[CPAP] Full Mask ResMed F10 Not Working

[sammiller]

Cards on the table: I'm a mouth-breather. I've done everything I can think of to stop that practice, and nothing works. The last thing is a chin strap and medical tape (to tape my lips shut). Tape works to some extent, but many times it doesn't hold. So, in trying to live with this problem, I can see that the full mask I use (the ResMed F10) is not as good as the nasal pillow (Aloha ALO100). See the attached pictures for proof. I included my O2 export also. The 1st set 11/27 is using the nasal pillow, the other 2 are the full mask. I was using the full mask because I got sick with stuffy and runny nose. 11/28 is the mask without chinstrap and tape, and 11/29 is with chinstrap and tape.
               

Well, apparently I can't add more than 4 attachments, so here they are. My point is that I can't keep my mouth closed while asleep, and the full mask simply doesn't work when mouth breathing. I cannot adjust the pressure, as the provider has locked it. My only recourse is to go back to the nasal pillow (with the chinstrap and tape).
The last 2 pics: https://imgur.com/a/PItnX
Does anyone have any suggestions for me about using the full mask?

[Walla Walla]

What I see is a lot of leaks with the full face mask. But more important I see a lot of clear airway events that isn't caused by a mask.

You said you were sick when you started using the full face mask and I'm guessing you took medication for it. A lot of medications can trigger clear airway events and just being sick also can cause more events.

I'd wait until you get better to see if the FFM works before tossing the full face mask.

[Melman]

I use the F10 and have leak problems if I don't use a soft cervical collar.Without the collar my jaw will often drop enough that my lip is at the lower seal. The soft cervical collar prevents that and is quite comfortable. The OTC collar available fro Amazon for around $10 has a good selection of sizes.

[sammiller]

What I see is a lot of leaks with the full face mask. But more important I see a lot of clear airway events that isn't caused by a mask.

You said you were sick when you started using the full face mask and I'm guessing you took medication for it. A lot of medications can trigger clear airway events and just being sick also can cause more events.

I'd wait until you get better to see if the FFM works before tossing the full face mask.

I don't know what you mean by "clear airway event." I don't see that anywhere. Are you talking about OA?

It is true that I am taking the antihistamine fexofenadine HCL, but I don't believe that is the cause of elevated AHI, because it happened before exactly the same when I tried the FFM. The problem is that even with a chin strap, my jaw falls back and down when relaxed during sleep. The mask will possibly leak then, although the data doesn't show large leaks. This happens almost no matter how tight I adjust the mask, even to being very uncomfortable. I simply do better with my mouth taped shut no matter what mask I am using, so I think it has to do with mouth breathing. I have a theory that the pressure will need to be adjusted significantly for the FFM because when my mouth is open, the pressure puffs out my cheeks, and I think that is dampening the pressure designed to open my throat, which is possibly the cause of increased OA events. It appears I do better overall with the nasal pillow, so I'm going back to that.