Allergy to mask or machine?

[John_Jason]

Pardon me for being a dummy. I started CPAP only two weeks ago. I have been having a very difficult time with the equipment. (Claustrophobia, but that is for a different thread.)

I started with an Opus 360 and now use the Swift FX (the only two I can barely tolerate). Immediately on starting CPAP I woke up in the middle of the night stuffed up and unable to breathe through my nose. I figured it was spring so something had bloomed, so it was just hay fever that would pass in a day or two. It continued, although some nights were not as bad as others. After a few days I switched to the Swift FX and still have a stuffy nose now and then. I wake up in the middle of the night with a headache that lasts until the middle of the afternoon. I added the HEPA filter that came with my machine, but it made no difference.

I never get headaches unless I am seriously sick. And I am not normally allergic to things. During the spring and fall I might sneeze a bit for a couple of days, but normally the only time I get a stuffy nose is when I have a cold.

Now, if I was a manufacturer of CPAP machines or masks I would use substances that are the most hypoallergenic known to medical science. Hence I find it difficult to believe that I am allergic to the equipment. But allergies are very individual and people react differently.

Has anyone experienced allergies to any of the equipment you use? Am I weird? Wait ... don't answer that.

[papason]

Hi John. I also have severe allergies. A disposable hypoallergenic filter #36855 may solve your problem. When I first started CPAP a year ago, I searched ResMed's site and found these filters. It stops particles at about 1/10th the size of the standard filter. My supplier gave me a lot of static about suppling this filter so I bought some on Amazon. They are $2.00 each in quantity but well worth the price. I change it every week or so and I keep the area around the machine very clean. I seldom have any nasal congestion. I believe the masks are silicone and a "carbonate" material like Lexan. PS I am on Medicare and I have dumped the supplier. Papason

[tetragon]

No allergies, but I have woken up all stuffy and plugged up when the humidifier settings didn't match what my nose wanted. Have you tried increasing or decreasing the humidity? There have also been times when I also needed to use a saline gel, but my nose is one that thinks that wet is best.

[Julie]

You don't 'need' the humidifier unless it's dry where you live - try turning it off or at least down for 1-2 nights because it can really cause congestion.

[Pugsy]

It might be humidifier setting...some people get same "allergy" symptoms with too much added moisture and some people (like me) get "allergy" symptoms with not enough added moisture.
I found out for sure which way it was for me when I decided to drop my setting from 3 to 1...and confirmed when I forgot to fill the tank one night and it went dry. It was horrible..

Play with the humidifier settings and see which way your nasal mucosa are leaning.
If you have a lower setting....try increasing...if you have a higher setting try decreasing...if you are in the middle..toss a coin but if going with the odds..increase the setting.

You could also try the usual allergy congestion symptom relief stuff but I would experiment with humidifier settings first to make sure that isn't the culprit.

[-tim]

Was it a new machine?

Headaches are sinal irritation allergies... i.e. small chemicals. If I was in the room and asked you to put a finger where you first felt pain, how would you answer and where would you point?

[John_Jason]

Was it a new machine?
Headaches are sinal irritation allergies... i.e. small chemicals. If I was in the room and asked you to put a finger where you first felt pain, how would you answer and where would you point?

Yes it was a new machine, and the DME took the masks out of their plastic packaging in my presence, so I know they were new also.

When I had the Opus I had pain high inside my nose, around the bridge, as well as headaches. And I would wake up with a stuffy nose as though I had a cold. The Swift FX stopped the pain inside my nose, but I'm still stuffed up and have headaches. The headaches are not severe, but enough to make me take a couple of aspirin. Before starting CPAP a couple weeks ago I never got headaches unless I was actually sick. The headeaches are definitely due to the CPAP therapy, but I don't know what component or setting is causing them.

I have played with the humidifier settings, from 0 to 5. A setting of 0 (or like the night it ran out of water) leaves me with an irritated nose. A setting of 5 causes me to have a few drops of water running down from my nose occasionally. I find that 2 or 3 is about right. But the stuffy nose is like allergy or a head cold. The hunidifier just produces vapor from distilled H2O, so I don't see how it could be affecting me. In any event, I get the stuffy nose and headeaches regardless of whether the humidifier is on 0 or 5 or any point in between.

I can stop the stuffy nose with diphenhydramine HCl, but I have to take two (50 mg) because the stuff never does much for me. I haven't tried stronger antihistamines, and I don't want to.

I just wanted to know if anyone else here had ever had an allergic reaction to the machine or mask. From the responses, evidently I am alone.

