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very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
#1
very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
Folks...

I put my mask on last night around 9PM and I believe I went to sleep with in 20 or 30 minutes.  I woke up around 5AM.  I was exhaling through my mouth.  My mouth was very dry and I needed to drink some water.  My nose was stopped up and I had to blow my nose several times in the morning.

This happens to me allot.  I have adjusted and re adjusted my mask.  I believe it fits fine, and it is not too tight.  I have a 6 foot hose so I can lay on my back or turn over with out any problems. 

I have the humidifier on and set to the highest setting.  In the morning almost all of the water is gone.  I tried it a couple of nights with the humidity turned off.  It was only a 2 day test, but it seemed about the same.

I am using a nasal mask.   It is a ResMed Mirage Activa LT. 

At the end of this month I will receive my new BiPAP machine.  I ordered a DreamStation DSX700T11.  The new mask I ordered is a Philips Respironics Nuance Pro Nasal Pillow System - 1105167.  This mask comes with three different sized nose pillows.  So I should be able to find the correct size to fit my nose.

My broken BiPAP machine did not start recording data until after midnight. I don't know why. My machine will soon fail totally.  I am looking forward to my new unit.

Here is the data from last night:

http://imgur.com/a/tLwAN

Is my problem with my mask or my mask fitting?

jack
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#2
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
First, you can try turning down the humidifier setting. Sometimes a too high setting will cause congestion. Try a setting somewhere midway, and adjust as needed.

Second, you said you were exhaling through your mouth. That alone will cause extremely dry mouth. You will need to find a way to keep your mouth closed.
There have been numerous threads about this. You can try a chin strap, soft cervical collar or simply practice the tongue suck technique.

I'll let someone else address your data, as I am unable to use the link you provided.
OpalRose
Apnea Board Administrator
www.apneaboard.com

_______________________
OSCAR Chart Organization
How to Attach Images and Files.
OSCAR - The Guide
Soft Cervical Collar
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INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE.  ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.  INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#3
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
Thank you Opal...

OK- not my mask, but leaving my mouth open. I will look into that. Thank you for clearing that up for me.

I am not sure why my link is broken. Let me try to post it again here:

http://imgur.com/a/tLwAN

mraroid
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#4
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
all....

I did a search in this forum on dry mouth.  Some report that it takes a while to train your mouth to close.  I am just a few weeks into my mask. So maybe I need to practice more (?)  I did read a few weeks ago about how to keep your mouth closed.  I am trying that.  Maybe I just need more time with the mask on?

I don't know if I would have more trouble with just nose pillows or not.  And I don't know if a full face mask would work better for me.

Any more feedback welcome.

Thanks

mraroid
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#5
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
You may find some helpful information in the mask primer. http://www.apneaboard.com/wiki/index.php...ask_Primer
Download OSCAR

Organize Charts
Attaching Charts

Mask Primer
Soft Cervical Collar

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.

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#6
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
Thank you Melman for posting the link.  I was following the directions below:

"With SleepyHead look at your Leak Rate graph where it is shaded (large leak/ LL), flat tops on this graph suggest mouth breathing. In SleepyHead right click on the left header of the Leak Rate graph and click on Dotted Lines then select "Leak Rate Upper Threshold" to get a line across the graph for ResMed. Manually set the value for Philips Respironics. Severity depends on how much over this threshold and for how long it is in the Large Leak territory."

I found flat tops occurring for about 15 minutes around 2:15 AM. I was able to put the line across the leak rate graph.  But after that I was lost.  I am not sure how to manually set the value for Philips Respironics.

Can you give me any additional information?

Thanks

mraroid
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#7
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
I'm a mere newbie to cpap's, but saw that this week's humidity in Ibarra Ecuador is ranging from 54 to 80 percent. For the experts here, is humidification even needed in those conditions? I live in a desert so I already know the answer for me Wink
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#8
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
Thanks for your post NotADr. 

I am new also and not sure what I am doing.  After reading the link that was posted I moved my humidity setting to two last night. That helped my runny nose.  I still have bad dry mouth.  I think I need to practice the tongue and upper teeth tuck.  Maybe it will take weeks or more.  I think my mask fits OK.  Not too tight not too loose.

This is all a big learning curve for me. 
I have to be my own doctor when I live out in the pucker brush.

mraroid
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#9
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
Any suggestion of how often a full face mask should be replaced? And air tube? THX
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#10
RE: very dry mouth & throat - is it my mask?
Air tube is replaced rarely, more often if the dog or cat use it for a play thing (something about teeth puncturing the tube). You should have a backup but tape will make an emergency patch.

The mask should be replaced when it need to be replaced. Some use a mask for years, others every few months.

United States Medicare Replacement Schedule

A7034 CPAP Mask (Every 3 months)
A7035 CPAP Headgear (Every 3-6 months)
A7036 CPAP Chin Strap (Every 6 months)
A7037 CPAP Tubing (Every 3 months)
A7038 Disposable Filter (2 new filters every month)
A7039 Non-disposable Filters (1 new filter every 6 months)
A7030 Full Face Mask (Every 3 months)
A7029 Nasal Pillows (2 per month)
A7046 Humidifier Chamber (Every 6 months)
E0601 CPAP Generally, 3 to 5 years.)

This is not a complete list, check with your individual insurance company.
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