help - diagnosed with strep throat, should I skip the mask for now??

[texascatfan]

Cpap machine ran out of water last night and who knows if it was related but I was diagnosed with strep throat this morning and can't go to work until Friday as I am considered contagious for 36 hours. Started the antibiotics today.

I'm wondering if I should not use the face mask tonight? Forgot to ask at Urgent Care center but they may not be so familiar... thanks for any thoughts!

[Goofproof]

Do you think the germs will miss the O2, your body might. You might clean your mask after you get over the infection. I never have skipped my XPAP for any sickness, it's part of what makes me well. Jim

[D.H.]

I really don't see any reason to not use CPAP.

However, don't let the water run out!

[palerider]

Cpap machine ran out of water last night and who knows if it was related but I was diagnosed with strep throat this morning and can't go to work until Friday as I am considered contagious for 36 hours. Started the antibiotics today.

I'm wondering if I should not use the face mask tonight? Forgot to ask at Urgent Care center but they may not be so familiar... thanks for any thoughts!

Sleep helps you heal. I haven't missed a single night in 9 years,

Washing your mask every day till you're better wouldn't be a bad idea though.

[chunkyfrog]

I add my agreement to the above.
Skipping cpap is certain to extend your illness and increase your misery.
After 8+ years, this has been my experience.

[Gryphon]

To reiterate what others have already said... Lack of sleep or fragmented sleep can weaken your immune system and make you more susceptible to getting sick or prolong recovery.

As to the humidifier running dry. It's possible, but not likely, that the dryness could have contributed. IE: if the delicate skin inside your mouth became dry enough that it cracked that would create an entry point for germs. I'm just guessing though.

I wouldn't stop using my CPAP for any reason. My Apnea is acute enough that under the wrong circumstances I might not wake up the next day without it, so it doesn't matter how sick I get if I'm sleeping, I'm PAPing. PERIOD! Breathing is never overrated. If your apnea is mild you might be able to get away with not using it depending on the type of illness your having but I'd still advise against going without your machine.

Not related to your situation but others have mentioned making sure you have at least one Full Face Mask on hand (if you use a nose only interface) in the event you get sick and your sinuses become too congested. With the FF Mask, you could continue to use your CPAP even if you can't breathe through your nose. Just an example of what some of us would go through to keep using our machine during times of illness. I use a FF Mask all the time anyway so for me it doesn't matter.

Restful sleep will help your body heal and fight off infections much better than no sleep or untreated apnea sleep.

If you're worried about re-infecting your self. I would advise cleaning your mask daily until you feel you've recovered from your current illness.

Best of luck. Hope you get better soon.

Rest well.

Gryphon

[SewTired]

Cpap machine ran out of water last night and who knows if it was related but I was diagnosed with strep throat this morning and can't go to work until Friday as I am considered contagious for 36 hours. Started the antibiotics today.

I'm wondering if I should not use the face mask tonight? Forgot to ask at Urgent Care center but they may not be so familiar... thanks for any thoughts!

As others have said, use the mask if you can. I'd probably also do overkill and wash my mask daily with Dawn to eliminate bacteria. Generally though, you don't normally 'reinfect' yourself. Yes, it was just coincidental that you ran out of water AND had strep throat. You get strep throat from other people, not from spurious stuff potentially in and around your home. Good luck. Hope you feel better soon!

There are instances when using a cpap is just too damn uncomfortable, but you just try to push through.

[Janknitz]

I think in 7 years of CPAP there have been two nights I didn't use my CPAP because I had a gooey, sneezy, runny nose and it was just too gross. Even then I spent part of those nights holding the mask to my face for part of the night with my hand so I had easy access to remove it to sneeze and wipe my poor nose. The CPAP is very comforting to me when I'm sick (rarely since CPAP). If I'm coughing with a cold I usually don't with CPAP and I can sleep--all the decades of my life before CPAP my very frequent colds would keep me from sleeping for days at a time.

So I agree with the above. USE it. Wash and disinfect it daily. And don't forget some pro-biotics to help restore your gut flora from the antibiotics you are taking. You gut is your immune system.