Allergies aggrivated by CPAP - anyone else have this problem

[norm]

Like most of the others who posted here, I have found that my CPAP machine reduces my allergy problems at night.

I wonder whether there is something about your particular machine that may be causing problems. Do you have a straight CPAP? If so, it may be that a machine with some type of exhale relief, or A-Flex, may help. In any event, it might be worth seeing if you can try a different machine for a couple of days to see if that helps.

[Jethro]

I'm new to the board, and I too have been suffering from allergies since being on a cpap machine. I had never suffered from allergies before, and have been struggling with this in the last year.(3 years total on the cpap).
When i found this forum, i was releaved to find that i was not the only one with this problem. I have read every topic and found some real good advice and product information.
I have just purchased the inline bac-tee filter and the concentrated wash, and as soon as i clear up with my last episode of allergies i will start using my machine again and give everyone a heads up if it is working!
Thank's to everyone in this topic.....I'm home.

[Ms Piggy]

Hi, I had the basic allergy tests re runny nose and mouth, blocked nose and sneezing, no allergy but this Dr. suggested I use a very small amount of Premarin hormone cream rubbed up my nose twice a week. I use a humidifier when the house heating is on but not in the summer when it is humid. I just had a repeat of these symtoms as I have been on holiday withOUT my humidifier to a rather dry area ( kept forgetting the nose cream). The doc's theory was that as we get older our mucous membranes are drier, so it was worth a try. Hard to say what works when you try many things at the same time in desparation. Allergy tabs work but perhaps should not be used by cpapers.

[larbabe]

Lots of us allergy sufferers here, and good advice. I put one of those electrostatic filters in the bedroom and it made a difference. Saline helps my nose, too. Even simple saline spray helps, if you don't like to do a sinus wash.

[Jethro]

Tried the in-line-filter this weekend, so far so good, no increase of allergy attacks!
I included the nasel flush kit for the morning and night rinse.
I'm going bump this topic every now and then to keep other allergy sufferers abreast.
Thanks again everyone!

[Jethro]

Still no allergies folks!!

[sharon1965]

i suffered from what i thought was allergies all of my life, taking otc allergy meds every single day, often with no relief

when i started cpap i saw an ENT and discovered that i had a severely deviated septum; had that fixed last april and it has been like a miracle

i have taken meds only about 5 times since then

what i do find is that if i forget (or am too lazy) to use my nasal moisturizing gel before hosing up, the next day i'll have those symptoms: runny nose and eyes, sneezing

i noticed that the OP didn't mention using anything to keep the nasal passages moist; dry nasal passages will definitely cause these symptoms (rhinitis) and cpap air blowing on them all night would certainly exacerbate that

just at thought

[Country4ever]

I don't have allergies that I know of. But I'm going through something with my sinuses and ears. It really started back in August, when I started using the CPAP consistently. I've been hearing my heartbeat in my ear since then, and now, I have sinus pressure and the heartbeat is sooooooo loud. I'm rinsing my sinuses, cutting back on salt, and unfortunately, I'm going to go without the machine for a few nights, to see if it helps. I have my humidifier set on high, but it seems fine at that level, since I never get any rainout.
I just feel like my nasal/sinus mucosa is too delicate for all that air being blown on it.
I'm not sure what to do.

[Jethro]

[quote="Ms Piggy"]Hi, I had the basic allergy tests re runny nose and mouth, blocked nose and sneezing, no allergy but this Dr. suggested I use a very small amount of Premarin hormone cream rubbed up my nose twice a week. I use a humidifier when the house heating is on but not in the summer when it is humid. I just had a repeat of these symtoms as I have been on holiday withOUT my humidifier to a rather dry area ( kept forgetting the nose cream). The doc's theory was that as we get older our mucous membranes are drier, so it was worth a try. Hard to say what works when you try many things at the same time in desparation. Allergy tabs work but perhaps should not be used by cpapers.

[Country4ever]

Ms Piggy,
I'm curious.....what kind of doctor suggested the use of Premarin?

