I Hate This

I hated it beyond belief for months. I was convinced i would NEVER ever adjust to it. It was worse than any medical treatment i had ever attempted - by far, nothing came close to being as awful. I dreaded evening coming on knowing that i was going to have to face the cpap machine. Now i love it. Lots of little things over time: getting the right mask(s),getting the software so i could follow how well the treatment was going, getting the right type of machine, the right model, the right pressures, the right accessories ( chinstrap, mask liners, hose cover, etc). All i can say is to hang in there and keep trying to make small steps at improvements and eventually you will get there.

I welcomed the machine; I was desperate for restful sleep. I knew this machine would be my salvation.
I suffered with several masks that did not fit, and a machine set 3 cm higher than I really needed (didn't know any better.)
Still, I could tell the difference. The trade-off was not pleasant, but I knew the alternative was worse by far.

Not a CPAP user yet (just started driving down this road); but been a long time sinus issue sufferer. Infections, inflammation, URI's lots of upper airway stuff.

The thing that works best for me is the sinus flush. I use it daily and it helps me a lot. Manually clears the airway, moistens the passageways, and for me, stopped the inflammation cycle.

It might be worth taking a good course of antibiotics at least one time. I occasionally get something where there's a nasty taste, congestion, etc. The doctors don't seem to want to think it's an infection, and are reluctant to do antibiotics. Once I finally manage to get some, it clears me up for a while, usually a year or more.

I don't recommend overusing antibiotics, but one good course once a year or so is probably not going to do any long term harm or breed the next superbug.

Do you ever produce any colored phlegm? When I told my doctor I had green phlegm, that seemed to get him up off his duff to give me some antibiotics.

I find "Sinus Rinse" easier to use than neti. You can find it at Walgreen's and other major chain drug stores.

Be sure you're not mouth leaking. This will dry you out. SleepyHead will read your data and tell you whether you're leaking. Do your mouth and nose feel excessively try after CPAP?

Definitely try both high and low humidity.

If you get desperate, an Oracle oral mask will not put pressure in your nose if you can learn to use it right. Unfortunately, it's hard to get used to.

Short of doing CPAP some nights and not others, maybe you could use it at a slightly lower pressure until you adapt.