Oh Spit!!

OK, all you tapers. Sometime in the night, my lips leak enough saliva to loosen the bond of my beautiful blue tape. I wake up with a dry mouth, a chin full of soggy tape, and air blowing out the bottom. (The bottom of the tape, not MY bottom... )

My leak line looks really good the first half of the night, then goes nuts when the waterfall starts.

Any suggestions less drastic than duct tape?

I tried regular masking tape, thinking the adhesive might be more waterproof. It isn't.

I also roll my lips in (pressing them together between my teeth) while taping.

I know some use Chapstick, and I assumed that was to keep the tape from sticking to their lips. Maybe that provides a "gasket" between the lips? I haven't tried it...but I may get some today.

And chinstraps make my jaw-hinge hurt, btw...

I can help with this. Try a quickset silicone. the beauty of this is that you only have to apply it about once a month.

As a bonus, you'll definitely lose weight

K

Polident strips (2) with your fingers, bend each one so it fits the curve of the lip line, wet lips and place, close lips. Peels off easily with tissue in the a.m. Along with the 5" tape, I add an extra 2 inch placed at an angle at the bottom of the 5", cup it with the palm of my hand to seal chin. It's a beautiful thing

LinkC wrote:OK, all you tapers. Sometime in the night, my lips leak enough saliva to loosen the bond of my beautiful blue tape. I wake up with a dry mouth, a chin full of soggy tape, and air blowing out the bottom. (The bottom of the tape, not MY bottom... )

I was going to ask what pressure you are running at... until I saw the clarification at the end.

Go FFM.

As Carbonman once said: "Once you go full you will never go back!"

Use 2" 3m Micropore medical tape. Be sure and apply some chapstick and purse your lips in tight.

Super Glue .

or

If you're going to use duct tape, don't get all carried away trying to stop the leaks ...

The most "sticks without coming loose" tape I've used is this one:
3M Nexcare Tegaderm Transparent Dressing



Unfortunately it holds soooo well, that after a couple of nights using it, I get a slight rash on the skin (not on the lips) from peeling it off. I really should try birdshell's tip about smearing a little Milk of Magnesia on those areas and letting the MoM dry, then applying the tape.

The Tegaderm dressing sticks to the point that the best way to "get hold of it" to peel it off in the morning is to punch a hole right in the middle (between the lips) with your finger. That makes a place in the center to get hold of to start removing it. That dressing is so thin, almost like a membrane, that it's difficult to make any useful grab tabs at the edges like we can do with other kinds of tape.

The Tegaderm patch size I used was 4" x 4 and 3/4" -- bigger than the size shown on the 3M site. I could cut it in half for two nights use.

But...
as mrs_j says in this review...

...it's hard to handle if you cut a patch into smaller sizes.

Those white paper edges shown in the picture peel off to put the thin film on. Cutting it in half loses one of the paper edges, making it a little trickier to handle. I couldn't use the 2" size in a patch. I need a 4" wide to completely cover my mouth beyond the corners.

Awfully expensive stuff. If I were going to use it all the time, I'd Google and Froogle the heck out of "tegaderm transparent dressing", check eBay, etc. But for an absolute seal, even for droolers, that stuff holds tight.

Thanks! In order:

1. Superglue tastes much better than silicone.
2. I hate the taste of poligrip, but I'll keep that tip as a last resort. The tape "chin cup" sounds good, tho.
3. A red, swollen and scabby nose is what brought me AWAY from a series of FF masks. (And saliva ruins the seal of a mask as well.)
4. If micropore adhesive is water-resistant that may work.
5. Looks like my wife on a bad morning after...
6. Looks like her the night before!
7. I've seen the clear stuff, and it IS pricey. But, then, a good night's sleep might be worth it!

Thanks to all!

P.S. My "pressure" is usually about 2 helpings of potato salad with a side of black-eyed peas...

My best luck has been with 3 M's waterproof tape. It is in most all the stores - Rite Aide, Walgreens, Target Pharmacy, etc. It is flesh colored and feels like rubber. It has a bit of stretch to it and for me - the amount of stick is enough that I don't usually drool. I do tuck my lips, and usually make it two strips wide (haven' found it available as 2 " wide) so that I get the edges of the tape outside my lips a bit.

Paul56 wrote:Go FFM.

As Carbonman once said: "Once you go full you will never go back!"

Not necessarily. I had to go FFM last night (sinuses are going ballistic with the pollen) and made it about 3 hours before I threw it across the room (literally) and put the Swift back on (one side had opened up - sort of). Hubby was using the Quattro and his leaks were horrible. Could NOT keep it sealed (same with the Ultra Mirage)...put him on the Micro, even with some mouth leaks during the night, his leaks are twice as good as with the Quattro and his AHI down by 4 points or so.

He doesn't necessarily mind the FFM, but the leaks will not stay under control, and he has adamantly refused to "stick" anything on his face...he gets his chin strap in a day or so....

I drool alot at night I use to wear a ffmask, But the drool was bad, had a hand towel at night to wipe the inside of the mask it kept me awake, so I bought the Oplilife I love it I'll never go back to the FFmask,
so I just bought the swift lt, to check it out, I still have alot of drool but it's different to clean up,
I did try to tape my mouth and that didn't work, I got a rash, I'm thinking about trying the nylon
stocking if I can figure it out or the hair bands, wish someone would show a picture of the stocking
solution. good luck to you.

Link, I can't remember how long you've been using cpap or taping. But I do recommend that you not give up on the good ole' blue tape yet! I personally think it beats the alternatives. I have been taping every night for nearly 7 months and just recently had a couple of nights when I uncharacteristically drooled into the tape and it did exactly as you describe....all other things about my nightly sleep hygiene and routine having been the same. Who knows.

So on the first night it happened, I just got up, washed face, dried well, put a strip of blue back on, and was fine for the rest of the night. For several nights thereafter, I put another extra strip over the first, but only about 3" long. This smaller strip was over the bottom half of the first one, to better seal under my mouth. It worked, despite the strange new drooling experience continuing briefly. Felt awful, but no leaks! Do be sure you wash oils off your face before taping every night. Good luck.

plr66 wrote: I put another extra strip over the first, but only about 3" long. This smaller strip was over the bottom half of the first one, to better seal under my mouth.

Someone above suggested a strip running vertically and extending below the chin. Gonna try that next. I figure the more adhesive it has to go thru to make a leak, the longer I'm sealed!

Betty said get 3M Waterproof tape. I found it in Nexcare brand at Walmart...that brand isn't very "water-proof". I'll try 3M if I can find it.) Maybe if it was wider... I may try two overlapping rows, maybe even one vertical! (Although the waterproof stuff ain't cheap!)

At this point, I'm seriously considering the blue duct tape idea!

LincC
If, after you extra tape the bottom half of your original 5" tape and it works, eventually the top part of your tape above your lips could loosen if you continue to have air leaks between your lips. I find this is due more to condensation moisture than drool.

I find that there is no taste to the Polident Strips due to the fact that they sit on your lips and do not ooze into your mouth or touch your tongue and there is no need to purse, pucker or fold your lips, just relax .