Veteran user with seemingly sudden problems

zonker wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 02, 2019 2:03 pm

wdotdiddlysquat wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 02, 2019 11:17 am

I'm new to the forum and hope I can adequately articulate the issues I'm having with a chance of solving some of my problems.

welcome to the zoo! i think you've done a good job in introducing us to your issues. i won't go into all of them; others will be by.

but i wanted to echo palerider. using the scunci hairbands(with some modifications) helped lower my ahi significantly. leaks are a thing of the past as i use this method plus a foam cervical collar. as you can see in my sig, i use a P10 too.

also like palerider i hope you have selected the wrong machine in your profile. see if it's not the one in my sig by clicking on it to see a picture.

also, did you know you can shrink up your P10 straps by washing them and of course letting them dry?

good luck!

I did try the scunci band last night as we had a random one in the house (teen daughter...), what is the second strap you use over the top of the one with your cervical collar? I still had the red face on my screen and woke up with the dry mouth many times. I don't know that the cervical collar would be something I need because I don't have my chin dropping open, it would mostly be my lips falling open slightly...
To compound the issues, I am currently in orthodontic treatment, so it's hard to have much pressing against my lips with out having it all pressing into my brackets and causing discomfort/injury inside my mouth and I am a clencher, so I wonder if in my effort train myself to relax my jaw, I've somehow trained myself to open my mouth to some degree... I was using a guard to protect my teeth from the clenching, but had to forego it when I got my braces. Once I get them removed, I'll be getting a new mouthguard made (I work for a dentist--who actually can/will make sleep appliances too. I've considered having him make me one to try for backpacking purposes as the CPAP has been a big barrier keeping me from being able to do overnights...), so maybe I'll be able to overcome some of the issues once all of that is transitioned. I hold a lot of stress and anxiety in my mouth, so this is an ongoing issue in this area for me. I'm also concerned about that tape might not be a good option for me because I frequently get a lot of irritation and swelling/itching from tapes that are used in hospital settings, like for IV use. I'll have to look further in to that...maybe be my anxiety thinking too far ahead.

Pugsy wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 03, 2019 8:59 pm

wdotdiddlysquat wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 03, 2019 8:53 pm

Resmed Airsense 10 Autoset

Ref 37028
It looks right when I click on the link?

They look the same except for model name and model number.

In the equipment list scroll down to the R's and there you will find the ResMed Airsense 10 AutoSet.
Your link right now points to the ResMed AirSense 10 CPAP model and that's not the same thing at all.

Thanks! I got it switched, so hopefully now we are correct!!

wdotdiddlysquat wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 03, 2019 9:04 pm

I did try the scunci band last night as we had a random one in the house (teen daughter...), what is the second strap you use over the top of the one with your cervical collar?

I still had the red face on my screen and woke up with the dry mouth many times. I don't know that the cervical collar would be something I need because I don't have my chin dropping open, it would mostly be my lips falling open slightly...

before i forget, there are folks here who use a mouth guard. i dunno why, but i've never tried one. guess cuz the scunci works for me.

i use one scunci, going up over my head, with the seam side down. i used to use a second scunci, seam side up that went around the back of my neck. but then i switched the bottom one out to a "goodie" brand that is slightly smaller of circumference. eventually, i added an elastic band. all of this was JUST as you say, to keep my lips together.

brace yourself, i'm going to post a picture of me in the rig-


the foam collar also helps me to keep my airway open.

it may look jarring, but it gets me through the night!

I use Somnifix to keep my lips taped shut. It does not irritate my skin like other tapes. You can find it on Amazon. Then I use one scunci band over it (like Zonker's black one). That's my current setup.

This doesn't sound like your problem, but it is relevant to dry mouth.

I often have a dry mouth, despite that I am showing no leakage and usually 100% mask fit. What I believe is happenin is that my mouth is open, but there is no leakage. I believe that the pressure in my nostrils (13.5 or higher), is enough to seal airway at the back of my throat.