Sudden onset of Dry Mouth

[ScottW]

Hi, Everyone:
Brand new to the Board. Very glad it's here.
I've been using a CPAP for several months now and gradually got used to it. About a month ago, my doctor upped my pressure from 8 to 13, although he said I could cut it back to 10 if necessary. The first night after the pressure increase I suffered a really bad case of dry mouth, which I have never experienced before. I had the hospital cut it back to 10 and ramped up the humidity to the maximum on my machine, which is 6. It improved things, but not completely.
My wife says I am not a mouth breather, and this only seems to have come on since the pressure change. I've seen a couple of posts that said increases should happen gradually. Could it have been too much too soon? Even to 10?
All suggestions gratefully accepted.
Cheers,
Scott

[trish6hundred]

Hi ScottW, First of all, WELCOME! to the forum.! Maybe you could turn your humidifier down one notch and see if that helps, I know it's contray to what you might think but you can always turn it back up if you find that doesn't work. Sometimes, too much humidity can dry you out. Best of luck to you and hang in there, someone will be along to give you more suggestions to help.

[mjbearit]

Scott,
Even though you may not normally be a mouth breather, jumping the pressure like that may be more than your system was prepared for. It could be you are experiencing mouth leaks at night. Not that you are necessarily breathing through your mouth, but you could be having air escape from your mouth. Since you are using nasal pillows and have dry mouth I would say that you should think about getting a chin strap. I'm betting that may well be your issue. Good luck.

[PaulaO2]

It is common for folks to have problems when the pressure is changed.

Here, we tell folks to make changes in small increments. But docs feel free to make changes as big as 5 or more. Personally, that's too high of a jump for me and I would want to do it in stages.

Try using a chin strap for a few nights to re-train yourself to sleep with your mouth closed. You can try it with just a simple ace bandage or a really long (and clean) sock or two. Go from your chin (similar to the chin straps on football helmets) up to your head and around. If that works, you can then get a chin strap. They aren't that expensive.

What's happened is the jump in pressure is causing you to feel you need to open your mouth in your sleep. The air rushing out will certainly dry you out!

And I agree with what Trish said. Sometimes too much humidifier can be as bad as none. If you are in a humid area (like the US South), then you may not even need one in the summer.

[ScottW]

Thanks to all of you for your responses. I have noticed suddenly exhalations from the increased pressure. If I'm reading you correctly, that's temporary. I'll try the chinstrap and maybe go back to an automatic setting on the humidity.

[zonk]

Dry mouth is a classic symptoms of mouth breathing ...As suggested a chinstrap may help keeping the mouth closed or full face mask which cover nose and mouth. Are you using the mask fit feature at the set pressure.. Not at the start or Ramp pressure.
The exhalation could be to do with EPR as it lower the pressure at exhale ..turn the EPR setting up, down or off see if its any better
Why the doc increase the pressure from 8 to 13?
Follow the instruction how to obtain ResScan software so you can monitor your own therapy
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread-...n-3-16-SP1

[archangle]

Increased pressure tends to increase mouth leaks.

You don't have to leak a lot of air to make your mouth dry out. Even a little slow "bubbling" can dry you out.

SleepyHead will show you mouth leaks along with other leaks, but unfortunately, the S9 machine throws away data on anything it considers to be "intentional" leaks, so it may not show small leaks. If you see pulses up in your leak rate, you're probably mouth leaking.

[ScottW]

Thanks again for all your responses. This is really helpful.
I did notice for the first time last night that I was experiencing mouth leaks. The think is, my mouth was closed, so I don't know that a chinstrap would help. My lips were just parted enough to let air out. So that could definitely account for the dry mouth.
Do you think it would help if I dialed the pressure back to nine, got used to that, then increased it again? The reason my doctor increased it from eight is that I did a sleep test where they experimented with different pressure, and found the best AHIs were between 10 and 13.
I haven't installed either ResScan or Sleepyhead because I didn't know either existed until I joined yesterday. I'll get on both.
Cheers,
Scott

[PaulaO2]

The chin strap may still help with the lip thing. Some people advocate taping the lips closed but it is my opinion (and a strong one at that) this practice is dangerous, needless, and kinda silly.

Turning the pressure down then slowly increasing it may work.

[ScottW]

The chin strap may still help with the lip thing. Some people advocate taping the lips closed but it is my opinion (and a strong one at that) this practice is dangerous, needless, and kinda silly.

Turning the pressure down then slowly increasing it may work.

One thing at a time, Paula. I'll start by dialing back the pressure and then see.
Thanks again.
Scott