Full Face Mask AND Taping Mouth Shut?

davidavaughan · Post by **davidavaughan** » Tue May 08, 2018 12:45 pm

Hello,

I have been an on and off CPAP user for about 8 months. I was into a pretty good rhythm and noticed my weight went from 250 to 218 lbs and I was feeling really good and wondered if my apnea might be cured. The woman at the DME company said, instead of having another sleep test, I could set the CPAP to the lowest setting (I think it was 4) and see what my events were per hour. She said if they were less than 5 per hour then I should be good to go and not need the CPAP any longer. So I did just that and wended up at about 4 events per hour. After that, I stopped using the CPAP and all was good for a while.

However, after about 4 months, I put some weight back on and am now back up to about 230 and my apnea is back, so I have been using my CPAP again.

Here is my issue...I like the nasal pillows but my mouth pops open and the air rushes out. Not good. I also tape my mouth shut (to keep my mouth closed) but then my cheeks fill with air and then I swallow a bunch of air, and end up with serious gas pains and mega belching in the middle of the night. I have also tried a full face mask, but I don't find it as comfortable as the nasal pillows. And I actually seem to swallow air with the full face mask.

So here's my question...has anyone had this type of situation and have you used a full face mask AND taped your mouth shut with success?

Any other ideas?

Thanks so much,
David

zoocrewphoto · Post by **zoocrewphoto** » Tue May 08, 2018 5:41 pm

What is the point of using a full face mask if you intend to tape your mouth shut? The purpose of a full face mask is to allow you to breathe through your mouth.

Have you consider trying a cervical collar to keep your mouth from hanging open? It could still be open with airflow through it, but less likely to flap your cheeks. I breathe through my mouth all night long. The only time I have a problem with flapping cheeks is when I roll onto my back, and the pressure goes up. Once I roll back onto my side, the problem is over.

Barb (Seattle) · Post by **Barb (Seattle)** » Tue May 08, 2018 8:54 pm

I don't know why this happens, but I'm glad it does. If I use a nasal mask, my mouth pops open, air rushes and I can't sleep.the minute I put on a full face mask....my mouth is closed. I have always wondered why. I am not a mouth breather during the day (unless I have a cold)
why would I be such a mouth breather with the nasal mask? and, my husband. He mouth breathes during the day....mouth always open. Without CPAP snored like a chain saw. He has nasal pillows and mouth is closed all night long. Never mouth breathes. it's a mystery to me.

but, anyway no.I wouldn't tape it with a full face mask.

BTS · Post by **BTS** » Tue May 08, 2018 9:03 pm

davidavaughan wrote: ↑
Tue May 08, 2018 12:45 pm
So here's my question...has anyone had this type of situation and have you used a full face mask AND taped your mouth shut with success?

Success?!? Kinda beats the purpose of a FFM

TedVPAP · Post by **TedVPAP** » Tue May 08, 2018 9:32 pm

davidavaughan wrote: ↑
Tue May 08, 2018 12:45 pm
Hello,

I have been an on and off CPAP user for about 8 months. I was into a pretty good rhythm and noticed my weight went from 250 to 218 lbs and I was feeling really good and wondered if my apnea might be cured. The woman at the DME company said, instead of having another sleep test, I could set the CPAP to the lowest setting (I think it was 4) and see what my events were per hour. She said if they were less than 5 per hour then I should be good to go and not need the CPAP any longer. So I did just that and wended up at about 4 events per hour. After that, I stopped using the CPAP and all was good for a while.

However, after about 4 months, I put some weight back on and am now back up to about 230 and my apnea is back, so I have been using my CPAP again.

Here is my issue...I like the nasal pillows but my mouth pops open and the air rushes out. Not good. I also tape my mouth shut (to keep my mouth closed) but then my cheeks fill with air and then I swallow a bunch of air, and end up with serious gas pains and mega belching in the middle of the night. I have also tried a full face mask, but I don't find it as comfortable as the nasal pillows. And I actually seem to swallow air with the full face mask.

So here's my question...has anyone had this type of situation and have you used a full face mask AND taped your mouth shut with success?

Any other ideas?

Thanks so much,
David

I have not.
It is not clear to me that taping your mouth will help prevent swallowing air. Maybe.
I love using nasal pillows so I use the chin strap listed below to solve my mouth leaking problem.

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Wed May 09, 2018 1:45 am

David, I have a friend on CPAP who uses a full face mask and tapes her mouth. Though it sounds to me like the worst of both worlds

she says she does it because even with a full face mask, if her mouth falls open during the night she will wake up in the morning with a very dry mouth.

nicholasjh1 · Post by **nicholasjh1** » Wed May 09, 2018 2:06 pm

I've done it as well. it prevents pressure differential by full face mask, then with the tape prevents air being forced into the mouth. with Nasal only I'd have outward mouth leak, with ffm only I'd have inward mouth leak (at least with certain masks, not dreamwear). So I can understand doing it. I think it's pretty funny that others criticized the idea with aboslutly no knowledge of why you would do it.

