New to cpap

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
Patches
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New to cpap

Post by Patches » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:12 pm

Hello! I'm new to cpap therapy. Just started last night and it lasted for an hour and a half before i yanked the mask off because it was itchy. I tried scratching my face but the air was blowing all over my face so i just removed it. My DME vendor said I cant use swift fx because of my sinus congestion. I have a 30 day trial. Anyway, i just wanted to thank everyone for the tips that i have read before going to my dme. They were going to give me an escape model and i insisted on s9 elite. They gave me the"it's not on your prescription" excuse. Anyway they didnt have the s9 elite but the vendor came by my house the same night to deliver my pr system pro. I know it takes awhile to find the perfect mask but is it really true i cant use a pillow because of sinus congestion? How do i eliminate the itch of the mask on the face? Help me succeed my second night on therapy please.

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Topsail Girl
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Re: New to cpap

Post by Topsail Girl » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:22 pm

ALl I can suggest is that you wash the mask completely and make sure your skin has no chemicals on it - clean with plain soap like Ivory soap - not moisturizer - I learned this the hard way. Oh and welcome and good luck
Topsail Island, a quaint little DRINKING village with a FISHING problem!

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chunkyfrog
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Re: New to cpap

Post by chunkyfrog » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:29 pm

I use the unscented Parents Choice brand baby wipes on mask, cushion, pillows, and my face.
My face is no baby's hiney, but what's good for the little ones works fine for my old beak.

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Janknitz
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Re: New to cpap

Post by Janknitz » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:32 pm

My DME vendor said I cant use swift fx because of my sinus congestion. I have a 30 day trial. Anyway, i just wanted to thank everyone for the tips that i have read before going to my dme. They were going to give me an escape model and i insisted on s9 elite. They gave me the"it's not on your prescription" excuse. Anyway they didnt have the s9 elite but the vendor came by my house the same night to deliver my pr system pro. I know it takes awhile to find the perfect mask but is it really true i cant use a pillow because of sinus congestion?
No, not true. In fact, using nasal pillows often HELPS reduce sinus congestion. BUT, you also have to follow some simple "nasal hygiene" practices:
1. Use a sinus rinse like a Neti Pot or NeilMed or Simply Saline once or twice daily. Be sure to blow your nose before donning your CPAP.
2. Talk to your doctor about a nasal steriod spray (requires a prescription) and/or an oral antihistamine (over the counter antihistamines like Zyrtec or Claritin work well).
3. AVOID decongestants because they have a "rebound" effect that can INCREASE congestion.
4. You have to experiment with your humidifer settings, too little AND too much can increase congestion.

Congratulations on being too smart to accept the Escape! You are a quick learner and you have also learned to question what your DME says--that's great! The Pro is a good data-capable machine. Don't wait too long to change out the mask if you want--be prepared for them to stall you in an attempt to get you over the 30 day limit.
What you need to know before you meet your DME http://tinyurl.com/2arffqx
Taming the Mirage Quattro http://tinyurl.com/2ft3lh8
Swift FX Fitting Guide http://tinyurl.com/22ur9ts
Don't Pay that Upcharge! http://tinyurl.com/2ck48rm

RDawkinsPhDMPH
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Re: New to cpap

Post by RDawkinsPhDMPH » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:40 pm

All of what Janknitz said but also ... decongestants can also increase problems with insomnia, blood pressure, and cardiac arrhythmias.

Patches
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Re: New to cpap

Post by Patches » Wed Dec 15, 2010 8:40 pm

I took a shower just before putting my mask on because i read that on the forum too. Have a clean face. I washed the mask as well. I had the same problem on my titration but i used the soft cushion mirage. My DME said that the material of the activa is different so i should give this mask a try. She said i should put cream that are non petroleum based. This confuses me since i read in the forum that we shouldnt put anything on our face because it might cause leaks on masks and destroys cushions.
I also use flonase already but that only helps my sinus issues for a few hours. I also take benadryl allergy meds at night but I'm still congested.

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BusyLyn
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Re: New to cpap

Post by BusyLyn » Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:35 pm

Benadryl is a short acting antihistamine - 4 to 6 hours. You would probably be better off using something like Zyrtec which is a once a day antihistamine.
"That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." -- Friedrich Nietzsche

jweeks
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Re: New to cpap

Post by jweeks » Wed Dec 15, 2010 9:58 pm

Patches wrote:I'm new to cpap therapy. Just started last night and it lasted for an hour and a half before i yanked the mask off because it was itchy. I tried scratching my face but the air was blowing all over my face so i just removed it. My DME vendor said I cant use swift fx because of my sinus congestion.
Patches,

Congrats on getting started, and welcome to the forum. An hour and a half is an OK start. You don't have to conquer the world on the first night. I was too chicken to use the machine the first night that I had one, and I lasted about 2 hours the 2nd night. Now 2 years later, CPAP is my "normal"--I cannot imagine not using it.

I have heard folks report that a popsicle stick can be used to scratch an itch. It is thin enough to slide under the mask.

