How many use a chinstrap?

I've been wondering how many of us use chinstraps.

I chose "every night" because I use my Brandy Keg every night. But I'm not sure if it qualifies as a chin strap. It's got a strap, and it goes under my chin, but is it a chinstrap?

When I first started CPAP, I wasn't opening my mouth, but I wasn't sleeping all that much, either. As I'm getting used to having a mask on my face or pillows in my nose, I find that I'm puffing air out my mouth. The first night I used tape, I had to take it off after about an hour, as having my mouth taped shut was freaking me out!

The Quattro FFM wasn't a good fit for me, so I tried taping again but left a bit at each side of my mouth untaped. This worked OK for a few nights, until I started waking up with air hissing out the corners of my mouth! Next I tried using a sweat band as a chin strap (thanks Pugsy!), and it would have worked fine if the headband were a bit larger. (One size fits all supposedly, and it was too tight on my small head even worn as a headband!) I then tried the premium chin strap, but it doesn't want to stay on my head. (It's also so wide that it wants to cover part of my ears, not to mention being very hot!) Last night I taped my whole mouth and had to take it off toward morning, but my leak rate was much improved while my mouth was taped. Tonight I'm trying the F&P 432 which seems to fit better than the Quattro.

I'd like to have some alternatives so I don't have to tape every night. It seems that as soon as I get the tape on, I have to yawn ... or sneeze ... or I realize I haven't taken my meds.... Last night, I got the hiccups after getting the tape on. Also, my kitties have learned over the years that if they meow at me, I meow back. They get confused when I tape my mouth, because all I can do is hummmmmmm.

The odyssey continues....

Kiralynx, could you tell me more about your Brandy Keg chinstrap? Is this a homemade remedy?

I also use one every night. Kira, I would love to see your brandy keg one though!

Every night! Without it, my jaw relaxes, mouth opens, so CPAP air comes in via my mouth resulting in EXTREMELY dry mouth (since I use a full face mask).

I really would like to see a picture of that St. Bernard barrel strap system, too!

I would also like to see Kira's invention and see what I can rig that would be similar.

I bought a chin strap and it sucks as the angle for the jaw seems all wrong for me.

FFM suck - have tried Soyala FFM and Liberty - Soyala left night nose bridge sore (AGAIN) and the angle for it and jaw is also wrong so I am back to the Liberty tonight.

My tight leg does okay but I need better as it slips off the top of my head.

This has all been trying to figure this out in the last couple weeks and I am still looking for a solution that works for me. I refuse to tape or do polident.

twokatmew wrote:Kiralynx, could you tell me more about your Brandy Keg chinstrap? Is this a homemade remedy?

My "brandy keg" is a 4" diameter cylinder of closed-cell foam which I bored a hole through, covered in fleece, and then ran a strap through the hole. It tucks up under my chin and holds my jaw up, but I can shift it readily to one side if I want some water.

One of these days I have to do a "History of the Brandy Keg as applied to CPAP Therapy."

Hi Kira,

And here I thought you had the old St. Bernard type brandy keg (with brandy in it, of course)

No matter - it sounds like you found a workable solution.

I've tried a variety of chin straps and, like my masks, no one feels "right" and works all of the time so I switch off. My newest one is supposed to be like the Tiara Topaz from the company that took them over. However it's much tighter and so does keep my mouth closed but my head feels like it's caught in a vise!

Mindy

I just went out and looked at the "trash" in the front yard - beach find that are fishing floats and crab trap junk (the good glass ones are inside for safe keeping). There are some crab trap markers that might be workable except most are in pretty sad shape.

However I found some smaller floats used on fishing nets I might be able to rig. I brought in a couple to see. Some like these - the ones in the second picture I have are "clean" but they don't appear to be 4 inch in diameter just over 3 inches is all - but then I didn't go to the bottom of the pile tonight either.

I think I can take one of these and cover it with a soft cover (many layers) and try to use it - holes are already in the center.

