Stuffed nose thanks to CPAP?

Hi Gang, (i almost titled this "stubbed nobse" but i wanted it searchable)...
I've read where you can get nasal irritation, to use the humidifier, etc. - I bought a fleece cover and cranked my machine to 3 - no good. previously i was getting rainout at 2 but not 1.5 - tonight i'll try 2, and then see if i can push to 2.5
regardless, absent getting a repitile heater or some other mcguyver stuff, i'll have to take it easy on the humidity.
i have noticed i breath easier with the machine - it pops my nares open and i get good airflow - then when i'm off the machine it's actually a bit "tougher" to breath - kinda like when i take pseudofed, i breath better in general (when it works) than when it wears off or i'm back to "[ab]normal"
is my daily stuffiness a result of nasal irritation? i bought ayr gel, but i don't think that will do anything for me - should i get a saline nasal spray - and if so, will that merely wet my nasal passage and then dry it out again, almost like washing chapped hands to make them moist?
i'd like to avoid the reboud effect of afrin and their ilk - years ago it made my life miserable.
or maybe i'm just nursing a stuffed nose and need a sinus pill.
any thoughts or suggestions? thanks!

I seem to get more stuffed up when I have too much humidity. I keep it in passover mode and can breath just fine.
Good luck.

I remember having similar experience when I first started ... stuffy nose in morning after waking and taking my mask off.

That went away and the only thing I began doing differently since it went away is starting up my regular nasal saline rinsing. At first I rinsed every morning then after a couple of weeks every other day and now I only rinse on weekends or as needed.

Do a search on nasal, sinus, or rhino ... saline rinse.

Hi, I have had a lot of trouble with stuffed up nose, clear a lot of the time BUT sometimes one side blocks, sometimes both: it happens during the day and during the night. I sometimes use nasal irrigation sinus rinse, Neil Med market one but I don't find that I have anything for it to "wash out" so it doesn't always help much. most of the time I just use one of the little saline nasal water squirt bottles from the pharmacy. Of late I have been reusing the bottles by filling them with my own salt and distilled, or tap water boiled and cooled, mix. I can carry this with me anywhere and use as needed. With this I can get my nose cleared before I go to bed by starting early with a few squirts now and then. I also clear it with this when I wake up during the night.
I ended up with a nose bleed with one of the prescription sprays so stopped using them. They seem to have a rebound effect.
Hope this makes sense, I'm tired! good luck, it's miserable with a blocked nose when you want to "hose up" and sleep.

thanks for the reply - i've been trying to get a full face mask (2.5 weeks on cpap) for the eventual completely clogged nose - i've avoided nasal sprays for years (rebound effect) though when i built my RC airplanes, i used the CA glue (crazy glue) that cleared me up -- and rebounded me badly (they also have odorless which i've used)
i guess saline nasal squirts are the way to go based on the board.
it is funny - i breath better and easier with the machine hooked to my nose - i'm guessing it's the effect of forcing the nostrils (i call them snostrils) open - sort of like those breathe-rite strips (i knew folks who swear by them)...thanks again!

p.s. check out the posting on the next page under SINUS IRRIGATORS, for more info. plus Dreamstalker has posted his recipe for saline mix, I forgot to say don't use table salt , that's in there too.

Neti pot every few mornings, and low HH setting work for me (anything above 1 and I get all stuffed up).

I also seem to get more stuffy when the GERD is acting up, go fig. (actually there some discussion recently on one of my GERD threads about this connection).

I use the humidity setting 4 and a heated hose.. my experience is good. During the day my sinuses are clear as a bell. Usually I sniffle my way through the winter

--G

DreamStalker wrote:I remember having similar experience when I first started ... stuffy nose in morning after waking and taking my mask off.

That went away and the only thing I began doing differently since it went away is starting up my regular nasal saline rinsing. At first I rinsed every morning then after a couple of weeks every other day and now I only rinse on weekends or as needed.

Do a search on nasal, sinus, or rhino ... saline rinse.

Dearmstalker, a reply on this post mentioned one of your world famous nearly patented saline mixes - i searched the site (honest) and saw lots of commentary, but no recipe - may i either trouble you for it or ask for the link? i did try advanced search, rhino saline, saline mix, etc. - thanks so much!

Well, I did copy it but, of course & as usual, I cannot find it .
However, the commercial packets taste only lightly salted.

Here is one I found on line - homemade should only be kept one week, also chuck it if it looks cloudy.
and dont' rinse if you have a sinus infection it said. as it spreads the infection.
1 teaspoon of salt,
l teaspoon baking soda (altho' I haven't used this)
1 pint of water, distilled or filtered or tap, whichever you think you need to use
It said that the baking soda )sodium barcarbonate) "improves the mucus-solvent properties of the irrigant"

other recipes say 1/2 teaspoon salt to 8 oz (1 cup) of water and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

In the U.S. I believe there is a premix available in a larger size, but I forget the name.

Either my therapy is not working or I am beyond repair!

many thanks! i just ordered a super de duper water pik (okay, wp-100, which "looks" a little sharper than the others, has 10 settings, and does the dishes) - and i bought the grossan tip (sorry, now it's sinupulse)
i know the tip won't work directly - but i read of someone slipping the nasal tip off and putting it on an extra wp-100 tip - i'm annoyed that waterpik has so many non-interchangable tips/versions but i "believe" it will be better than interplak, and i didn't want to buy the grossan machine as i read mixed things about its durability, plus grossan doesn't seem to say "okay for teeth" although it gives you throat and tongue torture devices - with the WP, i should be able to, err, use it as a water pik! (just hope i remember to change tips)
i'm turning my home into a medical wing - i'm going to have to join aarp and read prevention and start taking osical or whatever --- and i'm only 41!!!!!! yikes!
thanks again,
--stuffy