first time poster

Hello
My username is brain106 and I am 53 and married for 18 years. I was just on cpap.com looking for a new mask and I found this link to your forum. I had no idea that there were so many users of the dreaded cpap than myself. I have been using cpap for about 5 years now and I hate it.
I have moderate to severe sinusitis and have been through 2 operations and I think my doctor is ready for number 3.
I have been having a lot of trouble breathing, especially in the dry season at night. I use flonase and I need to use Dristan spray every night,even though you are not supposed to just so I can breathe. My setting on my machine is 9 and I have the heated humidifier attachment also. After about 5 or 6 different masks I found the acclaim2 by fisher paskel to be tolerable. I am so frustrated, I also have severe headaches all the time and my doctor stopped giving me percocet for the pain. They worked pretty well but I can see his point for not wanting to control the pain with them. He just put me on sinus buster spray and wow is that stuff powerful. It is a homeopathic pepper spray for severe sinusitis and headaches and it burns like crazy.I have only been on it for 3 days now but my headaches and stuffiness are still there. I am hoping it will work and then he wants to tackle the sinusitis if he can get rid or the headaches.
Sorry to make this simple hello so long. I just wanted to let you know who I am and what my situation is.
I read somewhere in one of your posts that depression may even be associated with cpap use. I was never one to have depression but it seems that it has come into play over the last few years for no reason and I was wondering if it can have something to do with my machine and is there anything I can do about it?
I didn't realize I had so much to say. I guess you just realize that you will be chained to this device for the rest of your life and you just try to accept it. Maybe that is a factor in depression? I never talk too much about this to anyone but my wife, but she doesn't know what I am going through because she never wore one. But after 20 years together she is still my anchor and the love of my life.
I will end this now but I would deeply appreciate any tips or new advances in the ongoing quest for a good nights sleep.
Thanks for listening. I hope it is alright to air my feelings like this here.
God bless you all
brain106

brain106 wrote:Hello
My username is brain106 and I am 53 and married for 18 years. I was just on cpap.com looking for a new mask and I found this link to your forum. I had no idea that there were so many users of the dreaded cpap than myself. I have been using cpap for about 5 years now and I hate it.
I have moderate to severe sinusitis and have been through 2 operations and I think my doctor is ready for number 3.
I have been having a lot of trouble breathing, especially in the dry season at night. I use flonase and I need to use Dristan spray every night,even though you are not supposed to just so I can breathe. My setting on my machine is 9 and I have the heated humidifier attachment also. After about 5 or 6 different masks I found the acclaim2 by fisher paskel to be tolerable. I am so frustrated, I also have severe headaches all the time and my doctor stopped giving me percocet for the pain. They worked pretty well but I can see his point for not wanting to control the pain with them. He just put me on sinus buster spray and wow is that stuff powerful. It is a homeopathic pepper spray for severe sinusitis and headaches and it burns like crazy.I have only been on it for 3 days now but my headaches and stuffiness are still there. I am hoping it will work and then he wants to tackle the sinusitis if he can get rid or the headaches.
Sorry to make this simple hello so long. I just wanted to let you know who I am and what my situation is.
I read somewhere in one of your posts that depression may even be associated with cpap use. I was never one to have depression but it seems that it has come into play over the last few years for no reason and I was wondering if it can have something to do with my machine and is there anything I can do about it?
I didn't realize I had so much to say. I guess you just realize that you will be chained to this device for the rest of your life and you just try to accept it. Maybe that is a factor in depression? I never talk too much about this to anyone but my wife, but she doesn't know what I am going through because she never wore one. But after 20 years together she is still my anchor and the love of my life.
I will end this now but I would deeply appreciate any tips or new advances in the ongoing quest for a good nights sleep.
Thanks for listening. I hope it is alright to air my feelings like this here.
God bless you all
brain106

Welcome to the forum.

It would help if you would fill out your profile with your equipment and any other settings....pressure, humidifier, exhale relief (EPR/C-Flex). etc.

Considering that the Acclaim 2 is a nasal mask, I'd guess that many of your problems (headaches/depression) are due to leaking air out your mouth during the night. Ever wake up with a dry mouth? Do you go through a lot of water in your humidifier?
It also could be that your pressure is not sufficient.
Do you have a copy of your sleep study?
Do you have your prescription?
Do you have a data-capable machine?

Hang around and learn more.

Den

Welcome to the forum Brian! Please stick around, as there are many many helpful people here. As Den suggested, please fill out your profile here : https://www.cpaptalk.com/ucp.php?i=prof ... pment_info

Have you always had congestion issues, even before the CPAP (I'm guess so, since the doc recommended surgery??). One thing you might try, if you can tolerate it, is reducing the humidity on your humidifer (assuming you use it in heated mode).

Hi Brian,
Welcome.
Daily sinus irrigation with salt water - sounds mild after all you've been through - but still worth trying. http://www.neilmed.com

Fine filters to add to your machine, just to make sure you're breathing less than the standard amount of allergens.

And what the other said too.

O.

I'm sorry that you have had such a bad time. I hope you hang around and let some of the experienced people see if they can help you get on a better track. There's lots of people here who are willing to try to help you by sharing their experiences and ideas. By the way, you said something about depression coming for no reason, but it seems to me, in my non-medical opinion, that living in pain for years might be a very good reason for someone to get depressed. Keep your chin up...better days are ahead.

I'm new to cpap, and have had sever sinus issues for a long time. I started using a neti pot (nasal irrigation) a few days ago. I'm a believer. It's already become part of my normal moring routine - teeth, armpits, nose - in that order.