I heard the same story that you did on the Swift when I first started. I was stuffed up all the time and I was branded to be one of the dreaded "mouth breathers". It turns out that not only does a Swift LT work great for me, but the air pressure and flow through my nose keeps my sinuses clear. I started consistently breathing through my nose for the first time in my life. Even if CPAP didn't help with my sleep, this alone (the clear sinuses) would be enough to justify using the machine. I will not promise that you will see the same benefit, but I will suggest that it is at least worth a try.

-john-

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Julie
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Re: New to cpap

Post by Julie » Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:01 pm

As far as the itching goes, once you've done all the cleaning and it still doesn't help, go to Padacheek.com. The owner/OSA cpaptalk member sells 'liners' (you'll see on the site) and they probably can make a big difference.

RDawkinsPhDMPH
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Re: New to cpap

Post by RDawkinsPhDMPH » Wed Dec 15, 2010 10:06 pm

Benadryl can result in some morning hangover & grogginess. There is also some data to suggest that it might interfere with weight management ... don't know about Zyrtec, it is more selective, but I'd be amazed if it didn't have similar side effects, maybe less so ....

That said, I sometimes use Benadryl myself .... the deciding factor on whether to continue is whether I feel more or less alert in the morning.

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robysue
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Re: New to cpap

Post by robysue » Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:08 am

Patches wrote:I took a shower just before putting my mask on because i read that on the forum too. Have a clean face. I washed the mask as well. I had the same problem on my titration but i used the soft cushion mirage. My DME said that the material of the activa is different so i should give this mask a try. She said i should put cream that are non petroleum based. This confuses me since i read in the forum that we shouldnt put anything on our face because it might cause leaks on masks and destroys cushions.
I also use flonase already but that only helps my sinus issues for a few hours. I also take benadryl allergy meds at night but I'm still congested.
I sympathize with your problems. On my first titration study the sleep tech never was able to properly fit a nasal mask on me because every time she got it close to my nose, I'd start sneezing uncontrollably or the top of my nose would start itching uncontrollably. Eventually she gave up and asked me if I wanted to try a nasal pillows mask and I said yes. I was able to tolerate that mask without sneezing and without too much itching. I think the difference was that the nasal mask had some kind of gel in the part that seals against your skin, whereas the nasal pillows mask did not. And I know that I've had skin reactions to other gel substances in the past. I now use a Swift FX nasal pillows mask without having any serious problems with either sneezing or itching. Of course, I also have no mouth breathing problems.

As for skin cream: I do think the main problem with skin creams is that almost all of them have petroleum jelly as a key ingredient and petroleum jelly is really, really bad for the silicone that's used for the part of the mask that seals against your face. For a while I was using nothing on my face after washing it at night, but my face was getting really dry and sore. I finally found a skin cream that does not contain petroleum and also does not make my face itch---most skin creams do make my face itch. I use the skin cream after washing my face at night since I have such dry skin; washing my face makes every night makes it even drier and the Swift FX's exhaust flow's tendency to bounce off the covers has led to some problems with chapping around my mouth as well. But I have NOT had any noticeable problem with leaks since I began using the skin cream. But then, with the nasal pillows, I have not had any serious leaking right from the start.

As for nasal allergies, yours sound worse than mine. But I had no problems with using the nasal pillows back during ragweed season. At first, the CPAP seemed to really keep my nostrils very clear. Now, not so much, but my congestion problems with CPAP are minor and have not triggered any mouth breathing.

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Patches
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Re: New to cpap

Post by Patches » Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:59 pm

Thank you for the feedbacks and advice. Last night ( my 2nd night ) i lasted 4 hours. I think i yanked it off after 1 hour of just hearing myself breath. I think its the mask i'm not sure. I couldnt sleep with that sound. I even laughed at myself because it reminded me of darth vader. Anyway, around 2 am i woke up grabbed my mask and tried again. Tonight i'm planning on putting earplugs! Using popsicle stick for my itch and trying everything all over again.

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DoriC
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Re: New to cpap

Post by DoriC » Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:15 pm

Hi Patches, Welcome! You didn't mention your pressure setting? Also your Cflex setting? My husband was sensitive to that Darth Vader sound when he was using Cflex on his M Series so he turned it off and that noise disappeared. Also you could be hearing leaks. It takes some patience but you did great with 4hrs to start. Keep us posted.

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lbw
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Re: New to cpap

Post by lbw » Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:37 pm

Welcome, glad to hear you are giving things a good try. I found the face mask itchy as well. Even though I used to be a mouth breather since I changed to nasal pillows I am now a "nose" breather and do much better.

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Patches
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Re: New to cpap

Post by Patches » Fri Dec 17, 2010 12:37 pm

Hello again. My pressure setting is at 6 and i removed the cflex setting. I upped my humidifier to 4 . Used an earplug and still had 4 hours of use. I cant get comfortable with the mask cushion going up and down as i breath as well as hearing myself breath. Is this normal with all masks available? The breathing sounds? I have a small window to replace my mask but if all masks are the same i would just stick to this one since it has not leaked on me. Are nasal pillows just as loud?