Air coming out of mouth (tape is scary!!!)

[Ruinednose]

I read about tapes. I don't have a chinstrap. Are they expensive? And they worth it(do they work)?

I read I can just tape my mouth. But I heard of chipmunk cheaks. What's the best thing for me to do?

Also. What should be the position oft tongue in sleep while use of bipap?

[RestedRebel]

I use medical adhesive strips which although keeping my mouth closed doesn't prevent me from breathing. Here is a link - http://www.chinupstrip.com/ they have worked successfully for me, but I have also increased my humidity level from 4 to 7. There's no way my mouth can open wide while using them, I feel completely rested in the morning, and I can get them locally. Please be advised, though, that insurance will not pay for them.

[chunkyfrog]

I made patterns for home-made boomerang strips out of an expired Sally's card and a dummy card out of the junk mail:
I cut the strips out of 2" delicate painter tape.

Feel free to try these--just fasten the center first, to your lower lip,
pulling it up over the upper lip like a bulldog, then fasten the ends.
It looks funny, but you can still cough, sneeze, and talk (funny).

[Ruinednoseguest]

I'm sorry I just don't quite understand. I apologize for being slow

[kaiasgram]

I'm sorry I just don't quite understand. I apologize for being slow

Froggie is making her own version of the product on this website, Chin-Up Strips : http://www.chinupstrip.com/index.html
Froggie's pattern will make more sense when you see the photos on the website.

[kaiasgram]

I know taping sounds scary. I couldn't tolerate a full face mask and needed nasal pillows but couldn't keep my mouth closed while asleep, so I finally gave taping a try out of desperation. I have a way of doing it now that feels less scary:
I use 2" paper micropore tape
I put a little piece of fabric on the tape so I don't have tape right on my lips.
I cut a slit in the tape before putting it on so if I was really trying to open my mouth in an effort to breathe, I could. Example of my "getup" below.

I should say that I am not a mouth breather, my problem was just that my jaw falls open at night. So I'm not trying to mouth breathe and fight with the tape at all while asleep. I just cut the slit as a safety precaution in case of power outage or something where 'm really trying to open my mouth to breathe. Micropore tape really does have tiny pores in it so is somewhat breathable. Between that and the safety slit I've been able to cough and puff out chipmunk cheeks easiily without blowing the tape off.

[rosacer]

Hi kaiasgram

How do you remove all that tape without damaging the skin? After a couple of months I started having problems with the skin because of the tape. Now it has been almost a month I started having problems with the skin at the entrance of the nose where the nasal pillows rest, that area is all the time red whatever cream I try to use to ease the redness.

@ ruinednose

If it was not because of the skin problem, tape was doing the trick for me. You can try only a small 1/2 inch wide or narrow in the middle of the mouth, if you are not a strong mouth breather that will be enough to keep your mouth shut.


Rosie

[VikingGnome]

Sometimes a chin strap doesn't do any good. I would breathe through my lips without opening jaw making chin strap useless. I tried taping with 3m microspore tape in addition to chin strap. The tape would come off after a few hours of sleep.

After monitoring my sleep data I realized that taping my mouth was causing MORE apnea episodes. I needed to breathe through my mouth because my nose was periodically congested during the night. So mouth taping for me just made my apnea worse. I was lucky to get my AHI below 4.0.

The only solution for me was to use a full face mask. I tried almost every FF mask on the market until I finally found one that fit my my very small face. Added a Pad-A-Check mask liner and now no leaks. I can breathe through my mouth when I need to and my AHI is almost always around or below 1.0 now. I LOVE my Hans Rudolph has it fits below your chin instead of under lower lip.

You could also try a hybrid mask if you nose permits which uses nasal pillow in nose and mask that covers mouth if you don't want to use a FF mask. I can't use nasal pillow or prongs because of severely deviated septum and my high pressure on VPAP.

[ellen1159]

The chin strap didn't work for me: it slid all over my hair and my mouth still opened. I tried the Chin Up strips but they didn't work for me, perhaps I didn't apply them correctly.

What does work for me is an inch or two of paper first aid tape (the kind you can tear off with your fingers), placed vertically over my closed lips. It seems to be just enough tension to keep my mouth mostly closed but I could get a straw into the corners of my mouth if I wanted to, and I can pull air in.

[chunkyfrog]

Not everyone's skin can take repeated taping.
I can't "do" Breathe-Right strips more than once or twice at a time, as they stick a bit too well.

[Sir NoddinOff]

This is mainly for nasal mask users. Here's how I use 3M NexCare multipore plastic tape to tape my mouth by using a 'rip-away slit' which makes taping as safe as a chinstrap. I know, a big claim but give it a try!

