Newbie Stuffy Nose

[Katdevl]

Hi! I tried CPAP a year ago for 7 days and developed Bells Palsy. It was so bad I ended up sendingy machine back because I couldn't get a good seal, so I couldn't use the machine. A year later I am trying again. I have been using my CPAP for a month now, but I have a horrible stuffy nose and a hacking cough. I sound like I smoke.
a pack a day. ( non smoker) I let my doctor know and she added Singulair and Dymista to my Claritin. I was using Flonase but had to stop. I've been on the added meds for 3 weeks and nothing has changed. I am using the p10 nasal pillows just fine...maybe a slight headache at first. I'm usually getting 75-100% on the resiair app. Mostly sleep hours bring it down. Distilled water yet working through my first gallon. I've adjusted the humidifier from 8-2- off by 2's and decided on 4. It seems to be the best. Any other thoughts or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[ragtopcircus]

I don’t know anything about Bell’s. Did you recover? I wonder if you pulled the mask so tight (trying to stop leaks) that you put pressure on a nerve or blood vessel.

Nasal congestion has been my biggest challenge with CPAP.

I turned my humidity up to 6 with a regular, unheated slimline hose.

I get the best result with a pillow mask (P30i, very similar to your P10 except for the hose location). Going up a size may help.

I take Singulair. I was using Fluticasone regularly, but I’ve been cutting back on that. Now I’m using Nasalcrom (but not sure if it adds any benefit beyond Singulair) and Xlear Max (with capsaicin). If it’s really bad, I use Capsinol (stronger capsaicin).

I’ve also found that increasing my pressure a little helps. My prescription pressure is 13, and that works well IF my nose is clear. Bumping that up to 15 helps a lot when I’m congested, and leaves my nose feeling better the next day. I think the added pressure is reducing the swelling in the turbinates, kind of like wearing compression socks. I’m now using that as my minimum pressure all the time.

Propping your head up may help, by reducing the blood pressure in your nose. However, you don’t want to tuck your chin, so propping your upper body up too may be necessary. Another option is propping up the head of your bed with wooden blocks under the legs.

[Julie]

Bell's Palsy has nothing to do with Cpap - it was coincidental, but you should be talking to your GP about it as it often accompanies diabetes. Wearing the mask might be difficult of course when you do have Bell's.

You should also consider that you might not need the humidifier some (or all) of the time as it can congest you if local conditions - climate, proximity to water, etc. is already humid enough. Experiment more with settings and/or even not using it at all depending on the season, where you live, etc. etc.