My nose is sometimes clogged up, so i cant use my cpap machine - what to do?

Seems like a slight cold, also possible mild allergy reaction can clog up my nose so that using the mask becomes impossible as i cant get enough air up my nostrils.

BUT my nose is not clogged when i do yoga (inclouding downward dog, mountain pose) and often my nose is ok when i am ready to lie down, but gets clogged when lying on side getting ready to go to sleep with mask on

Appreciate any suggestions

Tx

Easy answer: full face mask.  
Complicated answer: Netti pot.  
What I do: Use Afrin -- occasionally for a couple of nights

Bearded One wrote:

What I do: Use Afrin -- occasionally for a couple of nights

I just gave Afrin a try - three nights on, two nights off, and last night. On the third night I definitely experienced what my doc calls "blowback congestion". After a couple of nights off, I had a bit of stuffiness last night so I gave it another shot. Mixed results. Any experience with how many nights off of Afrin you need before you can give it another go?

I don't use it any more than about once a month, and then for no more than three nights.  Also, I only use it at bedtime; I don't use it twice a day.  Even if I use it only one time, I won't use it again for about a month.

I would guess that using Afrin three nights on, two nights off would cause rebound and eventually dependance.



Last edited by Bearded One on Thu Apr 24, 2008 11:44 am; edited 1 time in total

As an Afrin addict for over thirty years, my advice would be to stay awake from Afrin. Don't even get started on it.  I was prescribed Afrin because my pregnancies caused severe rhinitis.  Then Afrin went OTC.  If you have "a bit of stuffiness" but can still breath, maybe a saline nosespray would help.  Try a netti pot.  You can buy sinus irrigation kits with a squeeze bottle which might be easier to use. I haven't tried that.  
Grandma


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ResMed Quattro Full Face Mask
ResMed S8 Escape with heated humidifier
Pressure set at 11

webcommuner wrote:

My nose is sometimes clogged up, so i cant use my cpap machine - what to do?

Full Face Mask.

I have one stashed away just for those lovely cold & flu occasions.

BarryKaraoke wrote:

Full Face Mask.

I already use an FFM. But compliance is much more difficult when my nose is clogged up. Last night I heard the neti pot thing mentioned for the 2nd time. I think I might give it a try, though a quick search of this forum notes a problem with sinus headaches.

I avoid Afrin or any similar nasal sprays like the plague... The ONLY time I'll use them is if I am forced to travel by air when I have severe sinus congestion.  For me, if I use Afrin even one or two days... the following four or five days are twice as bad as the original sinus problems were.

Neti Pots and/or sinus irrigation does little or no good for me either... Can't say as it's ever caused me much harm but it's just never worked any miracles for me.


I'm just getting over some sort of virus that caused me major upper respiratory congestion and I also just got my CPAP with nasal pillow head gear... I'm breathing well enough to actually use the nasal pillow system now and actually, my sinuses stayed clearer last night then they had for the past week or so when I was not using this.


But anyway... I was told my insurance will not pay for two sets of head gear... I knew I needed a full face mask for times when I'm really congested, but I much prefer the nasal pillows for times when I'm not. I'm told that in three months my insurance will pay for a new mask, so I'm hoping that I will not need a full face mask until after I can get my insurance to spring for a new mask... If all else fails and/or I do get heavily congested before then, I'll likely pay for one out of my own pocket.

I had a terrible time getting acclimated to CPAP due to this. The air resistance made me feel like I was going to suffocate, and I needed a full mask so I could mouth-breathe. I had some mild relief from Breathe Right strips, but went to an Ear/Nose/Throat doctor on a hunch that something else was at work. He discovered that I had badly swollen tissue in my sinuses. He prescribed NasaCort AQ (RhinoCort Aqua is the equivalent if your insurance likes one over the other). After a week, the problem was solved. I still need to use it almost every night. It's intended for long term use, and there's no risk of "rebound" as you have with Afrin and similar products. Good luck.

Jed


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RemStar Plus w/C-Flex. New Breeze nasal pillow mask. Pressure: 9.