DME advice:is this true?

[grumpygirl]

Happy New Year All- My DME told me that if I had a cold(which I do now) that I should NOT use my CPAP machine at all!! She indicated that I would transfer any "germs" through my machine and that would not be good. I was able last night to actually use my Opus mask even though I had a little stuffiness- seems the warm humidity opened up my nasal passages enough for me to breathe. I did have the sensation of wanting to sneeze several times during the night but managed to get passed it. Is it harmful to use my machine when I have a cold??? I cannot imagine how BAD I would feel the next day if I had a cold and also DID NOT use my CPAP. I would certainly be worthless!! Thanks for any info. Have a great NEW YEAR'S DAY!!! GG

[momadams]

Sounds nuts to me.
You need sleep - particularly if you're sick.
The humidity of the machine is helpful to the mucus membranes and breathing passages.
You can always sterilize the mask/hose (soak 20 minutes in a 3/1 water/vinegar solution, rinse).
You can change the filter.
Any microbes on the machine itself (plastic, metal) won't live long.
Time for a new DME.

Shari

[rested gal]

My DME told me that if I had a cold(which I do now) that I should NOT use my CPAP machine at all!! She indicated that I would transfer any "germs" through my machine and that would not be good.

I think the DME is sadly mistaken. I'd keep using the CPAP.

[jnk]

My machine's manual says this:

"An acute upper respiratory tract infection may require temporary discontinuation of treatment."

My understanding (or, guess) for the reasoning behind that statement is the way the common cold can sometimes affect the eustachian tube. Pressure from a PAP machine might further complicate the draining of the middle ear and slightly increase chances of an ear infection for those prone to that complication when they have a bad cold.

But I'm with rested gal. Personally, it would only be if I had trouble shaking a particularly bad infection that I would consider not using the machine a night or two. But that's just me.

[GumbyCT]

Happy New Year All- My DME told me that if I had a cold(which I do now) that I should NOT use my CPAP machine at all!! She indicated that I would transfer any "germs" through my machine and that would not be good. I was able last night to actually use my Opus mask even though I had a little stuffiness- seems the warm humidity opened up my nasal passages enough for me to breathe.

Transfer germs? What? Where? How? Are your germs really gonna make YOU sick?
If it was providing me relief as you suggested, I would certainly continue. But if I experienced any discomfort, well I think you know the answer. So sounds like an individual choice.

[OutaSync]

The air isn't flowing from your nose through the machine. How in the world would your germs travel backward through the incoming flow of air? jnk's explanation is more plausible. I think your DME is an idiot.

Bev

[allinknots]

Hmmm, just wondering about this. Is there a chance that using a CPAP machine while having a cold could perhaps forcibly drive the germs up into the sinuses and/or lungs? Yes, I know that if you have a cold those germs are up in there anyways. It just seems that I breathe more shallowly when I'm not using my cpap than I do when I'm masked-up.

Please don't misunderstand my comment: I'm not offering any medical advice here. But I have had more than-my-usual-amount of sinus infections since beginning cpap.

All in Knots

[Slinky]

I'd flat play it by ear and how I felt. Heck, if that humidifier helps clear your stuffiness and doesn't bother your ears, I'd use the CPAP! IF it made me feel worse I wouldn't use it. So far, there's been a couple of times I was really stuffed up, couldn't even hardly breathe w/the CPAP mask on, but persevered for a few minutes, every so often having to open my mouth and take a gasp of air. W/in a very few minutes I was breathing thru my nose just fine.

[Wulfman]

I think your DME is an idiot, but I also think some of the illnesses have to be considered on a case-by-case basis.

From my own personal experience, the only time I went off of therapy because of an "illness", was two weeks after I started......I had a cough so bad that I couldn't keep the mask on for very long anyway. Fortunately, I was early enough into my therapy that I could revert back to sleeping (?) without it for the 10 days/nights it took to get the coughing to a point where I COULD sleep with it again.

I have read on the forum that in some cases of sinus infections, the users have been advised to discontinue therapy until it's cleared up.

After my first six months or so (in 2005), I haven't had any noticeable symptoms of a cold or anything else.

I think as far as the humidity levels, a person may need to experiment with that. Too much humidity can actually exacerbate the stuffiness.


Den

[Goofproof]

Self check for DME's, watch their lips, if they move they are lieing or spreading false infomation.

1. You have a cold or something, caused by critters (Germ or Viral). They don't just after a few days say, I'm doing to leave this home, and go bother someone else. The body builds up defenses, and over comes the problem. Missing using your XPAP does two things, it sends a message to the brain telling it, maybe I don't need to bother with using this at all also the treatment you wouldn't be using, will allow you a harder time throwing the bugs off, O2 is good for helping.

Don't have people that were bussing tables last week, give you medical advice! Jim

[Debjax]

Happy New Year All- My DME told me that if I had a cold(which I do now) that I should NOT use my CPAP machine at all!! GG

My Doctor and RT told me that I should use CPAP if I get a cold if at all possible. Since hubby has a cold right now, meaning that I probalbly will have it within the week, I am going for a fitting on a FF mask tomrrow just in case.

[birdshell]

I can only share my experience:

I have a history of many sinus infections, usually 6-8 per year. These usually are accompanied by plugged ears, with a loss of some hearing. Even if they are viral, they progress to becoming bacterial in nature fairly quickly. These infections would become upper respiratory infections, almost always involving the lungs.

Since getting my CPAP machine over 2-1/2years ago, I have had only 2 sinus infections. I used my CPAP and mask (one time it was the Liberty) as usual. Both times, they were less severe and my ears didn't become plugged.

Humidity certainly makes a difference for me. I wish that I'd had the nicely adjustable heated humidifier alone for the previous 50-some years of my life. (I have had ear infections since I was a baby. I have a slight hearing loss from them.) I believe that if the SDB Fairy swooped down and waved a wand, saying "You no longer need to use CPAP," that I would still use it just for the humidity. So, the warm, moist, humidified air is a bonus and allows the mucus membranes to stay hydrated for me--which in turn does not allow the mucus membranes to harbor bacteria.

My Eustachian tubes seem to clear nightly when starting CPAP. Once I swallow and equalize the pressure, they are apparently open. I think that the opening of the tubes due to CPAP allows for drainage, which means less chance of an infection being harbored in them. That is just MY interpretation of what may be happening. I could be wrong, but whatever the reason...I'll take fewer sinus/upper respiratory infections.

So, for me, the CPAP machine seems to keep a cold or sinus infection at bay, and lessens the severity of any that I have acquired despite the benefits of therapy. I don't know if anyone else feels the same way or not; I'm just sick of being sick.

I also don't ever want to sleep without my CPAP, as I missed 3 days in the beginning due to my own disorganization. I learned that for every night I missed, it took 2-3 days to recover. If sick, I figure that my body is already stressed, so I'd like to keep it as healthy otherwise as possible.

It is a really tough decision to avoid CPAP use, but sometimes breathing well is more important. Sitting up in a recliner may be the only way to breathe, without benefit of the CPAP, when ill. In that case, I suppose we would all choose to breathe a little as compared to barely at all.

I hope that all of us find a great solution to our problems of being sick and using CPAP.

Best of health,
Karen
Whose advice is: AVOID ILLNESS

[elader]

just as an fyi - you cant give yourself the same cold twice. So forget about the 'contaminating the machine' thing.

[georgepds]

I think your DME is an idiot...

Hmmm,is this a case where the subset assumes the qualities of the superset?

All DME's are idiots
Your DME is a DME
Therefor your DME is an idiot . QED;)

[georgepds]

I can only share my experience:

I have a history of many sinus infections, usually 6-8 per year. ...
Since getting my CPAP machine over 2-1/2years ago, I have had only 2 sinus infections...

My experience is similar to yours. For the past 8 years I've made a trip to London and caught a miserable cold. This is the first year I traveled with my cpap, and no cold. In general, I'd walk around with a stuffy nose all winter, but not this winter. The only difference I can see is the cpap.

I realize this is anecdotal..