Mouth Taping? [as sole treatment]

[HalfAsleep]

Mogy...  I certainly understand how taping would be easier and more comfortable than the chin strap wrapped tightly on your head. Although with Bonjour's explanation of the cervical collar, I like the fact that it can keep the airway open along with keep the mouth closed.  I'm doing some reading about these collars. Bonjour...  I have tried Biotene in the past and it really didn't do much for my dry mouth.  I've now slept 3 consecutive nights straight thru till morning without awaking for a bathroom run as a result of the tape. I'll continue this for now.

I think you’re entirely missing the most important lesson in the posts above. I recommend that you read them again CLOSELY. People have taken the time to respond to you so as to be helpful. They are experienced with apnea. They are almost begging you to pay attention.

It’s entirely possible that you didn’t hear the sleep doctor’s instructions in toto. I would suggest that you schedule another appointment to verify his/her position and LISTEN carefully. To ALL of it. Sometimes docs and other folks tell us things we don’t want to hear.

Apnea is not a “fix it and forget it” problem. No amount of sealing the mouth closed will fix it. It’s a lifetime health issue.

[William DeMarco]

Caution when taping!

It is easy to inhale any acid (reflux) which can lead to sinus, throat, lung problems including aspiration pneumonia.
Be alert to any "silent reflux" symptoms. 

[PasadenaTom]

I started on APAP in June, and switched to ASV in September because I have mixed apnea.  I am a nose breather.  But air escaping my mouth has always been an issue.  I got some improvement when I added a chinstrap (Respironics Premium), thought that never seemed to fit right.  I switched to a ruby red chinstrap, and that seemed a bit better.  But I still had mouth leaks ("lip flutter", as some have called it).  

I did not try taping. But I tried some other approaches.  

The "boil and bite" mouthguard didn't work.  Maybe it would for some people.  But for me, the guard doesn't go that far back in my mouth.  So air just went around it.  

Some website suggested denture adhesive. That didn't work.  It just left a sticky residue on my lips that was a pain to clean.  

I thought that the Ultimate chinstrap by Russ MacMillan might work for me.  But it's not cheap. And after buying two chin straps, a mouth guard, and denture adhesive already, I didn't want to spend that much on something that might not do much more.

So i tried to make something that was similar.  I put a soft sock over my mouth, secured by putting it underneath the chinstrap bands, and also using a little athletic tape.  That worked fairly well.  I've since replaced the sock with a couple of cloth hair bands.    I don't have the leaks I once had.  Interestingly, my AHI was zero for 6 of the last 9 nights.  Since I never tried taping, I can't say whether it would really bother me.  But I do like the fact that my mouth is not so solidly shut.  Of course, that means I have a whole lot of stuff on my head.  But I am able to sleep with it.