I wonder if one could cover a roll of TP or cut down a roll of Paper Towels and rig something up.

i am a mouth breather well and truley! and when we tried full face masks we found that none of them really seal properly up arpund the nose- i have an almost non exisitant bridge (specs never stay put either!) so we went to a nasal mask and the really basic respironics chin strap- it worked but would slide off in the night far too easily so i tried other options. The best one i have found us the topaz but i am well aware that for some folk it is the wrong shape and pulls the jaw backwards in the wrong way- for me it works well but it does cause a bit of a hannibel lecter look that is somewhat disturbing! i am in hospital at present and got some very interesting comments and looks when they say my night time set up

i think the brandy roll idea is a really great option, it is so simple and yet as you say it would make getting a drink etc really easy rather than having to undo the whole set up- i will give it a try when i get home

basicallly i think that as we are all different shapes and sizes there will never be a perfect chin strap but i really did not like the thought of having to tape my mouth up at night- with all my other medical equipment bedtime and getting up ion the morning is a real ritual now anyway- i want anything for the simple life- thats why i like the brandy keg idea so much- would it work if you used the micro fibre fillings that are put in some soft cushions, would that be too soft!

mindy wrote:And here I thought you had the old St. Bernard type brandy keg (with brandy in it, of course) No matter - it sounds like you found a workable solution.

Well, I wouldn't mind having one of the ones with the brandy in it, but... "brandy keg" is what it reminded my husband and me of the first time I put the thing together, and it's an easier shorthand than my-fleece-wrapped-foam-cylinder-which-I-bored-a-hole-through-and-stuck-a-velcroed-strap-into. And yep, it works for me. I had, last night, a most astonishing thing: an absolutely flat leak line.

mindy wrote:I've tried a variety of chin straps and, like my masks, no one feels "right" and works all of the time so I switch off. My newest one is supposed to be like the Tiara Topaz from the company that took them over. However it's much tighter and so does keep my mouth closed but my head feels like it's caught in a vise!

Well, the vice effect is exactly what I couldn't tolerate. And adding straps up the side of my face, in addition to mask straps...<shudder> The claustrophobia kicks up just thinking about it!

It's fortunate that you've found a couple masks and other gear so that you CAN switch off. I used the CL2 for the first six months, then it was a bit too warm for me, and I've shifted to the Headrest. I may shift back to the CL2 come autumn.

Kiralynx wrote:It's fortunate that you've found a couple masks and other gear so that you CAN switch off. I used the CL2 for the first six months, then it was a bit too warm for me, and I've shifted to the Headrest. I may shift back to the CL2 come autumn.

Yes, I do feel fortunate. I notice you use the CL2 direct cushion. I had been using the nasal pillows but the medium was a smidge too small and the large a smidge too large. When my DME sent me a new mask they accidentally sent a direct seal cushion (in large, as I had requested for the pillows). I tried it and liked it but noted it was definitely too big. So I ordered one in medium from cpap.com. And it works much better than the CL2 nasal pillows for me. I am planning on trying the headrest sometime soon!

I think I'll also try your solution for chin strap

It looks like I may be having gastric bypass surgery this year so if that happens, I may be off cpap but then, I'm getting ahead of myself!

Mindy

I had two problems with a chin strap: The strap slid down my head, thus loosening the strap, and even when it was tight I'd get "lip flutter." So now I tape (Don't know how to add that to the statistics table)

Although I did try a chinstrap very early on in my CPAP experience, I never really needed one cuz I trained myself not to mouth leak.

Where I have found a chinstrap useful was when I have trialed a FF type mask (ie. Liberty) ... but I almost never use that mask as it is my backup for sinus congestion. I have not had any significant sinus congestion requiring the use of a FF mask since starting my treatment ... go figure. A chinstrap does help keep the jaw stable so that one can maintain a good FF mask seal around the mouth area ... but as for preventing mouth leaks when using a nasal type mask, the air will just leak out between my teeth and flap my lips. I know cuz I tried it when raising the pressure high enough (13+ cm) that even my soft palate training cannot maintain the seal and air goes rushing out my mouth no matter how tight I have the chinstrap on. Fortunately, my pressure requirements for effectively treating my OSA is low enough at 12 cm that my soft palate is able to maintain a seal throughout most the night while asleep and mouth leaks are kept low and steady enough to give me a consistant AHI average of less than 0.5 almost every night.

Anyway, had you had a selection for no use for mouth leak aids, I would have voted for that one ... but since no option for that was available, I didn't vote.

kebsa wrote:i am in hospital at present and got some very interesting comments and looks when they say my night time set up

I hope you are well enough to return home very soon, Kebsa. Feel better!