Difficulty w/ CPAP-Longterm Congestion Sufferer

[Hoseboy]

Hey guys... Long time since I've posted (or read). Have had success with/ cpap since i started it a few years ago, but I do have some issues. I've been diagnosed by an ENT as needing surgery for deviated septum, turbinites, and whatever else they clean out or fix with endoscopic surgery. All I know is I'm dependent on decongestants just to be able to SURVIVE. Cpap is great, but in order for my nasal mask to be effective, i gotta dose up with Afrin just for it to work. I also get sinus infections 3 or 4 times a year (or more) and am right smack dab in the middle of one i cant shake. Cant even get the decongestants to work anymore. I figured I might as well try to quit em cold turkey while Im at it, but Im having an awful time trying to sleep... I irrigate, & I've tried room humidifiers and my cpap humidifier. Humidifiers, maybe because of our moist environment anyway (East Texas) seem to GIVE us sinus infections.. Not just me but my family as well, when we use a room humidifier, that is. Is there anything I havent tried? Can someone out there with more knowledge or experience than me that can explain to me how all this works and what I can do to get some relief? I've also turned up the pressure full blast on my machine just to try to force my passages open... In theory it seemed logical, but it didn't really work. I guess the nose doesn't work that way... It seems like it would make more sense to have back pressure blowing OUT than positive pressure blowing IN to stint the passages open...

BTW... cant afford the surgery...

[old64mb]

Cpap is great, but in order for my nasal mask to be effective, i gotta dose up with Afrin just for it to work. I also get sinus infections 3 or 4 times a year (or more) and am right smack dab in the middle of one i cant shake. Cant even get the decongestants to work anymore. I figured I might as well try to quit em cold turkey while Im at it, but Im having an awful time trying to sleep...

Are you saying that you've been more or less continually dosing with Afrin? And are you stacking doses of stuff like Sudafed on top of that?

Have you tried the nasal steroids? Have you been to an allergist?

[Hoseboy]

Are you saying that you've been more or less continually dosing with Afrin? And are you stacking doses of stuff like Sudafed on top of that?

Have you tried the nasal steroids? Have you been to an allergist?

yeah i have to keep a bottle of afrin in my pocket and use it 6 to 7 times per day, including before bed, and sometimes once or twice during the night... i usually dont take sudafed, but i tried it again during this infection since the afrin isnt working, and the sudafed isnt working either... so im just suffering, not being able to breathe or swallow very well. i tried flonase, nasonex, and astelin, but they didnt seem to change anything...

[CorgiGirl]

Have you tried Astelin? It's an antihistamine in a nasal inhaler. It's much more effective for me than a steroid. You might ask your doc about that.

In terms of a mask, have you tried a full face? I use one because my nose clogs up for a while every night due to my allergies.

I'm sure you've heard this, but you probably are having some problems because you've become dependent on the Afrin. When you stop using it, it will be hard, but it's not good to use it long term....

I hope you'll be able to get your surgery before too long.

[ichitumi]

Afrin is great ... but I was once "addicted" to the stuff. As in, whatever the recommended dosage didn't work for me anymore and I had to keep using it with more frequency. When I was keeping a bottle of it in my pocket and spraying every 3-4 hours or so (stuff's supposed to last a good 12 hours) ... a bottle and a half later, I knew I had to stop. It was REALLY tough the first couple of days.

I'm still taking claritin consistently (1 tablet a day). Cpap seems to help my condition and keeps my nose clearer than without. Nasal irrigation really does help, but I have been too lazy to mix the solution and stay over my sink alternating between squirting into and blowing out of my nose for a good while before bedtime. Maybe I've just been too anxious to get to bed ...

[old64mb]

and use it 6 to 7 times per day, including before bed, and sometimes once or twice during the night...

It sounds like you need to get to your ENT on a very timely basis, and if you're uncomfortable going to the one who recommended surgery that you can't afford, find another ASAP.

Your constant, long-term use of Afrin is almost certainly what is causing your problems - it's called Rhinitis Medicamentosa, or RM, where you are in this constant, miserable state of having the rebound congestion that comes from using this stuff for more than 2-3 days in a row. I learned this with allergies as a kid when I'd rely on it during pollen season and colds. My childhood allergist ordered told my parents to throw it out and just have me use Sudafed or Actifed, and those rarely, because in total they were actually making things worse. For you, I suspect your ENT will tell you to avoid the entire class of decongestants (which includes those two) for a while.

