Cold/plugged up nose and Airfit P10

[Lauperfan]

Sorry if this has been addressed, but I have a badly stuffed up nose and meds aren't helping. Since I have to breathe through my device through my nose only, do you have any suggestions? Or should I skip the therapy until I can breathe?

[Gasper62]

Buy a full face mask to enable mouth breathing. Not smart to suspend treatment, in my opinion.


https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html

[Julie]

Have you tried turning the humidifier all the way down or even off for a couple of nights? It can often cause cold/congestion symptoms if you don't need it (or not at as high a setting) and/or prevailing climate's humid enough.

[Gasper62]

" meds aren't helping"

Go to the pharmacy counter and ask for "Sudafed" decongestant. It really works ! Meth cookers forced it to be a controlled access/sale item nowadays. (Not for people with high blood pressure, though )

[Julie]

Sudafed can do some odd stuff at times and is not something to use ongoing... better to try nasal rinses (have you?) or just plain lower humidity - it's not therapy after all, just supposed to be a convenience to facilitate Cpap if you feel the need of it... I almost never do because I live close to water.

[Gasper62]

Sudafed can do some odd stuff at times and is not something to use ongoing... better to try nasal rinses (have you?) or just plain lower humidity - it's not therapy after all, just supposed to be a convenience to facilitate Cpap if you feel the need of it... I almost never do because I live close to water.

OP stated that they're suffering from a cold. Hardly a permanent/on-going situation.........

[R1200ST]

I use a netipot and Neilmed sinus rinse. It helps out a lot. Cold is tough though.

[Julie]

It may feel like a cold, but if it's caused by too much humidity, or allergies (bad at the moment), it's important to suggest the right fix. Sudafed may help, but it's not the only thing and others may address whatever else may be going on.

[Lauperfan]

Thanks, all. I'm trying to avoid Sudafed because of my high blood pressure and anxiety disorder.

I was NOT able to use the CPAP last night with this cold. It was literally suffocating me! I'm going to purchase Afrin today just to try to clear up the nasal passages because I don't want to keep skipping the CPAP. I'm only on week two and want to give it the "college try."

[Ladyflower]

Although some take the "all or nothing" approach to using CPAP therapy, I am of the mindset that if I'm sick and it's too hard to breath through the mask, I will take a break and not use the machine for the night. Struggling to breath through a stuffed up nose with a mask on feels too much like having an asthma attack. I cannot use a full face mask (cannot have anything over my face like that) so that is not an option for me. My husband just has to deal with my snoring for the night.

[Lauperfan]

I agree, Ladyflower. My husband said I snored last night (as I did before starting CPAP two weeks ago), but to me, it's worth not having a suffocating feeling.

We'll see if Afrin helps, or if I just suffer through this congestion. On the bright side, I slept OK for the first time in two weeks because I *wasn't* using the CPAP.