Switching between nasal pillows & mask ?

[TrueBlue]

It's taking me a long time to reach the stage where I can finally say I've finally figured out what works for me! I've know now that CPAP is better for me than APAP and that the nasal pillows are heaps better than the mask. However I'm having an ongoing problem with the nasal pillows giving me hayfever symptoms to the point where every few days I have to abandon the CPAP for a night or two just to get everything back to normal, then after a few days using the nasal pillows it starts to build up again. I've tried the tips on this forum, ie adjusting the humidifier and keeping the hose warm but this doesn't seem to stop the problem completely.

I'm thinking now that the solution may be to use the nasal pillows for a couple of days and then switch to the mask for a couple of days. Was just wondering whether anyone else regularly switches masks ?

[mikemoran]

I was having problems with the nasal pillows irritating my nostrils until I found one that worked for me. So for over a yar I was switching masks every few days. So go ahead and switch. The key is to stay with the therapy and if that is what it takes then its a good solution for you.

[Muse-Inc]

Do you clean the pillows daily? You might be reacting to soap residues like I did with allergy symptoms. I had to wash my pillows in one of the eco-friendly, rinse, spray with vinegar to disinfect & loosen any soap residues letting sit 2-3 mins, rinsing very well, then letting air dry.

[TrueBlue]

Do you clean the pillows daily? You might be reacting to soap residues like I did with allergy symptoms. I had to wash my pillows in one of the eco-friendly, rinse, spray with vinegar to disinfect & loosen any soap residues letting sit 2-3 mins, rinsing very well, then letting air dry.

I clean the nasal pillows in pure soap each day, rinse very thoroughly and then leave to air-dry. The hayfever symptoms take a few days to build up so I think if it was allergy related the symptoms would start after just a few hours of using the pillows. However I will follow your suggestion to see if it makes a difference

[millich]

I bet one of two things is going on:
1) you are opening your mouth during the night. Air in through the nose and out the mouth can cause those symptoms.
2) you aren't using a heated humidifier. I get those symptoms when I don't use mine.

[Kiralynx]

I don't switch masks every few days, but I did switch over to my full-face this summer in Milwaukee when, while traveling, I ended up really stuffy.

Something I did experience, before getting a hand on mouth-breathing with my home-made chin-holder, was a scratchy throat and drainage... which went away when I quit letting my jaw drop open.

[headbored]

My nose was also running in the morning until I turned up the humidifier to #2 and the stuffiness went away.I also used the nasal rinse for a couple of days but that was 3 months ago and no problem so far!