Newbie mouth breathing questions

[brenkco]

I am a brand new user, 8 nights and having a problem with mouth breathing. My wife woke me up several times last night thinking I had lost my mask seal but it was secure. I just picked up a chin strap but haven't used it yet.

I have read a little on this forum addressing this issue..talking about lack of sucesss with chin straps..some using tape and glue and having good results. The fact that you can blow out with your mouth closed leads me to think that the chin strap is a waste of time.

I am a side sleeper. I first noticed the problem when I tried using a OptLife nosepillow. I found this very comfortable to wear, but the mouth breathing caused me to go back to the mask (which didn't make any difference). I would really like to use the noisepillow even though the one night I tried it, exhaling was more difficult that the mask. Pressure seemed to be more bothersome. Is this typical?

I am not sure what to try next. I have read about the full face mask but being a side sleeper I have some reservations. Would my next step be taping or gluing (I have a mustache)?

Thank you!

[noni]

I use a full face mask, and a side sleeper, no Problem.....I also started out with a nose contraption, and tried chin straps and tape over the mouth, didn't work for me.

[Robadob]

I bought a Papcap http://www.pur-sleep.com/products/produ ... category=6

For me it works great. It reminds my mouth to stay shut. I wouldn't rule out a chinstrap. You say you bought one. Try it before you move on to taping and gluing and stapling.

Keep with it...

[GumbyCT]

If you've already paid for the chin strap, certainly you should try it. It may help remind you. It does take time. Painters tape may help too. Keeping my tongue planted on my palate helped me.

Good Luck,
GumbyCT

[DannyP]

I have been using a chin strap with the Swift II Nasal Pillows for over a Year now with excellent results. I believe it is Mind over Matter and that one needs to Train the Mind and Mouth to do as needed.

[RipVW]

Hello & Welcome, brenkco! Glad you found this forum--SO much useful info and SO many helpful people here!

I'm a side sleeper as well, and I use an Ultra Mirage Full Face mask with no problem. And, I do use a chinstrap,too, to keep my mouth from opening. Open mouth with a FFM caused me to have EXTREME dry mouth.

"You are getting sleepy . . ."

[CorgiGirl]

Welcome to the forum!

I use a Fisher and Paykel Flexifit 432 full face mask and I'm a side and stomach sleeper. I like the 432 better than the UltraMirage and the Quattro because I tend to burrow my forehead into the pillow and the single forehead pad is more comfortable to me than the wider ones. My husband is also a side sleeper and uses the UltraMirage.

Masks are a very personal thing and what works for me may not work for anyone else. For me, it was a matter of trial and error, but I finally found one I can live with.

[rested gal]

If anyone new is wondering about the taping, etc. that brenkco mentioned having read a little about...below is a link to a lot about various ways people have tried to deal with mouth breathing and mouth leaks.

Welcome to the board, brenkco!

LINKS to: Mouth leaks - Air Leaks - Tape - DIY Guard
viewtopic.php?t=8011

[gailandartie]

I use chin-up strips. They are much safer than taping your mouth and are FDA approved.

Check out this link..
http://www.chinupstrip.com/CPAP_Users.htm

Gail

[THE HARD TRUTH]

I think that a lot of the pro CPAP ,surgery and dental apnea appliance providers have tried to post on this blog because,lets face some facts here.We all know that we are dying of slow motion suicide with out treatment. And the bottom line from the heath care providers is MONEY ! They make the process for treatment to long ,to expensive and you have to jump through hoops to resove the problem.The doctors are in bed with the companies that make the equipment. What was the first thing that your doctor did after you first polysomnigraph.They signed you up for that worth less air compressor that fails 60% of the time and are making thousands of $ from the insurance companies. That is if you are fortunate to have insurance. The CPAP providers try to make you think that you are the problem. You must adapt to the CPAP, not the other way around.Lets look at the reasons that CPAP fails. The setting on the machine should be set to a standard that every patient can under stand, Like PSI not liters of H2O. My setting was 11 but I had to put 50 LBS of force on my straps just to keep tha mask on. Then there is the the breathing against the incomming pressure problem. It's like breating into a baloon all night long.You have to force the air out of your longs and it screws up your natural rythem. I am a jet aircraft mechanic in the air force and I know alot about the oxygen delivery sytem for the pilots.His oxygen regulator regulates how he breaths in and how he breaths out, It's perfictly natural. So why even try CPAP in the first place so you have to waiste 3 months proving that it dosn't work. They ought to quit making that damn thing and if they want to use positive pressure use a bipap.Then they have you again,the bipap costs twice as much as the CPAP.Then if that dosn't work then they want you to have surgery or a dental applience. I had a humidifed Fisher and Paykel and I have rhinitus. I cranked the setting on the CPAP to the max and with a room humidifier and my nose blocked completly off in 4 minutes.Then I went surching for a dentist to make me the device. The first dentist wanted $3,400 up front and the second one wanted $1,900 up front.So what did I do then. I made my own from 2 football mouth guards.It did work but you could not adjust the forward position of the jaw. Our problem is as simple as it is deadly.It's mechanical. And it's not rocket science. I have been working on solutions for 6 month's and now I have found one AND IT CALLED PURE SLEEP.iT WORKS AS GOOD AS A $3,400 DENTIST RIP OFF. Since the doctors know that we are dying to sleep why are they putting profits ahead of our health.enough is enough

[Violet]

Painter's tape has not worked well for me due to moisture half way through the night loosening the tape and then having to replace it. First time, last night, used Poligrip on my lips and it worked great! Just make sure there is no residue left in your mouth, yuck! (you don't want to swallow it)
However, there is also a feeling of vunerability because there is no quick or easy way to open your mouth once the glue has set. Lots of water will release the glue when needed.

[brenkco]

I have tried the chin strap for the past several nights. I started out ok but I'm having decreasing success. It seems that now my mouth is filling with air waking me up. Is this due to pressure being too high? I don't think I can change it.

Dry mouth was better but getting worse which tends to make me think that I am mouth breathing again. I am wondering if I am a candidate for a full face mask or if I should try try taping/gluing. My concern is now that I am filling up with air in my mouth, gluing/taping seems counter productive. The dry mouth and filling up with air seem contradtictive to me.

I also seem to suffer from a small nasial passage and feel somewhat congested the past few nights. Using naisal strips seem to help some.

After reading some recent posts, I realize how uneducated I am. I have no idea what the stats that others have cited or what they mean. All my doctor gave me as far as #'s when I did the sleep study is that I had over 70 "oxygen events" per hour and diagnosed my situation as severe. I can see no way to get the stats from my machine excecpt to purchase a reader and software. I for sure what to get the statistics from my 2 sleep studies. Any suggestions on how to get better informed?

I feel that I am going down hill and not getting much help from my equipment supplier. Doc is gone until New Years. I really appreciate all of your help and suggestions!

[rested gal]

Brenko, if you'll PM me your email address, I'll be happy to send you the Provider manual (clinical manual) for your machine.