CPAP with a cold

My nose also opens up with cpap BUT I hate having anything like the pillows touch my nose when I have a cold. That is why I have the quatro for those days. But my cheeks don't puff up.

I use nasal pillows exclusively. 10 years now. For colds and allergies, I always keep some Afrin on hand to treat a stuffed up nose--but I only use it at bedtime. If it's really really bad, then I reach for the Neo-Synephrine. Both are over-the-counter nasal sprays.

The sprays are definitely something he's trying to stay away from. I don't know if he reacts oddly to an ingredient or what, but he always feels like he's gotten a big jolt of adrenaline when he uses those, and usually ends up awake most of the night.

teleute:

I've been using a FFM patient for almost one year. I've found that the moist, rushing air has ameliorated many of the symptoms that rhinitis (the so-called common cold virus) visits on a sufferer.

The maladies seem to be shorter in length, less severe, and more manageable during daytime hours as a result of CPAP therapy.

Go for it, God bless, and good luck.

I use nasal pillow, previously a nasal mask. I've been on therapy 14 years now & tried the FFM but could not wear it, too claustrophobic. When I have a cold I use a Vicks nasal inhaler (menthol smelling) and that clears be enough to get started, then I sleep well all night. Pressure & humidifier help clear my nasal passages.

Jen

When I wore a Quattro ffm I used to have problems with my cheeks ballooning as the pressure rose. In retrospect I think the mask was too big - I was also never able to stop the leaks with that mask. For me switching to a smaller size Quattro didn't help, but going to the Quattro fx model did.

Regarding colds and stuffy, runny noses, sometimes sleeping in a recliner can help. If you can find the right angle the drainage tends to go back rather than down into the nose, and it doesn't interfere with breathing as much.

This is something a sleep doc recommended to me to reduce the impact of allergy flare ups. He said this has actually been studied with patients who experimented with various angles. (It's been awhile since that conversation so I may not have this right but I think he said a 30° angle was found to work best.)

In practice it's like deliberately inducing post nasal drip. Adding a little extra neck support while reclining can help to find the right angle. A smallish bath towel rolled up longways sometimes does the trick if you can secure it to the back of the recliner. The idea is to raise the neck just a little, tilting the head back ever so slightly.

This also makes it easier to sleep "face up" with a ffm which will reduce the leaks.
Ymmv