Recently diagnosed and having a lot of trouble coping

[Joe T.]

Thank you to whoever suggested using Simply Saline or the like for congestion. I bought and tried some last night and it seemed to help quite a bit. The good thing is that medicine can still be used if necessary. Thanks again.

Joe T.

[Stryker5777]

Hey Joe,

These guys on here are great. I can't say it enough and if anyone on the internet can help with your congestion and claustrophobia they can.

I can't really comment on your problem with claustrophobia, since I actually like being comfy cuzy and all tucked in.

However, I know what you mean about the congestion. I've had severe congestion practically my whole life. I never had very much relief from it. Recently I've been trying differnt things to clear it up since its so important to be able to nose breath while on cpap. Saline rinse is very good and helpful.

Currently I'm using nasal rinse, nasal crom, flonase, and the nasal aire II thats a nasal prong interface. This seems to work best for me, and my ahi has never been better and plus I've have been sleeping longer & better than before.

So don't just try what I'm doing though! BUT, figure out what works best for you and talk to the doc. However whatever you do...

Good Luck Joe and hang in there!!! Your not alone, we are definitely rooting for you..!

stryker5777

[Joe T.]

As I mentioned, I have used Simply Saline a couple of days and it has helped. I have stopped taking Sudafed altogether although I am still using Claritan. Tonight I have put the mask on unattached to the machine and figured out a way to get my reading glasses on so I have read the paper for awhile, checked my e-mail and checked the forum for a bit. So far it has probably been about half an hour. My plan is to try the same thing tomorrow night with it connected to the machine. Friday night I plan to try to sleep with it again. I do not have to get up early Saturday so if I have problems it won't be so stressful since I don't have to get up and go to work. Keep your fingers crossed. I also may inquire about getting a full face mask too because being able to breathe through the mouth sure sounds like a nice option when I am stuffy. I have discovered some mold in my cellar and am working on that problem which could be contributing to the congestion. Have a dehumidifier running in the cellar and have been doing some wiping down with a bleach solution. So running around tonight feeling like it is Halloween may be my first step in accepting the mask.

[Joe T.]

Stryker 5777,

What is nasal crom? Thanks.

Joe T.

[Goofproof]

As I mentioned, I have used Simply Saline a couple of days and it has helped. I have stopped taking Sudafed altogether although I am still using Claritan. Tonight I have put the mask on unattached to the machine and figured out a way to get my reading glasses on so I have read the paper for awhile, checked my e-mail and checked the forum for a bit. So far it has probably been about half an hour. My plan is to try the same thing tomorrow night with it connected to the machine. Friday night I plan to try to sleep with it again. I do not have to get up early Saturday so if I have problems it won't be so stressful since I don't have to get up and go to work. Keep your fingers crossed. I also may inquire about getting a full face mask too because being able to breathe through the mouth sure sounds like a nice option when I am stuffy. I have discovered some mold in my cellar and am working on that problem which could be contributing to the congestion. Have a dehumidifier running in the cellar and have been doing some wiping down with a bleach solution. So running around tonight feeling like it is Halloween may be my first step in accepting the mask.

Due to congestion I started out with a FF Mask, everyone hates them, but I have to have one and have made piece with it, If I have to mouthbreath I can and still get full treatment. the HH helps but I prefer breathing cool air, warm moist air feels like its taking my breath so I set the HH as low as I can stand.

I sleep in my basement, and also appear to have a mold problem, I am running a dehumidifier, I have carpet down wall to wall, but I fear it will have to go. I've thought all summer it was just my allergies but there's no pollen out now, I better look closer to home.

[leslie]

I have frequent nasal congestion from allergies, especially at night, and I had a lot of the same problems in the beginning with my CPAP. I also took Sudafed until a friend told me it could make it harder to sleep, and after I stopped taking it (and also stopped taking any type of sleep aid), I was finally able to go the whole night without taking the mask off in my sleep.

There definitely is something about the Swift nasal pillows mask that dries up congestion. In fact, I hadn't realized it until right now, but I have less congestion even during the day, and I stopped taking my allergy medication a few months ago and haven't needed to go back to it. I have found, like someone else mentioned, that I look forward to putting the mask on because it feels like it opens up my breathing so much.

I also agree with what someone else said about not using the heat with the regular mask. When I had a regular mask, the heat made me much more claustrophobic. I kept water in the reservoir but never turned the heat on. With my Swift, I find I DO prefer the heat.

When I was initially working on getting over my claustrophobia, I would just lie still and focus on breathing long and deep, also thinking about how much all that air was benefiting my body. At first, the initial ear-plugging thing (does everyone get that in the first few minutes of putting the mask on, when you swallow?) added to my claustrophobia, until I started just swallowing and then clearing my ears a few times in a row on purpose just to get it out of the way. Maybe using the ramping function might have an effect on that, but I never use the ramping function because it feels like I have to struggle to breathe when it is too low.

Has anyone had a power-outage during the night? That happened to me for the first time last month. That's a freaky feeling.

[Goofproof]

[quote="leslie"] Has anyone had a power-outage during the night? That happened to me for the first time last month. That's a freaky feeling.