Using a nasal mask making me cough

[victormiller]

For the past few weeks (and slowly getting worse), I'll awaken 2 hours (or less) after getting to sleep with a coughing fit. I've been unable to get back to sleep while using my CPAP, as I keep up with coughing. As soon as I remove it, the coughing subsides. This is my allergy season (grass pollen) and I've been taking Zyrtec before going to sleep, but it doesn't seem to help. The last few days, I haven't even been able to get to sleep wearing my mask, because of coughing. Any suggestions?

[jimnsc]

If you've been taking Zertek for any length of time,you may not be getting anything out of it. It was good for me for two years only. I now take Alavert (over the counter at Wal-Mart) and it does a good job provided I take it before I do any coughing or sneezing. Another concern might be your humidifier setting - too much and it could stimulate coughing. Those are the only two things I can think of that might help you. Good luck.

[archangle]

Any chance you're mouth breathing?

How about snoring? Reflux from having apneas?

Try some sinus rinse before bedtime.

[Artcarved]

You might try Neil Med Nasal Irrigation at least one hour prior to going to bed. Even suck on a cough drop to sooth your throat. I have post nasal problem and irrigate my nose along with taking Zyrtec. The irrigation helps to flush out irritants
and stuffiness. I only take Zyrtec for a few days then stop. If you decide to try irrigating your nasal be sure you have your mouth open when irrigating. As for a cough drop, I would suggest Ricola. If you are diabetic it comes sugar-free.

[Mary Z]

I think the suggestion to change antihistamines might be a good idea. You could also add a dose of benadryl, which is also used sometimes as a cough suppressant.
Good luck, sounds like a real hassle. Another thought- if the air going up your nostrils is causing the coughing, perhaps a temporary FFM might help.

[harry33]

your mask allows mouth breathing so this will dry out throat and mouth regardless of humidifier and stop all CPAP benefits

try taping lips, a chinstrap wont stop the lips parting, you may need a full face mask

mouth breathing is a common problem for new CPAP users

[archangle]

your mask allows mouth breathing so this will dry out throat and mouth regardless of humidifier and stop all CPAP benefits

try taping lips, a chinstrap wont stop the lips parting, you may need a full face mask

mouth breathing is a common problem for new CPAP users

It's not at all clear your problems are due to mouth breathing, but it's a distinct possibility.

Mouth breathing occurs in various levels of seriousness. For some people, it's not bad enough to be a big problem.

Lots of people have success with chin straps.

The medical professionals will tell you that taping your lips is dangerous. Quite a few people here do it anyway. If any of them have died from it, their survivors haven't known about this board and notified us.

[victormiller]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Mouth breathing isn't a problem -- during my last sleep study in October they used a nasal mask, and they detected no mouth breathing (and I slept for over 6 hours). The readout from my card almost never has any large leaks -- which mouth breathing would cause. The coughing starts when I'm awake. After I have the machine turned on for about a minute or two, when the air is pushed into my nose it starts a tickling in my throat (not my nose!) which soon turns into a cough. This never happened, until about a month ago. It is true that my allergy season usually starts around the beginning of April (grass pollen).

[archangle]

Are you using the white ultrafine filters in addition to the grey foam filters?

Try high and low humidity, and distilled and tap water to see if it makes any difference.

Clean the bejesus out of everything. Hook the hose up to the faucet and run the hottest water you can get through it. Run the humidifier tank through the dishwasher with the hottest setting you can get. I'd disassemble the mask and dishwash the "air breathing" parts, too.

[Guest]

Are you using the white ultrafine filters in addition to the grey foam filters?

Try high and low humidity, and distilled and tap water to see if it makes any difference.

Clean the bejesus out of everything. Hook the hose up to the faucet and run the hottest water you can get through it. Run the humidifier tank through the dishwasher with the hottest setting you can get. I'd disassemble the mask and dishwash the "air breathing" parts, too.

Thanks for the suggestion. That's what I did, and it helped a lot. Now I'm back to my regular problem -- when I sleep with the CPAP I feel much more tired than when I sleep without it. My sleep doc seems to have washed his hands of the matter -- He said that since my AHI with the auto bipap is around 5 it's doing its job. He's prescribed Nuvigil "pep me up", but it just makes me feel a bit wired. He doesn't want to see me again for a year.

[lenardol13@gmail.com]

I use the nasal pillows (ladies' version) because I cannot sleep with the face mask. Now I have a constant, irritating cough all day long. I even went back to specialist to see how serious my "apnea" was as I have had so few decent sleeps in the almost 2 years I've had the CPAP. I wanted to see if tennis balls would help (keeping me off my back) and he just said "It's your life". Some help. For me this way of sleeping is a curse. To see if I can get rid of this cough I am going to try irrigating prior to bed and going back to my full nasal mask. This really can't go on.

[Wulfman...]

I use the nasal pillows (ladies' version) because I cannot sleep with the face mask. Now I have a constant, irritating cough all day long. I even went back to specialist to see how serious my "apnea" was as I have had so few decent sleeps in the almost 2 years I've had the CPAP. I wanted to see if tennis balls would help (keeping me off my back) and he just said "It's your life". Some help. For me this way of sleeping is a curse. To see if I can get rid of this cough I am going to try irrigating prior to bed and going back to my full nasal mask. This really can't go on.

Are you taking a blood pressure medication?.........specifically Lisinopril?
If so, that's more than likely your problem. It's one of the known side effects of that medication.
And, if that's the case, you need to get your physician to prescribe something like Diovan.


Den

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[Diane152343232]

I just changed the setting on my c-pap from 17 to 14. Now I'm coughing and it wakes me up. So I realize I need to increase the setting. You can learn how to do this online.