The Symptoms Just Come Right Back, Don't They?

[Cassandra]

Man, I have a hellacious head cold. I haven't had a fever or anything, so I have to think it's not a real cold. Just allergies or something. I could NOT use my machine last night. I put a mask on. And aside from snot running all over the place (you are welcome for the mental picture!) with the pressure on my face from swollen sinuses, having something strapped around my head was completely intolerable! I just felt like GYAH get it off me!

So, you can imagine I didn't have a great night last night. I couldn't go to sleep to start with. It was well after midnight before I went to sleep and I was thankful for the alarm to go off at five so I could get up. But in that short amount of time, I got to go pee at least four times. I slept very lightly. In between bathroom trips, I always felt like I hadn't really been asleep at all.

I've got to be out today. Taking my dad to a doctor appointment. I'm going to try to find something. May get a neti pot or some vicks salve or something. I have been taking generic claratin. Obviously that's not working. I guess I will have to bite the bullet and pay four times as much for the zyrtec. Ugh. I always feel a bit stupid when I have a head cold. My thought processes seem to take longer. I always joke that it feels like I'm thinking through syrup.

I am hanging in there. I just thought it was interesting and worthy of comment that the first night I have slept without the machine since I got it-three months ago-and it made it so obvious that the disease doesn't go away. Even though I feel like I'm cured, I'm really not.

Cassandra

[GaryG]

Although you had a horrible night, at least you know long term you can do something about it. Feel better.

[Roeschti]

My sinuses are always at least somewhat closed. And it gets worse when I am in a horizontal position. So. I went straight for a Mirage Quattro. Works great.
Do you have access to a FullFace Mask?

[mdintx]

Cassandra,

At the club stores (I have a membership at Costco), they're selling generic Zyrtec for $17 for a year's supply. Don't pay a lot for it cause it can be had for MUCH less. I would also suggest going with the Neilmed kit as opposed to the Netipot:

http://www.neilmed.com/usa/index.php

I do it every evening and it really has helped my congestion, allergies, and how many colds I have in a year.

[raggedykat]

$17.00 for a year's worth? Thanks for the info. I will be there this evening.

[Cassandra]

My sinuses are always at least somewhat closed. And it gets worse when I am in a horizontal position. So. I went straight for a Mirage Quattro. Works great.
Do you have access to a FullFace Mask?

Roescht, yes. I was using a full face mask. It was actually helping me keep my mouth open. I positioned it in such a way that it pushed my chin down a little. And this made it easier for me to breathe. I just couldn't leave it there. I had a restless, tossing-turning night. One of those where you just throw off the covers because you can't stand anything touching you. (Thank goodness for a cal-king size bed or hubby might have gotten jabbed in the ribs! LOL) It was the whole straps-around-the-head, pressure-on-the-sinuses thing I couldn't take.

I had a hotter than usual shower this morning, letting the pulsing jets on the shower head beat me in the face for as long as the water stayed hot. It felt AWESOME.

[Cassandra]

Cassandra,

At the club stores (I have a membership at Costco), they're selling generic Zyrtec for $17 for a year's supply. Don't pay a lot for it cause it can be had for MUCH less. I would also suggest going with the Neilmed kit as opposed to the Netipot:

http://www.neilmed.com/usa/index.php

I do it every evening and it really has helped my congestion, allergies, and how many colds I have in a year.

Thank you for that info! I'm about to head out right now. But I will start looking as soon as I get home.

[twokatmew]

I've been getting my generic Zyrtec through Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cetirizine-Hydroc ... _sim_hpc_1
-- usually buy several bottles and stock up yearly, as I take it every day. Feel better, Cassandra!

