Is mouth taping safe?

I used to tape my mouth but was more to try and help with dry mouth and to protect my gums/teeth during sleep. I use a FFM but still was having problems with dry mouth.
This method may not help for leaks if using a nose mask but as I said my goals were to keep my mouth relatively closed to cut down on the excessive drying when my mouth was fully opening at night.

I would use one small strip of tape vertically right down the middle. If you've ever played a wind instrument you can keep your lips on your mouth piece and take a quick breath by opening your mouth on ether side. So tape in the middle keeps the lips mostly closed but not sealed. If you need to take a breath through your mouth you still can on ether side of the tape. Even with out removing the tape. You'd put your lips together then bend them in like your smoothing out chap stick or lipstick for you ladies. Apply the one strip of tape and your good.

Good luck with what ever you try.

Gryphon

TASmart wrote:It may not be safe, although I think it is relatively safe. I used to have gerd and even when my stomach content would backflow up into my mouth there always would have been time to remove the tape. Now, I have fixed the GERD and last night taped and used a lose c-collar for the first time, or at least the first time for the entire night. The result was stellar, one event for 7 hours sleep. Best ever. Somehow I still managed to get a brief leak, but I will work on that.

Oh good. Good to hear.

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Gryphon wrote:I used to tape my mouth but was more to try and help with dry mouth and to protect my gums/teeth during sleep. I use a FFM but still was having problems with dry mouth.
This method may not help for leaks if using a nose mask but as I said my goals were to keep my mouth relatively closed to cut down on the excessive drying when my mouth was fully opening at night.

I would use one small strip of tape vertically right down the middle. If you've ever played a wind instrument you can keep your lips on your mouth piece and take a quick breath by opening your mouth on ether side. So tape in the middle keeps the lips mostly closed but not sealed. If you need to take a breath through your mouth you still can on ether side of the tape. Even with out removing the tape. You'd put your lips together then bend them in like your smoothing out chap stick or lipstick for you ladies. Apply the one strip of tape and your good.

Good luck with what ever you try.

Gryphon

Ok, maybe I'll try it that way.
I'm doing it for dry mouth too.
And I think the dry mouth was waking me up.

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I have a really bad time with dry mouth. But I think I would be petrified to tape my mouth closed. I am already claustrophobic to begin with.

NadiaK wrote:I have a really bad time with dry mouth. But I think I would be petrified to tape my mouth closed. I am already claustrophobic to begin with.

Try the partial taping as suggested above.

mrbreezeet1 wrote:

mrbreezeet1 wrote:

chunkyfrog wrote:I have taped a few times, but since I have a little GERD, decided it was a less than stellar idea.

I can understand that.
Well, if you don't hear from me, you'll know what happened...................................JK...............................I hope not...........

Well, I'll tell you one thing,
Oh I also used a Kroger brand breathe right strip.
Taped my mouth,
I'll tell you one thing, No Dry Mouth.
Now, I did not sleep straight through, and I did have stressful dreams,
But That's my fault I'm pretty sure.
Didn't really eat right yesterday, (That's lots O days, )
So ~ 11:15 I got up and ate 1 1/2 peanut butter sandwich.
Pretty sure that was my problem.
But I got up about 5:30 and stayed up.
Can't say I feel great, But tonight is another night.
NO EATING LATE!

poppi2 wrote:I've been taping for nearly six years.

well, this is strange, 2 or 3 night taping, (counted nasal strips, 2 nights.....) like I said , no dry mouth,
But stressful dreams, that I will spare the details, but not pleasant.
also the fitted sheet even, (and comforter and regular sheet of course) was dislodged and over toward the (not in) but over toward the center of the bed, On BOTH SIDES
And that tells me (I think, at least) that I was doing a lot of moving around and not sleeping comfortable.

IDK, is it possible I am not getting quite enough oxygen over night with my mouth taped.
I was using a nasal strip both nights, but it was starting to come off tonight.
with the strip on, one side is perfect clear, the other side, so so. Not perfect.
Don't know what to try next.
Now, last night I made sure I did not get up late and eat.
Guess I'll try a few more nights taping, does any of this make sense?
EDIT
Oh, I want to add, went to bed at 11:00 woke up about 7:00 AM, Not rested, went back to sleep w/o CPAP,
put CPAP back on about 11"00 AM, back to sleep more crazy dreams, did not get up till after 2:00 PM.
Finely feel half decent, but that is too long to have to sleep.
I have lots of things to do, to get ready to move, trying to move around the end of the summer.
Want to get box's packed.
Like Granddad used to say, Oh Modone. (God help me)

poppi2 wrote:I've been taping for nearly six years.

