Colds and CPAP

I have been a cpap user for about 4months now and I was wondering how you all faire when you have a cold.. I have a cold and I can't use the machine cause I have to breathe through my mouth otherwise I feel like I can't breath.. It is really uncomfortable and I don't quite know what I can do. Anyone have any ideas? I have a nasal over the nose type mask. Hopefully this cold will go away soon!
Thanks

Rhonda

Some people keep a full face mask on hand for times like this. (and some of us use the full face mask all the time. ) If you can afford it, you might try buying one from an online vendor, although it will take a few days to get to you so that won't help right now. I have been using a Flexifit 432 and am now trying the Flexifit 431. They are both full face masks that work well for my long narrow face -- but they don't work at all for my husband who has a round face.

Irrigating my sinuses helped when I had a bad cold. Some people use a neti pot (did I spell that right?), but my ENT just said to get an infant ear bulb and make up the saline solution at home. I haven't needed it in a few years, so I don't remember the proportions of each -- I'll bet someone else on the forum will know. Then I would squirt a whole bunch of that up each nostril and let it run down the back of my throat and out my mouth. You'll want to lean over the sink, of course. It's not a pleasant procedure while it's happening, but I did always feel a lot better afterward.

Hang in there.

I am also at the 4 month mark shortly....

Active runny nose........can't use as I have a SWIFT LT.

Congestion is a problem, but if *any* air can get through, I go ahead and use it, and expect I might have higher pressures (I use APAP) and some mouth leaks.

I think I have missed 12 days in 4 months.

2 were power outages (working on a portable backup supply..... had other purchase needs that took priority!!)

5 were in the days after abrupt stopping of a med I have been on for YEARS because of systemic allergic reaction (fever/rash).

3 were from active running nose.

2 more with barking cough that I could not control. Kept me awake, and could not be surpressed.

I have wondered about getting a non nasal mask for when I cannot use the SWIFT.... I cannot sleep on back because that is where I have apneas.

At this point, I just keep doing my nasal rinses and get back to even partially clear nasal passages a.s.a.p. So far, so good....

J

Thanks for the info. I never even thought about full face mask.. I think that would really help. I will check into it..

Thanks again!

Rhonda

Hey Rhonda,
In general I can keep my nose clear. I have a cold presently and though there are times I'm congested, I seem to be able to clear my nose....I use a neti-pot as a rinse, I use "Airborne" fizz tablets in water (these seem to work reallllllly well), I take something called "SOD" which is a immune system booster (made by Dynamite), I do everything I possibly can to keep my nose open for sleep.......I use a Headrest mask with nasal pillows. I also use the ComfortGel nasal interface, so my "main" masks are nasal...

When all else fails, I have an HC431 full face mask that I can use. For me, due to facial hair, it does not seal all that well, but even a crappy seal is better than no mask at all. I need to experiment with other FF masks that some of the bearded members here have tried -- the UMFF and the Quattro are two that come to mind.

It's just one of those issues we all have to work through!!!!!
Good luck!! Let us know how you're doing!!
take care
cheers
goose

Yes, someone on the forum knows the formula. I am quoting myself below:

Click Here for the Original Posting of Nasal Wash Links from a Previous Post (copied below)

birdshell wrote:My allergist/immunologist recommended the nasal wash twice a day to me, and even prescribed one at first that was compounded by the pharmacy for him. It contained small amounts of 3 antibiotics and used a prepared saline solution. I can have problems breathing, too, as I have a deviated septum and used to have 6-8 sinus infections per year. Please note that one nostril at a time may be open, as the blood flow opens one and then swithces to the other nostril.

The research on this nasal lavage principle was done at the Mayo Clinic.
Video/Transcript of Nasal Lavage at Mayo Clinic's Site

Mayo Clinic on the Neti Pot

Here are some other threads concerning the subject. I hope this isn't overwhelming. I chose from a larger number of them!

There are a few commercial preparations for nasal washes that can be used OR you can make a nasal wash yourself. Somewhere in these you will find both:

Recipe for Self-Made Saline Nasal wash from the Stuffy Nose Thread (below)

Saline Nasal Wash (for Stuffy Nose) Thread

Nasal Irrigation

Sinus Infection Thread

Link to Sinus Congestion Thread

Sinus Congestion Thread II

Sinus Hell(p) Thread


Karen,
Who must like to do research!

home made sailine

2 cups tap water boiled for at least 5 minutes
1 teaspoon salt
pinch baking soda (small pinch)

The recipe my nurse gave me last month
One downside of making your own however you MUST not keep it past 48 hours! And keep it refrigerated for those 48 hours as nasty things love to grow in saline lol

I have the neti pot also and your suposed to be able to buy the packets of saline mix seperate from the pot But i havent looked yet as Cold season is just now starting .

I rarely ever have the problem of congestion, my sinuses always do the oposite run like a faucet on full open!! I'd m uch rather h ave congestion as when it happens I can't sleep at all for the coughing. And it takes megadoses of antihistimines to make it stop.

Hi!
Help to find, where you can buy antiallergic drugs online.