Nasal Congestion (swollen sinus/tissues) Bi-pap use

[RuinedNose]

hello, I have UARS (upper airway resistance syndrome) SDB anyways.
Used to have apnea now my sleep study said i had AHI of 1 per hr. but quite a bit arousals.

Anyway got Bipap and now im trying to use it but i have nasal congestion and got Flonase prescribed i have been using it but it does not seem to help yet ive been on it for 2 days. my humudifier is set on 2 and i turned it to 3 last night.

I cannot use ovr the counter sprays. what can i do to improve nasal congestion because i want bipap to be effective.
but it really cant as i have to wake up many times a night to spray in my nose so i can put mask back on and get to sleep again.

Please guys, help with tips

Thank you,
Marcus

[BlackSpinner]

Sigh up, log in and record your equipment.

We can't help much unless we know what you are driving.

[robysue]

First, BlackSpinner is correct when she says to register and tell us the equipment you are using.

But two things stand out:

Anyway got Bipap and now im trying to use it but i have nasal congestion and got Flonase prescribed i have been using it but it does not seem to help yet ive been on it for 2 days. my humudifier is set on 2 and i turned it to 3 last night.

I'm assuming you mean you've been using the Flonase for two days. Flonase does NOT immediately relieve nasal congestion. It takes time to reduce the inflammation that leads to the congestion ... You may not notice much difference in the nasal congestion for a week or more

I cannot use ovr the counter sprays. what can i do to improve nasal congestion because i want bipap to be effective.
but it really cant as i have to wake up many times a night to spray in my nose so i can put mask back on and get to sleep again.

What have you been using multiple times in the night to spray your nose????

If you have been using over the counter sprays multiple times each night for a while, it's going to take some time for your nose and sinuses to work through the rebound congestion that typically comes from over using the OTC stuff----they typically are not supposed to be used more than three days in a row and they should be used sparingly when they're used at all. (Saline sprays are an exception to this rule.)

You might find using a neti pot or a sinus rinse bottle about an hour or so before bedtime may help---at least until you've been on the flonase long enough for it to start working.

[CarpeNoctum]

Robysue wrote: What have you been using multiple times in the night to spray your nose???

I was wondering that too. Flonase is a steroid/cortisone based product and overuse is BAD.
CN

[Julie]

And if you have the humidifier on high, thinking you NEED it for therapy, you don't, and can lower it or turn it off altogether if it adds to congestion (or creates it, as it does for me except for a few very cold and dry (indoors) weeks in winter).

[Ruinednose]

Hello again. I have signed up

I'm using a rental respire ice bipap auto m series. For 1 month. If it works out ill be looking to buy a new respire ice system one bipap auto. Pressures are set from lowest possible to 15 as highest pressure. Since I don't have OSA. I used it last night and while it was fine my nose would get clogged up pretty frequently. Also due to the machine but also to my congestion issues. I'm using Flonase 2 times a day in morning and at night During the night I use off nasal decongestant because my nose is so swollen probably due to me abusing the OTC. I use very little and try to only use when must needed in my sleep times. I work up every 2 hours due to the nasal problem. Other then that I do t feel different today probably to frequent awakenings. I did notice that I was dreaming more. Of course it will take time to feel the bipap make my quality of life better and I am patient. But I need to be able to figure this nasal stuff out

My mask is a easy life mask from dme

[Ruinednose]

I apologize for the double post


Another question. Can I use breathe right strips nasal. To open my airway a little with my nasal mask?

Also. What about putting something in my humidifier water such as Vicks liquid. Ect?


Thanks again

[robysue]

Ruinednose,

Do you have an actual diagnosis of nasal allergies or not? Or did this stuff start with CPAP/BiPAP? Two sources of information about nasal congestion and it CPAP that would be very useful for you to look at are:

Nasal Breathing Video Series from Dr. Barry Krakow's web pages

Unstuff Your Stuffy Nose from Dr. Steven Y. Park's web pages

Both of these talk about non-allergic rhinitis which may be the root cause of your problem if you don't actually have any allergies. And the problem with non-allergic rhinitis is that all the typical treatments for allergic rhinitis tend to make non-allergic rhinitis worse, not better.

As julie said, you might just do better with the humidifier turned down a notch. (And I say that as someone who needs to keep mine set on its max setting or I wake up with a dry, sore nose) And you need to get OFF the nasal decongestant sprays because they are CONTRIBUTING to your problem---as soon as they "wear off", your nose immediately becomes recongested due to rebound congestion. In other words, your nose is getting congested simply because you didn't spray your nose soon enough with the decongestant spray that it has become (too) dependent on. The only way to end the rebound congestion is to tough it out for a night or two without any decongestant nasal sprays AT ALL. In other words, you're gonna have to quit the OTC decongestant sprays cold turkey at some point. Otherwise your problem with rebound congestion is just going to get worse and worse ...

As far as the breathe right strips go---yes, you should be able to use them with your mask without any real problems. That plus possibly a neti pot may help you wean yourself off the dependence on the OTC decongestant nasal sprays.

[Ruinednose]

Thank you for helping me out. Those links are great information. I understand I have to get off the OTC and I have slowed down big time I only is it a few times a night and it seems to have slowed down with the congestion. However the bipap makes it worse. I'll follow your tips and I will put my humidifier to 1 I do not know what those pops are however. I never heard of such a thing. I'm open to any help I'm ready to feel normal again

[Ruinednose]

i got some OTC sinus pill decongestant "phenylephrine: hopefully that will help but honestly i know i could sleep great it i simply had a unstuffy nose so i could use the Bipap effectively without wqaking up every few hrs just to decongest.

[Furielsky]

I was told never to put anything in my humidifier as it goes straight to your lungs... Im a newbie so cant give advise yet but id find out before addind vicks. I was addicted to otc nasal sprays for many years so that is something I can help with. The advise you were given is so true. Quit cold turkey. It took me seven days before I could breath threw my nose. It was terrible and I felt I was choking. Or being suffocated. But it gets better. I used it so much for so long I burned out my mucas membranes and got sick very easily. To this day I have sinus trouble. If I knew then.... so stick it out my friend it is worth it to quit.