CPAP = bronchitis & sinus infections from Hell?

Help! I'm a 40 year old female. Take 40 mg Paxil daily. Married. Have 2 preschool kids. 220 lbs, 5' 7". Have Resmed Elite S8 with Fisher & Paykel Flexifit 407 mask. Father (underweight, btw) had Apnea (never treated); female cousin in 50's has it. Apneas an average of 10/hour. Started at pressure of 10. Another study indicated it should be 12. Went to 12 and instantly got bad nausea due to swallowing air. Back to 10 now.

Was doing ok in late summer with machine. But now am bogged down in sinusitis/bronchitis cycle of frustration. Since October have had two rounds of antibiotics and now I can't shake the bronchitis. I was off the machine for a month with the sinus infection from hell (felt like teeth being drilled w.o. anaesthetic). I go off the machine to get better, and as soon as I go back on for a few days, I get sick again. I'm being super careful cleaning it. It seems to be the flow of air is aggravating my lungs and sinuses.

Other problem - with the F & P mask I was ripping it off every night. Duct taped it in 3 locations. But now it's hard to wash properly with adhesive on it. Switched to freebee mask in Resmed kit and leaks a lot more, but straps are such that I can't (and don't) rip it off.

I feel like I'm getting deeper and deeper in trouble here. The CPAP seems to be causing more problems than I had before. I've got Secaris and saline solution, but until these secondary infections get cleared up, I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere.

I should mention, I've had repeated problems with bronchitis for the past 2-3 years. I live in a heavily industrial city and the air is toxic, so that doesn't help. (And very dusty). (We also have a mold problem in house). My two little ones are constantly sick (as little ones are) and I pick up whatever they have. I'm sleep deprived from little kid sleep cycles/issues as it is. So I'm dead tired all the time, which also contributes to me being sicker.

Any way to pick up the pieces here? Where do I start?

TIA,
JMG

Ok, when's the last time that you changed/cleaned your filters??

Do you have a humidifier??

Do you have allergies??

Filter never changed yet. Was told every six months. Am at 4 mos. or so.

Humidifier, yes.

Allergies, yes (ragweed/grasses).

I just started a post that new medical research has shown that pathogens and disease vectors likely are not conveyed via the cpap humidifier to the lungs (I don't know how to link to the thread). Your bugs must have come from somewhere else--sounds absolutely miserable.

I wouldn't be too worried about becoming sick due to your cpap. However, your cpap certainly could make your symptoms worse (inflamation, congestion, etc.).

JMG... I started this last night and then my browser decided to dive.

Not sure about the ResMeds, but with the Respironics (I have allergies as well), I need to change my paper filters more often then that... and wash the non-paper filters as well. You may have picked up something in your filters.

6 months to clean a filter seems a little long to me. I'm not sure how your machine is setup, but if it has the washable black foam type of filter, I would try washing it every few weeks at the most.

Of course I have both cats and dogs, so animal hair can be an issue.

I have allergy problems as well. I don't have mold in my home that I know of but you should get that taken care of ASAP. it's not at all healthy for you or your kids.

Here's what I did and I'm doing great:

1. Get a good HEPA air filtration system. It's not a cure-all but it does help.
2. Get bedding and pillow covers that are made for allergies.
3. I use the Groosman nasal irrigation once or twice a day. Use it before going to bed.
4. Use a full face mask. The F&P 432 full face mask works great for me. Not leaks around the eyes.
5. Get an auto-titrating machine with expiratory pressure relief. You may only need to be at a pressure of 12 a short period each night. This will help with leaks and compliance.

Make sure your CPAP has an ultra-fine filter. It will also help with your allergies.

I hope this helps.

I will throw in my two cents here.

You say you live in a dusty area. You probably need to change filters MORE due to that. I don't have Resmed, but I would think the general idea is the same, room air goes in to machine, through filter, you breath. So since my machine recommends washing one filter every week or two and changing the disposable filter about every two weeks, you might want to do something similar. Especially since you were doing fine at the start. Also not good for your machine to run with dirty filters. I will bet if you read the manual it will not say change filters every 6 months. It might say wash weekly and replace every 6 months.

Mold in your house is not good. Not good for health, and I suspect can also get in your filters. I would start working on that one now.

You say kids are constantly sick. Yes kids do get sick often, mine did, but I wonder if they are constantly sick due to mold, dusty air, bad air quality (you say heavily industrial city). I agree with filtering your air with a HEPA filter if possible and keep the windows closed, run air in the summer.

Just my nonmedical opinion.

Update: Well, guess what? I finally had a skin prick test this year (at the ripe old age of 45) and found out I am VERY allergic to Ragweed, and every tree pollen they tested and every bit of greenery they tested. Also moderately allergic to dust mites and mold. Slightly allergic to cats. My arm lit up like a Christmas tree. Talk about eye-opening.

I'm going shopping for a full face mask next week.

ETA: All the mold was removed from our basement about 3 years ago. Foundation dug out on one side, new weeping tile put in = dry basement. Yes, cost some $$$$.

JMG, from following a similiar thread on another forum I learned that these infections can be terribly hard to treat. They may require multible antibiotic regimens for longer periods than usual. I personally don't believe CPAP causes these infections, but from anecdotal reports, they seem in some cases to be involved. I sympathize with you as I know this is a miserable condition. I wish you a speedy recovery.

JMG, please look at the link in my signature and fill in your equipment in your profile.

archangle wrote:JMG, please look at the link in my signature and fill in your equipment in your profile.

It is from 2006

Ok never mind - I see that she updated it herself.

Chronic bronchitis is rarely caused by a pathogen because it's an asthmatic autoimmune response to an allergic trigger (though it can be triggered by a respiratory virus like the common cold too). Sometimes there is a secondary bacterial infection because all that mucous pooling in your respiratory tract makes an ideal breeding ground.

To treat and stop it you have to:
1. Address the triggers (treat allergies and/ or avoid allergens)
2. Reduce the inflammation (usually with steroids)
3. Relax bronchial spasm (asthma meds)
4. Treat secondary infections

Your CPAP with clean filters and properly adjusted humidification can make you much more comfortable.CPAP is unlikely to be the cause of bronchitis.

Microbes from the Cpap are unlikely to be the problem (I thought it was that, too, at first). It's just that Cpap therapy seems to irritate the sinuses, causing their openings to swell shut. Then, without the normal draining, bacteria inside (there's always some) starts to multiply and causes the infection. Sinus rinses--lots of them--helped me beat my chronic sinus infections. The saline/soda rinses get out irritants and encorage drainage. I used the Neilmed powder packets, with the squeeze bottle, which I ordered from their web site. These days, though, you can find supplies and other options at your local Walgreens or equivalent.

In fact, I can emphatically say that xPAP therapy has saved me from certain COPD. Prior to xPAP, I would have two or three bouts of bronchitis per year! I had more than one doctor tell me that if I did not break the cycle, I would be dealing with chronic bronchitis.

Since starting xPAP therapy, that number has dropped to one event every three to five years. And I tend to aggressively treat it to keep my airways open and help reduce the time it takes to heal.

Why the change? Well, though I'm no medical professional, as a user, I can say that the increased pressure seems to help me keep my airway (and especially nasal passages) open. Yes, the pressure can irritate my sinuses. But that tends to lessen as the night progresses. Most of my bronchitis episodes started as a bad sinus cold that would settle into my lungs. Keep my sinuses open and draining and the chance for infection decreases.

So, on the whole most of us find that xPAP therapy actually decreases sinus infections and bronchitis. I am but one example.