Someone Help My Nose, Please

LyricZ · Post by **LyricZ** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:06 pm

My first night on APAP caused no problems for my nose the next day. However, last night, my second night, I used the humidifier on 2, and today my nose is very clogged in one nostril, and running like a faucet from the other nostril. It's made me miserable all day. Besides, now I can't taste anything, and my sister has made a pineapple upside-down cake. Blaah.

Should I try the humidifier on 0 (passover), or should I turn it up? Will more humidity or less humidity help unclog me so that I can have a better day tomorrow?

I took Singulair and later took Claritin-D. I know that I shouldn't have taken both, but I'm despearate. Neither has worked. HELP! There're not many things worse than a clogged-up/runny nose. I want to eat some cake!

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 5:27 pm

try a sinus rinse... got to clear the stuff out before it'll get better

Skybird · Post by **Skybird** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:42 pm

CPAP can be an irritant to the airway. When I started CPAP, both nostrils blocked and both drained constantly at the same time. I continued raising the humidifier and found slight relief, but they never cleared. Then when I went to the pulmonary doctor (sleep doctor), on a normal appointment, and he recognized the problem and began me on Nasalnex.

In three days I was clear. But occasionally some symptoms creep up on me and I relieve them by increasing or decreasing the humidifier. I cannot stop Nasalnex. I never experienced nasal allergies until I started CPAP, and now they are a fact of life for me.

I recommend you begin by changing the settings of the humidifier. Do it slowly and stay with each change for awhile.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:21 pm

I can't stand the HH on at all. I use Zero. Try that. See if it helps.

BTW, I'm the stuffy nose queen. I'm Flonaise, Advair, Albuterol, Claritin, Benadryl...

Cheers,
Barbara

elliejose · Post by **elliejose** » Sun Sep 02, 2007 8:46 pm

This is what happens to me if I do not keep my humidifier as high as it will go -- and one of the reasons that I like the stand alone better than the integrated. My stand alone got warmer than the integrated. I still sometimes have the runny nose, eyes, sneezles, etc. with the integrated, even on highest setting. My advice would be to move to the highest setting immediately and try that. Plus, I warm my distilled water in the microwave, before starting. Starting out with cold water never works for me either. I also use a nasal rinse frequently. Good Luck with it. That can really make a body miserable!

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dllfo · Post by **dllfo** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:02 am

My pulmonologist has me on Nasonex and Astelin. Many of the sprays can dry your nose out pretty bad....watch out.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:15 am

also watch out for rebound with all those meds; it was my allergist who told me that those allergy meds don't actually work, especially in the long term...i knew that from experience, but hearing it from him had more impact

i'm another person who found the heated humidity made me worse...i use the hh as a passover now, set to zero

do you use a nasal moisturizer gel?

the nasal rinse is a great idea too, really helps keep it clear and moisturized in there

babette, you're not on all that stuff at the same time, are you?

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 9:23 pm

Sorta. I rain out of Advair a few weeks ago, so I'm off that. I only take the Flonase in the AM, and the Benadryl in the PM, and I haven't done the Claritin in about two months. That's just "as needed." Benadryl WAS "as needed" but lately it's every night. And Albuterol twice a day.

I'm working on bringing all that down. Just need to get the nasal rinse thing perfected.

LOL,
B.

lilsheba · Post by **lilsheba** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 9:44 am

Babette wrote:Sorta. I rain out of Advair a few weeks ago, so I'm off that. I only take the Flonase in the AM, and the Benadryl in the PM, and I haven't done the Claritin in about two months. That's just "as needed." Benadryl WAS "as needed" but lately it's every night. And Albuterol twice a day.

I'm working on bringing all that down. Just need to get the nasal rinse thing perfected.

LOL,
B.

The albuterol is for the lungs not the sinuses, I should know I live on an inhalor Do you have lung problems too?

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:27 pm

Yes. Asthma and Allergies. A chronic stuffy nose, and periods of INSANE rhinitis... I've been known to fill standard office garbage can in one shift with my kleenex. Thank the gods I haven't had that since going on CPAP.

Cheers,
B.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:44 pm

babs,
that scares me! but not because i want to mother you or anything, only cause i think the world would be a much darker place without you in it.

you may already know that i'm opposed to all those meds, because 1) they don't really work that well and 2) they are really bad for you, they mess you up, and definitely cause rebound, bringing you back for more...but, i do understand... with allergies and asthma, what's a girl to do?

you have had your septum looked at, though, right? when i read the line about filling a trash can with tissues it sure rang a bell...i got so fed up blowing my schnozz all the time i just started stuffing tissues up there and leaving them hanging...nice visual, i know (now you know why i couldn't care less how bad i look in my interface...couldn't be worse than that look!) but the chronic rhinitis thing was just a part of my every day life since i was a kid and i took all that crap for years...including seldane, which was yanked from the market cause it'll eventually (something about heart problems)...too bad i had already taken it for like 17 years by the time they figured that one out...so my point was, had that septum repaired and am allergy drug free--and also symptom free (i'm also a broken record on the subject, but hey, it's a public service announcement )

ANYHOO!!! also, have you ever seen a naturopath? they have lots of natural things you can use on that chronic rhinitis

sorry to nag...it's just because i care
sharon

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:56 pm

Sharon Dear, NO NO! Do not be sorry!!!!

No, I have never had my septum looked at. I must confess I don't know what a septum is... I know it's something in my nose. Possibly some doc DID look at it, I wouldn't know. They look at my nose, they look at my throat, they go HMMMMM and prescribe me the drugs.

The last bad case of rhinitis, I went to a doc and got VERY GOOD results. Back in 1998. She sent me for MRI's, and told me I had a chronic something or other and introduced me to the joys of Claritin and Flonase. Her cocktail has worked pretty well for me since then. But that was then, and in Portland, and she's not here now.

I need to spend some hours today interviewing ENT's and Pulmonologist's staff on the phone. I am very unhappy that my current Pulmonologist will not "allow" me to see the new woman MD in his practice, who happens to be a sleep specialist. UNLESS I agree to make an appointment with him FIRST. So I have to pay for two visits to get the one I want? No thank you... But I may end up having to do that in the end. Right now I'm pissed off about it.

Many thanks for your efforts! Feel free anytime! That's why I'm HERE, for heavens sake!

Huggers,
B.

lilsheba · Post by **lilsheba** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:44 pm

Babette! Are you in Portland OR by chance? If so I could send you to my Ear Nose and Throat guy who did my recent septum/sinus surgery.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:04 pm

No, I'm up I-5 in Lakewood, WA, south of Tacoma. I have a feeling Premera wouldn't like me going to Portland....

Anyone in the Pierce County, WA vicinity have a recommendation?

Cheers,
B.

inacpapfog · Post by **inacpapfog** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 4:25 pm

Just wanted to add....be sure to change /clean filters on your machine too!
I'm not usually stuffy or runny, but if I happen to notice that I wake up stuffy.....9 times out of 10, the filter needs changing! Once clean filters are in place for the following night, everything is back to normal!!

Mask

Additional Comments: MACHINE: RemStar Auto/A-Flex

Humidifier

Additional Comments: Pressure is 8 to 14