CPAPtalk.com

I've used Flonase and Nasonex. Both worked, but not as well as Nasocort for me. I only used the nasal spray when I'm REALLY congested. Most days, I take an over-the-counter Claritin or Zertec. When it gets worst, I do a nasal rinse. I use nasal pillows for my cpap and that works VERY well.

Good luck. Trying to breathe at night without the congestion is bad enough ...

ShawneeSandy wrote:I am a new cpap user. I have always had alot of allergies and usually breathe through my nose fine during the day when I am upright. When I lay down at night, nose stops up. I am attempting to use nasal pillows and doing fairly well with them but I was wondering about this. I have been using Flonase every evening for a couple of weeks which is making the cpap easier to tolerate. I occasionally open my mouth at night but not so much. I have heard controversy as to which is better to use and I was wondering what your opinions might be. I have Flonase but also have a few samples of Nasonex. Thank you.

The fact that your nose stuffs up the minute you lay down at night (presumably with cpap) may point to a different solution. Have you tried turning down your humidifier? Some on this forum, myself included, have noted that too much humidity can lead to a stuffy nose. My suggestion is that you play with your humidifer settings a bit to see if that helps.

BTW, for my allergies, I've been using Flonase, and earlier derivatives, for about 25 years. I've been on cpap only for 2 years.

To add to my previous response to your question, I purchased some hypoallergenic filters for my S9 machine and will install them tonight. They were an extra cost but I have all sorts of inhalant allergies so additional vigilance in that department should be helpful

My doctor gave me samples of Nasonex and it didn't work for me at all. I tried Nasacort on my own and it works wonderfully. It has recently been released as an OTC product and as a result it is not covered by my insurance. It costs $18 for the 120 sprays size ($5 off coupons abound) whereas Nasonex would only cost me a $10 co-pay through my insurance. I gladly pay the $18 since the stuff works and is safe to use daily forever if need be and even twice daily if need be.

surferdude wrote:My doctor gave me samples of Nasonex and it didn't work for me at all. I tried Nasacort on my own and it works wonderfully. It has recently been released as an OTC product and as a result it is not covered by my insurance. It costs $18 for the 120 sprays size ($5 off coupons abound) whereas Nasonex would only cost me a $10 co-pay through my insurance. I gladly pay the $18 since the stuff works and is safe to use daily forever if need be and even twice daily if need be.

I am going to give that a try. The Omnaris sample that I have doesn't seem to be working.

Glad it is helping you.

49er

Another timely thread resurrected that i don't recall seeing. i'm sure we all deal with this problem at times. Low pressure weather systems can work on my sinuses. i can sit down for a while & nose starts to get stuffy.if i get up & start to move around, breathing starts to clear.
have tried Zetona for awhile, same as Omnaris, different form . just to expensive with mixed results. good at first(has some steroids). saline nasal rinse helps some. Flonisolide seems to work, i assume the same as Flonase . Never tried Nasocort . Benedryl before bed has helped, just don't want to take on a regular basis. always wear a disposable mask when mowing the acre of grass . try & keep the rhinitis in check with minimal doses of antihistamines, so as not let to escalate into drainage/bronchitis . hate the kind that makes you feel like a zombie.
Guess we face these challenges on a daily basis, there is no one easy answer for all. Thank Heaven for CPAP.
tim

I can see that this is an old topic but going to ask a question in case it still viable. Why do you all need to take a steroid in order to use CPAP? It seems to me that we're taking CPAP to improve health but then need a steroid to tolerate it? I'm about to become a new user, so have no idea.

By no means do we 'all' take steroids, but on occasion someone will have a problem and rather than resort to something like Afrin, which is addictive, requiring more and more to do less and less, we recommend temporary fixes like Flonase, but more often nasal rinses (your drugstore can explain them). Not all of us have perfect operation of our noses but not all problems call for e.g. surgery on turbinates, etc. Sometimes added or substracted humidity from the machine are problems too, and need to be worked out over time.