With medical help you are going to have to figure how to get off of it and how to rework your treatment plan. If they do end up working for you (which they may not) nasal steroids take a while to work, since you don't use them to relieve symptoms - you take them like you would blood pressure or cholesterol medication, once a day.

My other thought was that if you have allergies that affect your sinuses, specifically dust mite allergies, high humidity is what encourages them to grow - a dehumidifier may be more helpful than a humidifier.

I'll defer to others on masks since I'm still very new to that side of things, but it sounds like you really need something that will help you mouth breathe since your nose isn't going to do the job for now.

[SaltLakeJan]

Hi Hoseboy,

I have to agree with everyone here who has posted that until you eliminate Afrin, you will continue to have congestion problems.
have had five endoscopic sinus surgeries - they are not a lot of fun. In my case, the first surgery seemed to lay the groundwork for the 2nd, and so on. This year I tried another ENT. The treatment plan was simple, it is the nasal washes you referred to. The doctor gave me the option of which type to use, but preferred the pulsating machine to the simple nasal wash system like the NeilMed Bottle, or the neti pot. You don't have to buy the machine, it is supposed to clear the nose better.

There are several pulsating machines on the internet, I chose the Grossan system. The doctor told me to use a saline nasal wash 3 times a day to begin. If my sinuses did not clear, increase to 4 times for the first two weeks. It was important to me to get my sinuses and post-nasal drip under control because I was going to have a sleep study, and I knew I couldn't put a mask on if I couldn't get air through my nose.

I had a sinus infection when I began with the nasal irrigation. It eventually cleared and this is the longest period of time in the last 10 years that I have not had a sinus infection. I still have a post nasal drip, and do the nasal wash 2 times a day. If I get busy and don't do it, my nose begins to plug up again. This has helped me dramatically. It isn't as easy as sniffing from an afrin bottle, but works far better. I hope you improve soon, I'm sure you are really suffering.
Salt Lake Jan

[TJL2000]

Have you thought of trying a Full-Face mask that covers both your nose and your mouth? That way you can breathe even with nasal congestion.

I have broken my nose twice and am allergic to dozens of things that grow around here. Even so, I have been using the Swift nasal pillows for a few years. It is due for replacement, so I am thinking that a Mirage or Quattro full-face mask would make more sense for me. I have a larger beard than yours, so I may need to shave.

[OKejee]

Sounds like you have a mold problem in your house. According to the Mayo Clinic,
somewhere around 96% of chronic sinus problems are caused by mold. When you
breathe in the mold spores, they cause your sinus problems. And if you think it's
bad for your sinuses, think of what it does for your lungs! Some forms of lung
cancer are actually mold/fungus.

Look for moist places it can be growing in your house...water leaks, especially in the bathroom, etc can be the cause. Treat them with solution of 50% Clorox & water to kill the
mold. And take care of any water leaks. You may have to remove some sheetrock/paneling
to look for mold. When you find any, spray it with the Clorox/water solution.

To unstop your sinuses, the best thing I've found is a Neti Pot. It will change your life
and probably save you from having to have surgery. I have polyps in my nose & I didn't
think anything would help, but the Neti Pot was the answer for me.
It lets the rinse get way up into your sinuses to clean them out. Afrin & the like only
reach to entrance areas (your nose). There is no way it will get back into your sinuses
where the problem really is. Also, chronic use of nasal sprays will actually cause
your nose to stop up worse. Stop using it. If you MUST use a nasal spray right now,
switch to one with olive leaf extract in it. Olive leaf extract kills mold and bacteria, too.
If you can't find any, get some saline nasal spray & add some olive leaf to it. There is a product online you can get called Sinuscleanser that is said to help many people.
But if you get and use a Neti pot, I think that will clear up your problem for good.
At first you may have to use it every day. Once you have cleared up though, you
don't have to use it until you need it.

