CPAP USE AND ALLERGIES

Ok I've been using a CPAP machine for about 2 months now. At first, it was great cause I WAS sleeping better. After the first month, all of a sudden I'm experiencing harsh allergies. It started a few nights after I changed the filter and nasal pillows. The allergies are constant sneezing and runny nose and effect me all damn day. Last night was the worst so I took it off and went to crash downstairs on the couch. I work at a hospital and deal with patients so I have been sneezing constantly since it began. Today, I called in cause it has been the worst day ever. Ive taken all different sorts of medicine (and over medicate on purpose to stop this) but to avail. Im at the end of my rope so if anybody has suggestions or has had the same problems please respond!

I don't think it is CPAP related if that is what you are indicating. You are breathing filtered air through your machine. You could change the filter more often and up the humidity.

Is it possible you've developed an allergy to whatever you are washing the filter, mask, and tubes with?

It is spring, and pollen is in the air.
You are breathing more efficiently now,
and the allergens may not be getting hung up on the tissues that caused your OSA.
I take a loratadine at night, and when I miss one--I'm sneezing all day.

You might raise or lower the setting on your humidifier by one and see if it helps.

It could be the humidifier, as already suggested. The relative humidity here changes--higher in the winter, lower in the summer. AND, the ambient temperature affects the humidity of your machine, too. My nasal passages get irritated from too much OR too little humidity--finding the "sweet spot" may need tweaking over the changes of seasons. So you might try dialing your humidifier down or up (it could be either) to see if that helps. Be sure to try out a new setting for several days before changing it again, UNLESS it makes things even worse--then you know you're going the wrong direction.

The other thing to do is good "nasal hygiene" like a netti pot a few hours before bed. I could never get into that, so I would use an aerosolized saline spray instead and give my nose a good misting and then blowing out.

And yes, spring allergies could be a factor, so see your doctor about a systemic allergy med. AVOID at all costs a decongestant--they have a rebound effect (and if you're already taking a decongestant, THAT could be the explanation for the problem you're having).

You may be experiencing a form of vasomotor rhinitis. I had several run-ins with it during my early days on CPAP. I'm pretty sure it was provoked by me trying to run my unit without humidity. My symptoms were a nose that ran like a faucet, so much sneezing that I threw my back out, and acute irritation of my sinuses. These symptoms would persist for days. These days I don't go without humidification, even in the hot humid days of summer. Also, as mentioned earlier, I use a neti pot, especially during allergy season.