mouth breathing due to pressure too high?!

echo · Post by **echo** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 9:41 am

I remember reading a thread (or two) on this somewhere but could not find it back... about the suggestion that mouth breathing (EDIT: mouth leaking) is due to pressure being too high.

You might wonder why would I ask this, now that I've been on this board for over a month?

I called my doctor to ask for a FF mask (I get my equipment through the hospital, who bills it to insurance - I wanted the insurance to pay for my next mask).

The conversation was long and tortuous, but in the end the conclusion was:

----
Doctor: Oh we think that you should try a pressure of 4 (Me:...4????) ... because the mouth breathing (EDIT: leaking) may be due to a too high pressure.

Me: What if the pressure is too low to stop the apneas?

Doctor: We can follow that up at your next appointment (in two weeks).

Me: But but but.....

-------------

What!?!?!? Is this normal?
I mean it's completely hit or miss diagnosing!!!!!
Why just WHY can't they give me a FF mask instead? What am I missing here? Is there some secret to CPAP-ing that a pressure of 4 can prevent your apneas????????? Of course I won't mouth breath (EDIT: leak) at 4, I can barely breath AT ALL at that pressure. WHAT just WHAT are they expecting to discover with this?????????? Anyone... anyone>!>?!>!

Ok sorry. I am just SLIGHTLY PEEVED.

I am gonna make CPAP.com one rich company.

neverbetter · Post by **neverbetter** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:26 am

next time just ask him to write a script for the mask you want. Keep it simple.

Nodzy · Post by **Nodzy** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:34 am

Yep. Neverbetter said it right. But sometimes that's tough to do if you are to get any favorable response from the doc.

Mouth breathing is not caused, in most people, by higher pressures. It is part of their breathing patterns, however large or small a part, however infrequent or frequent.

Yes, mouth breathing or mouth venting can be worsened by increased pressure and volume of air delivered.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 10:53 am

Better get a machine that collects data amd the software, your Doctor doesn't have a clue. Pressure doesn't cause mouthbreathing problems. Mouthbreathing causes treatment problems. How many parties did he have to get drunk at to become a doctor? Jim

4CM is crazy. That gives him 16 more guesses in his Hat.

echo · Post by **echo** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 12:07 pm

Goofproof wrote:4CM is crazy. That gives him 16 more guesses in his Hat.

EXACTLY!

The thing is that I was trying to make it work with this doc (and her team), because they *seemed* to know what they were doing. But in my last two dealings with them it just seems to me, oh little old humble non-medical doctor me, that they are stuck in the stone age.

- humidifer? why do you need a humidier?
- data capable machine? you don't need that. they're not accurate
- APAP? No we dont give those to patients, they give misleading information
- follow-up? oh yeah, just call back later to get an appointment in order to be able to ask a one second question to the doctor (appointments are for two monhts later)
- help patients? no, they just get in our way.....

Thanks neverbetter, nodzy, and jim for your feedback.

echo · Post by **echo** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 1:30 pm

I was so mad when I wrote the message, I wrote the wrong thing.

I'm LEAKING from my mouth in the early morning hours, NOT mouth BREATHING.

sorry for the confusion!

I can understand that high pressures can cause leaking from the mouth, but I still stand by my statement that a pressure of 4 is just silly.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 1:36 pm

echo wrote:I was so mad when I wrote the message, I wrote the wrong thing.

I'm LEAKING from my mouth in the early morning hours, NOT mouth BREATHING.

sorry for the confusion!

I can understand that high pressures can cause leaking from the mouth, but I still stand by my statement that a pressure of 4 is just silly.

Around here we consider the two turms to be the same reguarding the treatment of Apnea, We don't worry what you breath through when you are awake, as long as we are awake we are in control, when we sleep we go on autopilot. Jim

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:45 pm

I can personally recommend the Fischer and Paykel HC431 FF mask. I love mine. All success, zero problems. It's a dream. (At least for me).

Your doctor sounds incredibly clueless and incompetent. Amazing that they were able to pass the necessary exams to become a doctor, spewing complete nonsense like that....

Good luck! And find a new sleep doctor.

jla930 · Post by **jla930** » Mon Aug 27, 2007 2:51 pm

I'm new to CPAP/BiPAP therapy, but my understanding is this: with the correct mask and correct fitting, it doesn't matter how high your pressure is. There should be no leaking other than the occasional leak when the mask moves due to turning on your side, etc.

My pressures are high: 18 on inhalation, 15 on exhalation. My mask doesn't leak around my nose or mouth.

Jeff

GeneS · Post by **GeneS** » Tue Aug 28, 2007 8:17 pm

You need to maintain a certain airflow to flush the co2 from your mask so that you do not re-breath it. Airflow increases as pressure increases. Usually a pressure of 4 is not high enough to eliminate re-breathing. Each mask has a different pressure / flow curve. I would try to find a way to seal my mouth rather than reduce my pressure. If you seal your mouth your treatment will likely improve.
GeneS

echo · Post by **echo** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 2:58 am

Last night I finally tried taping a la Rooster, and despite the rain-out (it's getting colder and colder at night) and nose-itching (??) that kept me up all night, I have actually woken up, for the first time in who-knows-how-long, voluntarily, after only ** 8 ** hours! This for me is already a great success!! Wow!!!!

I'm still quite tired, but there's still tonight. I think last night was the first real THERAPY I've had in the 4 weeks since I've started.

GeneS- you are right about the rebreathing. I had forgotten about that. I'll look up what mine is.

mouth breathing due to pressure too high?!

mouth breathing due to pressure too high?!

Success! (Mouth taping)