nasal congestion

[gesmith62@yahoo.com]

My husband quit using his cpap because of the severe nasal congestion. Although all other things are good with him he is feeling awful. I am beginning to think he is not getting restful sleep again. I understand him not wanting the continued congestion but it is frustrating for his overall health to be good and for him to feel so bad.

[LSAT]

My husband quit using his cpap because of the severe nasal congestion. Although all other things are good with him he is feeling awful. I am beginning to think he is not getting restful sleep again. I understand him not wanting the continued congestion but it is frustrating for his overall health to be good and for him to feel so bad.

Are you sure he is not looking for an excuse not to use it? He could take a decongestant...he could use a nasal rinse before bed...he could use a full face mask which allows mouth breathing....he could adjust his humidifier setting. We all get colds occasionally and find a way to continue CPAP use.

[49er]

My husband quit using his cpap because of the severe nasal congestion. Although all other things are good with him he is feeling awful. I am beginning to think he is not getting restful sleep again. I understand him not wanting the continued congestion but it is frustrating for his overall health to be good and for him to feel so bad.

Hi gesmith,

You might want to have your husband register for the forum and included his equipment profile so that members can specifically tailor their responses to his situation. Some suggestions:

1. Mask might not be appropriate - Many people who use nasal pillow/nasal masks need a full face face when they have difficulty with nasal congestion. There are also seem to be a small minority of folks who wear a full face mask and get better results with a nasal pillow mask. Anyway, my point is trying a different type of mask might be useful.

2. As LSAT mentioned, experiment with humidifier setting to see what works best. Even after my septoplasty, I still preferred a low setting as I seem to prefer cold air. But many people like warm air so your mileage will vary.

3. Has your husband visited an ENT for an evaluation? Might be helpful if he hasn't.

Hope this gets you started. By the way, I never thought your husband is looking for an excuse not to use cpap. I am guessing he is very frustrated and just needs some suggestions to get him back on track.

Best of luck.

49er

[CanadaVoice]

Is a heated tubing possible for his PAP?

[knothead]

Is he on any kind of meds that cause stuffiness. The doc put me on med for my prostrate and I nearly suffocated my nose stopped up so bad, it cleared back up when I quit the medicine.

[Julie]

Tell him to try turning off (or at least down) the humidifier for a couple of nights... that can cause congestion when it's not needed.

[Darkshader]

I don't get nasal congestion *from* CPAP. That sounds like a rather silly excuse to stop using a life-saving therapy with lots of customizable options.

I do however get nasal congestion from allergies, and they annoy me thoroughly, because I can't seem to get rid of the stuff nose before using CPAP, which (since I have nasal pillows and mask) means my therapy effectiveness is reduced dramatically. Might have to get a full face mask for those occasions...

They do say the humidifier makes a big difference, though it hasn't gotten "rid" of my stuffy nose when I have it.

[DxRxTx]

The California drought has caused my nasal allergies to kick up. My body defenses shift to me breathing through my mouth. I use a full face mask.

[rockncountry101]

That's what I'm worried about. I have chronic sinusitis and it is tough for me to breathe. I always wake up with a completely stopped up nose in the morning. I'd like some opinions on that as well.

[bdz]

I discovered that using high humidity with my CPAP was detrimental. Since I lowered it things got better. Just started with a BIPAP and now have to find the right level once more. I have also noticed that when I have a cold, the cold and flu meds work great. When it is just my sinuses acting up, that does not always work. I have a script for generic Atrovent and that seems to do OK. There does not seem to be one thing that will work all the time for me.

Cannot use the neti pot or Neil Med any more, even when diluted. I will always use a FFM as that lets me breath one way or the other! For me, the nasal masks are just trouble as my sinuses have told me most strongly that they do not like air being forced through them...even on low pressures.

After my first night using CPAP I felt great and was looking forward to a long and positive relationship with my Swift nasal pillows. I went to work and 3 hours in, a faucet opened in my sinuses and I had to leave work. I could not stop the flow of fluid coming out my nose. I ended up creating tissue 'corks' and inserting them in both nostrils! Have tried other nasal masks since and while the results the next day were never as dramatic...it is always a no go!

[Enchanter]

What is the humidifier for? Does it come with the CPAP? I remember in the test there was a humidifier.

[Julie]

All that air blowing in overnight can dry out your nose, and if you mouth breathe at all, your mouth as well. It depends a lot on where you live climate-wise, what season it is, what your microclimate at home's like, etc. and the condition of your own passages, etc., but it can make the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable therapy. You can get hums for almost all machines (certainly the well known ones) and some will be automatically integrated, others fit as add ons, and you pay more for having them with any machine, but unless you live in a place that's wet year round with no A/C and no central heat, you'll want to have one even if you don't use it much. You set the level of humidity yourself. It isn't 'therapy' and you can not use it at all if you choose, but that's rare and you'll appreciate the comfort especially in cold rooms during winter, though you need to be careful about causing congestion with too high a level when it's not needed.

Have you seriously not been reading any one else's notes about features like this - it's such a big topic here.

[Enchanter]

All that air blowing in overnight can dry out your nose, and if you mouth breathe at all, your mouth as well. It depends a lot on where you live climate-wise, what season it is, what your microclimate at home's like, etc. and the condition of your own passages, etc., but it can make the difference between comfortable and uncomfortable therapy. You can get hums for almost all machines (certainly the well known ones) and some will be automatically integrated, others fit as add ons, and you pay more for having them with any machine, but unless you live in a place that's wet year round with no A/C and no central heat, you'll want to have one even if you don't use it much. You set the level of humidity yourself. It isn't 'therapy' and you can not use it at all if you choose, but that's rare and you'll appreciate the comfort especially in cold rooms during winter, though you need to be careful about causing congestion with too high a level when it's not needed.

Have you seriously not been reading any one else's notes about features like this - it's such a big topic here.

I've been trying to read as much as I can but I have a hard time concentrating and there's so much to take in.

[bdz]

I've been trying to read as much as I can but I have a hard time concentrating and there's so much to take in.

Enchanter...when I see info that is important for what I need, I do a copy and paste into a document on my computer. I have a whole folder with great info in it that I review now and then...for as you said, there is so much to take in

[palerider]

.for as you said, there is so much to take in

but, at least, you TRY!