dry mouth with full face mask and heated humidifier

lazy_18 · Post by **lazy_18** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 10:47 pm

Does anyone experience extreme dry mouth using a full face mask and a heated humidifier? I was initially given the gel mask (not full face) and they said I needed a full face mask. When the full face mask didn't work, they told me I needed a heated humidifier. Despite being on a heated humidifier, I still wake up in the middle of the night with extreme dry mouth. The sleep dr. has no clue what to do with me and I am getting
REALLY frustrated. I've had the machine for over 3 months now and have not been able to sleep all night without waking up. I wake up with extreme dry mouth or irritated like crazy with the blowing of air. Any suggestions?

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Wed Mar 16, 2005 11:22 pm

On nights when I have to use my FF mask (too much nasal congestion with a cold, so that I haveto mouth breathe) I do find that my mouth is dry in the morning - even with humidifier's heat cranked up all the way and the Aussie heated hose to prevent rainout. That's with a pressure that is generally running in the 8-12 range all night.

A lot of air flow coming into the mouth just is going to dry it out, no matter how much humidification is used, imho. But think how much worse the dry mouth would be with no heated humidification! Thankfully, I rarely get a cold.

lazy_18, why did they say you need a FF mask all the time? Are you unable to breathe through your nose at night, or was it simply because of mouth air leaks?

Mikesus · Post by **Mikesus** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 5:55 am

What kind of machine/mask are you using? I have heard before that the Resmed heated humidifier does not work well. With my Remstar Auto w/Cflex, I have it set to 4, and occasionally it will be empty by morning. But, even with a full face mask and mouth breathing, I am not having dry mouth... (and that is with taking 50mg Benedryl nightly!) Like RG, I also have the Aussie heated hose, it is required if you plan on setting the humidifier up high.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 7:01 am

I occasionally have dry mouth in the morning when I sleep in my ffm. I use a ResMed heated humidifier, and there is nothing wimpy about it. It will empty it's entire tank during my 7 hr. night when cranked up. Maybe I'm just one of the lucky ones who got a good one! Sorry I don't have a solution, but dry mouth is better than no cpap that night!

meister · Post by **meister** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:59 am

However, if I use the ChinUp strips or a regular Chin Strap along
with the FF mask, it isn't quite as bad. I tend to dry out so much, that right before I climb into bed, I force down 20 oz of water. I think it has helped to enlarge my bladder overtime, so I can make it through the night. I also use a room humidifier to keep the humidity above 75% while I am sleeping. Anything to avoid cotton mouth!! Another thing the Dentist taught me. I used to swish with mouth wash (contains alcohol), right before bed. That would contribute to mouth dryness. The big problem is that our mouth is not designed to be like the nose with those turbinates. So work on finding any way to keep your nose holes open. Breathright strips, along with steroid spray (Flonase, Nasonex), in conjunction with an antihistamine (Allega-D) and maybe a decongestant ... kind of crazy what some of us do to sleep!! I also take Echinacea which helps with the nasal drainage. More ideas to try are a
product called MouthKote, or some of those dental gels which you smear on
your teeth at bedtime. They promote saliva production. Some nights were
so bad that I was going to hook up a "trickley irrigation" system, so water
was flowing a drop at a time, into my mouth from a plastic bag. My doctor said "You are going to aspirate water and kill yourself!!". When I told him that some crazy gals tape their mouths closed each night, he was totally
astounded. One needs to do what one needs to do to find relief.

Gustav Graves · Post by **Gustav Graves** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 10:08 am

Meister - Thanks for the tips abount dry mouth particularly about the alcohol in mouth wash.

I have been on CPAP at 13 cm H2O with full face mask and Respironics heated humidifier since Oct 04 and so suffer with dry mouth.

My dentist told me about a patient of his on CPAP who developed bad gum and teeth problems. Since saliva helps the balance of flaura and fauna in the mouth I think my dentist was trying to tell me something. Thus I have been more deligent in brushing and flossing.

Another product I have tried recently is BIOTENE brand mouthwash I bought at TARGET. Its label advertises as the #! mouthwash for dry mouth care, alcohol free, with enzymes to restore the defense system found in saliva, use before going to bed etc etc. IMO it seems to help.

Regards,

Gustav Graves

airhead · Post by **airhead** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 1:38 pm

AND the only times are when I dont use salt in the distilled water of the humidifier. I am positive the salt helps. I dont really care what the experts say or that it wears out the tray/mask a little sooner. With the sinuclense, or kosher salt (whatever makes kosher salt diff. from reg. table salt I dont know} but am curious...and have used table salt...still alive 2....I DONT use anything like OTC sinus stuff....nuttin....salinespray I do use now and then and thats just salt and distilled water. I have to agree the hatred of drying out. Sucks. Salt works. Let the experts here keem spraying antihist. etc or popping the similar pills...Salt is the answer. May not work on day 1. Give it a week and it will cure your sinus problems if u have any and keep you from drying out as you sleep. Good luck...P.S> did you know that columbus would not of got lost...I mean discovered america if it werent for salt...Yep it preserved the cod fish the crews ate on the trip...as its impossable to fish off a sailboat back then. Then the Bible talks of Salt...Remember...Salt is the answer....Especially on a good Steak....or in a cpap machine....Good Luck and a Happy Saint Patricks day to all. P.S. Put a drop ofgreen food coloring in yourhumidifier along with the salt tonite.

