At the end of the line with treatment, please read.

[osagirl]

Yes, as a cpap user I have found that magic number that stops those apneas from occuring, My magic number is 13. HOWEVER that magic number, even though its helping me not have apnea's, is irritating my sinus's to the point where its actually hurting my sleep. I wake up with sore, puffy, burning eyes, and fatigued cause the pressure did a job on my sinus's. and the more hours I use the CPAP the worse it is. (I also want to note that there is nothing wrong with my sinus's, its simply the cpap that is irriating them)

This is just so hard for me. I know how good I can feel on CPAP, I'm trying to figure out how to fix this problem. I wear a full face mask... Does anyone know of any remedies to give my sinus's a break and still get that essential pressure? like a different mask or something? and nasal sprays dont work for me..thats just a bandaid rather than a solution...no matter how much nasal spray I use, the sinus's still have to take a beating every night. Also, does anyone know if its breathing through my nose mouth or just the pressure against my face that is irritating my sinus's?
anything will help at this point, thanks.

[Nitro Dan]

You may not have your humidifier set high enough.

[Wulfman]

What humidifier setting are you using?

What type of water are you using in the humidifier?

Cleaning (and/or changing) your filter(s) regularly?

Do you use the white (fine) filter?

Den

[jasper]

osagirl, I can relate to what you're saying. I too get very puffy eyes that water all the next day if I use my full face mask. Need to do this since I'm a mouth breather. I keep my humidifier at 4, and the straps are tight enough so I don't get leaks. I'm using the F&P 432 as my FF, (pressure is 14 cm). And oh yes, I get a very sore bridge of my nose with the FF.

I also switch off to my Activa, with mouth taping, and I have very few problems. I'd prefer not to tape, but hey it works. With the Activa, the straps don't have to be very tight at all, since it's the cushion under air pressure that does the sealing. With the Activa I don't get the eye problems or the sore nose.

I can't comment on nasal pillows and other masks like the Hybrid, but many people seem to have good luck with those.

Good luck, it really is a trial trying to find the right mask that works for you.

[sleepyjane]

Although this may not help, it would not be that expensive to try.

Try using a real essential oil. Eucalyptus is the one to use. Make sure it is real essential oil rather than a synthetic like from a health food store or a brand like aura caucia. http://www.frontiercoop.com/dspCmnPrd.p ... ra%20Cacia

This really helps one breath and open the little alveoli in the lungs for easier breathing. I connect two tubes together and put several drops in the tube then reconnect. If one puts it in the mask area, it will dissolve the plastic, but doesn't hurt the connector piece tube as long as I replace every year or so.

I don't use a humidifier but if you do (and it seems people feel you personally should, just add some drops to the water and see if that helps.

Also, have you considered you may have n allergy to the plastic or something. I had severe sinus problems for 20 years and eventually discovered I had an allergy to tomatoes. I stopped eating tomatoes for 15 years as the minute I stopped, ALL sinus problems went away. Since I am Italian and like tomatoes, I reintroduced them after 15 years, starting with organic ,and then eventually adding conventional and have had no problems since.

It may be the material in the mask. Have you tried other masks and had the same symptoms?

_________________

[oceanpearl]

Never, ever give up!
Having been diagnosed 2o years ago I couldn't tolerate CPAP, tried many other things including an expensive dentais made mouth piece. On my last sleep study, my Oxygen level dropped as low as 70%. Doctor scared me so bad that I became determined to uee the CPAP and then BIPAP. Now doctor is thinking about putting me on AVR. Eventually we will get it right and so will you.

IF YOU ARE NOT USING A HUMIDIFIER I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT IT.

[jnickellrental]

It really bother me at first too, but you will get over it. One thing that really helped me is an autopap. It goes as high as 13 but only stays there if needed it helped in many areas!
Josh

[Sleepy Dog Lover]

Sinus rinses can do wonders too. It was a little tough to get used to at first, but I now look forward to irrigating my sinuses because I feel sooooo much better. If nothing suggested here works, I would suggest seeing an ENT to see what they can do about your sinuses.

[GeneS]

If your mask leaks and blows on your eyes it could cause irritation. Could that be your problem? Does the mask fit properly?

Moisture helps me keep my nose from cpap irritation. Also a high air velocity can cause irritation to. When I had problems with my nose the doctor prescribed Beconase AQ ? That was some time ago. It is only used to clear up the problem and not to use for extended periods.

If you have problems with a full face mask you could try a nasal mask with a dental type device and chin strap to control mouth breathing. I use a snorban device. Other people in these forums have used other devices with success.

You know the cpap will work so you need to keep changing things until you solve your problems. Keep written notes whenever you change something so you can look them over to determine what to try next. Everyone has problems from time to time so do not give up.

GeneS

[gl]

I'm going to second Josh's suggestion of switching to an APAP if you can. I started out with a CPAP set to 14. After switching to an APAP I found that my average pressure hovers around 12.5.

[TGregg]

Is it the pressure? Meaning, if you run at say 9 cm/H2O are your sinuses and eyes and such OK? I realize you'll have more OSA, but it's part of figuring out what might help you.

If you can run a lower pressure, then that might be better than nothing (others more knowledable than I feel free to jump in and support or deny). Meanwhile you can do research and try to figure out how to solve your problem.

Ultimately we are all after the same thing, a good night's rest. But it sure seems like everybody has to go their own route.

[Snoredog]

I can't help but think you have something going on with your sinuses. CPAP probably irritates the sinuses, but is probably not the sole reason, like they are already irritiated from inflammation and the cpap irritates it more.

The only thing I can think of is something that gets a saline rinse up deep in your sinuses like the Respironics Rhino-Flow.

The "Rino-Flow" uses a special nebulizer to produce a mist from the saline solution. This plastic nebulizer differs from the nebulizers used to treat asthma, in that it produces a coarse mist (larger particles) which are deposited mainly in the nasal passages, instead of the fine mist produced by asthma inhalers, which is designed to get deep into the small airways of the lungs. It also has a top cover which comfortably fits into one nostril and directs the mist upwards. It takes about 5 minutes for a complete treatment.

I actually have the Respironics Rhino-Flow, they used to sell it at cpap.com. It "pumps" a fine mist and if you include a pinch of Arm & Hammer baking soda in the solution it will flush out your sinuses like the worst runny nose you have ever had, hopefully it will also flush out the allergens in your sinuses that are causing the irritation.

I have used mine a couple times, it works pretty good, it is just a hassle to get it out of the box, set it up then clean it afterward. I just prefer the simpler method using the ear aspirator, quick and easy but the goal with the Rhino-Flow would be to get the solution up deep in the sinuses where the ear aspirator or neti pot cannot.