water drops in nasal pillow

"Picture your worst sinus infection you have ever had...the headache...the toothache...the pressure...the congestion....the drainage and how bad you felt...that's what can happen when the nasal mucosa get dried out for those of us whose nasal mucosa need or want the added moisture. Do you really want that to happen to someone you gave advice to?"

From a one night test at lowered humidity? Does that happen?

englandsf wrote:From a one night test at lowered humidity? Does that happen?

Yes....setting of 1...but confirmed later about 5 times in past 5 years when some dumb ass forgets to fill her water chamber and uses it dry.
Used it one night woke up miserable. I even questioned it on the forum back then. Was about 3 months after that first time that I woke up with tank dry and exact same symptoms.
I also wondered the first time...fluke or coincidence or related to humidity.
I don't get colds or sinus infections or have allergy symptoms...I just don't have much of a problem in that area.
Last time was about a month ago. Forgot to add water. I normally use about 3/4 of a tank in one night.

Also confirmed when I was trying the battery pack on my PR S1 machine to see how long it would run with the humidifier on 1.
I did that last fall. Again..one night and I was miserable for 3 days and so so for 2 more until my nasal mucosa got back to normal.

So..no, not based on 1 single episode. It's been confirmed multiple times and I am not the only one. I am just very vocal about it.
I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy....well maybe a couple of them

So yes...one night can totally mess up the nasal mucosa. Will it always do it? Of course not, but the point is there's the potential and I just think people need to be aware of all pros and cons whenever possible.

I stand corrected - So, is a good plan to test differing humidity levels one night at a time but start at the top end? Kind of titrate your minimum comfort level? Looking for the level that does not increase congestion?

When I started, the humidity was set in the middle.
I could tell the difference with as little as a half setting.
I found my sweet spot in about 4 days.
When I got my first Climateline, I tried manual, and soon settled on auto, at a temperature I change with the seasons.

englandsf wrote:So, is a good plan to test differing humidity levels one night at a time but start at the top end? Kind of titrate your minimum comfort level? Looking for the level that does not increase congestion?

Actually I would suggest starting at more in the middle. Also it would sort of depend on which machine/hose combination I was using along with the ambient humidity in the bedroom (not necessarily the same as the outside) and maybe how well a hot steamy shower worked on my nasal mucosa.

Why is it important to you that people titrate to the minimum level? If a setting is comfortable why bother messing with it? We don't get extra points for using the minimum or maximum of anything. Why not titrate to the maximum level if you recommend titrating to minimum? What makes using the minimum humidity setting to prevent congestion more important than using the maximum humidity setting?

You know what I do? I use the automatic setting and only change the temp as needed. Year round...use the same automatic setting so that humidity level is consistent no matter what the ambient humidity happens to be.
Science 101...keep the variables to a minimum if you can. The body likes consistency and predictability.

There's a reason that the automatic humidity setting on the S9 is for 80% delivery...it's because that is what most cpap users do well with. It's set up for the masses. Yes, of course there are people who won't do well and fall outside the "masses" with it but most people will do very well with that setting.
I also do very well with the PR S1 60 series set to 3 for humidity which is 90%
What I don't do well with is the PR S1 without the heated hose and set in the new system one humidifier mode that uses minimal water. It's main job is to prevent rain out and not provide adequate moisture.

Now titrating to a lower humidity level that might prevent rain out....might be a good reason but since rain out can happen even when a humidifier is not used at all...it can be a bit difficult to figure out where that cut off line might be....if it even exists when the bulk of the problem is from moisture in our exhaled breath.

Pugsy wrote:

englandsf wrote:your minimum comfort level?

Why is it important to you that people titrate to the minimum level?

maybe englandsf was traumatized by humidity as a child...

I notice he says 'minimum comfort level', not 'minimum humidity for comfort'...

maybe that's a freudian slip as to his real motives here? reducing people's comfort?

palerider wrote:maybe that's a freudian slip as to his real motives here? reducing people's comfort?

Maybe a victim of some water boarding at some time?

The thing is he has used more than one "thing" to get his congestion and humidity levels to where his nasal mucosa are happy.
He used some intense nasal rinsing and some fairly intense meds to get the nasal mucosa opened up.
I think still uses night time rinses or washes or whatever they are called.
He's done more than just making an adjustment on the humidifier...so again Science 101....which was it that produced the desired results.

Hell, maybe if I did a nasal rinse every night it would add enough moisture into my nasal membranes that I wouldn't need so much moisture from the humidifier. I don't want to do that though. The netipot thing is NOT on my bucket list. Tried it a couple of times...hated, hated it. I see no need to do something I hate when what I am doing (or not doing) works well for me.

I have zero problems with someone advising a reduction in the humidity setting as a potential fix for congestion or rain out.
What I have a problem with is putting that advice out there in a manner that makes it sound like it fixes the problem 100% of the time for 100% of the population and that's just not true. Everything with CPAP comes with a BIG YMMV sticker and that's especially true with humidity preferences.

It's human nature for us to want to suggest what works for us...I do it myself but I always try to include the other side of the coin when it's appropriate.

I admit my tolerance for excess water may not be shared by everyone (maybe a frog thing?)
--but we all need to find our best possible comfort level, in order to sleep.
I meet a sand lizard years ago who never drank water--got all his h20 from the bugs he et.

chunkyfrog wrote:I admit my tolerance for excess water may not be shared by everyone (maybe a frog thing?)
--but we all need to find our best possible comfort level, in order to sleep.
I meet a sand lizard years ago who never drank water--got all his h20 from the bugs he et.

was his name englandsf?