rested gal wrote:RosemaryB wrote:I tried it last night, but alas, my cheeks were puffing out as much as ever. I'm having trouble with my Aussie heated hose, so it increased my rainout, too. If I can get the heated hose problem resolved, I may try for 5 or higher. If that changes things, I'll be sure to let everyone know.
Well, not because of raising humidifier temp, but I've had a drastic change. Beginning this past summer I've
finally been able to dispense with taping my mouth. A chin strap is all it takes now for me to have almost no mouth leaks at all.
At various times during the past three years of taping every night I tried going with just a chin strap. No joy. Chin straps (several types) did not stop my mouth air leaks. Tape was required for me.
A post by blarg (fellow mouth-taper) this year about how he was now able to use a chin strap caused me to try a chin strap again. Miracle of miracles, it worked this time around. I think it may be because three years of taping
finally let my tongue acquire the habit of staying in a leakproof position -- probably because it eventually began staying in a position to prevent cpap air from detouring into my mouth from back of throat.
Rosemary, I'd have never, ever, EVER believed that I'd be able to stop taping. Or that a chin strap alone (and not particularly tight) would finally work for me. I'd taken time out from taping to try a chin strap too many times before with no success.
Might take more months or even years, but every few months do try a chin strap for a night. Might surprise you by suddenly working someday, same way it surprised me.
RosemaryB wrote:It does work for me to wear a band around my mouth that goes over my cheeks and keeps them from puffing out so much.
That might also be why I'm having unexpected success now with just a chin strap. When I was using tape for so long, the homemade straps that hold my "Headrest" mask on were also keeping my cheeks from ballooning out. In addition to my taped lips, the couple of years that my cheeks were not able to fill with air might also have made it easier for my tongue to become accustomed to staying in the necessary sealing from inside.
RosemaryB wrote:Just goes to show, everyone's different when it comes to their treatment.
Yep. My success with chin strap alone also goes to show that as time goes on, revisiting methods that didn't work in the past might eventually surprise us. Thanks to blarg's post for reminding me to try a chin strap yet again.
