I'm a hopeless case it seems

[Teresalf]

Okay, I've been on Cpap for two years now and it has been hell for me. I've tried every type of mask, full, nasal, pillows whatever and this is what happens.....sneezing non stop, runny nose, non stop. Everything has been ruled out, allergies etc etc etc. It's the reaction to the cpap , I am convinced. If I don't use it, no reactions, use it and it all starts all over again. I'm worn out, fed up and pretty much hopeless. No sleep, exhausted, sneezing draining non stop from my nose, life is NOT good. Please don't tell me I need to try harder, believe me I want cpap to work for me more than you do. Any suggestions?

[Julie]

Do you have the humidifier set on high - or anything higher than ambient room humidity? If you don't need added humidity then don't use it, or at least turn it down.

[Teresalf]

The humidifier is set to 3 but I have tried it at different settings and w/o and still the same thing happens.

[Pesser]

I have experienced the same thing. I have found that it was a pressure issue. When at certain pressures I get what you described. CPAP is like getting hit with a hair-dryer all night so the sinuses react is way we don't want to. I change the pressure, sometimes up, sometimes a little down. Sometimes I increase or decrease the humidity. My body adjust; and then I am find for a while.

[chunkyfrog]

After using straight pressure (14) for 9 months, I bought an Autoset.
The pressure only goes up to what I need, and the result is much more comfort.
Oddly, the highest pressure I need is under 12.5. I guess the sleep lab was a bit OFF.
Have you ever tried a total face mask? The "wind" is distributed so it is not as noticeable.

[Noctuary]

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[chunkyfrog]

Noctuary; you may need to lean on your doctor to find the real problem.
You may have too little or too much of an essential substance in your blood.
You could even have a disease, like leukemia, which has the same symptoms.

[Teresalf]

LEUKEMIA??? What the heck? Like what kind of stuff in the blood?

[Julie]

CF - what are you talking about (leukemia-wise)? What symptoms are you referring to? Leukemia has quite specific symptoms apart from being tired, things that show up clearly on examination and testing... why confuse (and scare) the OP?

[chunkyfrog]

Yes, sustained malaise and fatigue, with no apparent cause. Absolutely.
Also anemia, low T, etc, and more.
See your doctor, nag, nag, nag. There are many reasons to feel tired.
Automatically blaming cpap is no help at all, except to reinforce one's unwillingness
to give it one more night, try one more mask, one more tip.
"I can't." Is just another way of saying "I don't want to keep trying."
Who invited Noctuary to add his negativity to the thread? Not helpful!

[Julie]

I was referring to more visible signs than fatigue.

[Wulfman...]

Okay, I've been on Cpap for two years now and it has been hell for me. I've tried every type of mask, full, nasal, pillows whatever and this is what happens.....sneezing non stop, runny nose, non stop. Everything has been ruled out, allergies etc etc etc. It's the reaction to the cpap , I am convinced. If I don't use it, no reactions, use it and it all starts all over again. I'm worn out, fed up and pretty much hopeless. No sleep, exhausted, sneezing draining non stop from my nose, life is NOT good. Please don't tell me I need to try harder, believe me I want cpap to work for me more than you do. Any suggestions?

KEEP TRYING........HARDER!!!

OK......just kidding.

What are ALL of your machine settings? You mentioned the humidity setting, but what are all the rest?
Have you had a full blood draw analysis?
What type of water are you using in your humidifier tank?
What type of a cleaning regimen are you using with your equipment? (including what you're using to clean it)


Den

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[BleepingBeauty]

Okay, I've been on Cpap for two years now and it has been hell for me. I've tried every type of mask, full, nasal, pillows whatever and this is what happens.....sneezing non stop, runny nose, non stop. Everything has been ruled out, allergies etc etc etc. It's the reaction to the cpap , I am convinced. If I don't use it, no reactions, use it and it all starts all over again. I'm worn out, fed up and pretty much hopeless. No sleep, exhausted, sneezing draining non stop from my nose, life is NOT good. Please don't tell me I need to try harder, believe me I want cpap to work for me more than you do. Any suggestions?

Den asked some good questions above. You may be having an allergic reaction to whatever cleanser you're using on the equipment. I'd examine those questions first. Have you tried medications (without success) that should prevent the allergy-like symptoms?

Nobody's mentioned this, but if all else fails and your diagnosed apnea is in the mild or moderate category (not severe), a dental appliance may work for you. Called a MAD (Mandibular Advancement Device), they're made by dentists and are designed to hold the lower jaw forward a bit so that the airway is maintained in an open position. Some users are able to treat their apnea successfully this way (nowhere near the majority of people with apnea, but some).

Just thought I'd throw that out there.

[kteague]

It's not common, but some people do actually have a reaction to materials the masks. Just thinking a mask liner probably won't help since it's not a skin reaction. Does anyone know if the cloth masks do any better for those people? When I've had issues it's been 2 issues - pressure blocking the sinuses from a non-pillows mask, and too high of humidity. I take an allergy pill before bedtime to help keep down secretions. Sounds like you've made a diligent effort. I do hope the good ideas I'm seeing in this thread give you some new ideas. Now, I'm just "thinking out loud" here and this may be way too far out, but just wondering if an oral mask would give you the same reaction. I'm guessing yes, but grasping at straws.

In the meantime, scrutinize the details of your sleep report. If you don't have it, get it. Maybe - just maybe - you will find your apnea is positional. Worth checking out in view of the trouble you're having. Good luck.

[Wulfman...]

Another possible option would be to get/try another completely separate set of equipment......machine, HH, hose, mask, etc.
That way, if it's something in your current equipment, it may become apparent if the problem goes away with the replacements.

AND.......was the equipment you're currently using "brand new" when you got it?


Den

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