I'm Done. Cannot do this.

[palerider]

\
Sadly, I haven't done so well with the Neti Pot. It literally makes me vomit every time. I've tried it in the past for sinus/allergy issues. I will try again with the outlook that my body and mindset have changed and hope for the best though!

make sure you're holding your head right, kind of leaned over and tilted sideways, you shouldn't ever get any solution down your throat, just in one nostril and out the other, it shouldn't really even feel like you've got water in there, if it's got the right amount of salt and it's body temperature.

[JustTia]

If you try a pillow and are a suspected mouth breather, try really dropping the humidity and/ or temp - it can help clear your nose. Also Alkolol rinse contains alum which can help dry out your sinuses a bit.

how much kickback do you get each time you mention that?

do they mind you misspelling their product name?

Your deep, abiding affection for englandsf oozes forth each and every time you speak to him. So warm-fuzzy.

FTR, his rinsing suggestion doesn't always fall on deaf or annoyed ears. And it's a suggestion that many newbies might not have heard previously, that could in fact help them. I'm one who decided to give rinsing a try for awhile and see if it improves my experience.

[palerider]

Your deep, abiding affection for englandsf oozes forth each and every time you speak to him. So warm-fuzzy.

FTR, his rinsing suggestion doesn't always fall on deaf or annoyed ears. And it's a suggestion that many newbies might not have heard previously, that could in fact help them. I'm one who decided to give rinsing a try for awhile and see if it improves my experience.

(looks around to see if england is listening) it *shouldn't* fall on deaf ears... it's a good idea, in some cases, for some people, I hose out my face occasionally too.

I was just trying, i my lumbering, clumsy way, to get him to tone it down a little and not jump in suggesting that eveyrbody should spend all day washing out their face. there is medical literature that says doing it too often is counterproductive, but I agree that 'as needed' it can be a great help... don't tell him I said so, his head will swell and he might not be able to get through the doors in his house anymore!

[chunkyfrog]

Since most OTC cold/allergy remedies for children have been removed from the market,
due to their being ineffective, there is little left.
Many of these products are just as ineffective for adults, but they are allowed to be $$old, (I won't suggest why)
My niece has been rinsing since she was about 5--saved her a lot of misery and illness.
Any drug-free treatment beats the doped up alternative.
--and I have one, but have never used it.

[englandsf]

To the OP - I think Neti Pots suck too. I find the basic NeilMed squeeze bottle much better, the Sinugator quite good and a Waterpik with Sinus adapter just amazingly effective.

To my friend PR - you are right, I did get a little evangelical. I think our hatchet is buried to our mutual satisfaction. My pet issues (and areas of some limited expertise) are widening too. I hope I am adding more value and annoying fewer people.

[palerider]

To my friend PR - you are right, I did get a little evangelical. I think our hatchet is buried to our mutual satisfaction. My pet issues (and areas of some limited expertise) are widening too. I hope I am adding more value and annoying fewer people.

now if you'd just quit glowering at me from your avatar

[BuddhaCat]

To my friend PR - you are right, I did get a little evangelical. I think our hatchet is buried to our mutual satisfaction. My pet issues (and areas of some limited expertise) are widening too. I hope I am adding more value and annoying fewer people.

now if you'd just quit glowering at me from your avatar

Agreed, palerider -- englandsf has given me a ton of support and good ideas, but every time I look at his avatar, I feel like cowering.

[Denial Dave]

+1 WOW... I couldn't have said it any better!

It took me a while to stop listening to what worked for others and find the right mask for me.

It amuses me to hear people saying their mask/machine is the 'bomb' and they promote it like it's the only cure. Hey, I think that's great because when you boil it all down, everybody is different. What works for some folks is poison for others (hmmm, why does that sound like life in general?)

The tough part about all of this is that it takes some people a very long time to find their sweet spot... and of course some folks unfortunately drop by the wayside in frustration... IMO, being sleep deprived fogs the brain so badly that rational decisions are nearly impossible. Poor sleep is definitely a curse. Like I said earlier, it's all a snapshot of life in general.

