Cpap when sick?

[Finnc]

Last night I was so congested I could hardly breath. I put my mask on and I was breathing so hard the water in the humidifier was bubbling and I ended up inhaling some water. I dumped some water out ( it was at the fill line, I dumped it half way out) and made it through the night but it was pretty miserable. Do y'all normally wear your masks when sick? Or take a break. I did end up doing a nasal rinse and helped a little but not much.

[Wulfman...]

Last night I was so congested I could hardly breath. I put my mask on and I was breathing so hard the water in the humidifier was bubbling and I ended up inhaling some water. I dumped some water out ( it was at the fill line, I dumped it half way out) and made it through the night but it was pretty miserable. Do y'all normally wear your masks when sick? Or take a break. I did end up doing a nasal rinse and helped a little but not much.

I've always used mine when I've had a cold and most other illnesses. The only time I didn't/couldn't was a couple of weeks after I started therapy and I was coughing so hard I couldn't keep the mask on.......and as soon as the coughing passed enough that I COULD keep the mask on, I resumed therapy.

Nasal cleansing helps as you found out. Also, depending on the person, changing the humidity setting can also help. But, that depends on the person. I found that turning the HH off and using cool humidification works best for me. To much heated humidity causes more nasal congestion for me.


Den

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[chunkyfrog]

I have never taken a "vacation" or "sick night" off from cpap.
Nothing helps me feel better than an ample supply of oxygen-containing air.
Depriving myself of this is something I don't want to do.

[Sheriff Buford]

Probably a good reason to have a full face mask on standby that you can wear when these things happen. You need to find the mask when you are "healthy", so you can wear it when your sinus makes you miserable. The other night, my sinuses were plugged, so my mouth-breathing was a little more than normal.

Sheriff

[Julie]

I don't know if you're using the humidifier, or at what setting, but if it's high, turn it right down (or off, depending on how you feel after a couple of nights) because it can cause congestion... in case that's your problem and not an actual 'cold'.

[Captain_Midnight]

Several great responses to this question.

Yes, breathing is compromised, try to use the nasal gear if that's the only arrangement that you have. It beats oxygen starvation, and the accompanying inflammation increase. Side sleeping can help you here, as gravity can clear the uphill sinuses, and clear one breathing passage (sometimes).

As with many others hereabouts, I keep a full face mask just in case I can't breathe with the nasal mask. Only needed it a handful of times in 7 yrs, but it was worth having when only a full-face would do.

[Pugsy]

I have never had nasal congestion so bad with a cold that I couldn't use my nasal pillows mask. Sometimes it has been a challenged but usually by cranking up the humidifier to ultra max and some oral decongestants I have been able to get the nose open enough to breathe through my nose a little and the humidified air helps a lot.
Think hot steamy shower or hot kettle of steam and if that helps with congestion.

So I have never missed a night due to a cold or upper respiratory infection and often I wake up breathing better than when I went to bed. Maybe not the best sleep in the world but when you have a bad cold you don't ever sleep so great anyway.

I don't own a full face mask...don't want one and wouldn't use it anyway. Tried one a long time ago and learned real quick I wasn't going to go down that road.

[Sheriff Buford]

I don't own a full face mask...don't want one and wouldn't use it anyway. Tried one a long time ago and learned real quick I wasn't going to go down that road.

If you can get me to ignore small leaks, I can get you into a full face mask!

Sheriff

[Guest]

Last night I was so congested I could hardly breath. I put my mask on and I was breathing so hard the water in the humidifier was bubbling and I ended up inhaling some water. I dumped some water out ( it was at the fill line, I dumped it half way out) and made it through the night but it was pretty miserable. Do y'all normally wear your masks when sick? Or take a break. I did end up doing a nasal rinse and helped a little but not much.

I use nasal pillows and find the pressure opens up my nasal passages. I also found that I have had fewer colds since starting cpap.