Here's how I do it. I put a long strip completely over my lips in a horizontal fashion while compressing my lips firmly together... I fold over pull-off tabs at either end, just for ease of removal. Next I take a VERY dull steak knife with a somewhat blunted point which I keep in a bedstand drawer and carefully cut a horizontal slit about a half inch long (while the tape is on my lips) in the middle of the tape where the center of my lips seal together. The blade is so dull it doesn't damage my lips at all; it's a very dull knife but you do need a bit of a dull point to get thru the tape. A butter knife just doesn't seem to work.

Here's the beauty part: If I have to get my mouth open quickly (only once in a year have I had to do this) all I have to do is force my lips apart and typically the tape easily rips itself down each side of the slit and my mouth pops completely open. I also do this every morning to get the tape off and only about 5% of the time does the tape resist splitting... if that happens all I have to do is force the tip of my tongue between my lips and out thru the slit or poke the slit with the tip of a finger - then it easily rips apart. It comes off very nicely in the morning with no pain. Another good point: If I need to take a pill in the middle of the night it's convenient because I just slip it thru the slit and use a soda straw and water to swallow it. Try this method while awake the first time and I think you'll find it's pretty easy to do. I use straight Palmolive dishwashing soap to get any sticky residue off of my face and leave it on for a few minutes while I make tea or whatever. BTW, I've never had any leaks thru my mouth or lips using this method. CAUTION: I wouldn't try this with any other tape than the 3M tape I mentioned because I don't know how easily it'd rip. Also, don't cover up the half inch slit with another piece of tape or you've just defeated the whole method!!! Final tip: to get the tape to stick all night wash your face with soap and water and rinse repeatedly then dry thoroughly. Don't use soap with any lotion in it.

[kaiasgram]

Hi kaiasgram
How do you remove all that tape without damaging the skin? After a couple of months I started having problems with the skin because of the tape. Now it has been almost a month I started having problems with the skin at the entrance of the nose where the nasal pillows rest, that area is all the time red whatever cream I try to use to ease the redness.

Hi Rosie! What I do to protect my skin -- After I wash my face in the evening I use moisturizing lotion on my face. This provides a slight protective film (and of course makes my skin soft and supple ). I use gentle paper tape for sensitive skin. Also, before I put the tape over my mouth I put it on my forearm and remove it, usually a couple of times, to reduce the strength of the "hold" of the adhesive. Doing all this, the tape still holds throughout the night.

In the beginning I would put a bit of 99% pure aloe gel on any reddish areas in the a.m. but once I switched out the Swift FX for the Aloha I didn't need to do that any more. Are you using the Swift FX? The silicone and the heaviness of that mask irritated my skin too, where it made contact with my upper lip and skin around the nostrils. The Aloha doesn't irritate my skin that way.

One more thing -- I use cpap mask wipes in the a.m. on my mask, and right after I wipe off the mask I rub the wipe over the tape to moisten it just a bit, this has made pulling off the tape a llittle more gentle too. But to be honest I have often removed the tape without using the wipe first, and no problem.

[Janknitz]

You may be able to keep the airway sealed by learning to sleep with your tongue on the roof of your mouth. The way to learn is to spend all day when you are not eating or talking with your tongue there. That seals off the oropharynx and prevents the loss of CPAP pressure.

[mgaggie]

You may be able to keep the airway sealed by learning to sleep with your tongue on the roof of your mouth. The way to learn is to spend all day when you are not eating or talking with your tongue there. That seals off the oropharynx and prevents the loss of CPAP pressure.

I go to sleep with my tongue on the roof of my mouth, but always I end up opening my mouth sometime during the night. Some nights I mouth breathe lots, as I wake up with my mouth as dry as dead dingo

[ReadyforRest]

You might consider this homemade chinstrap: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=94050&st=0&sk=t&sd=a#p868549

I use a version of it, and it cured all my mouth breathing problems. Plus it's cozy and comfortable.

OR consider buying the Ultimate Chinstrap: http://ultimatechinstrap.com/

Taping is not always the best for everyone. Some people get a rash from adhesives, and can't use tape.
Traditional chin straps are made of stretchy material which still allows the jaw to drop open, and they are VERY uncomfortable.
The Ultimate chin strap (or a home made version of it) covers the lips with a non-stretchy cloth. It keeps the lips closed, even if your jaw drops open, much like tape does.
Add to that what the previous poster said, keep your tongue locked up against the roof of your mouth.

I found that the mouth-covering chin strap keeps everything in place and feeling secure, which actually helps with keeping the tongue in place against the upper palate. Whether it's psychological or physical, everything feels held-in-place all night.