Whistling Lips Sink Ships

I'm at the 3 week point in my new life as a CPAP user. AirSense 10 acquired second hand on Craigslist after multiple local DMEs said "I told you, dude, we ain't got no machines!". I'm reading these message boards fervently and I'm ankle deep into the AirSense's clinician's menu.

My mask of choice is a nasal mask, but it isn't going well. The problem is that my cheeks puff out and my lips start whistling at the ramp-up end point when the AirSense throttles up above 8cmH2O. My mouth noise (especially the miniature backfiring noise my fluttering lips make) wakes me up and the AirSense throttles down. Rinse and repeat.

If I put my finger on my lips to cure the air leak and I can feel AirSense's transition from "sipping through a straw" mode to "drinking from a fire hose" breathing boost. But how to overcome chipmunk cheeks and whistling lips to benefit from this breathing boost?

I tried a 2" wide swatch of surgical tape over my mouth last night. The adhesive stuck remarkably well to my skin but by 2:00AM all I got was wet whistling tape.

Do I need to scrap the nasal mask and transition to a full face mask?

Thanks to this message board for the help it provides new users like me. But, honestly, there should should be a tag line on the website's entry page that says "Welcome! This is why your doctor told you to lose weight...."

Jim in Indianapolis US

Can you DL Oscar (2nd Stickie) and post here according to directions. Experts will interpret things and if necessary suggest tweaks in pressure or whatever else might need fixing, plus help with the mask, leaks, etc.

jimolson52 wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 04, 2022 6:22 am

I tried a 2" wide swatch of surgical tape over my mouth last night. The adhesive stuck remarkably well to my skin but by 2:00AM all I got was wet whistling tape.

I would like to see your OSCAR Daily Details chart. Which brand/type of tape? In the meantime, turn your lips in slightly when applying the tape.

By positioning your tongue just so, you can probably reduce the whistling and eliminate the chipmunk cheeks.

Try putting the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth. Then position the main part of your tongue up against your upper palate. Finally, give a little suck or swallow to create a bit of suction. You should now be able to open your mouth while breathing entirely through your nose. Practice this during the day, and see if you can get it grooved in deeply enough to help while you are asleep at night. For some people, this is really all it takes to avoid mouth leaks.

For some of us a soft cervical collar does the trick. Something to consider.

Look up chin up strips.
The U-shaped tape looks silly, but works.