Dry mouth, humidifier settings, condensation, …

[alexander]

I realize that I’m struggling with dry mouth at night.

I usually have the tube temperature set to 20°C/68°F, and the humidity level set to 4. Tonight I tried 25°C/68°F and 6. I had lots of problems with condensation in the hose and the mask. What I would like to do is to have Climate Control set to Auto instead of Manual, and never think about it again. But I wonder if it will turn the temperature to about 27°C/80.6°F. I’m about confused how it works. I’m just wondering – is it possible to get used to a higher temperature, just like I’ve gotten used to a slightly higher pressure recently?

I might try Xylimelts if I can’t solve this by adjusting the humidifier settings. I’ve used Xylimelts with MAD before, and while I didn’t like it too much I had less problems with dry mouth.

If you have other suggestions then please share.

[Jas_williams]

Your dry mouth is. It due to humidity settings but more likely mouth breathing.

[alexander]

Your dry mouth is. It due to humidity settings but more likely mouth breathing.

That might be. I cannot control how I breathe when I sleep though. Should I then use humidifier settings that feel comfortable with, and rather use something like Xylimelts?

[Pugsy]

Condensation in the mask or hose is Physics in action.
Here's a news flash...even setting the hose to Auto instead of manual temp control doesn't always prevent condensation....all depends on how cool the bedroom is and how high the humidity setting is.
Been there and done that myself. It will try really hard in auto mode but there's no guarantee.....and yes, most likely it will want to give you a lot warmer air than you are used to. All depends on the bedroom air temp.

That warmer air may not feel so good now but this winter if you keep your house much cooler you may like it better.
If you keep your house on the cold side (like I keep my bedroom in the winter) then you get the joy of experiencing ice cube nose syndrome which isn't fun either. Been there and done that myself too.

I don't know if increasing the humidity level will resolve your dry mouth issues which are likely more related to simply mouth breathing than the humidity setting but it is worth trying. These humidifiers were designed to hydrate the nasal cavity and not the oral cavity which is much larger and sometimes they simply can't crank out enough moisture to cure dry mouth.
But again it is worth trying because for some lucky people increasing the humidity level will do the trick.

What hose temp is needed to prevent condensation is going to depend on your ambient bedroom temp coupled with the humidity setting. Remember Physics in action here and you can't really change physics. Cooler air simply can't hold the moisture that warmer air can hold and you are going to get condensation if you tip the scales and try to combine much cooler air and lots of moisture.

Try the auto temp thing first...see if it gets too warm too soon. Don't use the preheat feature if you are using it. That way the hose air temp will stay cooler a little longer and hopefully you will fall asleep before it gets very warm.

There are other things that can be done as well to help with condensation prevention if it is at the mask level or if your mask has a short unheated hose....hose cozies for short hoses as well as long hoses and yes...you can use a hose cozy on a heated hose if you want to.

[alexander]

Thanks for the help, Pugsy!

I have bought mouthwash for dry mouth, and I’ll in addition try Auto and see if I can adjust to that/it works without causing condensation.

[TropicalDiver]

That might be. I cannot control how I breathe when I sleep though. Should I then use humidifier settings that feel comfortable with, and rather use something like Xylimelts?

I had several challenges at the beginning of treatment: sore chest and dry mouth being the biggest.

Focusing on the dry mouth, this is what worked for me:
a) Eliminating mask leaks. I found the perfect mask and made it better by adding an anti-leak strap.
b) I used biotene spray right before bed -- it worked but I no longer need it.
c) Night guard. It saves the teeth -- and keeps my mouth moist.
d) Lots of humidity. For me, I start by cranking the hose temp up to the max setting. I then crank humidity level as much as possible before I get rain out. I also keep my unit about 8 inches below the level of the bed. If needed,I would add an insulating cover to the hose. I have come to enjoy the warm humid air.

[alexander]

Tried a night where I used mouthwash for dry mouth and had Climate Control set to Auto. So far it seems to work.

[katebrownell86]

I am glad to know the solutions for dry mouth. My CPAP machine has a mask leak alert. I also drink plenty of water to avoid the dry mouth issue.

[TropicalDiver]

I cannot control how I breathe when I sleep though.

Actually....

Some have used a chin strap to keep their mouth closed. Some tape their lips. Others use a soft cervical collar. A lucky few have trained their tongue to stay in a certain place. None of those were options I chose to pursue.

PS: Glad your problem seems to be improving!

[TANGO2020]

I have a ResMed Air Curve 10 it’s about a week old. The screen shows the temperature 81° the setting is manual. The water in the chamber is being using. I have the climate tubing. The chamber is not warm. The Humidity Level is set at 5 and the ramp time is 20. My old CPAP I could feel a warm air coming through the tube.