[Muse-Inc]

Hey, Cassandra, get some Afrin and use it tonight, 12 hour moisturizing version -- 1 spray only in each nostril after priming the pump. It should stop the production of mucous; it does for me at least. To avoid rebound which is worse than the original congestion, I use this way: 2nd night 1 nostril 1 spray, 3rd night same nostril 1 spray, 4th night other nostril 1 spray, 5th night that same nostril 1 spray, 6ht night NO MORE AFRIN for at least a few weeks! I buy a generic version from Publix that I think is actually less irritating than than the brand name.

This stuff works like magic to stop congestion (cold or sinus or allergy) BUT rebound is horrible, my BFF is still suffering rebound congestion from overdosing last July and ENT's got her on Astepro and Nasonex and saline sprays throughout the day. When I take her shopping, she ends up mouth breathing and out of breath, so use it cautiously.

If the sinus washes (neti pot or NeilMed) aren't sufficient, buy the Grossan gadget (nasal irrigator sorta like a WaterPik for the nose, sounds gross, feels good) and buy packages of his powder -- works well for me and I have some 30+ yrs of allergy & sinus issues. http://www.grossan.com/

[Cassandra]

Muse, I am pretty sure I've got some Afrin. I like the idea of how you take it to prevent rebound.

I've also got some Nasonex... I don't guess that would help any?

I've been using a 3 cc syringe (no needle, of course) to irrigate my sinuses with salt water, as needed, for a few years and it has worked pretty well for me. I think I will dig it out from under the sink and give it another go this evening before I buy any more equipment.

Ugh. I just bought about $30 worth of sinus congestion drugs and took some of each. (zzzzzzzZZZZZzzzzz)

Cassandra

[Muse-Inc]

...I've also got some Nasonex... I don't guess that would help any?

Before I got the Astepro (Rx antihistamine spray), Nasonex helped reduce my congestion. I still use it if congestion is noticeable at bedtime or in the morning.

If these ideas don't work, get your doc to write a script for Atrovent nasal spray 6%. Pharmacist might have to order it and there is a generic. It's mostly used for runniness from colds but some find it actually eliminates congestion my sleep doc says. Since using Astepro, while I have it, I haven't used it...maybe next cold.

[twokatmew]

If these ideas don't work, get your doc to write a script for Atrovent nasal spray 6%. Pharmacist might have to order it and there is a generic. It's mostly used for runniness from colds but some find it actually eliminates congestion my sleep doc says.

I use Atrovent nebulizer and inhaler for asthma. Sinus congestion is a big problem for me, so I use the generic Atrovent nasal spray before bed each night (two sprays in each nostril). It's called Ipratropium Bromide and works quite well to clear congestion before masking up.

[fishhead]

hey, cassandra -

sorry about the allergies - i know how aggravating they can be. for what it's worth, my sleep doc told me after my first month of cpap therapy that if i had a severe sinus condition i may have to, as he put it, 'take a holiday' from the machine a night or two, until things clear up. so far i haven't had to.

but, twice so far since i started 3 months ago i woke up in the middle of the night and took my mask off momentarily to reposition and must have immediately fallen back asleep. i woke up an hour or two later in a panic, heart racing, breathing heavy, and i realized i must have just had an apnea that woke me.

so, yes, i agree with you... there are (and no doubt will be) rough nights here and there, but definitely do better on the machine. i've been able to successfully (so far) come off the depression meds, i'm sleeping better, my attitude is waaaaayyy better.

i can't say that i've had the breakthroughs that some in this forum have had, but then again i'm still new at this. but even if this is as good as it gets, my worst day on cpap is soooo much better than my best day without it.

[SleepyT]

cassandra...you and i must have the same cold! i picked one up last sunday...and it has been a bear! first one i've had since cpap therapy began. i have been using afrin (generic version though) and zyrtec...but am being careful about overdoing the afrin. i also bought a neti pot and am giving that a whirl. good luck getting over the cold !

t.

[SleepyT]

oh...and i am using my nasal mask instead of my usual nasal pillows....and rigged up some pillows so i am sleeping somewhat upright...like on a bed wedge....and that helps too! hope some of that helps!