But one time while sick I tried the FFM mask I started with cuz everyone always says to use the FFM - well that lasted all of 5 mins. I could hardly breath. Also contrary to everyone else the warm moist air helped me. I normally use just passover mode but the added moisture did help.

[jimmy christmas]

I have never taken a "vacation" or "sick night" off from cpap.
Nothing helps me feel better than an ample supply of oxygen-containing air.
Depriving myself of this is something I don't want to do.

+1 to this answer

Jim
Kennesaw, GA

[Digeeedad]

For me, using nasal pillows is often a plus and I would assume the same could be said for a nasal mask. When having nasal congestion I can usually clear my nasal passages by putting on my mask, turning on my machine and opening my mouth, letting the air flow through my nose and out my mouth, until clear. Might sound a little weird but this seems to work every time, for me, both using a humidifier and without. Once cleared, I usually remain that way for sleeping but sometimes have to repeat later in the night.

[Pugsy]

If you can get me to ignore small leaks, I can get you into a full face mask!

Nope, nope, nope....did you forget that I tried that mask from Hell you used to use and couldn't get the damn thing to seal past 10 seconds? That's seconds...not minutes. Was zero chance of getting to sleep with it.
I need to bow down and kiss your boots that you were able to get the leak rates that had with that damn mask.
No wonder they call it "the mask of last resort"
You are a hero in my boat for using it successfully for years.

You know the old saying "if it ain't broke don't fix it"... that's the way I feel about my lack of using or willingness to use ...a full face mask. It's more than just the big bulkiness of it...there's also my neck that plays a big part because pretty much all full face masks need to have that lower back strap and that just kills my neck.
I don't sleep so great when my neck has a hot burning poker stuck in it and that's pretty much what I get with the full face masks (tried on about 15 of them at DME a long time ago) because of that lower back strap..

If I had a cold so bad that I couldn't get my nose opened up at all...it would be a miserable night anyway and I would just say to hell with it and do without. Might as well because I likely wouldn't be sleeping anyway.
I would just sit up in the recliner all night and feel sorry for myself.

To be fair...I do on occasion slip on other full face masks (newer models) when I get used ones donated just to see if the newer ones might work...so far no success but then I admit I haven't yet REALLY, REALLY had a situation where I just HAD to use one. My neck is real big problem child for me and not just in terms of cpap masks...I can't drink a soda (or beer) out of a can without wearing more than I swallow. I am not real motivated to make a FFM work because I simply haven't had the need. That's why I try so hard to help people use one of the others if that is what they WANT to use. Want is good enough reason in my book to at least try to make something work.

Yeah...maybe I mouth breathe a little every now and then but that little bit of maybe mouth breathing is a lot better than no sleep with a mask I hate because it hurts......Besides I have more nights where I don't mouth breathe than nights where I do and when I do..rarely have any really big leaks that last longer than 5 minutes or so.

[GrantT]

I have always used while sick and find it helps (and has also seemed to help PREVENT getting sick as well - filtered air, lots of oxygen, moisture etc).

Anyways, I'm sick right now with a worse than normal sinus infection kind of thing, and found this time I really felt like I was suffocating as my sinus passages were just not letting enough air through...I was getting really frustrated so I just cranked the air pressure up about 3 more units (from 8 to an 11), and also turned EPR up to 3 to help the exhale....found that really helped push through the blockage....

[Finnc]

I turned the humidifier up last night so I could get some steam and while it felt great and cleared me up, my husband wanted to strangle me because it was noisy and my cat seemed to hate it as well and attacked my mask in the middle of the night scratching my face up. Good times.

[nobody]

When I'm sick I usually get hopped up on OTC drugs that clear sinuses but then keep me awake all night anyway. Sucks being sick. I at least try to use the machine. In the 6 or so years I've used it, I've taken a few nights off because of colds. That's even with full face mask. Mouth breathing is too uncomfortable in one of these because the mouth gets so dry.