BTS · Post by **BTS** » Wed May 09, 2018 2:47 pm

nicholasjh1 wrote: ↑
Wed May 09, 2018 2:06 pm
I think it's pretty funny that others criticized the idea with aboslutly no knowledge of why you would do it.

I get why you are doing it but if you're taping your mouth there is NO reason to be using a FFM ..

kaiasgram · Post by **kaiasgram** » Wed May 09, 2018 2:58 pm

BTS wrote: ↑
Wed May 09, 2018 2:47 pm

nicholasjh1 wrote: ↑
Wed May 09, 2018 2:06 pm
I think it's pretty funny that others criticized the idea with aboslutly no knowledge of why you would do it.
I get why you are doing it but if you're taping your mouth there is NO reason to be using a FFM ..

That’s how I feel too, but I convinced my friend a while back to try a nasal pillow mask, and she HATED it and went back to her full face mask with tape. To each his own

yrnkrn · Post by **yrnkrn** » Thu May 10, 2018 2:37 pm

Barb (Seattle) wrote: ↑
Tue May 08, 2018 8:54 pm
I don't know why this happens, but I'm glad it does. If I use a nasal mask, my mouth pops open, air rushes and I can't sleep.the minute I put on a full face mask....my mouth is closed. I have always wondered why. I am not a mouth breather during the day (unless I have a cold)
why would I be such a mouth breather with the nasal mask?

With a nasal mask, the pressure can get into your mouth as well. Then your mouth is higher pressured than the outside and the pressure differential pushes your mouth open to get out.
With a full face mask, even when your mouth gets pressured the outside is also pressured, no pressure differential and so no air out.

tuzacat · Post by **tuzacat** » Thu May 10, 2018 2:52 pm

I'm currently using the Dreamwear full face mask and I put about an inch of tape on the middle of my lips. This keeps my lips closed even when my jaw drops and helps with dry mouth which has been severe lately. As much as I'd like to just use pillow or cushions I have found at the pressures I'm using I have major chipmunk cheeks which will wake me up. For some reason the full face masks I've used have hit my face in just the right way so I don't have that issue.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Thu May 10, 2018 2:54 pm

davidavaughan wrote: ↑
Tue May 08, 2018 12:45 pm
. . . The woman at the DME company said, instead of having another sleep test, I could set the CPAP to the lowest setting (I think it was 4) and see what my events were per hour. She said if they were less than 5 per hour then I should be good to go and not need the CPAP any longer. . . .

I hope you properly thanked this MORON for her STUPID advice!
And reported her for giving medical advice, since she is not a DOCTOR.
(We now know that some therapy is possible at 4 cm., meaning that test
is marginal for unofficially screening someone not yet diagnosed)

moreorless · Post by **moreorless** » Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:32 pm

TedVPAP wrote: ↑
Tue May 08, 2018 9:32 pm

davidavaughan wrote: ↑
Tue May 08, 2018 12:45 pm
Hello,

I have been an on and off CPAP user for about 8 months. I was into a pretty good rhythm and noticed my weight went from 250 to 218 lbs and I was feeling really good and wondered if my apnea might be cured. The woman at the DME company said, instead of having another sleep test, I could set the CPAP to the lowest setting (I think it was 4) and see what my events were per hour. She said if they were less than 5 per hour then I should be good to go and not need the CPAP any longer. So I did just that and wended up at about 4 events per hour. After that, I stopped using the CPAP and all was good for a while.

However, after about 4 months, I put some weight back on and am now back up to about 230 and my apnea is back, so I have been using my CPAP again.

Here is my issue...I like the nasal pillows but my mouth pops open and the air rushes out. Not good. I also tape my mouth shut (to keep my mouth closed) but then my cheeks fill with air and then I swallow a bunch of air, and end up with serious gas pains and mega belching in the middle of the night. I have also tried a full face mask, but I don't find it as comfortable as the nasal pillows. And I actually seem to swallow air with the full face mask.

So here's my question...has anyone had this type of situation and have you used a full face mask AND taped your mouth shut with success?

Any other ideas?

Thanks so much,
David
I have not.
It is not clear to me that taping your mouth will help prevent swallowing air. Maybe.
I love using nasal pillows so I use the chin strap listed below to solve my mouth leaking problem.

yes can me swallowing air cause this gas pain and belching and one more question can i as a person using full face mask should consider using a nasal mask to avoid swallowing air, or can u swallow air with only a full face mask only and not swallow air with a nasal mask. this is exactly what might be happening. air swallowing?

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:37 pm

moreorless wrote: ↑
Sun Jun 24, 2018 7:32 pm
yes can me swallowing air cause this gas pain and belching and one more question can i as a person using full face mask should consider using a nasal mask to avoid swallowing air, or can u swallow air with only a full face mask only and not swallow air with a nasal mask. this is exactly what might be happening. air swallowing?

Sometimes it has nothing to do with actually swallowing the air via the mouth.
Sometimes it has to do with a weak LES ..Lower Esophageal Sphincter...allowing the air in the esophagus to sneak into the stomach and cause all sorts of problems.
It can happen with a nasal mask just as easily as with a full face mask if the LES can't keep the door closed.

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