Hello Guest, Welcome to Apnea Board !
As a guest, you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use.
To post a message, you must create a free account using a valid email address.

or Create an Account


New Posts   Today's Posts

cpap machine with a head cold
#21
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
Thought I would weigh in here on the OPs question. When you have a cold, one of the first things the doc will tell you is to use a humidifier. As long as you have a humidifier on your machine, you are doing well following their orders! I came down with the cold from hell the Saturday after Christmas and it took me a few weeks to get over that, but it triggered an acute asthma something or other (limited attention span when they go on like that!). For the cold I used Nyquil every night after the first night. The first night I knew I was coming down sick because my machine just made my throat raw from the air blowing down there all night. Took Nyquil and it coated my throat and that went away. Any thick syrup type thing would probably work as well. You just need something to coat your throat, but using my machine actually allows me to breathe better at night than during the day! Of course once I went to the doc and he dx the asthma thingy, I got real drugs so nothing was really a problem! But, to my 2 cents, I always use my machine when I am sick. I want to get the best sleep I can to kick the illness as quickly as possible! When you go off your machine you begin adding back up to your sleep debt. You body uses a lot of energy to fight illness. Put the two together and you will end up sicker, longer if you are off your machine, in theory. But, I was sick as could be and it did not turn into bronchitis nor pneumonia! I attribute that to using my machine to get a good level of humidity! Like I said, just my 2 cents.
As always, YMMV! You do not have to agree or disagree, I am not a professional so my mental meanderings are simply recollections of things from my own life.

PRS1 - Auto - A-Flex x2 - 12.50 - 20 - Humid x2 - Swift FX
Post Reply Post Reply
#22
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
So, just to post an update. I have gotten over most of my cold and am now back on the machine (for two nights now). The first two nights back were amazing. Looking at Sleepyhead results I found my AHIs for both of those nights were sub 1.0. I don't think I have ever been there before. I will be making a one night trip out of town and when I get back will be doing the rearranging I was talking about (including the new mask, filter, and hose). The only time I felt sleepy was yesterday afternoon when our oldest cat curled up in my lap and went to sleep. You do realize that a sleeping cat is highly contagious.
Post Reply Post Reply
#23
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
(02-20-2014, 03:31 PM)ThatOtherGuy Wrote: I use eucalyptus oil in the humidifier to help keep the sinuses clear, its a medicinal purposes one for room humidifiers and I only use 0.5ml so the amount is miniscule. Being an anti bacterial agent it also keeps the humidifier tub fresh as well. I also suffer badly from allergies and have had very bad sinus issues in the past.

Boy it sounds like we all have the crud!! For five days now I have had the worst cold everOh-jeez my nose is stopped up and I have a hacking cough. I had to stop using the APAP because I can't breathe from nose and my ears started leaking ear wax.

I bought some eucalyptus oil and was wondering if I can put a few drops in my APAP humidifier? I picked up some golden seal root 500mg and it's helping. I'm staying by room humidifier too with Vicks in my nose and chest. I'm ready to be done with this. It started on my birthday so needless to say it ruined that day.
Post Reply Post Reply
#24
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
(02-25-2014, 04:16 PM)Franklyspeaking Wrote: I bought some eucalyptus oil and was wondering if I can put a few drops in my APAP humidifier? I picked up some golden seal root 500mg and it's helping. I'm staying by room humidifier too with Vicks in my nose and chest. I'm ready to be done with this. It started on my birthday so needless to say it ruined that day.

Just a thought on the oil in the water thing. I wouldn't. If you want to try it and see if it helps, try putting some on a cotton ball and put it up next to the air intake for your machine. You would still get the smell (fumes?) but you wouldn't be trying to scrub it out of your tank for the next 6 months, and especially if it turns out that you don't like it delivered via your machine!
Good luck, feel better soon!
Mike
As always, YMMV! You do not have to agree or disagree, I am not a professional so my mental meanderings are simply recollections of things from my own life.

PRS1 - Auto - A-Flex x2 - 12.50 - 20 - Humid x2 - Swift FX
Post Reply Post Reply
#25
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
(02-25-2014, 04:47 PM)mjbearit Wrote:
(02-25-2014, 04:16 PM)Franklyspeaking Wrote: I bought some eucalyptus oil and was wondering if I can put a few drops in my APAP humidifier? I picked up some golden seal root 500mg and it's helping. I'm staying by room humidifier too with Vicks in my nose and chest. I'm ready to be done with this. It started on my birthday so needless to say it ruined that day.

Just a thought on the oil in the water thing. I wouldn't. If you want to try it and see if it helps, try putting some on a cotton ball and put it up next to the air intake for your machine. You would still get the smell (fumes?) but you wouldn't be trying to scrub it out of your tank for the next 6 months, and especially if it turns out that you don't like it delivered via your machine!
Good luck, feel better soon!
Mike
The stuff I use is water soluble so it doesn't leave a residue or slick on the top, you cannot even smell it if not added the next night. The recommended level is 5ml per 500ml of water. At my use of 0.5ml per 500ml, it is quite diluted and barely noticeable after the initial whiff.
Post Reply Post Reply
#26
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
If my nose gets stuffed up I used a Breath Rite strip in conjunction with the cpap. Works great. The only time I have a problem is if I have mucus running down my throat--hard to cough with a cpap.
"Sometimes the magic works . . . and sometimes it doesn't" -- Chief Dan George in the movie Little Big Man
Post Reply Post Reply
#27
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
(02-26-2014, 10:25 AM)Zorki1c Wrote: If my nose gets stuffed up I used a Breath Rite strip in conjunction with the cpap. Works great. The only time I have a problem is if I have mucus running down my throat--hard to cough with a cpap.

I sneezed into my mask over the weekend so decided to soak the mask in water next day in order to make sure I could clean it thoroughly. What a mess, the build up of residue obviously from longer term use was horrible. It was not readily apparent in the normally shorter time that I wash the mask regularly each week. Needless to say I am a little more thorough with my daily wipe and clean now.
Post Reply Post Reply
#28
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
I have been on a cpap for 28 years and find that if I am getting a cold a little menthol (Vicks) just below my nostrils at bedtime helps clear the breathing and the pressure actually makes it more effective. Seldom have a problem sleeping even if I was quite congested at bedtime.
Post Reply Post Reply
#29
RE: cpap machine with a head cold
Hi IKeepBees,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
trish6hundred
Post Reply Post Reply


Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Feel like my CPAP machine is killing me jimbob123 1 84 Yesterday, 05:42 AM
Last Post: Rich66
  Need help new on CPAP machine Jimasripper 10 298 03-22-2024, 03:08 PM
Last Post: Jimasripper
  Ready to buy CPAP machine NewlyDiagnosed 29 620 03-21-2024, 01:42 PM
Last Post: NewlyDiagnosed
  UARS diagnosis? No improvements on CPAP. What Bilevel machine to get and where? empiricismandstatistics 8 198 03-21-2024, 04:29 AM
Last Post: empiricismandstatistics
  Is a travel CPAP machine worth it? BobbieM 21 5,720 03-14-2024, 01:55 PM
Last Post: tommystix
  New to CPAP- Need advice on purchasing a machine JuanSiesta 4 365 02-14-2024, 09:31 PM
Last Post: JuanSiesta
  [CPAP] Newby not sure if CPAP is the right machine for me tcinoz 24 1,285 02-13-2024, 08:13 PM
Last Post: tcinoz


New Posts   Today's Posts


About Apnea Board

Apnea Board is an educational web site designed to empower Sleep Apnea patients.