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I use Chin-Up Strips instead of tape over my mouth. Chin-up strips are applied UNDER the mouth and up the cheeks. I leave enough opening to take a sip of water.


They come in packages of 30. You can get them online on http://drugstore.com or directly from the Chin-up company http://www.chinupstrip.com/, which also sells them in bulk, and a variety pack to try out the three different types of strips. The adhesive is hyperallergenic.

There is another possible serious consequence to taping -- aspiration pneumonia. This can occur when you do not get the tape off in time and wind up inhaling some of the vomit into your lungs. You don't immediately suffocate, but the foreign material in the lungs can lead to a possibly deadly form of pneumonia.

To be clear, I'm not telling anyone not to tape, and have considered doing it myself. But I think that everyone should be aware of the possible consequences.

And, if for any reason (lack of manual dexterity, the effects of sleep-inducing medications, etc.) you think that you might not be able to remove the tape very quickly, do not use it.

Paper medical tape, which is what I use, is not all that difficult to remove in a hurry, especially if you leave tabs at the end that are folded over. I have never vomited in my sleep, (I am not saying that it could never happen) but vomiting into a FFM with your CPAP running would probably cause you to inhale material as well. I have RA, and my fingers don't always work really well, BUT, it is much easier for me to grab the tape and pull it off than it is to fumble around trying to get the mask unhooked--hooks, latches, zippers, buttons are not easy for me--so pulling off a strip of paper tape is much faster.

The thing about this therapy is there is no "one size fits all" answer. We are all just trying to manage the best way we can.

People are always so touchy over this topic...

Thank you, DonnaFowler...........

Yours is the voice of reason, intellectual honesty, and the scientific method.

Well said.

Gerald wrote:So Well.........

Since so many of us are using the 3M #2080 Blue Tape, we'd all really appreciate it if you'd do the research to see if it has any lead, arsenic, or cadnium in the adhesive. I'm sure 3M will give you a full environmental statement if you request it.....and let you know if any part of it comes from China or India.

Thanks so very much for your concern. Please let us know what you find out.

Gerald

I don't think so Gerald. You are using blue painter's tape on your lips and recommending that others use blue painter's tape on their lips. I, on the other hand, recommend against painter's tape. If anyone has a responsibility to check the painter's tape for lead, arsenic, cadmium and, let me add, blue pigments that have not been FDA approved, it is you.

The one you call "the voice of reason, intellectual honesty, and the scientific method" ( ) also recommends medical tape.

I understand how you award the title, "the voice of reason, intellectual honesty, and the scientific method". You award it to anyone whom you think agrees with you in an argument. Too bad you overlooked that Donna specifically said "medical" tape.

So how soon can the people, that you recommended blue painter's tape to, expect your research on its safety?

Well guys......

I guess I also have a "social responsibility" to report on the famous "lifeboat case" in which an apnea sufferer was set adrift...in the middle of the Pacific.....with a broken arm and a broken leg.....along with a battery powered CPAP machine and some #2080 3M Blue painter's tape......which he was running in the middle of the night.....when a storm blew up.....and he became seasick....before he could get his tape off.

The dumbass died.

It is kinda like dieting---what works for one may not work for another...or politics, or religion. Good grief, my husband and I can't even agree on what kind of pillow to sleep on--he likes his lumpy hard ones and I need soft, downy ones...

And I am not really recommending medical tape, that is just what I use...

As a friend of mine says, take what works for you and toss the rest!

DonnaFowler...........

Your husband is a fortunate man........I predict his marriage to you will still be going strong decades into the future.

Your "formula" is correct.........

Thanks--we have made it 22 years so far. The only thing we agree on is that I need to use my CPAP every single night. If I don't (I have never tried, mind you, but just thinking about pre-CPAP days), he can't sleep with my horrible snoring! CPAP has improved his life as well as mine!

Wow, thanks to all of you, including those who voiced your disagreements with each other. I don't have any asphyxiation fears from the tape. Also, I'd presume that any medical tape would be free of lead. However, I am allergic to many types of tape -- when I had surgery the doctor remarked that my skin looked more irritated from the tape than the incisions!

I may give it a try anyway, if a hybrid mask doesn't suit me. Here's the thing -- my IntelliPAP is saying I'm not having any leaks, but about 4 EPI per hour (AHI is 1-2). EPI is "exhale puff index" which I think means inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth. Will that interfere with therapy as well?

I have just discovered that I am breathing through my mouth as well! So, shall it be wearing underwear on my head or tape? Hmmmm. If I go the medical tape route it will be paper tape with handles at the ends as suggested (thanks). Somehow seems much more appealing that wearing men's underwear on my head (yech). It is an intermittent issue but an issue nontheless.

Toronto.........

You might want to consider (not a joke) women's panty hose tights. Many of us build mask rigging and chin straps out of the stuff. Rested Gal taught us about this material and It's good to work with. It's tough to sew because it's so stretchy....so, you might want to experiment with super-glue. Use the legs to fabricate with.....and be sure you purchase TIGHTS.....because just regular panty hose material isn't as good.

torontoCPAPguy wrote: As far as being smart enough to know that it's stupid to wear tape if you feel nausiated; most often folks will go to sleep feeling fine and awaken in a run to the bathroom to throw up - I am suggesting that you want to ensure that you can get the tape off in time.

Here's the thing I don't get I use to wear a FFM along with a dental device, sometimes at the same time. Nowhere have I read of concerns, either with the FFM, or the dental device. Let me tell ya, after heating up the mouthpiece and letting it custom form to my upper/lower teeth Sometimes I'd have to pry with both thumbs to break the grip. So, as I've said before, yanking a 5" strip of tape off my yap seems like a walk in the park compared to that, not to mention some of the headgear clips that require the hands of a surgeon to get the mask off.

I could wrap myself up like a mummy with tape and escape faster than trying to remove a snug dental mouthpiece and FFM. Yes, I think taping is very safe.