Stuffed Up at Bedtime, Need Help

[jaycee2]

This has been a pattern for the past few days. About two hours prior to bedtime I get stuffed up. I've tried a nasal rinse and Claritin (loratadine). I end up trying to sleep with the nasal mask, then have to take it off so I can breathe. I then fall asleep and wake up an hour later completely able to breathe through my nose. So I have an hour without the mask and interrupted sleep. I've tried a FFM and it ends up in my mouth due to jaw drop. With a chin strap it still ends up on my lower lip. I've tried the larger size and it leaks into the eyes. The nasal mask works great if I can nose breathe. The jaw drop is then controlled with mouth taping. Humidifier is set on 4. Lower is too dry and higher causes stuffiness.

OT: This is adding to the stress I have due to dealing with a 14-year old cat who has decided to urinate on the bathroom floors. The litter is clean. She already gets prednisolone due to allergies. Otherwise she pulls her tummy fur out and bites her tummy while doing it. We are at the end of our rope and are contemplating having her euthanized after Christmas.

[Guest 2]

Remove the cat and your stuffiness will go away , try auto setting on your humidifier, and a heated hose, I will use a saline spray a couple times before bed when I'm stuffy and I wake up in the morning free as a bird

[jaycee2]

Guest, if the cat is euthanized she will be removed. She is not allowed in bedroom.

Humidifier doesn't have an auto setting and I don't have a heated hose. I can order one from our sponsor. I do have saline spray and can try it.

[Julie]

Try turning the humidifier setting right down (if not off) as it can make you stuffy.

[Janknitz]

Could you be having allergies? Are you eating anything unusual this holiday season that is causing the congestion?

Try taking an OTC antihistamine like Claritin (Loratidine) and see if it helps. Take it at dinner time.

[bill-e]

jaycee, when that happens to me I take a nice, long hot shower. That seems to loosen everything up for me to blow out and kickstart the apap's humidifier effect which seems to keep me clear-ish.

[palerider]

This has been a pattern for the past few days. About two hours prior to bedtime I get stuffed up. I've tried a nasal rinse and Claritin (loratadine).

go out and get some oxymetazoline hydrochloride, (afrin generic).

a wise ENT told me that if you only use it once a day, it isn't very habit forming, ie, you can use it for a month or more without the addiction and rebound you get if you use it day and night. she was right! (top of her class at med school, too)

squirt your nose with that, and get some sleep.

[archangle]

go out and get some oxymetazoline hydrochloride, (afrin generic).

a wise ENT told me that if you only use it once a day, it isn't very habit forming, ie, you can use it for a month or more without the addiction and rebound you get if you use it day and night. she was right! (top of her class at med school, too)

squirt your nose with that, and get some sleep.

She may have been right in your case, but people should be careful with Afrin. Lots of people have found it's habit forming or irritating with long term use. People tend to think it's harmless because it's available without a prescription, but anyone using it long term should be careful about the side effects.

[jaycee2]

Thanks everyone. My sleep medicine doctor warned me against Afrin so I haven't bought any. The weird thing is, the nasal passages aren't really producing anything. It's as if they're swollen. We have humidifiers running in the house. The humidity in the house is 62%. Without that then the nasal passages hurt. I will ask Dr. Google what dry and swollen means.

[Julie]

62% should be more than enough for the house, so I would want to know more, but are you sure you're not having problems because it's too humid?

[jaycee2]

If I let the humidity dip below 60% the nose gets very painful. The bridge of the nose hurts and the cheeks hurt.

I have some fluticasone propionate that from the sleep medicine doctor. I will try that. He says bedtime but I've read others that say morning. BTW, did you know that the fluticasone is scented with rose scent? Our pharmacist said that all the pharmacists he knows agree the scent is rose.

[Julie]

You have (I believe) a sinus problem, and should get it seen to from that viewpoint. Cpap may have nothing to do with it and may in fact even be helping (tho' that's a speculation, nothing more). You may need antibiotics, but again just a guess.

[palerider]

Thanks everyone. My sleep medicine doctor warned me against Afrin so I haven't bought any. The weird thing is, the nasal passages aren't really producing anything. It's as if they're swollen

well, nasal swelling is what afrin takes care of.

I have no idea why your sleep doctor told you to avoid it, other than the fact that used twice a day as normal, it's very addictive, and causes rebound swelling when you stop.

there may be other reasons, but I've never heard of 'em, and... it works for me when my nose get stuffy.

[tan]

Thanks everyone. My sleep medicine doctor warned me against Afrin so I haven't bought any. The weird thing is, the nasal passages aren't really producing anything. It's as if they're swollen. We have humidifiers running in the house. The humidity in the house is 62%. Without that then the nasal passages hurt. I will ask Dr. Google what dry and swollen means.

Be advised that more than 60% is considered high and allows for dramatic growth of mold (a certified mold specialist tlod me) and dust mites. Both can contribute to your nasal congestion

[BlackSpinner]

Thanks everyone. My sleep medicine doctor warned me against Afrin so I haven't bought any. The weird thing is, the nasal passages aren't really producing anything. It's as if they're swollen. We have humidifiers running in the house. The humidity in the house is 62%. Without that then the nasal passages hurt. I will ask Dr. Google what dry and swollen means.

Be advised that more than 60% is considered high and allows for dramatic growth of mold (a certified mold specialist tlod me) and dust mites. Both can contribute to your nasal congestion

Yes and my first thought was "Clean the humidifiers!!!" because they grow mold too.