Dry Mouth or Sleep Apnea?

FreddyZ · Post by **FreddyZ** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 11:57 am

I wake up several times between 2:30 - 6:00 am with my mouth open and a dry mouth. I have a difficult time breathing through my nose due to terrible allergies. One of my nostrils always clogs. Is a dry mouth waking me up or could it be sleep apnea or both?

TASmart · Post by **TASmart** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:17 pm

Could be either or. It's normal to have one nostril then the other close at night. Have you consulted a physician? They are the likely best resource to sort this out.

FreddyZ · Post by **FreddyZ** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:34 pm

I have. They suspect it be either. Just trying to gather more insights.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 12:50 pm

FreddyZ wrote:Is a dry mouth waking me up or could it be sleep apnea or both?

Either. Both. Neither. All are guesses.

Do you have other symptoms of sleep apnea? There are more than on this summary:

Symptoms
The signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas overlap, sometimes making the type of sleep apnea more difficult to determine. The most common signs and symptoms of obstructive and central sleep apneas include:

Loud snoring, which is usually more prominent in obstructive sleep apnea
Episodes of breathing cessation during sleep witnessed by another person
Abrupt awakenings accompanied by shortness of breath, which more likely indicates central sleep apnea
Awakening with a dry mouth or sore throat
Morning headache
Difficulty staying asleep (insomnia)
Excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia)
Attention problems
Irritability

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When to see a doctor
Consult a medical professional if you experience, or if your partner notices, the following:

Snoring loud enough to disturb the sleep of others or yourself
Shortness of breath, gasping for air or choking that awakens you from sleep
Intermittent pauses in your breathing during sleep
Excessive daytime drowsiness, which may cause you to fall asleep while you're working, watching television or even driving
Many people don't think of snoring as a sign of something potentially serious, and not everyone who has sleep apnea snores. But be sure to talk to your doctor if you experience loud snoring, especially snoring that's punctuated by periods of silence.

Ask your doctor about any sleep problem that leaves you chronically fatigued, sleepy and irritable. Excessive daytime drowsiness (hypersomnia) may be due to sleep apnea or to other disorders, such as narcolepsy.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-con ... c-20377631

Be careful. Many people have sleep apnea for years without suspecting it.

FreddyZ · Post by **FreddyZ** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:10 pm

Thank you for the info. I was diagnosed with minor sleep apnea. I have abrupt awakenings (no shortness of breath), awake with a dry mouth, sometimes morning headaches, difficulty staying asleep, excessive daytime sleepiness, attention problems and irritability.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:30 pm

FreddyZ wrote: I was diagnosed with minor sleep apnea.

How long ago? Did you have an in-lab sleep study? Was a treatment prescribed for your condition?

FreddyZ · Post by **FreddyZ** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:33 pm

Six months ago. I did a take home study. I have a CPAP machine with five different masks, but have been unable to fall asleep with the mask on.

ChicagoGranny · Post by **ChicagoGranny** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 1:40 pm

FreddyZ wrote: ... but have been unable to fall asleep with the mask on.

This is a common problem for many people when starting out. But, many overcome the problem especially with the help of experienced members here.

Do you want to fill out your equipment profile, tell us a little more about the masks you have tried and the problems sleeping, and then start moving toward a successful CPAP user?

Equipment profile: https://www.cpaptalk.com/ucp.php?i=prof ... pment_info

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:17 pm

If your treatment is going out yourmouth, you aren't getting treatment. A FF mask traps the pressure in your airway, you might dry out but at least you will be getting treatment. You also need the software to know what you are really doing with your treatment. Jim

TASmart · Post by **TASmart** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 2:33 pm

You need to let people know what is going on before we can help you. What was the original diagnosis, The AHI, your treated AHI, leak numbers, and what equipment you have. Do you have a full data machine? Do you have sleepyhead? Type of mask used. You say you cannot sleep with any of the masks, does that mean you are not using the CPAP at all?

Help us to help you.

FreddyZ · Post by **FreddyZ** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 6:06 pm

Thank you. The original diagnosis was 6.1 AHI. Mild OSA. I use Sleepy Head. I updated my profile with the equipment. I use a Full Face AirFit 20 Mask with a Memory Foam Cushion. I haven't successfully been able to fall asleep with the Mask on yet.

TedVPAP · Post by **TedVPAP** » Wed Dec 20, 2017 6:59 pm

FreddyZ wrote:Thank you. The original diagnosis was 6.1 AHI. Mild OSA. I use Sleepy Head. I updated my profile with the equipment. I use a Full Face AirFit 20 Mask with a Memory Foam Cushion. I haven't successfully been able to fall asleep with the Mask on yet.

Use it during the day/evening while watching TV so you get comfortable wearing it.
If pressure feels too low, some feel they are not getting enough air.
If pressure feels too high, some feel they can't exhale.

Since your AHI is relatively low, I suspect that your treatment pressure setting is low (maybe too low to feel comfortable).

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 4:37 am

So some questions.

You say you haven't yet fallen asleep yet with the mask on...is this a new problem the not being able to fall asleep or a problem you had prior to being put on cpap?

I assuming you aren't keeping the mask on all night if you aren't sleeping with it....at what point (when) do you remove it so you can finally "get some sleep"?

How long have you had the cpap machine?

If you fall asleep fine without cpap...what is it about cpap/mask that seems to be preventing you from falling asleep? Anything you can put your finger on? Any issues with feeling like you are suffocating with the mask on? What pressure are you starting the night with? Using the ramp?

Have you talked to your doctor about your inability to even fall asleep with the mask on?

As for the dry mouth thing...some people just get a dry mouth very easily...sometimes related to medication side effects or other health issues or they just are unlucky..

Dry mouth is normally thought to be from mouth breathing though and using a full face mask won't necessarily fix dry mouth issues because these humidifiers weren't designed for the oral cavity ...they were designed for the nasal cavity which is much smaller.
Besides..some people just get dry mouth easier than other anyway.
Sometimes the nasal congestion is so bad that a person just has to mouth breath and it's very likely going to dry out the mouth.
You may need to add one of those mouth moisturizing products to your bedtime routine. We have a lot of cpap users (using a full face mask too) who have to use one of those products in an effort not to have the dry mouth issues.

FreddyZ · Post by **FreddyZ** » Thu Dec 21, 2017 12:32 pm

This has been a chronic problem for six months. I keep the mask on for about an hour and then give up. I

Dry Mouth or Sleep Apnea?

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Machine	Mask

Additional Comments: I'm using a memory foam cushion with the AirFit 20 Full Face Mas.