"Allergic" sinus reaction to using mask?

I've noticed something really odd in the last week or so. Now that I've gotten to a point where I can sleep a full night in a mask, and have a mask I like, my body is reacting in another way entirely. Not every night, just three random nights, I have awakened an hour or two into a sound sleep to find my eyes watering (my cheeks are soaked), my nose running and my throat getting so phlegmy that I can't stop coughing trying to clear it.

Naturally, the only way to get it to stop is to take off the mask. It usually helps if I sit up for a while, and one night I resorted to Nyquil. But, give it an hour or so of being awake without the mask, and I have always been able to go back to sleep and sleep through the rest of the night.

I have no allergies, skin or otherwise. I do not have a cold - this only happens at night. This has only happened with the ComfortCurve, not the traditional nasal mask, so it's not like I'm having rainout leaking around my eyes to make the tears on my cheeks. Plus, the inside of the nasal cushion seems to be appropriately dry when I have checked.

My mask is clean, the soap I've used to clean it is about as non-allergenic as you can get, filters are clean. It's happened with the heated humidifier both on and off. Any ideas? It's really annoying me and messing with my otherwise happily improving sleep status.

On a couple trial masks, I had air leaking and hitting my eye. That made my eyes water terribly. Is it possible that air leaking or venting from the comfort vurve is getting deflected in such a way as to hit your eyes?

The runny nose and congestion sounds like a huidity problem, if you have a heated humidifier try turning the heat up a notch.

Just had my second night with the ComfortCurve. So far I've been pleased with it and didn't have too much trouble getting a starting fit out of it thanks to the previous posts addressing that. I did have to turn the humidifier up a notch because there seems to be a little wind tunnel effect with the airflow right up at the nostrils that was drying my sinuses slightly even with the humidifier. Sure enjoying the thing though, watched a little tv in bed last night since I can wear my glasses again. Feels a little closer to not wearing a mask compared to the kinda bulky Activa. Hope you get a good night out of it tonight!

Hi There!

Yes, yes, yes!!! I've had the exact same experience! The VERY watery eyes, the VERY phlegmy throat. I wake up choking it gets so bad! I assumed it was because I have hayfever and it must be really bad this year. But now that you mention it, it only started when I began CPAP therapy. (Then again, that coincided with hayfever season.) Hmmmm.....

I use the Ultra Mirage FF, so one would assume if the reaction were due to an airborne source (i.e. pollen) it would alleviate an allergic response, not cause it. So maybe it's some sort of weird thing that happens to CPAPers.

I wish I knew what caused it so I could offer you some suggestions. But you actually gave me a good suggestion; I'm going to try the Nyquil route and see what happens. Thanks!!

By the way, I used a heated humidifier set at 3 on my REMstar Auto w/ CFlex.

Iwannasleep, I hadn't thought of that - air leaks. It does have a tendency to come loose at night. I have been considering tightening it now that I am more accustomed to it, so I will try that for sure. I'll also try turning up the humidifier just a bit. I agree that I noticed it was cooler, before the ComfortCurve, I wasn't heating my humidifier at all, now I just have it up one step, will try another notch tonight and see if it helps.

Thanks so much ALL OF YOU! I knew I'd get some good ideas. Couldn't make it through this without you

Hello

Yes I had the snuffles with cpap before....I use anti congestant to settle that snuffly nose of mine. It's normal for be to snuffly near towards the season ie: Fall until Springtime comes around the corner again.

I tried tiger balm in my sinuses, ARRRRRRRUGH!!!! end result was nearly burnt out my sinus with that, got rid of the snuffles at the expense of nearly wreaking my nose! Oye, Folks don't try this at home!!!

That idea backfired something chronic, as I intend it for clearing the nose. Problem was it worked too well! I burnt out my nose interior and took 10 mins to get rid of the burning sensation in my nose! But it cleared it as the frist part was not worth it! I now use anti congestion sprays to ease it at least it don't stuff up my sinuses!!!

I get snuffles all year round so it doesn't bug me anymore.

Well, I tried changing the fit of my ComfortCurve last night to improve the seal and hopefully treat or solve the watery eyes/sinus problems noted above, but evidently I failed miserably. Sometime in the middle of the night, I yanked it off completely. Woke up this morning with a dry mouth, enlarged and sore tonsils and a headache - full blown pre-treatment joy!

Will just have to keep playing with it until I sort out an improved position. Thanks for the advice, though, I do still think you're right about the problem and its cause.

Tina