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fixing open mouth
#11
RE: fixing open mouth
For me, sleeping on my side usually keeps my mouth shut, due to pressure against the bed pillow.
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#12
RE: fixing open mouth
(04-30-2016, 01:06 PM)nanderson Wrote: I found that using a sticky lip ointment helped me keep my mouth "glued" shut - and you wake up with soft lips :-). It helps me tremendously as I use the nasal pillow. The nights I ran out of the lip stuff, I woke up with dry mouth and feeling sick all morning. When I use the lip ointment, I wake up with a fully moist mouth.

Would you please advise of specific lip ointment and where it is available.

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#13
RE: fixing open mouth
My Doc gave me some low-adhesion surgical tape to place over my mouth. It worked fine, but then I learned how to 'train' my tongue to stay against the roof of my mouth all night. If my mouth opens, it doesn't matter.
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#14
RE: fixing open mouth
(04-30-2016, 04:06 PM)Acedublb Wrote:
(04-30-2016, 01:06 PM)nanderson Wrote: I found that using a sticky lip ointment helped me keep my mouth "glued" shut - and you wake up with soft lips :-). It helps me tremendously as I use the nasal pillow. The nights I ran out of the lip stuff, I woke up with dry mouth and feeling sick all morning. When I use the lip ointment, I wake up with a fully moist mouth.

Would you please advise of specific lip ointment and where it is available.

I would also very much like to know this information too!! I am struggling with these exact symptoms!!
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#15
RE: fixing open mouth
obrian, in the beginning i had the same problem. Tried chin strap, but then i had too much stuff on my face. It makes it harder to adjust mask and feels a bit claustrophobic. My DME taught me to roll up a small hand towel or T shirt and place between my chin and chest. That worked much better. Later i found one of those cool bands that you put on your head to stay cool and put it around my neck. That also worked well. Full face masks drove me crazy. With the chin pad and nasal pillows i finally got better, much better. Eventually i was able to somehow stick my tongue to the roof of my mouth and now my mouth stays closed. That took some time to happen.
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#16
RE: fixing open mouth
I'm new here, but this thread got my attention.
My apnea is reasonable (4-6) with a nasal pillow, but my husband reports a lot of mouth noise (motor boating and just air flow). The leakage reports don't seem to track the observed mouth leakage though, but they are high (30-60). Pressure is usually around 11, with peaks to 13.
They keep trying full-face masks, but when they do, the AHI goes up to 18-20 average per night, and as high as 50 over a given hour period. Pressure goes up to 19-20 right behind it.
My husband's theory is that I'm relieving the excess pressure through my mouth, and when I can't (with the FF mask), either the airway somehow collapses or I just stop breathing because of the pressure.
The therapist keeps insisting that I wear the FF mask for three days straight to get used to it, but since I don't sleep much with it on, I can't go three days without sleep.
Do others see this kind of thing? Will I be able to adjust to a FF mask over time?
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#17
RE: fixing open mouth
The best way to get used to the mask is to wear it while awake and reading or watching TV. Do that ever day for as long as you can and it will eventually feel more comfortable to you and allow you to sleep with it on.

Once you get a reasonably long sleep session, post your Sleepyhead graph for us to see. You can be sure that your AHI readings are not accurate if your leak level is as high as you say since 24 L/Min. is the accepted top limit.

If we find that your AHI's are indeed 50 and your pressure is hitting 20 cm H2O, then you may need to get a different kind of machine.

Dude
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#18
RE: fixing open mouth
In the meantime, did you have a sleep lab study? If so, what was the recommended pressure level for therapy? You have received good advice from your therapist as to using a full face mask. The high pressure you are running will normally rule out a nasal mask since mouth leakage will be a problem at that high level.

Hang in there, the pressure seems impossible to bear when first starting this treatment but it eventually become comfortable. When I first started I swore that 8 cm H2O would never be possible to exhale against. Within a couple of weeks, I was able to tolerate 12 with no problem. Now I can stand 20 and still get some sleep. It just takes time to allow your body to accept the new normal. Trust me, It'll come quicker than you think and it's well worth the effort since your body needs the relief that PAP provides.

Dude
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#19
RE: fixing open mouth
Thanks for the replies. I must have been unclear. I did have a sleep study and the machine was set at 10-20 from that.
I think you're saying that my apneas may be high with the nasal pillows, but the high leakage masks them. Leakage was as high with the FF mask, and got higher as the pressure climbed.
Also, I should try to tough it out, and it will get better. I can't go three days without sleep though, so I'll have to go one on and one off.
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#20
RE: fixing open mouth
Try his suggestion. Wear it during the day with the machine on and mask on.
PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




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