Doctor's Orders - CPAP and Colds

[sleepydeb2]

Hi All - went to the sleep doc yesterday after not having a follow-up since starting therapy 6 months ago (my regular PCP who ordered the sleep study and therapy readily admits he knows not much about apnea therapy and told me to see a sleep doc). Anyway, I told the sleep doc that I seem to have coughs that linger forever after a cold and was wondering if it had to do with CPAP therapy. He nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard that I use therapy during colds. He implored me NOT use CPAP while having a cold and to wait until it is completely gone before resuming. He said, "all that crap is being forced back into your system." While he is adamant that I use my machine at all times when sleeping (naps included) but not with a cold. Well,I didn't listen to him and used CPAP last night and woke up four hours later hacking - now today at work and I feel awful - lungs/back hurt. Just wanted to throw this out to you. He didn't say I would "re-catch" the cold or anything like that, just that I'm breathing back in the mucus and infection that we're trying to get rid of.

[Julie]

Are you using the humidifier during those times, and at what settings? With heat?

[stienman]

CPAP machines are designed so that the air you exhale leaves at the mask vents, and doesn't go into the tube at all. I suppose during a cough you might have enough pressure to force some exhale air into the tube, but 13cm pressure is enough to blow up a balloon, and the vents do a pretty good job of allowing air to escape, so even if the exhale air made it to the tube it's not going to go far or have much time to contaminate anything. During normal breathing the exhales don't make it past the mask. Note that in the CPAP machine the blower never runs backwards or turns off - it's always blowing air into the tube on its end.

It's possible your physician may not be fully informed if that is the reason they give for not using the machine while sick. There may be other reasons, but that reason just doesn't make sense to me.

I'm not a physician, though, I'm just an engineer, so apply salt liberally to this opinion.

[Bigburd2008]

I use my machine + humidifier all the time when sleeping, even during bouts of Flu or Sickness. Without it I might not wake up. Never had a problem I would attribute to reingestion of mucus or other bad things expelling from my body thru my mouth or nose.

[Nin6]

I've got my first cold with an Apap, and usually my colds are in my head. This one is further down in the throat and maybe bronchial tubes. My theory is that the high humidity and air is keeping my sinuses clear but has pushed the cold into the throat. Don't know if that's accurate, but it makes sense to me.

[Guest]

Thanks for your comments. I do have the heated humidifier on level 5. I don't like it that much because high level humidity seems to make me cough in general - sick or not sick - so I tend to use little water and a low level - usually 4 - with the machine. That could be why I'm coughing more as I had increased it at the height of my cold to 5 but haven't gone back to 4.

[Guest]

BTW, I had to make that last post under "guest" because sleepydeb2 was being used and my regular username sleepydeb was also being used. urgh.

[bwexler]

I am just wondering if that sleep doc still uses leaches and blood letting to treat his patients.

I am not a doctor either but I question weather the fellow you saw is.

[yippeekia]

My doctor specifically said to keep using it during colds. He said that you may want to increase the temperature and humidity as this helps with irritation. I have followed his advice. I find the heat and humidity feels better than breathing with out the CPAP. It is like breathing the air during a warm shower to relieve congestion.

If you are using CPAP to keep breathing, even if it did make a cold worse, which has not been my experience, I would think you would want to maintain breathing. Though I am not a doctor, nor am I charging you $350 for my opinion.

When I get my next cold, I will crank up the temperature and humidity and sleep as much as possible with the CPAP blowing away.

[LSAT]

BTW, I had to make that last post under "guest" because sleepydeb2 was being used and my regular username sleepydeb was also being used. urgh.

If you would take the time to register you wouldn't have these problems.

[sleepydeb2]

I AM registered! Sleepydeb - when I tried to use it this morning it said it was already being used! As it is doing now

[OkyDoky]

I AM registered! Sleepydeb - when I tried to use it this morning it said it was already being used! As it is doing now

Did you try to login as SleepyDeb with the D capital? The person who used SleepyDeb last logged in Sat Nov 21, 2015 9:35 pm. Is this you? viewtopic/p1058732/viewtopic.php?f=1&t= ... 6#p1040206
If you have the name right with a capital D did you forget the Password?

[palerider]

He implored me NOT use CPAP while having a cold and to wait until it is completely gone before resuming. He said, "all that crap is being forced back into your system." While he is adamant that I use my machine at all times when sleeping (naps included) but not with a cold. Well,I didn't listen to him and used CPAP last night and woke up four hours later hacking - now today at work and I feel awful - lungs/back hurt. .

he's an idiot. you know you need rest to help get better, you know you rest better when wearing the cpap.

[palerider]

, but 13cm pressure is enough to blow up a balloon,.

video please.

[palerider]

BTW, I had to make that last post under "guest" because sleepydeb2 was being used and my regular username sleepydeb was also being used. urgh.

that's because you need to log in.