Nasal congestion with cpap
The only mask I’ve been able to tolerate is one with nasal pillows. I have a lot of allergies that cause sinus congestion. I take Flonase, Zyrtec and Sudafed before bedtime. Despite the meds, I often become congested during the night. I then have terrifying nightmares of drowning or someone trying to suffocate me. I wake up gasping for air. Does anyone else struggle with this or have suggestions? I learned to sleep with my mouth shut so apparently my brain isn’t telling me to open my mouth when I can’t breathe through my nose.
, in my experience, I've found that certain foods cause congestion and nightmares. For me, dairy products are the worse for nasal congestion, so I avoid them completely. Also, eating spicy food less than 3 hours before going to sleep cause me night mares. My family teases me about my spicy food and night mares theory, but I'm the one who suffers so I'm adamant to avoid spicy food later in the day. Since it you've tried making adjustments to your machine already along with medications, perhaps trying to reduce or temporarily eliminate dairy products might be helpful. All the best! Vashanti, (Sleepapnea.sleep-disorders.net Community Advocate) Thanks for your suggestions. I do keep a bottle of spray decongestant by my bed but don’t want to use it every night as I’ve always been told it causes rebound congestion. I did bring my machine to last appt and told them I felt like I wasn’t getting enough air so she upped the pressure. Didn’t seem to help. I will try lowering the humidity some to see if that helps.
Let us know how you go with the lowered humidity 😊
Cheers.
Simone (Sleep Apnea Team Member)
Hi
I have found that a Vicks personal inhaler, menthol saline spray, or regular nasal spray can help keep the nasal passages flushed. I do it about 15 minutes before bed. Sometimes I take a warm damp washcloth and breathe through it while washing my face at night and the added steam helps. A little facial massage around the bridge of my nose and below my eyes can help, too. What you describe makes me wonder if your pressure is a little off, though... or maybe your humidity is set a little too high? I think you might benefit from a chat with your sleep specialist to see if maybe a little tweaking of your machine might be useful. Good luck!
~Tamara, community advocate