[brandyII]

Okay, I had been using my cpap machine for about 8 months and all of the sudden one day I wake up with a teary right eye, just one. Not that I have two right eyes. It wasn't red so I didn't think I had pink eye. I also had pain on the right side of of my head and the back of my head, still right side and my neck was/is sore to move side to side.

My first reaction, it's my CPAP machine. So I search on line, didn't find this forum unfortunately, and to no avail I all my CPAP vendor and ask a few questions of the nurse there and she never had heard of anything like that and gave me instructions on cleaning it etc... and new filters etc... so I did that and ordered filters on line as the vendor told me it was cheaper than getting them from them

Anywho two weeks go by, eye still tearing and I make an appt. to see my HMO primary care PA because it's bugs me to death now and after searching on line I could have five bagillion diseases. I tell her my symtoms and how Ithink it could be my CPAP machine or related she hears teary eye and pain in forehead and says "You have shingles". I swear I was never near the place but found out what they were still though this was really crazy, she gave me a script for a herpes Rx and said that I should go to the eye doctor to make sure I didn't have any damage to the eye. So following day I go to the eye doctor and he says I could have some type of viral infection in the eye and gave me drops.

Okay, the tearing did eventually stop after taking the drops, the shingles, I researched that on line and had really no sign of shingles and stopped taking the herpes Rx and have decided that next time I have a problem I'll go on a forum first before going to the HMO!

Basically what I was thinking was that my headgear was too tight and causing me a pain in the right side of my head. I also think that there's a little vent/blow hole in the mask in case your electricity goes out and you don't die, was actually blowing into that eye, they say some people can sleep with their eye partially open, and maybe it wasn't "clean" or something and I could have gotten some kind of infection in that eye. Also maybe the headgear was too tight in the back of my neck causing pain there but still why was she so fast to discount my CPAP machine and say I had shingles?

Anyway I still struggle with neck pain and sometimes I do get that pain in the head, I don't think it's the family or a brain tumor but has anyone else had any similar situations? I never thought of myself as having "allergies" as I was never diagnoses with them but I do have dogs and probably should have the whole house ventilation system cleaned after living here for over 15 years. Anyway let me know your thoughts thanks, brandyII. .

[Jethro]

My Dr. refered me to an Allergist, and both of them said they have not herd that the Cpap can couse this allergie type symptoms, but when i stop using the Cpap the allergie type symptems go away.
I'm trying everything out there, I don't want to go back to not using the machine
Thats why i'm trying to keep this topic alive!
I'm going to try that Premarin Hormone Creme miss piggy use's.
I'll get back to you all!
PS: I'am at work so i only get a few times a day to respond forum topics

[Country4ever]

Brandy.......so WHY did your doc think you had shingles????????? Did you have neuralgia-type pain around your back and waist?
I've just recently learned that in some people, the air from the CPAP can go up through your tearducts and affect your eye/eyes. Perhaps that's what happening?
Have you been to an opthamologist? Sounds like you have a blocked tear duct.
You know, this is exactly why I think twice (and many more times) about going to a doc. So many of them don't seem to have a clue about much of anything, except exactly what they learned in med school. They seem to have lost their powers of extrapolation and creative thinking. The older docs had a whole bag full of experiential "tricks". They learned lots from the experiences with all of their patients, and added that to their clinical judgement for the next patient. But today's docs seem to be pretty uninformed about soooooo many things. They know how to order tests and give you meds. That's about it.
I have been lucky through the years to find a small handful of doctors who had good judgement, but it doesn't happen very often.

[brandyII]

Countryforever,

I thought I posted this but maybe there's a glitch somewhere. There's a nerve that runs through your face and because of the eye symtom and the head pain she related it (the pain and eye tearing) to shingles. I didn't have the symptoms that are normal for shingles but I didn't know enough about it to say you're crazy at the time! Anyway I need some more info on eye probs and CPAP machines if anyone has any, thanks brandyII.

[Country4ever]

Brandy, do you ever feel like air is hitting your eyeball while you're using your CPAP?

P.S...I just read up on the potential nerve involvement to the eye with shingles, and I think you should stay on your anti-viral, and definitely see an ophthalmologist. I just wouldn't take any chances with your eyes.

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP