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Poligrip and mouth breathing
#11
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
(05-10-2016, 10:15 AM)PaytonA Wrote: In my experience, keeping my lips closed did not solve the problem. Eventually the pressure builds up in my mouth and blows my lips out. Even forcing my lips to stay closed did not work. Keeping the pressure out of your mouth by using the tongue trick is the only sure way to eliminate mouth leaks .

If you can find some way of putting pressure on the soft tissue under your jaw and back toward your neck, I think that it might help you to maintain the "tongue seal".

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Sadly, I think you are right. I think for some sealing the lips provides enough resistance to "remind" the person to put the tongue back where it belongs and they learn to just keep it there eventually.

For me, and it sounds like you, I think you have hit the nail on the head so to speak. I was really hopeful about the surgical tape. I covered an area about the size of a surgical mask - just to be sure, and it was solid. And it was really really stuck on my face. I went to bed thinking I had finally found a solution. As I was falling to sleep I let the pressure into my mouth a few times by dropping my tongue and it seemed the tape was managing to hold it in... 4 hours later I woke turned off the machine and a big red frown face was staring back at me... sigh. I breathed out though my mouth a little and sure enough there is a small area of the tape that had lifted off the skin and the pressure was leaking out through there...

I considered taping around my head and over my nose and mouth a few times, and figured it would solve the problem permanently... but I decided against it...
I am not a Medical professional and I don't play one on the internet.
Started CPAP Therapy April 5, 2016
I'd Rather Be Sleeping
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#12
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
PaytonA, regarding your suggestion to pressure the soft tissue between chin and neck: I have been using a PapCap as a chinstrap with the fabric chin strap across my lips. The chinstrap part has been riding back in that spot. I have had surprising success at eliminating lip leak. Last couple of nights I shifted the chinstrap forward a bit to be more comfortable. Last night had a discouraging "blowout". Maybe it is the chinstrap that is holding the seal rather than the fabric strap. More experimentation.
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#13
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
As I read my post above, it is confusing because I am using 2 chin straps. It is the Papcap chinstrap that was riding in close to juncture of chin with neck. The breathable fabric chinstrap rode horizontally across my lips. I had a blowout last night which perhaps not coincidentally was when I shifted the Papcap chinstrap forward a little so it did not fire up close to my neck.
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#14
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
I can't link to a pic, but do a search for "scuba wetsuit hood". Smile

I haven't been diving since the 1990s. Gear sure has gotten much more high-tech since then.

(05-10-2016, 10:24 AM)FrankNichols Wrote:
(05-10-2016, 10:15 AM)PaytonA Wrote: In my experience, keeping my lips closed did not solve the problem. Eventually the pressure builds up in my mouth and blows my lips out. Even forcing my lips to stay closed did not work. Keeping the pressure out of your mouth by using the tongue trick is the only sure way to eliminate mouth leaks .

If you can find some way of putting pressure on the soft tissue under your jaw and back toward your neck, I think that it might help you to maintain the "tongue seal".

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Sadly, I think you are right. I think for some sealing the lips provides enough resistance to "remind" the person to put the tongue back where it belongs and they learn to just keep it there eventually.

For me, and it sounds like you, I think you have hit the nail on the head so to speak. I was really hopeful about the surgical tape. I covered an area about the size of a surgical mask - just to be sure, and it was solid. And it was really really stuck on my face. I went to bed thinking I had finally found a solution. As I was falling to sleep I let the pressure into my mouth a few times by dropping my tongue and it seemed the tape was managing to hold it in... 4 hours later I woke turned off the machine and a big red frown face was staring back at me... sigh. I breathed out though my mouth a little and sure enough there is a small area of the tape that had lifted off the skin and the pressure was leaking out through there...

I considered taping around my head and over my nose and mouth a few times, and figured it would solve the problem permanently... but I decided against it...

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#15
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
Well, darn...

I did a quickie test using poligrip on my lips and then surgical tape over that. I then took a 30 minute nap. Periodically letting air into my mouth while waiting to fall asleep. I did not spring a leak and hit a AHI of 0 for the 30 minutes. I know for most of you that is not a big deal, for me, I ALWAYS hit AHI of 10 to 30 when running these 30 minute to 1 hour tests. This is the first zero I have ever gotten. So, tonight I guess I am going to test the Poligrip and tape test - hope this works at last!
I am not a Medical professional and I don't play one on the internet.
Started CPAP Therapy April 5, 2016
I'd Rather Be Sleeping
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#16
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
From your list I doubt this will work, but I tried a sweat band and that worked until I got my chin strap. The chin strap did not work any better than the sweat band.
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas. 
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#17
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
(05-10-2016, 01:18 PM)Rcgop Wrote: From your list I doubt this will work, but I tried a sweat band and that worked until I got my chin strap. The chin strap did not work any better than the sweat band.

I have two chin straps and an Ace Bandage. I guess they "sort of work, some" but, they don't solve my problem. I can pick up a sweat band and give it a shot. The problem is the chin strap keeps the mouth (jaw) closed mostly, but my problem is the air leaks out between my lips. I don't think it is so much breathing and just leaking if my tongue is out of place - which is is most of the time after I go to sleep.

I need to learn to hold my tongue in the right position or I need a comfortable (and easy to remove) method to seal my lips closed against the high pressure of the CPAP machine. sigh...
I am not a Medical professional and I don't play one on the internet.
Started CPAP Therapy April 5, 2016
I'd Rather Be Sleeping
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#18
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
(05-10-2016, 06:13 AM)FrankNichols Wrote:
(05-10-2016, 06:06 AM)DeepBreathing Wrote: Persistence is admirable, but just maybe the P10 isn't for you? Anyway, everybody knows that real men use a full face mask!
I think I am not a mouth breather, uncomfortable.

Me thinks mouth breather you are Grin

Oh-jeez
Buck up Frank and get mask that covers you mouth.

De Nile is a river in Egypt Laugh-a-lot
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#19
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
Maybe you can can Poligrip your tongue to the roof of your mouth! Too-funny

For raising the head of your bed, medical supply store (e.g. places that sell walkers and canes and such) should carry little boxes or props you can place under the legs at the head of the bed.
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#20
RE: Poligrip and mouth breathing
(05-10-2016, 03:23 PM)chill Wrote: Maybe you can can Poligrip your tongue to the roof of your mouth! Too-funny

If I just cut it out I would get in much less trouble! Dielaughing
I am not a Medical professional and I don't play one on the internet.
Started CPAP Therapy April 5, 2016
I'd Rather Be Sleeping
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