4th night on cpap

[butterflygirl26]

Ok, so i got a new water chamber today which means i will be able to use my humidifier tonight, but im still struggling with the whole stuffy nose thing. I talked to the nurse that is helping me with my machine, and she just told me i need to go to the doc. and get put on a decongestant....I got some over the counter and they dont work. I dont know how im gonna use my cpap tonight. Im just really frustrated about the whole thing, cause i am doing my best to give this thing a try, and hopefully get used to it. But its just NOT working out....anybody have any suggestions on what I can do?? Thanks for any help i can get.

[archangle]

Welcome to our community.

Don't use over the counter decongestants more than one night or so. (If even then.) They irritate the tissues of your nose, making the congestion even worse the next day. Lots of people get seriously addicted to OTC nose spray and suffer with a stopped up nose whenever they try to quit.

You may need to get a full face or mouth mask if you can't get over the stuffy nose.

Good luck.

[butterflygirl26]

hmmmmmm, I never knew that about OTC medicines. Thanks for letting me know....I will call them tomorrow to see if i can be fitted for a different mask. The one i have now just fits over my nose. Thanks for your help!!

[Mr Bill]

Take the time to get you equipment list up so we can see what you have. If you have a nasal mask like mine, it has a soft inner silicon shell. This shell inflates under pressure and makes the seal on your face. This means you can have your mask on just barely tight and it still seals well. If you have it on too tight, it can squeeze the sinuses and make them stuff up. If taking the mask off makes you feel you can breath better through your nose, then maybe you have the straps too tight.

[harry33]

sometimes if you lie on side one nostril will stay clear

washing out nostrils and sinuses with nettipot and warm salt water is a popular long term cure for mucus

[Otter]

Ok, so i got a new water chamber today which means i will be able to use my humidifier tonight, but im still struggling with the whole stuffy nose thing. I talked to the nurse that is helping me with my machine, and she just told me i need to go to the doc. and get put on a decongestant.

Why do you think your nose is stuffy? I it just dried out, or is this the symptom of an allergy?

The problem with decongestants for the likes of us is that they are stimulants and so can interfere with sleep. That's the last thing you need, eh? I'd explore other options first.

The humidifier will help a lot. If you have trouble with rainout, get a hose cozy or a heated hose.

Try using saline nasal spray occasionally during the day, and especially in the last few hours before bed. If you can hydrate the mucus that's blocking your nose, the pressure from the machine may be able to clear it out. You could also try irrigating with a netti pot.

[Lori Dawn]

Hi, Butterflygirl!

I have had that problem for most of my life... I thought it was because of a failed rhinoplasty to fix a deviated septum that I had when I was 17 that got messed up when I got hit in the nose playing frisbee three weeks later. After that, my nose has always been stuffy, and I THOUGHT that it was because of structural things from that incident. But after reading a lot here, I was referred to a video by Dr. Krakow on nasal stuffiness. When I watched those videos, and I learned a lot about how to determine where the stuffiness is coming from and how to treat it. Very informative! And since I have been following some of his suggestions, I can actually breathe well through my nose for the first time in my life!

Here is the link: http://sleeptreatment.com/training-and- ... deo-series

It takes about an hour to watch it all, but it is divided into ten minute segments.

I hope that helps!

Lori "QF" Dawn

[TalonNYC]

You might try leaving some Vicks Vap-o-Rub (or generic) in a small dish near the air inlet on the machine. That would have the same effect as rubbing it on your chest before bed. Eucalyptus is a powerful decongestant, but since the essential oil will take time to get, the vap-o-rub version will work short-term =)

Do NOT put the stuff on the machine itself, but rather rub a bit onto a small plate or dish and put that near the air inlet.

[gasp]

Neti Pot: If you choose this route you may want to do it at least an hour before bed. If you're like me it takes awhile for drainage to clear after using the Neti Pot.

Vicks Vapo etc: I don't believe this is meant (even by the manufacturer) to be used long term or frequently. Consider using essential oils meant for inhalation. A forum member here sells essential oils meant for use with XPAP at: http://www.pur-sleep.com/content/?id=5

[TalonNYC]

Vicks Vapo etc: I don't believe this is meant (even by the manufacturer) to be used long term or frequently.

Agreed, but it takes a few days to get the oils, so the vicks will work for the short term, as you can get that at any drugstore while you wait =)

[butterflygirl26]

Thank you all for giving such great ideas....My nose is stuffy all during the day, so at night its hard to breath through my nose. Again, thanks everyboy for helping me.