative to the rest of your face.

[jweeks]

Now, I'm all about taping if it gets the job done, and I've messed around with a wide variety of tape techniques. Even if I seal my mouth, little bits of air gather in my mouth and I chipmunk, waking me up.

Hi,

I find I have to use both tape and a chin strap, and that still only works about 90% of the time. I don't have the issue with my cheeks puffing out, but I do have a problem with water collecting behind my lips, and the pressure pushing the water past the sticky stuff on the tape. I also find that I can breathe through the tape. I use the Ruby in the regular size, and I also find that I cannot get my lips to stay sealed even when the strap is adjusted very tight. For now, using both the tape and the chinstrap is about the best I seem to be able to do.

I have tried a number of full face masks, and none of them seem to work out for me. I have a Comfort Lite that I use in case I get sick and the nasal pillow mask doesn't work. The biggest issue that I have with the full face mask is that I use BiPAP with a wide pressure range, and the mask will bounce up and down on my face as I inhale and exhale. That drives me batty.

-john-

[the_nap_ster]

Thanks for all of the suggestions folks! I think (fingers crossed) I figured out my main problem. My Aloha's pillows were ready to be replaced and leaking like CRAZY. The leaking kept waking me up and then I'd start to open my mouth as I awoke. This happened over and over during the night. No chin strap will keep your mouth closed when you're really (!) trying to open it, and I didn't realize I was doing it until I looked closely at my data. So hopefully regular pillow replacement and my Deluxe Chin Strap keeps everything happy.

I am still trying some FF masks though, because worst case, I'd love to find a backup for when I'm sick!

For John, about water behind the lips and tape, let me share what works for me. When I tape, I take a flat cotton pad (I keep them around the house to remove makeup) and cut off the top and bottom of the rounded sides. This leaves me with a long, narrow rectangle of cotton. I stick that in the middle of the tape, creating sort of a home-made bandaid with long "wings" on the side. That little bit of cotton doesn't completely cover my mouth, but it does absorb any moisture that comes out from between my lips, and it prevents the adhesive of the tape from getting, shall we say, unpleasant. So it might be worth a try!

Much affection,

-- Tiffany

[squid13]

For John, about water behind the lips and tape, let me share what works for me. When I tape, I take a flat cotton pad (I keep them around the house to remove makeup) and cut off the top and bottom of the rounded sides. This leaves me with a long, narrow rectangle of cotton. I stick that in the middle of the tape, creating sort of a home-made bandaid with long "wings" on the side. That little bit of cotton doesn't completely cover my mouth, but it does absorb any moisture that comes out from between my lips, and it prevents the adhesive of the tape from getting, shall we say, unpleasant. So it might be worth a try!

I have that problem sometimes with my taping and that sounds like a good idea to try. Next time I'm in WalMart it's off to the beauty section to find some of those cotton things.

[tst29m]

Check out the Ultimate Chin Strap: ultimatechinstrap.com
I'm a heavy mouth breather, and this does work in spite of how strange it looks!

[emeraude]

I'm also in a similar situation in finding the best fitting mask to fit my face. I've tried a nasal pillows, nasal masks and the old PR full face mask, but all of these had leaks and were not comfortable at all. I'm also limited to what I can buy here in Japan, insurance only covers PR products (1 mask every 6 months) and have tried all of them. I just received the deluxe chin strap from our host and will be testing it out tonight.

Let me know if anyone has Mirage Quattro Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear in Medium for sale. Please PM me anythime.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/2511

Best,
Emeraude

[I sleep good]

My husband sleeps with a bipap machine and uses nasal pillows to deliver the needed air pressure through his nose. His mouth kept falling open too. After trying many different straps, he found that a ski style winter head band kept his mouth closed. He wears it under his chin and up over the top of his head just back from his forehead. It is soft and stretchy. If it stretches out a little, I sew it tighter. It works for him.

[Tino2You]

Check out the Ultimate Chin Strap: ultimatechinstrap.com
I'm a heavy mouth breather, and this does work in spite of how strange it looks!

OMG it looks like something from Silence of the Lambs!

[rosacer]

So, it's your mouth shut finally? Me too, I want to know how to shut mine