"please keep me updated about oximeters "
Sleep Apnea Forum Bringing Power to the Patient
New? Free Sign Up
Then check our Welcome Center to a Community Caring about Sleep Apnea diagnosis and Sleep Apnea treatment:
CPAP machines, Sleep Apnea surgery and dental appliances.
CPAP Supplies
Latest Activity
Dry Mouth
Hi All
This is my first post - I've been on my CPAP for about a year and was diagnosed with moderate-severe sleep apnea
Lately I have awoken with a very dry mouth - I have a resmed CPAP with a heated humidifier
Any ideas on what I can do to avoid the dry mouth issue?
Thanks
Chris
This is my first post - I've been on my CPAP for about a year and was diagnosed with moderate-severe sleep apnea
Lately I have awoken with a very dry mouth - I have a resmed CPAP with a heated humidifier
Any ideas on what I can do to avoid the dry mouth issue?
Thanks
Chris
Views: 2243
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
-
There are special toothpastes and mouthwashes- Biotene being one brand- that you can try that ware made for dry mouths.
They may help. Do you wear a nasal or a FFM?
-
Permalink Reply by Chris Van Groningen on
-
I use a nasal mask - They told me to keep it on 2 - If I go higher, then the humidity is higher - correct?
-
-
I'll check when I get home & report back
Thanks for the advice!
-
Permalink Reply by Peggy B. on
-
Sounds like you need to raise it up to at least 3. Some nights I have to raise mine up to 4.
-
-
Hi Chris, I also have moderate to severe sleep apnea and I'm using the Resmed S9 CPAP machine with heated humidifier. My sore throat and stuffy nose got so bad that I had to get some medicine and I called the Resmed salesman for help. He said the problem was the machine's setting.so he adjusted the humidity level to 2.5. He said I could go as high as 3. By the way, I live in Taiwan where the air is very humid and hot. Since then, I've been feeling a lot better. Hope this helps, Kim
-
Permalink Reply by Karen Moore www.padacheek.com on
-
Hello Chris,
I would say from my experience with this issue that you are leaking air out of your mouth somehow. Do you have a partner that can listen for you while you are sleeping if it is not waking you up?
Keeping your lips closed when you use a nasal mask is important. If you have congestions from allergies or a cold, you may open your mouth when you sleep causing the air to escape and not treat your sleep apnea.
I am not a doctor, this is just my opinion. I hope this helps in some way.
Karen
-
Permalink Reply by Ron Cheney on
-
Chris check out this link, it covers dry mouth and open mouth. I jumped into it towards the end but this is what I wrote before:
http://www.sleepguide.com/forum/topics/how-do-you-keep-your-mouth?x...
I've been on CPAP/BIPAP for two and a half years now and I had a heck of a time with my mouth leaking. I started out with a nose mask and CPAP and my mouth would leak like a cive. Tried the chin strap and that helped for a while but eventually the mouth would open. Started using Painters tape (the blue stuff) and that worked well but eventually the tape would get a little moist and it too would start to leak. I then tried a full face mast and that worked much better but I would still try to breath through my mouth. The pressure would be ok and the CPAP therapy would be good but my mouth would be very very dry in the morning, started taping again. The combination of tape, full face mask worked well. I went to my doctor for a two year check and told him about the problem, he said that with the high pressure (I have a 12) that it would be hard to keep my mouth closed. We set up an other sleep study but this time using the ResMed Swift FX nasal Pillows and an Auto BiPAP system. WOW what a difference. With the reduced pressure (higher pressure only when I needed it) and the nasal pillows I slept the hole night with no leaks and no tape. When I used the full face mask eventually I would turn the wrong way and I would get a leak on the side or top. With the nasal pillows this does not happen. I've had the BIPAP auto and nasal pillow for about 6 months now and I am very happy with it
-
-
Thanks for all of the great suggestions/ideas folks - my wife mentioned the other day that she could still hear me snoring sometimes with the nasal pillows.
I have another sleep study coming up and my Doctor (Vivian Abad) mentioned that she thought I might need a auto BIPAP machine -
By the way she adjusted my pressure from 6 to 11, which is where I am currently at.
Thanks again - I'll report back once I have the results!
-
Permalink Reply by Virginia Smith on
-
I have had the same problem I don't sleep with my mouth open and my mask doesn't leak. What I found is happening is that my tongue does not move for long periods of time which doesn't activate the salivary glands under the tongue making it very dry. Once I move my tongue around to stimulate the salivary glands everything is fine. What I have done to compensate is to increase the humidity to level 4 and sometimes 5.
-
-
Many patients who are using nasalpap fail to maintain a good lip seal- this may lead to dry mouth and snoring- you may consider a custom made mandibular advancement appliance- the appliance will maintain a lip-seal and eliminate most if not all snoring...
-
-
A dry mouth can be something caused by the CPAP or just the way you are or meds you are on. As suggested below there are special toothpastes and mouthwashes which can help with this problem. In addition, are you wearing a full face mask or a nasal mask? If you are wearing a full face mask it's possible you are having leaks, and if you wear a nasal mask it's possible your mouth is opening. I would talk to the RT where you got the equipment from and see if he/she can help.
Jennifer
-
-
Banyon once gave a novel approach to the dry mouth problem, and I hope he will correct me if I have this wrong. He uses the Biotene Gel, placing a dollop on the tip of his tongue and transferring it to the roof of his mouth behind his front teeth where he leaves it undisturbed to work its magic during the night. As I understood it the trick is in transferring the biotene to the area behind the front teeth and leaving the gel undisturbed to dissolve during the night.
Virginia Smith said:I have had the same problem I don't sleep with my mouth open and my mask doesn't leak. What I found is happening is that my tongue does not move for long periods of time which doesn't activate the salivary glands under the tongue making it very dry. Once I move my tongue around to stimulate the salivary glands everything is fine. What I have done to compensate is to increase the humidity to level 4 and sometimes 5.
© 2025 Created by The SleepGuide Crew.
Powered by
