Mouth dry (always mean Open Mouth in therapy)?

[Ruinednose]

I wake up with mouth dry in middle of the night

Is that always because i open my mouth during treatment at night?
i tried taping mouth but it sure hurt my cheecks and feels weird.
I don't have a chin strap.

Should i buy chinstrap or better yet go with a full face mask.?
Does full face mask tend to leak more then nasal?

[LSAT]

Few people have had success with chin straps, but, they are not expensive so you may want to try them ...or...make one yourself. If you feel you are mouth breathing, a full face mask may be your answer...that's what they were made for. They do tend to leak a little more so you need to be sure you get one that fits your face.

viewtopic/t94050/Homemade-chin-strap--SUCCESS.html

[chunkyfrog]

Dry mouth can sneak up on some of us under just about ANY circumstances.
Since I cannot tolerate most chin straps, I have used tape, chin-up strips (home-made--theirs are too big),
and Poli-Grip strips. It seems like the dry mouth has gotten better, on the average, even just trusting my yap to behave itself..

[Ruinednose]

Dry mouth can sneak up on some of us under just about ANY circumstances.
Since I cannot tolerate most chin straps, I have used tape, chin-up strips (home-made--theirs are too big),
and Poli-Grip strips. It seems like the dry mouth has gotten better, on the average, even just trusting my yap to behave itself..

how can i make my own chin up strips
the only strips i use is breath rights

[chunkyfrog]

Chin-up strips is this product: http://www.chinupstrip.com/
I had to make my own, since theirs don't come in my size.
I cut them out of delicate painters tape.
To apply, I stick the center just below the colored part of my lower lip, pull up my lip (like a bulldog),
and "plant" the ends on my face to hold my lip up.

[Ruinednose]

Can I buy that from somewhere out in town? Like a local store ?

[zoocrewphoto]

Few people have had success with chin straps, but, they are not expensive so you may want to try them ...or...make one yourself. If you feel you are mouth breathing, a full face mask may be your answer...that's what they were made for. They do tend to leak a little more so you need to be sure you get one that fits your face.

viewtopic/t94050/Homemade-chin-strap--SUCCESS.html

Properly fit, they don't leak more than a nasal mask. They are simply harder to fit correctly because there is more surface area and more places to possibly not fit and leak.

I use the quattro fx, and it too me several weeks to master fitting and adjusting it well. But since then, I have a leak line that is mostly zero. I sleep on y side, and I don't have a problem with leaks unless i drool or get too much humidity.

[kteague]

An extremely dry mouth very well could be an indicator of an open mouth, but not always. My mouth is miserably dry on waking but my seal is strong and leak numbers good. Early in my treatment I had trouble keeping my mouth shut, and I was very aware of the problem, as well as my leak data indicated an issue.

[Sheriff Buford]

I would kill (shouldn't use that phrase.... from someone who carries a pistol... ).... er.... I would LOVE to be to be able to wear pillows or even a nasal mask. I believe if you can make them work (low leak rates and NO mouth breathing), then use them.

Sheriff

[Stormynights]

I always wake up with a painful dry mouth with my humidity at the max. I have taped used 2 boil and bite mouth guards and I am positive my mouth isn't open at night except when I feel air escaping through my mouth at night. I have tried every type mask I could get my hands on and I can't get any relief. The two boil and bite mouth guards help but they don't prevent the problem.

[Bobby269]

A full face mask doesn't eliminate dry mouth. Until I started using the pap cap I had dry mouth.

[Jeannh]

I also always wake up with a painful dry mouth with my humidity at the max. I've reduced meds that might cause it, lifted the head of my bed, taped, chin-strapped, taped and chin-strapped, used Biotene rinse and gel - all to no avail.

In despair, after 87 straight nights on the mask, I slept two nights OFF. No dry mouth problems.!! My dentist is concerned about the impact of the dryness on my very expensive dental work. I looked at dental devices, but they don't work with my teeth.

I'm not willing to trade apnea problems for mouth problems. Now what?

Thanks in advance for any ideas!

[kurth83]

I use a chin-strap, it is really hard to get it adusted right, too tight constricts blood flow,
causes headaches and defeats the purpose of CPAP. And they have to be washed frequently
to avoid sweat rashes, just another annoyance associated with CPAP therapy.
But when adjusted properly it works well.

For me the trick is to bunch up your tongue in the front of your mouth,
it makes a tight seal, keeps thing moist too.

I suspect the issue is that air is getting to your teeth because the pressure expands the mouth
cavity by depressing the tongue, which in turns allows everything to dry out.

I have dry-eye (and wear night-time goggles for that), but I don't have dry mouth yet
using my technique.

They should offer PH.Ds. in using CPAP equipment. Talk about a great idea that is really hard
to learn to use properly.

[craiga]

Give Xylimelts or Biotene a try. Xylimelts works for several hours through the night for me.

[Jeannh]

Thanks, all.

- I've tried to position my tongue correctly, but cannot seem to do it asleep.
- I use Biotene and have tried Xylemelts.
- I do get chipmunk cheeks when taped, but the air doesn't come out!

Other ideas?