Congestion & Dryness

[SleepyHead47]

Been meaning to do this for quite some time. Been on the CPAP for going on 2 years. Had hard time adjusting from the start. Wish I was like some folks I hear about that they take to it and sleep the whole night through with it on. The tech at the med supply business says if I just get 4 hours a night I should not worry about it. But I do, of course! I can do that for awhile then I suddenly either congest up to where I get to coughing or I dry out to the point of my lips and mouth sticking together. I try to pull the nasal mask away from my face and regroup so to speak sometimes that works but a lot of times it doesn't. They have the air setting at 4 and I have the air temp at 67 degrees, and humidity at 3.0. I have adjusted both the air temp and humidity to try to have it at the most comfortable settings but honestly I feel I don't have a clue what I am doing. I am so congested in the mornings, coughing and blowing my nose, it's awful. And sometimes that's only when I've maybe had it on 1-2 hours during the night. Have tried an antihistamine at bedtime but that doesn't seem to matter either. Does anyone have some advice. I will not quit! But surely if some can sleep all night with it I can't see any reason why I can't. And I do know how that it benefits my health!!!

[Pugsy]

They have the air setting at 4

I assume that is the pressure? Is this ramp or auto minimum or what?

air temp at 67 degrees, and humidity at 3.0

Sounds like heated hose...possibly you have a Resmed machine of some sort?
It would be really helpful if we knew exactly which machine and equipment you are using

I am so congested in the mornings, coughing and blowing my nose, it's awful.

Sounds like it could be humidity related....you say you have adjusted the humidity levels...what have you tried?
Some people need more humidity and some people need less to none humidity. There is no right or wrong..there's just what works for the individual and individual needs and preferences can vary widely.
A setting of 3 is pretty much middle of the road...which way have you tried?

Also what mask are you using?

[Julie]

Unless you're in a very dry climate, try turning down, or even off, the humidity... it can definitely make you congested.

[mike1953]

Adjusting your humidifier up or down until you are comfortable. That is what I have done. I do not use heated hose and started out at 3 went to 3.5 then down to 2.5 which for me is the best.

[chunkyfrog]

Picture yourself as Goldilocks. Feel entitled to adjust the temperature and humidity (separately) until it's just right.

[Sleeprider]

You say the air setting is at 4. While it would be helpful to know exactly what you are using in equipment, if your pressure setting is really fixed at 4 cmH2O, then that would suffocate most of us. That is the minimum pressure setting for most CPAP machines, and it will make it very difficult to move enough volume to feel comfortable, let alone treat apnea.

Fill out your profile on equipment and post some claification on your settings. Good luck!

[SleepyHead47]

Thanks so much for all the replies, input and questions!!! Experience of others can be very helpful! Sorry, I didn't put more information into my original post. You are right, Pugsy, am using a ResMed S9 with the H5i heated humidifier. Tried a couple different masks but the best seemed to be the ResMed Swift FX Nano For Her nasal mask. I soon realized that I also needed to purchase a chin strap since I was air tunneling with the CPAP. Talk about getting dried out. Yes, they have the air setting at 4 and the ramp at 45 minutes. We reside in Iowa so there is plenty of humidity. And, the med supply tech did say the settings should be adjusted for different times of years like lower humidity in the winter while our furnace runs, and a little higher for in the summer while the AC is taking the humidity out of the air. I tried lowering AGAIN after reading the suggestions to lower the humidity level. At 2.5 I DID sleep longer with it on probably about 5 hours which is good for me. I have adjusted the temp from 65 to 70. 70 being way too warm. On the humidity I have adjusted it from 2 to 4. I have never tried turning the humidity to 0. Julia, I just might try turning it off to see how that feels. And you are right Mike1953 it's having patience with it and adjusting it to a person's own comfort. I'd like to just put it on at bedtime and take it off when I get up in the morning. The tech suggested setting the humidity level at 4 when I was drying out but I wake up with it dripping from the mask. You are right, too, chunkyfrog, I'll pretend I'm Goldilocks and be gutsy about my comfort!!! Good analogy!!! Thanks so much, everyone for your input!

