Newbie sore throat, stuffed-up ears & sinuses

[Islandwoman]

sleepstar, my machine is set on C-flex 3. I have no issue with exhale. Vertigo is from recent sinus/ear infection.

[sleepstar]

Cflex can sometimes help with those "head" feelings. Is your machine on autoset? Do you know what pressure it's going up to? Maybe you aren't able to tolerate the pressure if it's "too high" which might aggravate those symptoms.

[Islandwoman]

Pressure is set at 6 and for now I am stuck with that. I don't think CPAP is a cause. I use it, by adjusting humidity and temperature to treat congestion due to infection or allergies. So far so good, always a little better in the morning.
I occasionally have issues with inhaling and feel I need more air(rare). My machine was originally set on 5 which was way too low. That is how I moved to 6. At next appointment I will try to convince a switch to apap probably 6 to 9. I can be persuasive or do it myself and He won't find out for a long time. I like him but he is resistant to patient input. He was very unhappy when I moved from 5 to six on my own but agreed. My machine belongs to my insurance until December and I have a yearly review next month.

[Clammy]

Do you have epr?

I don't think so -- EPR™ (expiratory pressure relief) -- I just read ResMed's description, and I don't really understand it.

So I used the stupid full-face mask (plus chin strap) last night, and was less congested this morning. But I also think I woke up more often, not sure why.
Throat still extremely sore & swollen from the night before with the nasal pillows.

If I do have to use the full-face mask, at least my cat seems less scared of me with that than she does when I wear the nasal-only mask.

It sucks to dread bedtime.

[Wulfman...]

Do you have epr?

Not with a Philips/Respironics machine. It's the "Flex" options.


Den

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[palerider]

Do you have epr?

I don't think so -- EPR™ (expiratory pressure relief) -- I just read ResMed's description, and I don't really understand it.

EPR is a resmed only thing, it's a low level bi-level feature, plain and simple.

[Pugsy]

who else would rather die a thousand deaths than use a full face mask

Me for one.

At least we won't be alone..there's a few of us.
Actually there's more than just a few but most are not nearly as vocal as I am ...big mouth and all.
My issues are the lower back straps needed for full face masks (and a good number of nasal cushion masks) and my neck.
There's the Oracle but no way could I ever use that. If I can't breathe through my nose I wouldn't sleep..plain and simple.
At least since God let me get OSA he at least lets me breathe easily through my nose so I don't have to struggle with a full face mask. So far with the few colds that I have had in the past 5 plus years on cpap, it really hasn't been an issue getting my nose opened up enough to use my nasal pillows. Plus once I get the air moving through the mask the humidity actually helps reduce the congestion even more...by morning I am breathing better than when I went to bed.

The "die a thousand deaths" thing was from a long time ago and another cpap veteran mentioned that she understood how I felt and she also found out that she could manage with out a full face mask...and when she told me "I didn't die a thousand deaths" and it sort of stuck. It didn't originate with me.

I have used a full face mask though...one night. Way early in my therapy.
And not long ago I actually tried the "mask of last resort"...the Respironics Fitlife total face mask. It came in a box of donated masks and was a size small so I decided to try it. I got it to seal for 5 seconds and after that never could get it to seal to remotely try sleeping with it. I bow down before those people able to successfully use that mask.
I wanted to try it just to feel what it was like having the air blow all over my face and eyes. That part, to my surprise, really wasn't a big deal at all.

[sleepstar]

Do you have epr?

Not with a Philips/Respironics machine. It's the "Flex" options.


Den

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Yeah I know sorry; I can't see machine details on tapatalk

[jencat824]

who else would rather die a thousand deaths than use a full face mask

Me for one. The option of covering all breathing orifices terrifies me(fight or flight reflex) so I find a way. I was recently in the same situation. Nose, ears an throat. I turned the humidifier from three to two and my heated hose varies between one and two now. Doctor prescribed higher heat to start but I adjust by health and weather. Definitely cooler with congestion, helped a lot, also nightly nasal rinse. Recently using Simply Saline spray because of vertigo when I tilt my head and change position.
When it is really cold I turn the hose(fleece covered) up and use it as an undercover heater.

Me too - I cannot tolerate a full face mask. Just absolutely cannot. I've never had trouble using a nasal or nasal pillow mask when I have congestion from a cold or allergies. I use the nasal rinse nightly now, but even before I found that great tool, I used saline spray. I cannot last more than a few minutes with a FFM. Call me chicken, but I can't get past the pressure it created in my ears & the claustrophobia. Using a FFM is just not a part of my world. For serious congestion I use Vicks Vapor Rub on a cotton ball behind the air intake OR Pur-Sleep Sinus Blaster Aromatherapy. If I'm totally stopped up I use Vicks Nasal Inhaler. The Vicks Inhaler is addictive & causes the 'rebound effect' so that's my weapon of last resort. When I started CPAP 14 years ago FFM's were just being introduced to the market & my then DME said they would never catch on. That DME has been out of business for several years.

My hubby is just the opposite, he cannot breathe thru his nose at all so he started with a FFM & does just fine with his F10.

Individual preferences - that's why we have (& need) so many options in masks & machine heat/humidity functions. Each of us is unique, just some of us more than others.

Jen