CPAPtalk.com

JimH wrote:Ok here is a dumb question, but can you use a nasal pillow with Remstar Plus or does it require an entirely different machine?

It doesn't requier an entirely different machine. You can use them on any machine you want.

O.

Thnaks ozi. I have the comfort gel masks (nose only) and it leaks alot. It sounds like the nasal pillows reduce the amount of leaks.

Now that the weather is getting cooler and it has been raining alot, I find myself suffering from rain out nightly. I have also been stuffier but that I think is do to allergies. My whole household is stuffier. I will try and reduce the humidifier and see how that goes.

I had this nasal stuffyness problem and more and more I was using sprays and salines and other remedies and nothing seemed to work. My doctor finally said lets give my system a break and gave me a prednisone quick pack where I was hit with a large dose and eased down. Since this it has not even been an issue. I was not "addicted" to 12 hour sprays, he said I just was always doing something and my nasal passages formed a memory. Breaking this pattern took care of the problem.

High humidifier settings only cause rainouts in cold climates, down here in Texas, I use it all the way up and never had rainout.

Barb (Seattle) wrote:I have been there (using a full face mask as I never found a solution that worked for me) Some have said to use a saline rinse...Flonase is an option. It worked GGGGGGREAT for a few weeks, then I had a severe reaction to it and felt like ice was being placed up my nose You might have better luck with it than I did. I bought a bottle of saline spray that has a nozzle that goes way up in the nasal passages...it got a little better, but not enough for me to use the nasal mask. Hopefully, you can find something that works for you!

Barb,

I think you have it nailed. I use a f/f mask even though I have an Activa & like it - just can't survive the nasal stufiness and the mouth breathing.

Cheers

DSM

I use the saline flush and my nasal surgeon told me to keep my nose moist with something called Ocean. This is not a flush, but a mist to moisten the nasal passages.

I hope this helps.

I did it all. Saline/soda Nasal flushes using a modified "Water Pic". (Works great - by the way.) Nasacort and Astelin combination prescription sprays. (Also works great to relieve my allergy symptoms. Works so good I forget to stay on the regimen.)

The thing that really turned my "swelling shut" problems around was Somnoplasty. The procedure was so painless that during recovery I did not use any pain meds at all. Not even Tylinol. I now only use the nasal sprays when my allergies flare up. I notice no adverse side effects.

And, oh yeah, had to twist the "arms" of the Medical Insurance Company to OK the Humidifier. THAT is a MUST HAVE. So is the BiPap, in my opinion. The CPAP is cheaper, yes. So is riding a bicycle to work.

The above three paragraphs spanned three years of knocking heads with the Doctors and the Insurance people.

While I am on a "soap box" here:

My biggest pet peeve with the Equipment Providers are the lame filtration they use on the CPAPs and the fact that I have yet to see an advertisement for those !#$#$% sleep masks where the model wearing the mask has their head ON A PILLOW!

I have settled into using a breeze on top of a thin skull cap made by Nike'. The thin cap keeps the Breeze from drifting.

By the way, for you Breeze users, if you have an older model - get the quieter exhaust port insert. It reduces the noise level by over 20 decibles (I measured it.)

Saline rinse didn't work, vicks vapo-rub didn't work.

I bought some breathe right strips that I'm going to try. I had a medium sized nose mask at first, but the top of it kept working loose and it would blow little streams of air in my eyes - and that would wake me up. Then I switched to a small size nose mask, and it doesn't blow in my eyes, but now it seems that my nose is always stuffy if I don't use the affrin.

I tried the full face mask, but I was confused about it. It had a little hole in the front that was to allow the CO2 out, but I thought that it was supposed to stay closed - and I didn't think it was working right. I wish I hadn't sent that back, because I'd like to give it a go again. If I could breathe out my mouth, my swollen nostrils wouldn't be an issue at all.

I have the same problem. As a matter of fact, if it wan't for my stuffy nose, I think I'd forget I'm even wearing a mask. I find that an occassional Benadryl-D, Claritan-D, etc. can be helpful. I think the word 'occassional' is important. I took Benadryl for 3 weeks straight and felt like I had a hangover all day long,

Antihistamines often have a drowseness effect while decongestants are a stimulant.

SnoreNoMore2005

I have chronic congestion. I'm 10 days on a CPAP. The nasal pillows now allow me to breathe through my nose at night, but in the morning my sinuses are inflamed worse than ever. I'm wondering if this will lessen.

I have chronic congestion. I'm 10 days on a CPAP. The nasal pillows now allow me to breathe through my nose at night, but in the morning my sinuses are inflamed worse than ever. I'm wondering if this will lessen.

David,
1. Have you tried using a humidifier?
2. " " " " a heated hose?

O.

Thanks for the feedback. After reading a bit here, I realized that the humidifier is adjustable. It had been set to one. This morning I reset it to four and will try again tonight. My sinuses are very sensitive.
-David