[BuddhaCat]

Side sleeping tends to push the mask off. Has anyone had any luck with the special CPAP pillows? I currently have a tempurpedic pillow but I'm willing to try just about anything.

At the risk of being accused of shilling for the company ( ), I want to mention that my Bucky Duo pillow has been very helpful in stabilizing my neck while allowing me to carve out space for my mask.

[Zeecat]

Side sleeping tends to push the mask off. Has anyone had any luck with the special CPAP pillows? I currently have a tempurpedic pillow but I'm willing to try just about anything.

At the risk of being accused of shilling for the company ( ), I want to mention that my Bucky Duo pillow has been very helpful in stabilizing my neck while allowing me to carve out space for my mask.

I use the neck version heated or cooled to relieve spinal surgery scar tissue pain. Had not thought of using the pillow.

[chunkyfrog]

And I shall continue to remind people about our sponsor's mask insurance;
because without it, I would never have found my two "go-to" masks;
and we all know that the right mask is key to continued treatment.

[library lady]

Learn as much as you can, work with you Dr and DME.

Although I didn't care for my DME for several reasons, that seem to be fairly common in the industry, the ONE RIGHT thing she did was prescribe me a mask from the beginning that was perfect for me and my face. That being the Quattro Air FF mask.

Unfortunately in my case, not on this forum but a different sleep apnea one, someone said that FF masks should not be given to Mouth Breathers and I took that to heart. I figured she knew what she was talking about and after using it only 3-4 nights without success I followed the posters advice and used nasal mask for 2 full months. It was in this forum that a poster explained that what i had been told was wrong and why I did need the FF mask after all. ( I also thought i was keeping my mouth closed with the nasal mask and wasn't as it turned out)

The point being, sometimes they do actually get it right and in my case, being new and having a few issues to overcome before i could get this to work, I should have listened to the DME but i was overwhelmed with too much too quickly. Dry Mouth, Mouth Breathing, Stuffed Up Nose and everything else that comes to it.

What my DME said, and the reason she chose the Quattro Air was because i have an angular face. I do. I have a heart shaped one and high cheekbones. In my 20s in the music industry, I had a very androgynous look and was photographed about 5x for out cities Fashion magazine but in 3 of the 5 mention was again made of the similarities to Bowies androgynous style. (Not Today)

The DME was in my opinion, smart enough to know her business and recognized that I did in deed have an angular face. I suspect this Quattro Air is likely not given out to anyone with a moon shaped face or a round or perhaps even a square one. IF anyone here has such a shaped face and finds that the QUATTRO AIR works perfectly for them, then I would be interested in hearing if so. Either my DME was on to something for I hear so many stories of how people have to try mask after mask and a dozen more before hitting the right one yet mine was perfect from the beginning. So, I repeat, either she knows her stuff or, she was just giving me a stroke with all the angular stuff...........but if she is correct, than than that would suggest that most masks work best on one shaped face or another and perhaps the DMEs should be fully aware of which ones they do work best with.

Try asking your DME if she can recommend one for your particular shaped face.

In response to the above quoted blue sentence, Quattro Air fits my round face, and it is the first one given to me by my DME. Hated it at first, but once I got leaks and farts under control, I was able to sleep all night. I'm now using the AirFit F10, which has the same cushion. I'm not saying Shelagh's DME was wrong, just want to point out that it will fit other faces as no two faces are alike. Sometimes you just have to keep on trying masks and fit/comfort options until you find the right. I still wish I didn't have to wear a mask at all, but that's another story.

[englandsf]

Hey PR - neither you nor Cheetahcat should go see the Lego Movie, if my smiling avatar creeps you out!

[BuddhaCat]

Hey PR - neither you nor Cheetahcat should go see the Lego Movie, if my smiling avatar creeps you out!

I missed the Lego Movie -- definitely a bad move on my part!

[englandsf]

Sorry Buddhacat not CheetahCat - too small a screen and new glasses! You should see the Lego Movie, it is hilarious - and no-on in it looks like "me"!-)