Philips Dreamstation 2 am I crazy?

[1wetduck]

At the end of October in 2022 I woke up in the middle of the night to the most insane burning sensation in my nose and sinuses, causing my eyes to water and serious mucus out of my nose and mouth. I was in so much pain. I sneezed Until halfway through the next day and spent a day and a half in bed. I called my “sleep center“ and they basically told me that I had my settings for my humidifier too high but there was nothing wrong with their CPAP machines design. Fine, they walked me through turning it down, but instead, I put my CPAP on the top shelf, rather than throwing it off the deck. And there it sits today. Since then, the smell in my nose has not subsided. It is a horrible plastic smell that is centered in my nose. I have no sinus infection that I know of that accompanies it. It does affect my taste. But it is also causing my nostrils to slightly close, so I am using those nose strips which are helpful. But the smell of plastic is nauseating beyond description. I finally got an appointment with an ENT specialist. He should be an SOB specialist because he was less than helpful and quite rude. He proceeded to tell me it was in my mind, and that CPAP machines have no way of causing this type of injury or damage I am experiencing and that it is in my mind. He said if he gives me a sinus scan And I find nothing wrong. Will I be able to continue on with my life? All sarcasm. I literally had to ask him to look up my nose because I believe I was burnt. After my appointment I googled his name. Single star reviews galore. But this post isn’t about him. Is there anyone who had a similar situation as mine. I burnt my nose, and that sums up my problem. A friend of mine is a nurse, and suggested I might possibly have a fungus because of the poor design. My nose to this day is irritated, feels like it’s closing up and is experiencing a very unpleasant odor.

[Miss Emerita]

Did your water tank run dry? Have you tried smelling different parts of your machine, e.g., the tank or the area near the motor?

[Grumpy48]

I presently have a DreamStation 2 (over a year and a half now) and I also had the DreamStation 1. The only times I've experienced a hot plasticy odor is when the water tank ran dry. It did not have a burning sensation, just an annoying odor. This has occurred in both these machines occasionally and when it happened I simply washed out the water tank with a solution of warm water and Dawn dish liquid. The hose I flushed out in a similar manner with warm water and Dawn. This removed any residual odor.

Had you used a SoClean sanitizer or similar device when you were using the CPAP? Or did you have an air cleaner/purifier with an ozone mode? Ozone can be strong irritant that could affect you as you've described.

[ozij]

October 2022 I awoke with a chemical burning sensation in my sinuses. The burning spread to my throat and my eyes. I had mucus coming out of my nose that was so thick. I just stood over the sink and was completely in shock. I had no idea what was happening. It’s been almost a year and I still have that chemical smell when I inhale. I’ve been to a specialist, and he told me there was no way this could’ve happened with my CPAP machine. But I hope much better after I got home and read his reviews. One star ratings across-the-board. I am waiting for a scan of my sinuses next week. Another doctor (not ENT) said It could be a fungus. The scan will tell me. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s your imagination. These machines can and have been known to get hot and malfunction.

My emphasis

That was Tuesday, June 6.
Today is Wednesday, June 13, a week later.

A friend of mine is a nurse, and suggested I might possibly have a fungus because of the poor design. My nose to this day is irritated, feels like it’s closing up and is experiencing a very unpleasant odor.

Another doctor (not ENT) said It could be a fungus.

[Conrad]

At the end of October in 2022 I woke up in the middle of the night to the most insane burning sensation in my nose and sinuses, causing my eyes to water and serious mucus out of my nose and mouth. I was in so much pain. I sneezed Until halfway through the next day and spent a day and a half in bed. I called my “sleep center“ and they basically told me that I had my settings for my humidifier too high but there was nothing wrong with their CPAP machines design. Fine, they walked me through turning it down, but instead, I put my CPAP on the top shelf, rather than throwing it off the deck. And there it sits today. Since then, the smell in my nose has not subsided. It is a horrible plastic smell that is centered in my nose. I have no sinus infection that I know of that accompanies it. It does affect my taste. But it is also causing my nostrils to slightly close, so I am using those nose strips which are helpful. But the smell of plastic is nauseating beyond description. I finally got an appointment with an ENT specialist. He should be an SOB specialist because he was less than helpful and quite rude. He proceeded to tell me it was in my mind, and that CPAP machines have no way of causing this type of injury or damage I am experiencing and that it is in my mind. He said if he gives me a sinus scan And I find nothing wrong. Will I be able to continue on with my life? All sarcasm. I literally had to ask him to look up my nose because I believe I was burnt. After my appointment I googled his name. Single star reviews galore. But this post isn’t about him. Is there anyone who had a similar situation as mine. I burnt my nose, and that sums up my problem. A friend of mine is a nurse, and suggested I might possibly have a fungus because of the poor design. My nose to this day is irritated, feels like it’s closing up and is experiencing a very unpleasant odor.

You think that your CPAP got so hot after running out of water in the reservoir that it burnt your nose/sinuses?

Let's say, for the sake of argument that the machine did get that hot. What do you think that amount of heat would do to the hose that attaches you to the machine? Right, it would most likely melt or get very soft. Did it?

[KrisCrossed]

Do you have acid reflux? Several times on CPAP I woke up choking on a sudden burst of acid that came up really high in my throat. I have 'silent reflux' and didn't realize it. The acid could potentially read your back sinuses. I can't explain the plastic smell though.

[D.H.]

This thread is a year and a half old. However, this seems to be the overheating problem that was recently reported!

[chunkyfrog]

The brain can be a powerful thing.
Or not.

[Conrad]

The brain can be a powerful thing.
Or not.

You got that right!!!

[SissyD]

I came across your post and I was gobsmacked to find someone who has had the same problem that I did as i had a similar problem with my new refurbished philips dreamstation which I've only had it since Feburary 2024 and early september 2024 I woke at 1.30 in the morning with this strong chemical smell and burning up into my nostrils and into my eyes.
I had to remove the machine immediately and have not used it since as I am to scared and after reading that the refurbished machines are still dangerous I am really worried about using a new one. The burning pain in my nose and eyes was really bad and a headache that would not go away no matter what I took for it. i rang the company and told them about it and after going through all of the question they asked me what I cleaned it with and if I replaced the parts regually amd I told them that I keep machine clean and it is a weekly ritual of mine and I put clean water in it every night so it does not run out of water.
i also told them that the machine does not need repairing it needs replacing as there is something seriously wrong with it and they agreed that I will be getting a new one but honestly I still don't know what to do about as to whether to keep using the dreamstation or try a different brans of respirator. I's bad to think that something that should be doing you good actually does not.