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sleep therapy not working
#1
sleep therapy not working
Has any one had a problem with CPAP therapy due to congested sinuses? I have tried using Flonase with no success. I have events that are up and down. I have severe sleep apena. Events per hour range from 12 to mid twenties, up in the thirties. In my sleep study I was having 52 events per hours without the machine. My pressure setting is at 10 and I use a full face mask.
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#2
RE: sleep therapy not working
Were you congested before CPAP or is this new? I used to be pretty okay before CPAP and then two things hit. First the pressure of CPAP kept me thinking I was congested and that was tuff to get used to. Second humidity made me actually congested and now is go between a dry tank and water in the tank but humidity turned off and heat set at 62.

I use those nasal strips and some nights the plastic inserts that are like wings to open my nose. I used to rinse my nose but that was to much work and my other solution so far has been fine.
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#3
RE: sleep therapy not working
Hi gary247,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
Are you using your humidifier? You will have to experiment with it to find out what is comfortable for you; some like humidity and others don't.
Hang in there for more suggestions and answers to your questions, don't give up on this, it does take time to get used to.
Much success to you with your CPAP therapy and getting it fine tuned to meet your needs.
trish6hundred
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#4
RE: sleep therapy not working
A lot of people have nasal flow problems on CPAP. They've generally had it before CPAP but find it a real problem when they go on it. Humidity and increased pressure can help, the latter only if it doesn't make leaks worse.

If the normal things that generally help don't work for you, you need to get an appointment with a specialist. You need to be proactive and pester (gently) your doctor asking for more help with your nose blockages. Beware of surgical solutions because they generally don't help (though there are exceptions) and they are painful and take a long time to heal.

I've had nights when I thought my nose was too blocked and found the extra pressure almost always makes it possible to breath through my nose. Not everyone is helped this way.

Once again though, I suggest you need to actively insist on getting some help with this from the medical profession. If necessary a specialist needs to be brought in.

You appear to have an APAP machine set at a single pressure. Setting it in auto mode may help it increase airflow when your nose gets more blocked. Maybe run in variable mode from 10 to 15 for a few nights and see if that helps.
Ed Seedhouse
VA7SDH

Part cow since February 2018.

Trust your mind less and your brain more.


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#5
RE: sleep therapy not working
This time of year can be especially daunting to sufferers of nasal problems due to the increase of pollen, as well as increasing humidity after the drier winter weather. I do not recommend (self-induced) increasing your pressure in an effort to overcome sinus problems. That theory should be approached after consultation with medical professionals.The increase may multiply your sinus problems as well as interfere with the prescribed pressure for your apnea. I've found that a nasal rinse with a saline solution induced through either a squirt bottle or via netti pot helps considerably before going to bed. There are many products available to use for relief. Flonase is a good product, but if it doesn't work for you then maybe something else in the antihistamine family will work.
Yesterday is history; Tomorrow is a mystery; Today is a gift; Thats why its called "The Present".  
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#6
RE: sleep therapy not working
(03-09-2016, 08:55 PM)gary247 Wrote: Has any one had a problem with CPAP therapy due to congested sinuses? I have tried using Flonase with no success. I have events that are up and down. I have severe sleep apena. Events per hour range from 12 to mid twenties, up in the thirties. In my sleep study I was having 52 events per hours without the machine. My pressure setting is at 10 and I use a full face mask.
Hi Gary,

It seems that most PAP users experiencing blocked nose actually had nasal congestion prior to starting therapy, but found the treatment air entering at pressure via the nose exacerbated the problem. After many different nasal sprays & rinses didn't work, I visited an ENT specialist and had a Turbinate resection done. I now can breath freely day & night and have a clear breathing passage like never before. Some may tell you the op is painful with a long recovery period. I never experienced either. There are six turbinates, three on each side. Only the bottom one, the inferior, can be re-sectioned (reduced). Nonetheless, this is enough to correct the problem & improve the efficiency of CPAP. So my advise is to see an ENT. Best of luck

[Image: signature.png]Keep on breathin'
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#7
RE: sleep therapy not working
Has your ENT had a good look in your nose? If you have blockages or large turbinates you may need that fixed by surgery before you can benefit fully from the cpap. My father in law had to have multiple procedures done before he started using the cpap for it to help him fully. He's the one who recommended the ENT/Sleep doctor I started seeing. He looks at the big picture and doesn't jump right to the cpap if there are physical obstructions.
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