[Pugsy]

Allergy would be unlikely but not impossible.
You might consider a barrel cozy to keep most of the silicone from touching your skin.
Can't do much about the inner cones.
http://www.padacheek.com/

Actually congestion..or runny nose or sinus pressure issues are quite commonly related to humidification issues. The nasal mucosa like a nice balance of moisture...upset the balance and they scream bloody murder. So it all depends on the level of moisture that your nasal mucosa require.
You might add something like Simple Saline spray during the day to see if it helps.

[chunkyfrog]

Has anyone mentioned 'Neti pot' yet?
My 11 YO niece uses one regularly during allergy season.
Can't hurt--as long as you are using the cleanest, purest water you can get.

[Desperate]

I am having the same problem, I am getting really sick and it is lasting for about 3 days. It is cold symptons and I have never had problems with allergies before . I am ready to just quit using my machine but know that would be dangerous so I am needing help also

[n0hardmask]

Pardon me for being a dummy. I started CPAP only two weeks ago. I have been having a very difficult time with the equipment. (Claustrophobia, but that is for a different thread.)

I started with an Opus 360 and now use the Swift FX (the only two I can barely tolerate). Immediately on starting CPAP I woke up in the middle of the night stuffed up and unable to breathe through my nose. I figured it was spring so something had bloomed, so it was just hay fever that would pass in a day or two. It continued, although some nights were not as bad as others. After a few days I switched to the Swift FX and still have a stuffy nose now and then. I wake up in the middle of the night with a headache that lasts until the middle of the afternoon. I added the HEPA filter that came with my machine, but it made no difference.
...Now, if I was a manufacturer of CPAP machines or masks I would use substances that are the most hypoallergenic known to medical science. Hence I find it difficult to believe that I am allergic to the equipment. But allergies are very individual and people react differently.
Has anyone experienced allergies to any of the equipment you use? Am I weird? Wait ... don't answer that.

You are trying to get used to the unnatural fact that you need air blown up your nose, and you're getting some or much more air flow than you were used to. You may also be picking up a sensitivity to something in the machine; for that you could try an add-on in-line HEPA filter between the machine and you.
By chance if you were to nap or read for an hour during the day, would you get the same headache? Again, your body isn't used to the added air volume and pressure.
BTW, what are your pressure(s)? Might you be having leaks during the night -Very common!- if so, the machine will ramp up the air flow to try and maintain proper pressure, so that could be a source of irritation.

Same suggestions go out to Desperate. Best of luck to you both.. this is a challengine process.

[NateS]

… your body isn't used to the added air volume and pressure.
BTW, what are your pressure(s)? Might you be having leaks during the night -Very common!- if so, the machine will ramp up the air flow to try and maintain proper pressure, so that could be a source of irritation. …

This may well be right. My first few weeks back in January, the inside membranes of my nostrils were very sore and irritated because the more air that leaked out through my mouth or around the nasal pillows caused the machine to keep jacking the pressure up higher and higher. I felt like my nose was attached to the tire pressure pump at the gas station!

The lanisoh helped temporarily but the problem was only solved when the leaks were stopped by my learning more about adjusting the nasal pillows, not jamming the base part up my nose, and getting a proper chinstrap. Now I no longer have soreness or irritation or headaches and don't even need the lanisoh. The pressure no longer shoots up so high because it doesn't have to fight against loss of air pressure through leaks.

Regards, Nate

[jbmtall49]

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I am hyper sensitive to chemicals, plastics as in drinking water from is a problem. I can smell it, taste it, and feel it hit my brain. It lasts several hours. I have a terrible time with the organic vapors from new clothes and have to wash them several times. The CPAP unit is without question emitting an organic vapor that is all but stopping my breathing in about an hour. I stayed overnight in the hospital with a back surgery and had an oxygen supplement tube. I wasn't maintaining oxygen without it, but was not feeling the plastic organic vapor breathing difficulties. I am an environmental scientist with a strong chemistry background, and have a lot of knowledge in physiology and toxicology. I am very good at feeling allergens and body physiology biofeedback. The CPAP unit is plastic, smells like plastic, and is toxic to me. I would like a small oxygen supplement at night because oxygen deprevation is causing me numerous health problems, head aches brain fog, inflammation in nasal passages and airways. Anybody tells you the machine is not the cause of your allergy problems has no concept of your allergy problem. This is a problem that needs to be solved CPAP companies.

Jerry Miller- Utah Water Quality man.