Two Questions...

I've been using my machine for a couple of weeks now, and am finding I feel much better. I'm astounded, really. But I have two questions...

When I've woken up in the night (thank you dogs) I don't feel like there is anything coming from my mask. I open my mouth and there really is, i just don't feel it. Im not sure of how my machine was set up (at my sleep doc's) nor have I had a chance to download sleepyhead and look at my data. Is it possible that it is changing pressure, or am I just used to it by that point and don't notice it?

Second, I'm prone to having sores in my nose (allergies!). Is there any suggestion on how to have this be less of an issue? In the past, I'd put some neosporin in my nose and that took care of most of it. Can I still do that with a CPAP?

Equine Mom wrote:Is it possible that it is changing pressure, or am I just used to it by that point and don't notice it?

Nothing is changing except your brain has just got used to the pressure. What feels like so much pressure at the beginning of the night the brain learns to accept and it becomes a nothing pressure in the middle of the night.
Quite common. People come here thinking their machine is not working right but it's just the brain/body getting used to the pressure.

Equine Mom wrote:Is there any suggestion on how to have this be less of an issue? In the past, I'd put some neosporin in my nose and that took care of most of it. Can I still do that with a CPAP?

You can still use Neosporin during the day but I wouldn't use it at night. It's a petroleum based product and it could affect the silicone. Probably a remote chance of doing much damage because you wouldn't be using very much but I would still avoid it at least at night.

What we normally suggest for people with nasal pillows to protect the nostrils is Lansinoh lanolin ointment/cream.
Found in the baby aisle of Walmart. Used by nursing mom's on the nipples so safe for baby and the nasal pillows...can't get much safer than that. Wonderful healing properties too. I would actually use it over Neosporin during the day if the nose gets a bit abraded unless you feel you are really on the verge of an infection and need the antibiotic properties to do some bug killing.

Your body gets used to the pressure that's normal. the air coming out your mouth could be a problem. Pressure is need to be trapped in your airway to hold it open. You need the software to find out how much you are leaking. Jim

Equine Mom wrote:I'm prone to having sores in my nose (allergies!).

Yes, you can use Lansinoh lanolin, but how about also seeing an ENT/Allergist? They have a lot of options these days for treating allergies.

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Equine Mom wrote:I'm prone to having sores in my nose (allergies!).

Yes, you can use Lansinoh lanolin, but how about also seeing an ENT/Allergist? They have a lot of options these days for treating allergies.

Sadly, this is better. I've done allergy treatment and, while they are much better now it's blooming season for my worst allergen.

Equine Mom wrote:it's blooming season for my worst allergen

Sorry. I'm also having a little irritation from pollen today.

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Equine Mom wrote:it's blooming season for my worst allergen

Sorry. I'm also having a little irritation from pollen today.

Very Good One! It's been raining here most of the day, blooming pollen still has me down... Jim

Goofproof wrote:

ChicagoGranny wrote:

Equine Mom wrote:it's blooming season for my worst allergen

Sorry. I'm also having a little irritation from pollen today.

Very Good One! It's been raining here most of the day, blooming pollen still has me down... Jim

Love this one! We have been in a huge rainy cycle, so you'd think that nothing could possibly bloom. But... no! Evidently the inches of water we've gotten over the last few days (I think we're at about 6 inches in the last week, but have had measurable rain for the last 14 days straight) is not helping.

I did do the sub-lingual treatment which helped immensely. The treatment is much quicker than with shots, I was able to do it at home instead of going in for shots and it worked well.

Some people ask their doc if a shot of kenalog will help.
It stifles some allergic reactions for an extended time.

chunkyfrog wrote:a shot of kenalog

Ouch. That stuff (triamcinolone acetonide is a steroid) makes me climb the walls.

Side effects of Kenalog-40 include:
...
sleep problems (insomnia)
...