Please Help!

My username states my opinion thus far for this therapy. I just thought I slept poorly BEFORE I tried this therapy. Heres the deal: I have allergies really bad. I tried the 1st. machine(can't remember manufacturer).I woke up the 1st. morning with my nose running. I woke up the 2nd. morning sneezing to the point that it triggered hay fever. The machine had no humidification and used a full face mask(Mouth breather). The machine has now been replaced with a remstar pro c-flex w/humidification(just got it today and will not use it until this hay fever is gone). I have learned from this forum that the smothering sensation is "normal" as well as some sinus problems. My questions are these: 1. Is this really worth it? 2.Does anyone know how to adjust the c-flex part of the machine(1,2,3) and which setting is easiest to exhale? Thanks for any help and for letting me "vent" as the frustration is building and I would rather NOT have the machine than to have hay fever. Thanks Again! P.S. I should mention that the 2 nights I had the "old" machine, I did manage to wear it for about 4 hours each night.

Yes it is worth it ! I'd be dead now if it weren't for cpap... You know when you hear of young people dieing in their sleep or having heart attacks in the morning its probably because of sleep apnea...They stop breathing and the old heart beats harder and harder and it finally says "enough" and quits. Or your O2 level is low all night and you wake up and shock your system with an extra large coffee and donut and wham ...Heart attack... Why do you think 50% of heart attacks occur before 9AM ? Undiagnosed sleep apnea....Do your heart a favor, love "the hose" fellow Hosehead...
Some people have to take expensive drugs to stay alive. We just have to "Hose Up".

As far as your sinus problems go. Try this..Boil 1 Qt of water and add 1 teapoon of salt . . Get an eye dropper and put a dropperfull in each nostril while laying on the bed with your head off the side so it can run into your sinuses..Let it soak in for a minute...Do this a few times a day. Adjust the salt mix to suite your tastes ...You can also add a teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) Then you will have made you own sinucleanse. A product that is sold in cute little packets at the store . When you clear up your sinuses everything will work better. Your pressures will be lower . your attitude will change cause cpap really works...Be sure to wash your mask every day...Those little nastys that grow in there just grow in your sinuses again.... Be a happy hosehead.

Or try Js nose drops at a health food store if you don't want to cook your own.

Cheers,

Chris

Chrisp,
Thanks for the encouragement. After reading others stories, I know that I am not the only one who is frustrated by this. As far as the allergies, I already take Clarinex and Astellin nasal spray daily. I have made my own saline before with limited success. I plugged my new machine in about 45 minutes ago and was actually wearing it sitting here. The c-flex part is going to help with the "smothering" feeling as it seems so much easier to exhale. I just found this board today and I feel better knowing that I am not the only one experiencing these things. Another question for anyone-Is there a setting for the humidifer other than amount of heat (for amount of humidification)? Thanks for the reply!

Hello Big Croc,

All cpap heated humidifiers work using a hot plate to contol termperature and thus humidity. Warm air can carry more water vapor. It is that simple. Cpap.com has a humidifier FAQ that addresses this at https://www.cpap.com/humidifierfaq.shtml

Hi Big Croc,
I think it takes a while to get used to the CPAP therapy. I have heard many complaints from people on this forum on a variety of issues. I am not a long time user (4 months) of CPAP and have had a lot of adjustments to make.
As fas as your sinuses goes, I did read from other users on this forum about Sinucleanse (Walgreens has them) and bought one. What I really liked was about how you apply and how effective it was. They actually have a video online:
http://www.sinucleanse.com/why_video.htm
I also have stuffed up sinuses and CPAP therapy was impossible at first. This really helped me. You can probably make the solution as Chrisp explained and apply using Sinucleanse instructions. I laso use Spray for my sinuses and the sprays would be more effective after you wask your sinuses. Good luck and hang in there.

I agree. Hang in there! There is an adjustment period that your body has to go through when first starting CPAP. My sinuses are a mess & I felt like I was ten times worse when I started on CPAP, but my dr. assured me this is normal. Your head is adjusting to this new "thing" & will react by producing more secretions for awhile. I think it took my sinuses about three weeks to finally "calm" down. The sinus cleanser really helps. Hang in there! It does get better!

Adding a humidifier seemed to reduce my CPAP's effectiveness. The air flow from the hose/mask seemed less forceful, more quiet, and I no longer woke up feeling refreshed. However, after a couple years of using a Sullivan heated humidifier, I think I stumbled onto something helpful. I fill the humidifier slightly ABOVE the recommended maximum water level. With more water in the humidifier, the air flow from the mask sounds more powerful, and I am waking up feeling refreshed once again. Has anyone else had a similar experience or observation?

[quote="Rands"]Adding a humidifier seemed to reduce my CPAP's effectiveness. The air flow from the hose/mask seemed less forceful, more quiet, and I no longer woke up feeling refreshed. However, after a couple years of using a Sullivan heated humidifier, I think I stumbled onto something helpful. I fill the humidifier slightly ABOVE the recommended maximum water level. With more water in the humidifier, the air flow from the mask sounds more powerful, and I am waking up feeling refreshed once again. Has anyone else had a similar experience or observation?

_________________

Hi,

Just want to let you know that with a humidifier, pressures are usually slightly lower. if you're using a CPAP and not an APAP, jack up the pressure by 0.4 or 0.6cmH2O. That's what we do in Singapore : )

Hi, from one Tennessean to another, Croc!

"3" is the C-Flex setting that gives the most pressure drop for exhaling. "1" gives the least drop.

Please check your "private messages" - button at upper right of this page.

I had little problems adjusting to sleeping with my xPap other than some mask leak problems. But it didn't seem to be helping much with my sleepiness. For me the change was very slow & gradual. But I noticed eventually that I was not groggy in the morning and I didn't tend to nod off in front of my computer during the day.

Recently I had cataract surgery and couldn't wear my face mask because of the metal eye patch. When I woke up the next morning I could tell the difference immediately. Even tho I was supposed to wear the eyepatch every night for a week, I skipped the patch and went back to my mask. What a difference. Then last Thursday my Remstar Bipap Pro 2 stopped working... looks like the power supply is cutting out. Reported it to my DME's "leave a message" number and got no call back. Finally got through to someone and am changing out machines tomorrow morning. But, once again, I can really tell the difference when I have no xPAP. I find that 5-6 hours of sleep a night with the xPAP leaves me rested and non-drowsy during the day.

So hang in there.... It really can help. Once you have gotten some of the kinks worked out and used it for a month or so, try going a night without and see if you don't notice a big difference.