Asthma Issues with Cpap

[fordjx4000]

Hi can Cpap make asthma worse I've been on Cpap for a month or so and I wake up in the morning and I have to cough up stuff from my lungs is that normal with Cpap right now I am at school and am having issues with my asthma and I don't have my inhaler with me and I am not sure if Cpap is the the reason for my asthma issues

[VikingGnome]

Everything I've read is that CPAP makes asthma better. It helps keep the bronchus more open and tones the muscles preventing bronchospasm. At first you may find you are producing more mucus which causes coughing. But that is mucus that is getting loosen up from the moist CPAP air and not new mucus production. That will soon pass.

I have asthma and have found CPAP to really help. You need to check your machine's filter regularly and change or clean as necessary, especially if your asthma is worse with house dust or pet hair that collects there. Be sure you use the disposable hypoallergenic filters and not the "standard" washable foam filter. Also, be sure you dry out your hoses every day to prevent mold from starting. Also, wash your mask/nasal pillows and your humidifier basin and let dry every day.

[BlackSpinner]

Hi can Cpap make asthma worse I've been on Cpap for a month or so and I wake up in the morning and I have to cough up stuff from my lungs is that normal with Cpap right now I am at school and am having issues with my asthma and I don't have my inhaler with me and I am not sure if Cpap is the the reason for my asthma issues

You may want to play with your humidifier settings. Some people need it very humid while other need it drier.

Are you wearing a nasal style mask or a full face mask? If it is a nasal mask you may be mouth breathing which is a big no-no. It would dry out your throat causing more mucus to form and also would cause you to lose therapy pressure.

Ok I see it is a full face mask so you are not losing air through your mouth. However if you are mouth breathing it could cause some of the same symptoms of mucus forming to protect the tissues. In which case try a chin strap.

[fordjx4000]

my mask is the comfort gel nasal mask

[BlackSpinner]

my mask is the comfort gel nasal mask

Ok then it is very important to check your leak rate to see if you are mouth breathing.

[Janknitz]

You should have your rescue inhaler and your long acting bronchodilator with you!! Call your doctor and ask to have the prescription sent to a nearby pharmacy so you can pick them up tomorrow. Going without your meds is why your asthma will get worse!

[Roger2]

Hi can Cpap make asthma worse I've been on Cpap for a month or so and I wake up in the morning and I have to cough up stuff from my lungs is that normal with Cpap right now I am at school and am having issues with my asthma and I don't have my inhaler with me and I am not sure if Cpap is the the reason for my asthma issues

A lot depends upon what you are coughing up, is it clear or brown or reddish? If either of the last two you probably have some kind of bronchial infection which usually includes a cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, possibly fever, and mild chest pain. If so, you need to see a physician, especially since you say you have asthma.

I have had a similar problem for the last week or so and was put on an antibiotic drug for two weeks. I never go anywhere without my xopenex inhaler and if I am going to be away for long I usually take my nebulizer as well. I have not heard of anyone posting here who believes that the use of a cpap can cause this. I asked my pulmonary physician about that last week when I went in for this problem and he did not see any problems by continuing to use my own cpap with this infection.

pax
Roger

[-tim]

I've found that the hypoallergenic filters help decrease my allergy issues a great deal. Its 8 hours of not breathing pollen.

Just make sure your humidifier is clean and your water doesn't have minerals that bother you.

[minniesc]

I am a little late with my reply, but yes, it is possible to have issues with asthma on cpap. I did for quite some time. My pulmonologist was a great help with this so make sure you speak with your dr. When I have certain respitory illnesses I have to stop using my cpap. Both my dr's worked together with me on this and found the solution.
I do cough up more mucus in the morning in general on cpap, but I think this is a good thing.

[greatunclebill]

i developed adult asthma at age 60 with no previous asthma symptoms. i use symbicort and combivent. my c-flex cpap was working ok and then i started having trouble tolerating the pressure. the end of the story is, now, 2 years later i have asthma and copd. of course copd is asthmatic bronchitis and/or emphysema. the pulmonologist said i have a combination of all 3 things, asthma, asthmatic bronchitis and emphysema. the word he used was hybrid. i was switched to an automatic a-flex machine and i'm actually able to tolerate the pressure and sleep all night. the difference between cpap c-flex and apap a-flex was night and day different. see your pulmonologist regularly and report all of the things going on to make sure your condition hasn't changed.

[nyquistuk]

I have been using a CPAP since 2005, and can tell you for sure that when using it with the RESMED Nasal Pillows I get brown reddish sputum in the morning... as soon as I change to a full face mask (which has a lot of leakage problems, so I do not like using it) the issue clears up and goes away entirely!

Hi can Cpap make asthma worse I've been on Cpap for a month or so and I wake up in the morning and I have to cough up stuff from my lungs is that normal with Cpap right now I am at school and am having issues with my asthma and I don't have my inhaler with me and I am not sure if Cpap is the the reason for my asthma issues

A lot depends upon what you are coughing up, is it clear or brown or reddish? If either of the last two you probably have some kind of bronchial infection which usually includes a cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, possibly fever, and mild chest pain. If so, you need to see a physician, especially since you say you have asthma.

I have had a similar problem for the last week or so and was put on an antibiotic drug for two weeks. I never go anywhere without my xopenex inhaler and if I am going to be away for long I usually take my nebulizer as well. I have not heard of anyone posting here who believes that the use of a cpap can cause this. I asked my pulmonary physician about that last week when I went in for this problem and he did not see any problems by continuing to use my own cpap with this infection.

pax
Roger