Fat Loss -> Open Mouth

Last month I got serious about portion control, calorie counting, and regular exercise. I have lost about 8 pounds but, because I am exercising, I have certainly lost more than 8 pounds of fat and offset some of that with more muscle. Although I am a nose breather, NOT a mouth breather, I have noticed that air pressure in my mouth has started to push my mouth open with noticeable frequency. Has anyone else experienced this on losing weight? Have you been able to lower your pressure successfully, or have you needed to adopt the techniques of mouth breathers (e.g. chin straps, etc.)?

Breathe Jimbo wrote:Last month I got serious about portion control, calorie counting, and regular exercise. I have lost about 8 pounds but, because I am exercising, I have certainly lost more than 8 pounds of fat and offset some of that with more muscle. Although I am a nose breather, NOT a mouth breather, I have noticed that air pressure in my mouth has started to push my mouth open with noticeable frequency. Has anyone else experienced this on losing weight? Have you been able to lower your pressure successfully, or have you needed to adopt the techniques of mouth breathers (e.g. chin straps, etc.)?

This happened to me too: Never a mouth breather during the day, and a successful taper for 4.5 years, after losing weight I eventually I had to forego my beloved Headrest mask, and switch to a full face one. And my pressure needs are somewhat higher too (used to be about 7.5, now I need about 9.2)

ozij wrote:I eventually I had to forego my beloved Headrest mask, and switch to a full face one.

Bummer! I love my nasal pillows.

Did your sleep doc find it odd that your pressure needs increased after losing weight? That seems counterintuitive.

My sleep doctors thought that maybe after losing weight I would no longe need CPAP.

When you really get into it, there are many myths about the effects of overweight and weight loss - and the majority of doctors spout the party line, not having read original studies about the issue. One of the worst results of this party line is that when doctors see a fat person, they start discussing their weight instead of attempting to diagnose and treat them.

And they suggest weight loss despite the fact that they know very very little about what makes us fat - because they never troubled to read the research - and they never tell you that other research show how years of "diet" programs are futile. People lose weight, then regain what they lost, and then some.

Does morbid obesit cause OSA? Yes, it does. It also causes back problems. OSA is the equivalent of backaches. Many non-fat non-obese people have backaches.

Oh, and Dreamstalker had the same experience of losing mouth seal when he lost weight.

My weight loss was a side effect of a decision I made to remove most carbs for my diet - not as a temporary measure, but because I read Taubes' "Good Calories Bad Calories," and realized how bad the carbs were for my body.

I'm glad you posted this. I still can't make sense of the connection, but...
I started apap in December. Since February I have lost about 14 pounds... cut carbs, thanks to JeffH's post about Taubes. Haven't changed anything else. Now I have mouth leaks every night. I wondered if I am just more used to the equipment, or am sleeping deeper. I trying a mouth guard before I start taping and strapping.

I'm lowering my pressure 1 cm to see whether it makes a difference tonight. Of course, I will be very interested in the effect on my AHI tomorrow morning.

With the pressure lowered 1 cm last night, my AHI was still in the same range. I did wake up a few times, but I did not feel any instance of air pushing my mouth open. I hope the situation described in the original post was simply an effect of losing weight and is successfully addressed by lowering my pressure a little. So far, so good.

Jimbo, I have lost 50LB since I started apap last July. The first couple of months no problems. Then I started waking up with air coming out of my mouth. I started using a chin strap. Every thing worked great for months. Now for the past month I started waking up with dry mouth and mouth air leaks. I started using tape which is not comfortable to me.

Keep us up to date on the effects of lowering your pressure. I might try that.

With the lower pressure (12), my AHI was only .2 last night, so I guess it's working.

I'm going to try mouthwash for dry mouth right before bedtime tonight.

The mouthwash for dry mouth didn't do anything.

I'll try a cheap boil-and-bite mouthguard tonight.

I hope it works for you Jimbo. I haven't been able to keep one in all night. I turned the EPR back on (1) last night and I'm going to try that for a few days. I really don't want to tape, so I guess I need to put together a chin strap of some kind.

I had been experimenting with lowering pressure and my AHI didn't change so that was good. It's been staying under 1.0.
But started feeling like I wasn't getting enough air. So I put it on an auto range for the last week. I wore my oximeter last night and that seemed to stay a couple of points higher all night. Steadier than I think I have seen it.

So, for me, there is a sweet spot somewhere between max comfort, low apneas, avoiding aerophagia, keeping 02 levels up, leaks down..... and waking up feeling rested! I don't want much.

Try the "strapping" technique:

viewtopic/t64780/Im-not-taping-Im-not-u ... ap-Im.html

I removed the boil-and-bite mouthguard because it felt as if it was applying undesirable pressure to my teeth. My teeth are quite crooked to begin with, so the last thing I need is to have a mouthguard make them worse.

I ordered a PapCap today. The standard XL is too small, but Bret said he had some extra, unfinished stock which could be finished as a larger, custom order. That's very nice customer service!

SleepingUgly wrote:Try the "strapping" technique:

viewtopic/t64780/Im-not-taping-Im-not-u ... ap-Im.html

I saw that thread. How do they self adhere? I have the ace bandages out, just haven't done anything with them. I tried the tape last night. Kept it on all night but still had leaks somewhere. Hard to swallow and had a yucky taste in my mouth this morning.

I don't know the mechanism, I just know that it does adhere to itself...