Severe dry mouth using Bipap

[joelc]

I have recently started using a bipap at night and continue to experience an extremely dry mouth.
I wake up several times each night with my mouth so dry I have trouble opening it and have to get up for a drink of water. The humidifier is set at 4/5 and is working properly, it goes through a lot of water.

Has anyone else experienced this? Can anyone suggest a solution?

[Al]

Hi joel. I use a lidded hospital type water cup with a straw to poke under the mask and then at least I don't have to get up and take the mask and stuff off. Got the cup at a drug store. I'm assuming the 4/5 is the heater setting on the humidifier? That should be pretty wet. I use mine at 2/3 and get drips in the mask some nights. Your ambient humidity could be lower in your house though.
AL.

[joelc]

Thanks Al,

The water cup idea sounds like a good idea.

To my knowledge, my wife confirms, I don't snore and I sleep with my mouth closed. If I breathed through my mouth I don't think this problem would happen because of the high humidifier setting.??

My setting are; IPAP=12, EPAP=6, %IPAP=30%, and it is set on SPONTANEOUS.

I started out with a humidifier heater setting of 2, and then 3, and now 4 in hopes of solving this problem. The relative humidity in our house is between 30% & 35%.

Thanks for you feedback.

[lunarruna]

Hi Joel....What kind of Bipap mask do you use? ....maybe that could make a difference. Are you using a full face mask? If you dont sleep with your mouth open you could use nasal pillows or a nose mask and maybe that would help. My husband Shannon loves his nasal pillow mask and wears it 24/7. Every so often ( 1/week) his mouth drops open at night and the alarm goes off on the Bipap..but very minor problem.
Anyway, just a thought to try...

I did a great road trip around Slocan Lake area and soaked in some wonderful wild hot springs back in 1983..lovely country!
Cheers, Beth

[joelc]

Thank you everyone,
I am not taking any drugs at all, except Ibuprofen, use a full face mask and breathe through my nose, my mouth does not open. At least I don't think so. I am going to try using a nasal mask and see how it works for me. Even though I am getting used to the full face mask I would rather have my mouth free - I can't tell my wife how much I love her this way!

[nspoc]

Hi Joel My friend with ALS also gets very dry mouth. Her preferred remedy is the closed cup with a straw - but she does sip this frequently at night.

Another good thing to try is OASYS - an artificial saliva product. It lubricates the mouth and lasts for a number of hours. Available in small spray bottles at any drug store. Since her fingers don't work well - I do the spraying - 2 sprays and she is good for a few hours. Biggest benefit - less chance of choking.

I know there is more than one product out there - don't know the name of the other one. Aks the pharmacist.

Pleasant tasting mildly minty.

Hope this helps. Beth

[Jane]

Hello Joel. We found a product called MistR to be very helpful in relieveing dry mouth.

It was "over the counter" and came in a spray bottle.

Hope you get some help for this problem

Jane

[Marjorie R. Wilcox]

You are probably breathing with your mouth open while using the bipap, so get a chin strap to make you breathe through your nose. The bipap will be much more effective then too. M