Head colds

[Josiah]

How do CPAPers deal with a full blown head cold? Antihistamines tend to raise blood pressure, but so does OSA.

[Julie]

Depends on you... many keep a FF mask on hand for such times when they can only mouth breathe, but it also depends on the stage of your cold (if you're actively coughing etc. every 5 mins). Anti-hist's will keep you awake unless you use the non - non-drowsy kind, but Cpap helps lower your BP if anything. But if you have a real BP problem with or without Cpap, you should talk to your doctor about that. Sleeping in a recliner might also help with breathing, etc.

[Pugsy]

Been on cpap for 8 1/2 years now and I have had a few colds or upper respiratory infections and even a couple of cases of pretty bad flu like symptoms and I have never missed a night due to upper respiratory issues and still haven't had a time where I couldn't use my preferred nasal pillow mask with the head cold issues.
For the first 6 years I didn't even own a full face mask (didn't find one I could use or wanted). I have one now but have yet to have a situation come up where I couldn't get the nose clear enough to start the night with my nasal pillow mask and I have found that the humidity actually helps the nasal congestion (think how you feel after a hot steamy shower when you have a head cold) and I wake up breathing easier and clearer than when I went to bed.

When I have had a head cold I treat the symptoms just like I would if I didn't have sleep apnea (be sure to check with your doctor about any potential issues you might have with oral OTC cold symptom relief medication).
Oral decongestants and maybe some nasal spray (usually lots of saline but in an emergency a tiny bit of Afrin) and whatever it takes for me to get symptom relief.

Sleeping when I have a cold isn't necessarily so great but it wouldn't be even if I didn't have sleep apnea in the mix.

In short we each figure out what works well for each of us to get through a not so pleasant time and what that might be can and will vary between individuals and how they want to fight the cold symptoms.

[Sheriff Buford]

If you look at my Total face mask, you'll see that it's perfect for a cold... I've just gotten over a cold. As others said, you should eventually get a standby mask just in case a condition arises that you need one. Mine is the Resmed F10 tho' I've been itchin' to tryout the Resmed F20 soft touch (or whatever it's called - the one with the foam cushion). To me, a cold can interfere with nose pillows, especially if you really get plugged up. Thus, a full face mask come into play. Anyway, as Pugs says, deal with it as you normally would.

You need to go to the control panel section and fill in your equipment, so we know what kinda mask you are using.

Sheriff

[jnk...]

I use nasal irrigation and up my minimum pressure while continuing to use nasal pillows. I have a full face mask in the drawer, in case I need it, but I have never had to use it, even during times of very bad congestion. I just lower my minimum pressure once my sinuses clear up. I do much the same during bad allergies.

[Bill44133]

I usually turn down the humidity for head cold, but when my sinuses are bothering me I turn it up.

[49er]

The only thing that has worked for me has been to slightly raise the pressure to make breathing easier. But I would try all the other suggestions and only do this if the other ones don't work. And work with the experts on this forum to make sure you are doing it correctly.

49er

[sewsleepy]

I use Afrin, alternating sides each night so I don't get rebound, and turn the pressure up a notch. But sometimes there will be a night where I just can't use my cpap and that is torture. I need to check into this ffmask idea. Do they work if you have a bony face? I could never get a seal on a traditional nasal mask.

[Diamondminek]

Lots of whatever medication helps, and some olbas oil on a tissue near the air intake. Much better.

[Pugsy]

I need to check into this ffmask idea. Do they work if you have a bony face? I could never get a seal on a traditional nasal mask.

I never found one that I could even go to sleep with until I tried the Amara View which is sort of a hybrid type.
It's not perfect but I didn't get it for perfect....I got it for emergency use only just in case I absolutely couldn't get my nose opened up for some reason or other. So far, I have had it over 2 years and had maybe 3 cold and one just this past Oct and I was still able to get my nose opened up enough to use my nasal pillow mask.

As far as the bony face thing...I dunno if it would be better or worse with a skinny face. My face isn't particularly fat but it isn't bony either.
That's going to be one of those YMMV things for sure.

I have been on cpap 8 1/2 years now....have yet to actually have a situation where I just had to be using a full face mask because the nose was so badly congested. Usually if I can move even a little air through my nose at the beginning of the night then the humidified air seems to really help the congestion and I end up breathing better during the night than I do during the day through my nose when I have a cold. There's been a few times when I have had a cold that I fired up the cpap during the day and while I was awake for about 30 minutes just to help with the nasal congestion.
But then hot steamy showers or hot vaporizers...they also help me when I am congested.

[MrsRinPDX]

How do CPAPers deal with a full blown head cold? Antihistamines tend to raise blood pressure, but so does OSA.

Hello Josiah,
I feel for you. I have the virus/cold that is going around and man is it difficult to use my machine even with a full face mask. I'm using antihistamines, Flonase and cough medicine, and my nose is still running inside of the mask. Icky, but hey, I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is the feeling that I'm going to puke during these coughing fits. That really worries me. As you can see, I'm awake when I'd rather be getting some restorative sleep.

Any suggestions out there on how to beat that feeling? Thanks.

MrsRinPDX

[sewsleepy]

MrsRinPDX, sounds like you have the same crud that I am dealing with. It is a bad one going around this year and makes it very challenging to use the cpap or get much sleep at all!

[MrsRinPDX]

Josiah and sewsleepy, how are the head colds? Have any of the suggestions worked for you?

[Wulfman...]

Last time I had a bout with the flu was in early 2009 ( thanks to some co-worker sharing with me and just before I retired ) and the last time I had a cold was in early 2010.
But, I continued to use my equipment as I always had......using cool "passover" humidification and nasal cleansing before bedtime.


Den

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[Okie bipap]

I have used my machine through bronchitis attacks and the flu. Even though I get the flu shot every year, I have still gotten the flu the last two years.