cpap with a cold?

[drdrew]

having a bad cold....really hard to keep the mask on with the coughing and the runny nose....any thoughts?

[nanwilson]

I find when I have a cold, I fell less stuffy, etc with my mask on.....and a bonus...the cold doesn't last as long.

[LSAT]

No cold problems for me....Thanks to the humidity and mask, I have been cold free since I started on CPAP almost 3 years ago.

[BlackSpinner]

Turn up the humidity and take some OTC cough meds at night. Cpap reduces the severity of your symptoms. Blessed blessed cpap!!!

[máirtín]

I haven't been cold-free but things are definitely better in that department since I started. The humidity really helps - crank it up a little when you have a cold. Also, a full face mask helps a lot if you have difficulty breathing through your nose.

Try to avoid not using the sleep therapy i.e. the mask: the cold will eventually go away, the brain damage won't.

[soundersfootballclub]

I just came down with one today and it made it difficult to stick with my mask this morning. I am assuming I am worn down from adapting to treatment over the last week.

[codinqueen]

Get a Neti pot or Sinus rinse kit, rinse your nose with saline 3 to 4 times a day. It gets the virus/bacteria out faster and allows you to suffer less symptoms. I used Afrin if nec so I could breathe thru my nose at night (I have a Swift FX mask), but don't ever use Afrin for more than 3 days. The sinus washes make the cold go away SOONER, and you can breathe thru your nose better and longer! My Dr told me to use the neti pot 4 times a day and it REALLY helped. You can buy Neti pots and saline granules to mix your own solution at the drugstore in the nasal decongestant aisle. Best money I ever spent on a cold! If you have a full face mask and can't breathe at all thru nose and don't care to use Afrin, switch to the full face mask. I did not have a fill face mask when I get my cold, haven't been with CPAP long enough to get a new mask, but am getting a full face or hydrid soon so i will have something next time i get sick and the nose is inoperative. Drink lots of fluids and get well SOON!

[FizzyWater]

I used Afrin if nec so I could breathe thru my nose at night (I have a Swift FX mask), but don't ever use Afrin for more than 3 days.

I've seen this quoted before, but what does it mean, exactly? 3 days...ever? 3 days in a row? So would 3 days on, 1 day off, 3 days on be okay?

I have irregular problems with allergies. The best medicine I can take also tends to keep me awake. So I've thought about buying Afrin for irregular use...but this "don't use for more than 3 days" things has me confused...

[Roger2]

Get a Neti pot or Sinus rinse kit, rinse your nose with saline 3 to 4 times a day.

Is this a nasal spray or something beyond that? How do you rinse your nose?

I use a saline nasal spray through the day because I am in external oxygen 24/7 and it does dry my nostrils out when I am using a portable unit (liquid O2 tank). There is no way I know of to put a humidifier on the portable unit.

[nanwilson]

I used Afrin if nec so I could breathe thru my nose at night (I have a Swift FX mask), but don't ever use Afrin for more than 3 days.

I've seen this quoted before, but what does it mean, exactly? 3 days...ever? 3 days in a row? So would 3 days on, 1 day off, 3 days on be okay?

I have irregular problems with allergies. The best medicine I can take also tends to keep me awake. So I've thought about buying Afrin for irregular use...but this "don't use for more than 3 days" things has me confused...

Fizzy
Afrin is addictive, so only use for a few days, never use on a long term basis or you will be using it every day

[Janknitz]

Afrin also causes rebound congestion. Use it and you feel great until the rebound hits. Then you will want to use it again because of the rebound congestion, and when you do the relief periods get shorter and the rebound congestion worse. At that point you are caught in an endless cycle--it's miserable! I will never touch it again with a ten foot pole!

[Pugsy]

o I've thought about buying Afrin for irregular use...but this "don't use for more than 3 days" things has me confused...

As Janknitz has said Afrin rebound is bad news and very hard to break the cycle.
Here is the scenario. We have nasal congestion for whatever reason meaning the nasal mucosa is swollen.
Spray the Afrin and the chemical reduces the swelling and we get immediate relief. Use it too frequently or for too long and the nasal mucosa thinks that the only time it can be not swollen is after finding relief with Afrin. It becomes dependent on the chemical for it to reduce the swelling. Time of relief becomes shorter so we spray more often and finally get to a point where the 12 hour relief is only lasting maybe 4 hours. The 3 day limit is commonly used because the nasal mucosa may not yet be solely dependent on chemicals to reduce swelling. It really depends on how often you might use it and how much with each spray. It is extremely easy for the nasal mucosa to become dependent on the Afrin.

Kicking the Afrin rebound habit is misery. I have had to do it several times over the years and I know with each time I have been using the Afrin what the repercussions can be.

Is this a nasal spray or something beyond that? How do you rinse your nose?

It is a nasal saline rinse. Sometimes done with a spray bottle and most often done with a little pot.
http://www.5min.com/Video/Learn-about-N ... -114223554
Netipot is a brand name. There are others and even home made recipes. Pour saline mixture up/in one side of the nostril so that it runs out the other nostril. I have never been able to do it. Sounds horrid to me but lots of people swear by it. It does not rinse out the maxillary sinuses though from what I have read.

[archangle]

I've heard the OTC (Over The Counter) nasal spray problem stated differently.

The nasal spray causes the tissues in your nose to shrink up and relieves your congestion. Unfortunately, it also irritates the tissues. When the shrinking effect of the spray wears off, the irritation causes the tissues to swell. The longer you use the spray, the more serious the irritation becomes.

There are some prescription nasal sprays such as Asteline or Rhinacort that don't have this problem in theory.

Sinus Rinse is similar to neti pot, but a little easier to use for most. It's still a saline rinse.

[Roger2]

It is a nasal saline rinse. Sometimes done with a spray bottle and most often done with a little pot.

Netipot is a brand name. There are others and even home made recipes. Pour saline mixture up/in one side of the nostril so that it runs out the other nostril. I have never been able to do it. Sounds horrid to me but lots of people swear by it. It does not rinse out the maxillary sinuses though from what I have read.

I think I will pass and stay off cpap when my nose and lungs are full of junk. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being comparable to the dentist filling a cavity without an anesthetic and 10 being at dinner with a table full of Sauerbraten and Austrian-Style Potato Salad, I would probably rate that procedure as a 1.5.

[apneawho]

The Neil Med sinus rinse and Neti Pot are not bad. I don't think either one hurt at all and it will clear your sinuses.