No More Ayr Gel?

Anonymous wrote:Found this on Sleepnet.com:

remember that if your nose is hurting it is likely because you are making the very common error of wearing the headgear way too tight: the pillows should apply very little force to your nostrils, so that the bellows can expand to make the seal. You probably need a different size nasal pillow in one or both nostrils, if you cannot get a good seal without using the headgear to push your nose up your face! A light smear of Ayr gel may also help. You can also use KY or any other water-soluble gel - but don't use petroleum jelly like Vaseline: oils and plastics are not good together over the long term.

1. After 2+ years, I know how to adjust my headgear.

2. I use large pillows which are the correct size for me.

3. I use Vaseline to prevent irritation not because of it, and to provide a slightly better seal.

4. Since I consider over 2 years with the same pillows using Vaseline "long term," I'll take this information from Sleepnet with a grain of salt...at best.

Anonymous wrote:A lot of people like KY jelly for this. It's water-based so it's not on the DO NOT USE list.

I will concede that you MUST NOT use a petroleum-based product if you are on supplemental oxygen, however, K-Y Jelly is a very poor substitue as it drys out very quickly, and the irritation returns. Fortunately, I don't use supplemental oxygen.

Based on my own long-term use, I absolutely refuse to believe that there is anything wrong with using Vaseline, and am beginning to think of it as some weird "urban myth" that will not go away within the hosehead community.

Don't start my own CPAP until Tuesday night (professional mask fitting Tuesday) but have been on 5L oxygen via mask since September and usually wake up during night because mouth and throat are SOOOOOOOO dry it wakes me up - have made suggestions on this forum regarding coconut oil, etc to help with MOUTH dryness - now finally found a prodcut by Biotene called Oral Guard (I think) which is supposed to keep mouth and throat tissue moist for 8 HOURS!! Will try it tonight with oxygen and let you all know if it does what is supposed to do.

My sister in law is a nurse and says there is NOTHING for dry mouth but I'm going to figure out something and then share it with all you hose heads - since we have enough BS to go through anyway, a good mouth hydrator would be helpful.

I will use Essential Rosehip Seed Oil for inside and outside nose as that is the ONLY thing I know to use during a runny nose cold that will keep the tissues moist without irritation. Will keep you all informed about this also

Newbie from Wyoming

Ellen
It seems to me that the use of any essential oils in the humidifier would be a no no only because of the extended inhaling of it into the lungs. I may be wrong but I think it would be dangerous

Ellen from Wyoming:

Dentists prescribe stuff for serious dry mouth. Dentists should know whether whether their stuff will help your particular brand of dry mouth or can be combined with oxygyn therapy. I have a prescription rinse for daytime dry mouth that i got from my dentist for other than cpap reasons. Bad thing is that this rinse can dis-color your teeth. But you should ask.

Rooster:

I read in a totally different post that you once had pneumonia. So concern about getting pneumonia again may not be paranoid for you. But it would seem like that would depend on the type of pneumonia you had, and whether this kind likely would occur because you had pneumonia once. But it just sounded like from the Merck Manual that you would know from the symptoms, and the pneumonia would stop once you stopped the triggering practice. But if you're concerned because of your history, you should ask a doctor, not an internet message board.

chdurie2 wrote: Rooster:

I read in a totally different post that you once had pneumonia. So concern about getting pneumonia again may not be paranoid for you. But it would seem like that would depend on the type of pneumonia you had, and whether this kind likely would occur because you had pneumonia once. But it just sounded like from the Merck Manual that you would know from the symptoms, and the pneumonia would stop once you stopped the triggering practice. But if you're concerned because of your history, you should ask a doctor, not an internet message board.

Very sound advice, Caroline

rooster:

i was thinking about this last nite, and i'd like to add that being diagnosed with bacterial bronchial pneumonia was one of the more frightening escapades of my life, especially because neither of the two doctors i went to took my illness seriously as it was developing because it was so unusual for someone of my age, history, whatever. then i went to a third doctor on a saturday morning no less, and he had me admitted to the hospital immediately, and then they ran a bunch of tests and then every medical person involved started profusely apologizing for their apathy. i had to get IV therapy for a long time afterward and was pretty paranoid for a while. about a year later, i was diagnosed with what they call walking pneumonia, which is just a fancy cold, and the doctor had a hard time reassuring me. finally, i realized it was nothing as she said. so even though you may be paranoid, it may be justified paranoia, and again, for your own peace of mind, ask your doc about this vaseline pneumonia.

Anonymous wrote:rooster:
so even though you may be paranoid, it may be justified paranoia, and again, for your own peace of mind, ask your doc about this vaseline pneumonia.

Also be sure to ask about Vaseline hair loss, impotency, kidney failure, aphasia, brain tumors, and all the other maladies that this evil, evil substance can cause.

You just can't be too careful.

Anonymous wrote:so even though you may be paranoid, it may be justified paranoia, and again, for your own peace of mind, ask your doc about this vaseline pneumonia.

Excellent advice. I hope you don't feel you are being ridiculed here. Sometimes in a effort to make a point, people resort to using sarcasm. Don't take it personally and definitely talk to your doctor. His medical opinion means a lot more than the opinions of a bunch of layman on a message board.

amigo:

although i usually think your comments are right on, i'm a little disturbed to see your last response. i have no idea what rooster went through in his bout with pneumonia, but mine was really scary, with even the insurance company apologizing for having earlier refused me drugs that would have reduced the pneumonia's severity. when i checked into the hospital, it was like a scene from ER, with doctors yelling and jabbing needles in me every which way. i recovered but overreacted when a doctor, a year or so later, told me my new cold was a harmless form of pneumonia. that's what i mean by justified paranoia, if i didn't make myself clear. that doctor had to do a lot of reassuring that it did not mean the old, very damaging form would come back. so yes, rooster, again, check with your doctor.

xsghgh

rooster:

by jove, you're right, rooster. i just did a search, and it was gary who mentioned he had gotten pneumonia. so i'm back with amigo with a friendly caution about going overboard on vaseline concerns. but hey, it really doesn't matter whether you don't want to use vaseline as a nose lubricant. it's your nose. my nose really likes it, and my swift doesn't seem to mind either.

caroline

chdurie2 wrote:amigo:

although i usually think your comments are right on, i'm a little disturbed to see your last response.

Caroline, if you re-read that post you will see that I quoted "Anonymous," the pontificating Guest.

My sarcasm was directed at him, not rooster, and my agreement with you that he should consult a doctor still applied.

Of course now the issue is moot as he neither had pneumonia, nor needs a nasal lubricant.

I cannot wait for Guests next anonymous load of crap.