Now "poppi2" are you covering your mouth up completely, 100% air tight.
Is your nose good and clear?
I do have somewhat of a deviated septum, but the doctor may have mentioned it, I can't recall.
would nasal spray be a good idea, or is that addictive, or otherwise a bad idea?
Is there one that does not taste like lighter fluid, when it drains into your throat.. like the sleep doctor's PA gave me?
Honest to god, I could taste that awful stuff ALL DAY! And it was NASTY
Thanks Guys.

tan wrote:

NadiaK wrote:I have a really bad time with dry mouth. But I think I would be petrified to tape my mouth closed. I am already claustrophobic to begin with.

Try the partial taping as suggested above.

Tans Idea might work.
Too, I/am was taping straight across, and the 1st time I did it, I closed my lips tight.
But that did feel a little weird. So Now I part my lips about a 1/4" or 1/8" then tape across.
Only problem, if you have to you can't cough.

Been taping across since 2003. With nasal pillows taping is pretty much what it takes for me to get consistent results.

Went from "tape and chinstrap" to "tape and cervical collar" to "just tape". Not sure why i don't like the cervical collar after almost a year, maybe it was the back sleeping and a pinched nerve, or something.

Some issues:
1. It's tough if I have to sneeze - yeah, time for nasal pillow cleaning.
2. Have to take the tape off to drink some water.
3. Have to shave, can't have too much facial hair.
4. If the nasal passages get congested during the night, then leg kicking and panic may occur even without low oxygen levels showing on the oximeter. The lack of tidal volume and effort to take a full breath may be what causes the alarm.
5. Couldn't tape when the central apneas got bad because I would try to gasp air through my mouth and this would awaken me. Then I switched to ASV and then it was back to taping full time.
6. Slobber tooth tiger sometimes, and have to use the more adhesive Micropore tape. I have to wet my face to get Micropore tape off or irritates my skin, then it takes some effort to get the gummy residue off.
7. Kind of embarrassing, but most understand. One ex was afraid of the cpap and tape and had to sleep in a separate bed -- the spineless, uncaring, caustic wench.
8. its a good excuse not to switch to FFM, and the switch would probably require a MAD to keep my jaw forward and stable.
9. Sometimes the tape gets tossed on the floor and goes to work with me stuck to my shoe.
10. Sometimes I forget the tape when traveling and don't get a great night's sleep.

I have been using tape since the P10 mask came out.I keep a power off alarm on the night stand with the Apap machine and plugged into the same power cord. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_sacat=0 ... arm&_frs=1
With this plugged in you will know when the power goes off.

My above suggestion with taping just in the middle should be safe "IE" should let you breath through the tape.

For my self I always wake up when or if my machine turns off. I've had the cat turn it off once or twice and I've had it go off a few times in a power outage. I've always woken up the second it happened. For me not having my machine going feels so alien that it's just an automatic for me. when it stops my brain is like instantly awake because something isn't right. I used to have a UPS hooked up to my machine but the battery died and I haven't bothered to replace it "Yet" but will look in to that eventually.

Have you tried using a chinstrap?

Gryphon wrote:My above suggestion with taping just in the middle should be safe "IE" should let you breath through the tape.

For my self I always wake up when or if my machine turns off. I've had the cat turn it off once or twice and I've had it go off a few times in a power outage. I've always woken up the second it happened. For me not having my machine going feels so alien that it's just an automatic for me. when it stops my brain is like instantly awake because something isn't right. I used to have a UPS hooked up to my machine but the battery died and I haven't bothered to replace it "Yet" but will look in to that eventually.

I know what you mean.
They set my minimum to 8, from 10, just to try it, I like the minimum @10 better.
Feels weird @8.
Like the mask is on me with the machine turned off or something.
Sort of like a "white noise " when set to 10.
Gonna tell them to set back to 10 minimum.

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Portlandguy wrote:Have you tried using a chinstrap?

I did, but it was way too hot.
They got me another one, she woke me up with the phone too early I really didn't sleep last night.
Supposed to get me a different cushion for the aramaview, it wasn't in yet.
I sort of got mad and just passed when she said it wasn't in yet.
So she asked if I wanted to wait till the large cushion came I, I said yes. I'm getting pretty annoyed with this DME provider. Everything takes a damn month to come in.
First they tried to blow me off and tell me that hot chinstrap was the only one they could get.

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I told them to NOT CALL EARLY, but they don't seem to understand.
I guess I'll have to start turning my phone off at night.

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