Cpap vs Asthma the challenge

I have asthma and it gets especially bad in the spring with seasonal allergies that typically turn into bronchitis annually. I also have asthma in winter from cold temps. I live near Seattle which is pretty humid and nice for breathing but using the cpap tends to make me wake up feeling a tad more asthmatic in the mornings. I have been fighting using it versus not b/c of this and it seems a choice between having asthma symptoms , sore face and a few wake ups from various probs like mask air leaking or if I have a better fit that night, then condensation. I have tightened the mask for air leaks occasionally, replaced the mask and tried different positioning while sleeping. It sometimes pushes into the pillow causing pain on my cheek or pulling of the straps if I lay on my side which is most comfortable.I then get better sleep occasionally which I find very wonderful but the times I’ve been successful and not woken up with tight feeling chest from asthma reaction or various other problems or bailed on the CPAP entirely have been numerous. I really want to be more successful and yet it seems like these probs with tight chest from asthma from the pressure into my lungs and bronchial tubes and then the various small probs is making me unsuccessful or “non compliant” as they might deem me. I want to be compliant and successful and have used the CPAP on and off for years with many adjustments. I have a hose cover which helped the condensation immensely. I have replaced masks to fix air leaks (but still have occasional leaks around eyes and don’t want to tighten the straps to the point that i have a GIANT indent in the center of my forehead. I’m on the profile lite mask and 6 foot tubing and respironics machine that is set to lessen the output pressure to more comfy. Is that called BiPap? Not sure b/c i’m still new at this. I really want to be successful though so if ANY one can advise on asthma and pressure causing chest tightening feeling, let me know. I think the pressure is causing inflammatory response at times. I use a humidifier set at somewhere between 2 and 3. Higher makes too much rain out for me even with the tube. (I like to sleep in a cold room). SO, hoping you guys can help me out. THANKS and I’ll be learning more as I have time to read this amazing bunch of info. Already learned how to more easily clean my hose and mask. Thanks for that.

Hello and welcome. Just wondering which equipment you have. (There is an area in the User Control Panel where you can enter your machine and mask.) But the main reason I ask is some of the machines have a fine filter for people with allergies. I recently changed brands of machine and do not have that filter, and I can tell a difference. I miss the filter and was just thinking about looking up if there is something comparable for this machine. Maybe that could be of some small help for you.

Which brand and model machine? There are heated hoses available to help with the condensation. Some models have heated hoses available that are integrated into the machine...and if you don't have one of those there are heated hoses that stand alone and can be used with any machine...and they do help the condensation a lot.

I have zero knowledge re: your asthma. However I will add the following.

Sounds like you are using either a FFM or a nasal mask. I started with those, mostly because the sleep lab handed them to me, and I had mouth breathing problems. Through trial and error I discovered that I hated full face masks. I could never stop the leaks that kept waking me up at night. The leaks into my eyes were the worst. And while not as bad, I had similar problems with nasal masks (with a chin strap) leaking into my eyes

I finally moved to nasal pillow masks, with a chin strap. Bingo! And finally, after about 8 months, I could dump the chin strap because my subconscious learned to keep my mouth shut.

So, have you tried using different masks?

Cpap therapy massively improved my asthma - there is nothing like breathing warm filtered humidified air for 8 hours to help it.

Masks should float like a hover craft on your face. If you don't have a heated hose make a cover for it out of polar fleece fabric (use a couple of cheap scarfs from a dollar store)

CPAP was the best thing for my asthma. I can have a terrible bronchitis and be miserable all day, but the coughing stops when I mask up and I sleep well with my CPAP.

Suggestions:
1. Read my blog for how to fit a full face mask (Taming the Mirage Quattro). I prefer a FF mask when my asthma is bad.

2. Put "rainout" in the search box above and learn how to reduce rainout. I hang my hose over my head--that makes condensation run down back into the machine, not into the mask.

3. When you can tell us the make and model of your machine we can help you adjust the exhalation pressure relief. Or you may need to talk to your doctor about a bipap for more exhalation pressure relief than a standard CPAP/APAP provides.

4. After you get your rainout problems under control, you may need to fiddle with the humidifier to find just the right setting for you. Some people use it cranked all the way up, others prefer "Passover mode" where the air passes over the water with no heat at all. For me, when the asthma is bad I crank it way up. But your own comfort level may be different.

USE your CPAP. It will help.