How do you sleep with your mask with a head cold?

[Wulfman...]

That's why even the "hard core" nasal mask users have a full face mask stashed away for these times.

Not this hard core nasal pillow user. Tried FFM...hated, hated, hated it. Did I mention I hated it?
Long story there that I won't bore people with.

How ever am I going to sleep tonight with my mask?

Do the best you can with what you have to use. Yes, some people do use a FFM in these situations but if you don't have one right now you can't get one anytime soon. Tomorrow at best if your DME will do it.
Do whatever you can to lessen your symptoms with oral decongestants or nasal rinses or even a tiny, tiny bit of Afrin.
Does a hot shower help your breathing? If so, turn up that humidifier so it delivers more moisture. Moisture helps the nasal mucosa reaction of swelling...moisture helps reduce the swelling. Get some Simple Saline and use it frequently during the day. Keep the nasal mucosa well hydrated during the day too.
This is what I have done and I have slept about as well as I would with a cold even without needing cpap. It isn't great but I did get through it. Normally the worst part is the first couple of days or so.

If you'll notice, I didn't use the word "ALL". I try not to use "absolutes"......cause there's just no accountin' for some folks.

By the same token, I've never been able to imagine being able to sleep with things shoved up my nostrils or leaving my mouth uncovered.


Den

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[JamesW6175]

I don't sleep with my mask on if I am coming down with a cold. My sinus swell up and I can only breath thru my mouth, I dope up with the OTC meds for colds, and try to sleep it off. Have to be careful, because sometimes get a bloody nose only on my right nostril. Usually can kick it in a couple of days.

[chunkyfrog]

I have discovered that most, if not all, of my "colds" are really allergies. A nightly loratadine prevents most from even starting.
The rare one that gets through usually abates within minutes of being exposed to the moist, warm air stream from my machine.
A few months ago, I caught a real one from my youngest grandchild,
which responded to a squirt/snort of nasal decongestant on each side and a dose of OTC combo flu med.

[sleeplessinaz]

I am lucky that I really don't get head colds much. Out here in AZ it is allergies and intake the Loratidine for it and mask up
Carrie

[SleepyInIndy]

While my method may not work for anyone else, I've found that if I can use some OTC (nyquill, or anything else) that will give me 10 minutes of clear airway, my nasal mask will keep the passages open throughout the night. The trick is getting that 10 minute window (it doesn't take me long to fall asleep once masked).

Now if I have to use the bathroom during the night, the 5 minutes off the hose will allow me to plug up completely.... And that there goes the rest of the night....

[Suzannaor]

Because I have been coughing so hard my rib cage hurts and I have been wheezing for 3 days, I finally went to the doctor today. She diangosed bronchitis with acute exacerbation of asthma. So now I am antibiotics, a cough pill, fluids, Afrin, Albuterol, nasal rinse, etc. My blood sugars have been horrible and my Endocrinologist gave me some instructions about how to get them back down. And I'm still miserable and can't breathe through my nose .... so sleeping without CPAP until I feel better. Thanks for all your suggestions. Needless to say, I am exhausted.

[Kiralynx]

I don't dare go without a mask.

Like several others, I despise full face masks. I'm claustrophobic, and they set off everything I have.

I have, however, used three different full face masks, because so matter what I tried, I couldn't get my sinuses clear enough to use my beloved Headrest.

Those masks are:

Zzz-mask
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/zzz-ma ... asics.html
Note: better than no mask at all. Replaced strap with a Comfortlite 2 strap. Have I mentioned I hate full face masks?

Hybrid
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/RespCa ... -Mask.html
Better than Zzz-mask. Straps are mammoth-sized. Very large and clunky mask.

Mirage Liberty
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... dgear.html
Best of the lot. Too d@mn many straps. Way too much on my face. Better than doing without my machine, but that's about all I can say for it.

Now, for flu/cold, I use Vitamin D. The minute I start, I take 25,000 IU in the morning and in the evening, for three days. I also use Vitamin C with quercetin to help the congestion. I drop back to my usual dose of D on the third day, wait three days, and if it still has not cleared, I repeat the 50,000 IU for another three days. That usually does it.

[Wulfman...]

Because I have been coughing so hard my rib cage hurts and I have been wheezing for 3 days, I finally went to the doctor today. She diangosed bronchitis with acute exacerbation of asthma. So now I am antibiotics, a cough pill, fluids, Afrin, Albuterol, nasal rinse, etc. My blood sugars have been horrible and my Endocrinologist gave me some instructions about how to get them back down. And I'm still miserable and can't breathe through my nose .... so sleeping without CPAP until I feel better. Thanks for all your suggestions. Needless to say, I am exhausted.

Do NOT use the Afrin for more than 3 days!!! It will cause a rebound effect and will be extremely difficult to get off of it.
It's dangerous stuff.


Den

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[Suzannaor]

Thanks for the warning about Afrin, Wuffman, The doc did say not to take it more than 3 days. I will do as told!

[Pugsy]

Yep, be careful with the Afrin. Speaking from experience here...gone through Afrin rebound on more than one occasion (you would think I would have learned my lesson the first time. ) and I tell you...I don't know which is worst, a bad cold or Afrin rebound, both are miserable. It's been years now but I still will use it for emergency only and then only a tiny, tiny bit at bedtime and never more than 2 nights in a row. I don't want to go through all that again.

[jaybeem]

I had a caught-from-grandbabies cold a few weeks ago. I bumped the humidity up a notch on my machine, used saline nasal spray before bed, took a dose of Nyquil, and went to bed with my regular mask. The CPAP helped keep my nose open. The only problem I had was that my nose drained into my mask and awakened me every couple of hours. Took a week to get back to normal, but I used CPAP the whole time.