Runny nose and cpap

Anyone having problems with runny nose and sneezing from cpap therapy, its not a cold but it seems brought on by the air flow of the machine. I have tried increasing the humidity, then lessening still no results. I'm using nasal spray Flonaise, and loratadine, but still have to rely on a box of tissues.Seems to me that its a winter issue, to much time indoors not enough outdoors.
Ed

its normal reaction to cpap. I've the same problem allergy type symptoms, humidifier help a little
OTC and Nasonex did not help and cannot use OTC for more than 3 days
Neilmed sinus rinse does helps

This is more likely to happen if your mask is leaking.

Hurricane wrote:Anyone having problems with runny nose and sneezing from cpap therapy, its not a cold but it seems brought on by the air flow of the machine. I have tried increasing the humidity, then lessening still no results. I'm using nasal spray Flonaise, and loratadine, but still have to rely on a box of tissues.Seems to me that its a winter issue, to much time indoors not enough outdoors.
Ed

Hi Ed!

The pressure of CPAP tends to make us over breath which causes CO2 maintenance issues [1,2].

During the past year I have used a pulse oximeter to help me keep my breathing more eucapnic (to have normal CO2 levels in the blood). The more you breath the higher your blood oxygen saturation levels are likely to be and the lower your CO2 levels are likely to be. The symptoms:

Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) vs Nose Symptom:

99% Stuffed up, likely to sneeze
98% Stuffed up
97% Just a bit stuffed
96% Probably clear, feeling OK
95% Nice warm feeling inside

This fall I think I also noticed that the colder air in my area tended me to over breath a bit more. I am not sure why.

I do note that adding lights to my trailer has helped with my mood, and over breathing is tied to central nervous system activation so Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) lighting may be something you should look into.

In general stress is the thing that usually brings this into a PAP picture that was before stable. That is my experience and what I believe I have noticed on these forums. Good to find less stress.

If you have lost weight recently, or are exercising more you may need to lower your pressure. If there is less stuff to push away to take a breath it is easier to breath, especially with the added PAP pressure.

If you can find a doctor who will work with you I think that lowering pressure in small steps while looking at a week or so of resultant data at a time is a better way to do this. A “one expensive shot in a very strange place far away from home” titration, in my opinion, has little chance of hitting a true and useful pressure setting. We do not sleep the same every night, a strange place and the stress of the expense will change how we sleep in a major way, the skills and diligence of the technicians vary, and it takes the body time to get used to a new pressure. In my opinion and from my own experience it works much better to lower the pressure a bit, look at the results, make a decision, and lower again or go back to a higher pressure as the data dictates.

I also believe that CO2 maintenance issues are harmful to the body and should not be ignored.

May we find good health!

Todzo

1. MP3 of - Expert Interview: Dr. Barry Krakow on PTSD, Insomnia, and Sleep Apnea http://doctorstevenpark.com/expert-inte ... leep-apnea

2. ( http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19211719 )

Thanks Todzo, interesting info you posted, worth looking into. Coming home the morning after my first sleep study at the sleep center 2007, I came home told my wife this is great I picked up a cold at the hospital because I was sneezing, a few hours later all symptoms disappeared, sure sounds to me that this new forced air attack on my body were the culprits. I have been fighting this issue on occasion since, your posting leads me to check my charts to see what difference a lower pressure might do, and still be fighting apnea.

Ed

Could also be vasomotor rhinitis. My nose runs where I ride in car with air conditioning on. My nose runs whenever I eat hot food or drink anything hot. I had experiment with different temperatures leaving the humidity on AUTO (80%). Above 80 has too hot for me with my face sweating under mask. I finally found that 72 degrees is my HAPPY number.