irritated throat from cpap

[Kathypetrilli]

Hi everyone I am very new to a CPAP I started using it the end of August, at first I developed a violent cough checked with my doctor and he put me on antibiotics just in case because I have asthma, the cough continued. In addition to the cough I now have a very irritated throat I can only compare it to the waterlogged feeling you get from swimming too long, I cannot breathe through my mouth or take a deep breath breathing through my nose, the sensation is so horrible I begin to cough till I throw up. I didn't use the CPAP last night and I have not seen an improvement. Has anyone experienced this before I really hope I am not alone in this, I sure could use some advice. Thanks Kathy

[Wulfman...]

Hi everyone I am very new to a CPAP I started using it the end of August, at first I developed a violent cough checked with my doctor and he put me on antibiotics just in case because I have asthma, the cough continued. In addition to the cough I now have a very irritated throat I can only compare it to the waterlogged feeling you get from swimming too long, I cannot breathe through my mouth or take a deep breath breathing through my nose, the sensation is so horrible I begin to cough till I throw up. I didn't use the CPAP last night and I have not seen an improvement. Has anyone experienced this before I really hope I am not alone in this, I sure could use some advice. Thanks Kathy

Kathy,

Are you taking the blood pressure medication Lisinopril? It's a known cause of (sometimes violent) dry coughing.
If you are, ask your doctor to prescribe another type of BP med like Diovan/Valsartan or Cozaar/Losartan which are ARB meds and don't cause coughing.
There might be other meds which cause the coughing, so review what you're taking and check them out at http://www.drugs.com

Other than that, I'm afraid I don't have many ideas. But, I did experience the effects of Lisinopril right after starting my therapy in 2005 and can relate to that. I also had to suspend my therapy (and stop taking Lisinopril) until my coughing settled down. It wasn't a good time and you have my sympathies.


Den

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[Starlette]

+1 Den

[KeepSmiling]

Hi everyone I am very new to a CPAP I started using it the end of August, at first I developed a violent cough checked with my doctor and he put me on antibiotics just in case because I have asthma, the cough continued. In addition to the cough I now have a very irritated throat I can only compare it to the waterlogged feeling you get from swimming too long, I cannot breathe through my mouth or take a deep breath breathing through my nose, the sensation is so horrible I begin to cough till I throw up. I didn't use the CPAP last night and I have not seen an improvement. Has anyone experienced this before I really hope I am not alone in this, I sure could use some advice. Thanks Kathy

Depending on the machine, are all the air filters in place?

My Resperonics has a foam (washable) and an air filter (throw away).

Resmed Airsense 10 has an air filter (throw away).

Did you wash your mask and hose before you used them to get rid of any chemicals on them? May be over kill but do you wash them and the humidifier chamber as recommended. (Yes I know we all do not do that, myself included, so no one shoot me.)

If you do any type of nasal rinse make sure you do it at least an hour before laying down. I think 30 minutes is recommended, I like the one hour, to make sure my sinus have drained.

Questions to consider:
If you are using water for the humidifier what type of water did you use.

What is your pressure.

Can any part of the throat issues be post nasal drip causing irritation on the vocal cords. Cough drops with a numbing ingredient (benzocaine) helps me when I get a dry cough from irritated throat during allergy season. They are over the counter, ask pharmacy incase of other meds.

---

It could be a combination of things that added up to a problem for you.

I had issues only when I put on the machine, I just could not breath I got so congested. I stopped using water.

---

This is from one of the Resmed Airsense 10 manual:

[Contraindications
Positive airway pressure therapy may be contraindicated in some patients with the following preexisting
conditions:
 severe bullous lung disease
 pneumothorax
 pathologically low blood pressure
 dehydration
 cerebrospinal fluid leak, recent cranial surgery, or trauma.
Adverse effects
Patients should report unusual chest pain, severe headache, or increased breathlessness to their
prescribing physician. An acute upper respiratory tract infection may require temporary
discontinuation of treatment.
The following side effects may arise during the course of therapy with the device:
 drying of the nose, mouth, or throat
 nosebleed
 bloating
 ear or sinus discomfort
 eye irritation
 skin rashes.]

[KeepSmiling]

I noticed you have asthma. I am just throwing this out as general FYI to readers.

Have you recently changed any of your asthma medications, the delivery system for them or gone to a generic brand.

I had issues with the discus delivery system for my two meds. I only noticed when I kept getting worse taking the discus Ventalin, I did not see an improvement. I called the pharmacy for a ventalin pump and got relief that way. I told the doctor and he said it was an issue for some patients. Both Rxs got changed to pump again.

I remember one coworker getting sick when one of her asthma pump was switched (I do not remember if name brand was switched to a generic brand OR if the generic brand was switched to another generic brand). She had the reaction to one of the inactive/nonmedical ingredients in the pump.

[R1200ST]

Asthma meds can cause Thrush if you do not rinse after taking the meds. This has happened to me in the past. Very irritating. Check with your doctor. They can look in your throat to see if you have the white coating that can be indicative of Thrush. Antibiotics do not cure Thrush as far as I remember. I had it only once, and that cured me from not rinsing after taking my meds.

Also, my daughter had post nasal drip that irritated her vocal cords / bone area. Massive cough, dry, irritating for weeks until the swelling / irritation went down.

[BlackSpinner]

You don't say what machine you are using or what kind of mask. If it is a nasal mask and you are mouth breathing, then yes you will have a very sore throat and are not getting any therapy worth mentioning.