[fuzzy96]

i feel your pain!!!!!!!! i had the deviated septum/turbinate reduction surgery 4-5 months ago. i had the same thimg going on.

it's better and when i'm clear it's great, but..........

i still have the stuffiness thing going on. it is pretty much an allergy thing ---- one there is no shot for. yeah lucky me.

imagine a mechanic who has allergy(albeit mild) to petroleum products !!!!!!

lots of good info in everyones post. full face -yep sinus rinse a little getting used to but never hurts check and eliminate mold-definately

2 thing i've found---1) clariton d 24- more timed release so it last longer and it works better for me than anything else. it is antihistamine and decongestant

2) saline (saltwater) mouth wash you can formulate this yourself (1 tsp/8 oz ) believe it or not mouth issues even though you don't have any indications can cause the stuffiness you refer to. the alchohol ones just don't seem to get it.

been to a dentist lately? or a periodontist?
might be worth it to go see one


good luck

[nate fry]

Hey, I had all of that. I decided to get my nose fixed so i could breath. My doc wanted a new sleep study. I slept so badly that I decided to have the works. Fixed septum, turbinate resection and radiofrequency reduction worked great. I was hooked on afrin for 6 years. Not now, I sleep so much better and wish I would have done it sooner. I had more operations, tonsils removed, uvula reduction, tongue advancement. Hey, it is worth it to breath and sleep like a human and not suffer anymore. It brought a tear to my eye when I truly seen the result of breathing like a normal person.Just find a good surgeon and go for it.

[ww]

Hey guys... Long time since I've posted (or read). Have had success with/ cpap since i started it a few years ago, but I do have some issues. I've been diagnosed by an ENT as needing surgery for deviated septum, turbinites, and whatever else they clean out or fix with endoscopic surgery. All I know is I'm dependent on decongestants just to be able to SURVIVE. Cpap is great, but in order for my nasal mask to be effective, i gotta dose up with Afrin just for it to work. I also get sinus infections 3 or 4 times a year (or more) and am right smack dab in the middle of one i cant shake. Cant even get the decongestants to work anymore. I figured I might as well try to quit em cold turkey while Im at it, but Im having an awful time trying to sleep... I irrigate, & I've tried room humidifiers and my cpap humidifier. Humidifiers, maybe because of our moist environment anyway (East Texas) seem to GIVE us sinus infections.. Not just me but my family as well, when we use a room humidifier, that is. Is there anything I havent tried? Can someone out there with more knowledge or experience than me that can explain to me how all this works and what I can do to get some relief? I've also turned up the pressure full blast on my machine just to try to force my passages open... In theory it seemed logical, but it didn't really work. I guess the nose doesn't work that way... It seems like it would make more sense to have back pressure blowing OUT than positive pressure blowing IN to stint the passages open...

BTW... cant afford the surgery...

After they explained to me what was involved, I decided not to do the surgery. My doc said there is only one use for Afrin. Buy a bottle if you have severe congestion before you get on an airplane, and throw it away when you get off. I thought she was kidding, but the absolutely insisted that I quit cold Turkey. It also has a not so beneficial affect on your blood pressure. Had to use the nasal rinse several times daily, use the steroid nasal drops for the allergies, and tuff it out for nearly 3 weeks. Had to turn my M Series Humidifier "off". I also have to use the Breath Right strips at night, but I can get good cpap therapy and did not have to have the surgery. Maybe you can fare as well.

[Hoseboy]

**UPDATE**

thanks for all the comments, guys. Since my original post, i got SO congested that decongestants werent working AT ALL... Like one poster said, the afrin was just hitting the front part of the sinus cavity and was rendered ineffective. I opted for Sudafed, and after 120mg immediate release AT ONE TIME still didnt work (and i repeated 4 hours later.... no relief) After none of that worked, I just figured my body had had enough of decongestants and it was time to quit. After a week or two of not being able to even BLOW MY NOSE, due to sinus rinsing, zyrtec, and a WHOLE LOT of tissues, i think i've finally kicked afrin! i even tried this... and its pretty unorthodox... i know that cpap is a pneumatic "stint" of sorts, so i even turned my cpap up to full blast (20ppi) and tried to blast my sinuses open! it sorta worked... but not like i planned.. one nostril was open for a while, then i rolled over on that side and the other side drained into it, which got me plugged up again.. but at least im decongestant-free and am able to use cpap for at least part of the night, at least until i can get a full face from cpapauction.com ;D