meister · Post by **meister** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:36 pm

Salt -- used to DRY and preserve meats and animal hides

Salt -- the cause of much hypertension in humans

Road salt kills plants and seems to rust out cars in Michigan

Hmmm... but I agree!! Spray saltwater up your nose and it will
shrink the tissues and open you up, especially when using the
Grossand Nasal Irrigator system. Mix some salt and baking soda
together and apply often.

airhead · Post by **airhead** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 2:51 pm

green 2 night 4obvious reasons. I like sinuclense in my heated humidifier. its a combo of saltand bicarb. i think its made for a machine other than cpap. i dont care. its 40 little packets. about $8.00 now....i found that 1/2 a packet is enuff. no dryness and my nose never closes. almost 6 months. when i run out......clog city....in 2 or 3 days. the saline has actually lowered my b/p.. or the good sleep it helps induce does. SO SALT IS THE ANSWER! AND YOU WILL NEVER FREEZE UP....AND YOU WONT SLIP OUT IN YOUR BEDROOM....BECAUSE OF THE SALT I MEAN.....GREEN BEER STARTING TO WORK REALLY WELL....DO THEY HAVE CPAP IN THE LOCAL JAIL/?

photogal · Post by **photogal** » Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:29 pm

Sounds interesting. I haven't bought my cpap yet, but when I do, I'd like to have everything I need to sleep well and keep the snozzola working.
Just wondering if it is a product that has to be ordered or bought at a Cpap place.

airguest · Post by **airguest** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 2:34 am

i buy it in the states @ waldgreens. some buy kosher salt + baking soda. i would guess a 1/2 teaspoon of each @ the most..good luck

Joe A · Post by **Joe A** » Fri Mar 18, 2005 2:25 pm

Airguest:

Ar you sure it isn't the fact that the sinuclense is helping your sinus's in general?

This is a nasal irrigation system, a common Ayuvedic practice in India for sinus health.

airguest · Post by **airguest** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 10:13 am

You say that sinuclense is a treatment in India....WoW....It sounds like ya stick a tube up ya nose and flush things out .....Not me....Nope....The salt + bicarb in the heated humidifier works just fine, thank you....Enuff tubes here already. Forgetting the sinus a minute, I find the salt + bicarb prevents the drying out at night that can ruin a nights sleepand the day as well. If I have or had a sinus problem....Its gone 100%...The apneas not, and never will be I guess. My new "fun" additive 4 my heated hum. is lemon flavored alka seltzer....available at Indian candy stores......and salt...also availabe @ these stores. You can also buy newspapers and lottery tickets. Enjoy your weekend, and remember....dont stick anything up your nose, except your ELBOW

BuffaloAl · Post by **BuffaloAl** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 2:57 pm

I was also getting dried out mouth. Do you use a chin strap? If so it might not be tight enough, but don't tighten it so much that you get red marks under your chin. ( They take all day to go away)

Cliff · Post by **Cliff** » Mon Apr 18, 2005 10:17 pm

Sorry to dig up an old post but I'm new to cpap - only a few days with it now - and I'm looking for ways to make it more comfotable. I very often have stuffy nose from allergies so this post interested me. I have a problem with the physics of this however.

The humidification process relies on the evaporative properties of water. Heated humidifiers work better because A. Warm water evaporates more quickly, and B. warmer air holds more moisture. ok so far? The problem with adding salt to the water in the humidifier is that the salt will not evaporate...it will remain in the tank. salt doesn't have a "vapor" state unless you heat it to temperatures that would surely damage your airway and lungs.

The only thing I can figure the salt does is -increase- the amount of moisture that is evaporating because salt increases the pressure of the water, however, I can't imagine a way that any of the salt would enter your sinus cavity. All of the salt simply must remain in the tank...there is nothing else the salt can do...and if you let your humidifier empty then you'll end up with a pan that has a salt residue on it.

I don't understand the benefit of the alkaseltzer either unless your only using that for the pleasing aroma. I would think the alkaseltzer may even be detrimental because it is releasing CO2 into the system thereby reducing the amount of oxygen you're getting.

airguest wrote:You say that sinuclense is a treatment in India....WoW....It sounds like ya stick a tube up ya nose and flush things out .....Not me....Nope....The salt + bicarb in the heated humidifier works just fine, thank you....Enuff tubes here already. Forgetting the sinus a minute, I find the salt + bicarb prevents the drying out at night that can ruin a nights sleepand the day as well. If I have or had a sinus problem....Its gone 100%...The apneas not, and never will be I guess. My new "fun" additive 4 my heated hum. is lemon flavored alka seltzer....available at Indian candy stores......and salt...also availabe @ these stores. You can also buy newspapers and lottery tickets. Enjoy your weekend, and remember....dont stick anything up your nose, except your ELBOW

dry mouth with full face mask and heated humidifier

dry mouth with full face mask and heated humidifier

I get dry mouth too with FF when I mouth breathe

Hi lazy. Same problem here sometimes....

Airhead -- you are the "salt" of the earth

salt...green or white

sinuclense, where did you find that product? (salt/bicarb)

salt

dry mouth and sinus in general

Re: dry mouth and sinus in general