Doc told me not to use the humidifier

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heoun
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Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by heoun » Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am

I went for my 1 month follow up appointment with my sleep doctor yesterday. I’m at 100% compliance and I have to have the humidifier turned on in it every night. I love the thing — I’ve literally never slept this good before in my life. Well, my doctor told me yesterday that he wanted me to stop using the humidifier portion because it wasn’t needed, and that the humidifier adds the risk of me getting a brain eating bacteria. I use new distilled water in it every night and clean it weekly, so I don’t really get his concern about the brain eating bacteria and honestly think it was just a scare tactic. Anyway, I tried to follow his instruction and sleep without the humidifier on last night. I made it through two hours of discomfort and no sleep before I turned that sucker back on. Slept great the rest of the evening.

All of this to ask: the humidifier is perfectly fine to use right? I’m not going to be able to effectively use the CPAP without it, and I don’t want to go back to sleeping (or lack there of) like I did before I got the machine. I’ve searched through the posts and couldn’t find anything even remotely discussing this subject, so I appreciate any feedback. Is my doc just strange or is there a legitimacy to his claim?

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ChicagoGranny
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by ChicagoGranny » Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:22 am

heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
Is my doc just strange
"Idiot" is the more appropriate descriptor for that doctor.

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Pugsy
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by Pugsy » Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:33 am

ChicagoGranny wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:22 am
heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
Is my doc just strange
"Idiot" is the more appropriate descriptor for that doctor.
I would add another more colorful adjective to the term. :lol: :lol: F ing idiot.
heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
the humidifier is perfectly fine to use right?
Yes, the humidifier is fine to use.

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SleepGeek
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by SleepGeek » Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:38 am

heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
I’m at 100% compliance and I have to have the humidifier turned on in it every night. I love the thing — I’ve literally never slept this good before in my life.
Humidifier is a comfort feature which you can use with or w/o heat.
heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
my doctor told me yesterday that he wanted me to stop using the humidifier portion because it wasn’t needed, and that the humidifier adds the risk of me getting a brain eating bacteria.
As long as you are using distilled and not pond (or well water) I doubt that will happen.
heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
the humidifier is perfectly fine to use right?
Absolutely.
heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
Is my doc just strange or is there a legitimacy to his claim?
If it were me, I would find another doc. Be sure to get a copy of your sleep study AND your Equipment Order before you depart. They both will have answers to some of your future questions.
Last edited by SleepGeek on Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:42 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Julie
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by Julie » Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:39 am

O M G :!: :shock:

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chunkyfrog
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:11 am

Please change doctors IMMEDIATELY!

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Dog Slobber
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by Dog Slobber » Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:15 am

Your doctor is an absolute idiot. One has a better chance of getting the exposed to a brain-eating amoeba having a shower. But is he no longer showering or advising his patients to stop showering?

This is exactly the type of Medical advice that needs to be publicly refuted strongly, and any medical "professional" giving such advice, discredited.

Unfortunately, there are a few butt-kissing, doctor sycophants here, who automatically support these doctors and instead will attempt to discredit those who correctly refute the idiot doctors.

Dishonest member, dataq1 comes to mind:

viewtopic/t183781/Contributors-Qualifications.html
I've noticed (in other forum threads) that some contributors speak derisively of medical professionals, Cpap equipment manufacturers, DMEs, and licensed therapists.

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CowFish
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by CowFish » Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:33 am

SleepGeek wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:38 am
Humidifier is a comfort feature which you can use with or w/o water.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

If a humidifier falls in the forest, ...

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SleepGeek
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by SleepGeek » Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:47 am

CowFish wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:33 am
SleepGeek wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 6:38 am
Humidifier is a comfort feature which you can use with or w/o heat.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

If a humidifier falls in the forest, ...
That should have been w/o heat.

Thank You for your contribution.

Back in the day some people used w/o water to muffle the noise of the cpap.
Last edited by SleepGeek on Thu Sep 22, 2022 1:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Conrad
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by Conrad » Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:53 am

heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
I went for my 1 month follow up appointment with my sleep doctor yesterday. I’m at 100% compliance and I have to have the humidifier turned on in it every night. I love the thing — I’ve literally never slept this good before in my life. Well, my doctor told me yesterday that he wanted me to stop using the humidifier portion because it wasn’t needed, and that the humidifier adds the risk of me getting a brain eating bacteria. I use new distilled water in it every night and clean it weekly, so I don’t really get his concern about the brain eating bacteria and honestly think it was just a scare tactic. Anyway, I tried to follow his instruction and sleep without the humidifier on last night. I made it through two hours of discomfort and no sleep before I turned that sucker back on. Slept great the rest of the evening.

All of this to ask: the humidifier is perfectly fine to use right? I’m not going to be able to effectively use the CPAP without it, and I don’t want to go back to sleeping (or lack there of) like I did before I got the machine. I’ve searched through the posts and couldn’t find anything even remotely discussing this subject, so I appreciate any feedback. Is my doc just strange or is there a legitimacy to his claim?
Sounds to me like your 'doctor' may have some firsthand experience with brain eating bacteria...
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robysue1
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by robysue1 » Thu Sep 22, 2022 7:57 am

If that strange, stupid, f*cking idiot of a doctor of yours is ever put on CPAP, then he can choose to PAP without the humidifier and if he's lucky, maybe his nasal mucosa won't rebel, scream, and object every morning.

But right now, you're the one using the machine and your nose says, "Use the humidifier."

Since using the humidifier makes your nose happy and you are sleeping well when you use the humidifier and you are feeling better during the daytime, it's a no-brainer: Use the humidifier.

And I'll join the chorus of folks saying, "Find a new doctor."
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JimmyStewart
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by JimmyStewart » Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:48 am

I thought this myth had been quashed years ago!

I was told something similar when I started CPAP 15-20 years ago, and at least 3 doctors since (I move around a lot). I wasn’t told to not use a humidifier, but if/when I did, I had to use distilled water. I left the office chuckling.

There are numerous discussions about distilled vs tap water, I don’t need to elaborate.

I currently use distilled water because my city water is hard, but I still occasionally laugh about it!!

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jimbud
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by jimbud » Thu Sep 22, 2022 8:54 am

There seems to be somewhat of a consensus here. :lol: :lol: :lol:

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Rubicon
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by Rubicon » Thu Sep 22, 2022 9:18 am

heoun wrote:
Thu Sep 22, 2022 4:28 am
.. the risk of me getting a brain eating bacteria.
Ironically, the thing he's probably referring to (Naegleria fowleri) is actually an ameba, and it eats...


...bacteria.
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chunkyfrog
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Re: Doc told me not to use the humidifier

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Sep 22, 2022 9:57 am

The brain-eating organisms should be absent from municipal water in the USA.
I would expect to maybe find them in stagnant swamps or ponds.
Even frogs know better than to use pond water in our cpaps.

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