[Tatooed Lady]

Thanks so much for all the replies, input and questions!!! Experience of others can be very helpful! Sorry, I didn't put more information into my original post. You are right, Pugsy, am using a ResMed S9 with the H5i heated humidifier. Tried a couple different masks but the best seemed to be the ResMed Swift FX Nano For Her nasal mask. I soon realized that I also needed to purchase a chin strap since I was air tunneling with the CPAP. Talk about getting dried out. Yes, they have the air setting at 4 and the ramp at 45 minutes. We reside in Iowa so there is plenty of humidity. And, the med supply tech did say the settings should be adjusted for different times of years like lower humidity in the winter while our furnace runs, and a little higher for in the summer while the AC is taking the humidity out of the air. I tried lowering AGAIN after reading the suggestions to lower the humidity level. At 2.5 I DID sleep longer with it on probably about 5 hours which is good for me. I have adjusted the temp from 65 to 70. 70 being way too warm. On the humidity I have adjusted it from 2 to 4. I have never tried turning the humidity to 0. Julia, I just might try turning it off to see how that feels. And you are right Mike1953 it's having patience with it and adjusting it to a person's own comfort. I'd like to just put it on at bedtime and take it off when I get up in the morning. The tech suggested setting the humidity level at 4 when I was drying out but I wake up with it dripping from the mask. You are right, too, chunkyfrog, I'll pretend I'm Goldilocks and be gutsy about my comfort!!! Good analogy!!! Thanks so much, everyone for your input!

Using a ramp and having the pressure set at 4 is counterproductive. The ramp feature starts low (example 4cm), and ramps UP to higher pressures (some people use 16+ cm of pressure), to give the wearer time to acclimate to the higher pressures while falling asleep. So...if your low end (assuming an auto machine) is 4 cm to START with, the ramp isn't going to do anything. You will start at your base set pressure. My machine was set to start at 4cm as well when I got it. I got in an argument with the DME about upping the pressure so I could breathe more easily. You might be having the same type of issue...not uncommon.
Iowa has humidity, yes, HOWEVER...so does Wisconsin, usually. But as soon as you turn on the furnace or start using the wood burner, etc...humidity in the house plummets. You might get a cheap thermometer that also shows humidity, and use it in the bedroom so you can get an idea on how dry the air REALLY is. It could be that you would benefit from a small humidifier over the winter months.
With the nasal type masks, you can also use a small travel size pillow tucked under your chin to keep your mouth shut. I use one sometimes, plus it's a snuggle buddy.

[tmarshl]

I had similar problems, caused primarily by mouth breathing (even with a full-face mask). I solved that each night by using two strips of 3M Transpore surgical tape vertically to tape my mouth closed. Works like a charm, where chin strap failed.

[bjl]

I would definitely recommend experimenting with the humidity set to 0. I have a deviated septum and a generally snuffy nose. I was also having problems with congestion when I had the humidity set to 2. So I figured I needed more humidity because that's good for your sinuses right? Well, upping the humidity made things worse. On the advice of some folks here I turned off the humidity entirely and that made a world of difference. I sometimes set the humidity to 1 on very dry nights, but keep it at 0 most of the time.

Hope this helps.

-b

[tireddaisey]

Sorry to jump on this thread (it does relate) but the "new topic" function does not work for me on the updated mobile app.

Been on cpap for about 5 weeks now and experiencing major sneezing episodes and stuffiness. My house is generally quite dry and I've been comfortable at humidity lvl 3 or 4. But could the continued high lvl cause sustained sneezing, dizziness from the congestion, etc.? Should I lower the humidity lvl? And being on the nasal pillows would getting a backup ffm be advised for the drier months, will insurance consider 2 different masks?

Thanks!

[Julie]

You have to try other settings - only you can judge what works there. And you should call your insurance co. and ask what they cover...

[tireddaisey]

Thanks Julie! Turned down humidity last night and slept well. Will see if decreased sneeziness happens today and will check in with insurance.