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Sleep Apnoea Forum Bringing Help + Support to the Patient
New APAP user, dry mouth
Hi everyone. I am new here and have recently been diagnosed with Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. I have an APAP machine and a full mask which covers my nose and mouth (I breathe through my mouth). I'm just a few days in and I am really struggling, I believe from what I've read online I'm unlikely to see any difference straight away...which is contrary to what others have told me, I don't think hyping it up as helped much as I've just ended up being severely disappointed.
My main problem is that I'm getting a really dry mouth, even before I go to sleep (which is taking me over 30 mins at the moment) but increasingly so during the night. Does anyone else have this problem and any tips/remedies? At the moment I'm having to take the mask off in order to have a drink, I'm thinking that if I get a straw I can at least have a drink without taking the mask off, but it only resolves the discomfort temporarily. Many thanks for your advice.
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Barbara Hart on
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Hi Sharon, yes I agree too much hype leading to high expectations, I have just settled down to good therapy after a few months, we are generally going many years undiagnosed, so I think it takes some time for our bodies to catch up when we are getting good sleep.
I initially, like many others, had very dry mouth and nose, I phoned my clinic and she told me to go to pick up a humidifier, which instantly solved my problem, so this may be what you need to help.
Just hang in there, and don't let teething problems put you off, you will soon be reaping the benefit of cpap.
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Permalink Reply by DeeNJai on
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At the last SATA conference one of the suggestions was have a drink through a straw so that you dont have take the mask off. Like the last posters say ring on Tuesday and ask for humidifer as it should help. The other suggestion was put a damp cloth under the machine and that might help in the mean time.
Dee
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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on
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Hi Sharon and welcome to the forum. Like the others have said, getting a humidifier should greatly help with the problem and it's a pity people don't always get them automatically supplied with their CPAP, because it's one of the most needed parts of the therapy. Even people who don't need a humidifier all the time would still benefit from one for certain times of the year (depending on humidity) and for times when they get a cold. Definitely ring the clinic to ask for one.
I too was waiting for the magic 'fix' we read about and which does happen for some people, but I can promise you it doesn't happen for most of us. In fact I wrote a brief account of my own disappointment on the main website http://www.hope2sleep.co.uk/page/my-story
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Permalink Reply by Sharon Davies on
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Thank you all so much for your help. I've got a review next week so I'm just going to hang on until then and ask about a humidifier.
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When I was at Sleep Unit the other day I had chance to speak to quite a few new people about living with using CPAP and told them that just try and get use to the mask if need be use the mask they have been given when watching telly and if they have any problems dont be scared about contacting the unit and also that there is a good forum called hope2sleep and that they should also order the book about CPAP and its secerts as it would help in the early days of getting using the machine. I had nearly 3 1/2 hours to talk to the people because of transport. I hope that you appointment goes well next week please do tell them how you are feeling about the treatment and ask for the humidifier. Good Luck!
Dee
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That's great work you did Dee to help others, and is usually other sufferers who give the best advice. Sadly, Marion who wrote the 'CPAP & Ventilator Secrets' passed away 2 weeks ago, but I am sure her work will live in through her books.
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Permalink Reply by David Anthony Burnley on
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Due to my diabetes or hypothyroid I get a dry mouth particularly at night and have used Boots Expert Dental Dry mouth spray and costs about £1.20 for a 50ml spray bottle. It lasts me about three months (I use it every night). I did get a machine with a humidifier but still had dry mouth problems initially
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That's good to know David for others who struggle with dry mouth. Another product I've heard people use is Biotene.
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the dry mouth is caused by snoring
maybe a chinstrap may help
when you snore your mouth is opened and the use of a chinstrap helps avoid that situation
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Thank you all. Sorry for not replying sooner. I had my review and was given a CPAP and dehumidifier, which has resolved the dryness issue. I also got a smaller mask but unfortunately I'm still struggling in this dept (one pushes into my eye sockets, the other squashes my nose) and subsequently haven't really been using it *slaps wrist*. I know I must persevere with it...
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Hope you can soon find a comfortable mask Sharon to treat your sleep apnoea (this was my problem in the beginning). My sleep consultant has a saying "you have to kiss many frogs until you find your prince" and this was certainly true for my. Have a look at the article I wrote on masks to see if it helps http://www.sleepapnoeablog.com/choosing-a-cpap-bipap-masks-for-slee... There are some new masks out since I wrote it, and the newest one here to the UK is the Nuance Nasal Pillows one.
Sharon Davies said:Thank you all. Sorry for not replying sooner. I had my review and was given a CPAP and dehumidifier, which has resolved the dryness issue. I also got a smaller mask but unfortunately I'm still struggling in this dept (one pushes into my eye sockets, the other squashes my nose) and subsequently haven't really been using it *slaps wrist*. I know I must persevere with it...
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