"Just to tidy this up, I finally had an in-person review by my sleep clinic yesterday, who agreed the ResMed AirSense 10 was "wheezy" and replaced the machine."
Sleep Apnoea Forum Bringing Help + Support to the Patient
I have had a heavy cold which has left me with a chesty cough, is it best to use cpap with the humidifier or without?
I have had the cold for a few days now and it has moved to my chest. I also have asthma so have made sure I have kept up use of steroid inhaler and reliever. I use the steroid every day.
Before I used CPAP I woke with terrible pains in my hands and arms every night. Since using my machine I have had no pain during the night until last night. My GP thinks I was being asphyxiated before CPAP. If that was the case being blocked up last night was probably doing the same.
When I woke with pains last night I couldn't settle back to sleep so I got up and I cleaned my mask and face and put my mask back on and then slept until about 9am.
I have noticed that when sleeping on my side the CPAP doesn't work as well at preventing me from stopping breathing as it does when I sleep on my back. It may be that I was so zonked with the infection that I was on my side more last night.
My husband and son are convinced that I should stop using my CPAP until I am clear of infection. I am intent on continuing CPAP. But I am not sure if it is a good idea to remove the humidifier for a few nights. I do have an incredibly dry mouth without it. When on holiday I ran out of water and was not on mains water.
Views: 1818
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on
-
Ha Ha, so I have more power then when I come on here as The SleepGuide Crew :-D
The main reason we are told to use distilled water is to protect the humidifier chambers, and people who do use it have much less hassle cleaning them. We're in a hardwater area, so I have to keep on top of mine, and I use a Sonic Cleaner, which brings it up real good without the nasty vinegar after-smell. We are given mixed messages about which type of water to use, but I did a lot of research in the past on de-ionised water, and after the advice I was given chose not to use it anymore. Besides, bottled water we know is safe for drinking, yet de-ionised isn't, so that alone convinces me!
The cold may be causing you more apnoeas and hypopnoeas, so see how you go when you're better. Do you always have asthma? If so I would recommend using the CPAP Bacterial Filters if they're compatible with your machine. There's a separate discussion on them here BACTERIAL FILTERS DISCUSSION and you'll see why I use them all the time, even though I don't have asthma.
Hope you're on the mend now :)
-
Permalink Reply by Jonathan on
-
Hi,
Before I had a humidifier attachment for my CPAP machine, I used to take a dose of (UK formula) Sudafed decongestant before bedtime, whenever I was feeling bunged up. I cannot prove that a nasty skin irritation on my legs was caused by Sudafed, but I now avoid it. HOWEVER, the good news is that I find that a deep breath of Olbas Inhaler is enough to clear my nose for long enough to start breathing through my CPAP with the humidifier, and the damp air stops me getting stuffed up again. I did once read that someone had added Olbas oil to their humidifier and they thought it had damaged their sense of smell. Go carefully!When I first got the humidifier I purchased Purified Water BP from the chemist. Eventually I found a chemist who sold 5 litre containers, which was more affordable. Then one day I tried supermarket mineral water and found it's almost as good, leaving hardly any limescale in my humidifier tank. Finally, I had a water softener installed, and now I use the bathroom tap :) When travelling, I use mineral water. I buy some once I've gone through airport security so I have a "starter kit" when I travel abroad. When the tank in the humidifier is looking chalky, I wash it out with vinegar, and it comes up sparkling.
Jonathan.
-
Permalink Reply by paula jones on
-
not sure who or where,but when i was a newbe,some one told me Ashbeck water from tesco is fab for humidifiers..anyway iv been using it since the beginging,and its brill..not a problem,and very very cheap ....x x
-
-
ohh and i wash it with Johnsons baby shampoo,and distilled vinegar....LOL...x x
-
-
I am amassing information here thank you everyone. I didn't know any of the things you have mentioned. We are going to Tesco tomorrow so I will stock up on Ashbeck mineral water. It is much easier to go with something already tested by someone else, thank you Paula.
Kath, I have had a look at the filters and mentioned them to my asthma nurse. She says I should wait until my asthma is a bit more stable before I introduce anything else but I will order some in readiness. We have soft water here so I don't have the calcification problem luckily.
-
-
Glad everyone's helped Judith. The only comment I would make to what your asthma nurse said, is that they are actually for helping with conditions such as asthma, COPD + allergies, so can only assume they would help. I'm not an expert though!
-
-
So does Morrisons' :)
Jonathan said:Sainsbury's Highland Spring water works just fine, too :)
-
-
Awww..no Probs hun..glad to help...x x
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- Next ›
About
Sleep Apnoea Forum
New to the Sleep Apnoea Forum?
1. Stop by our Sleep Apnoea Welcome Center to introduce yourself to the SleepGuide community.
2. Start a New Topic of Conversation.
3. Post your photos - of yourself, your old CPAP machine, your new CPAP machine, your pet, something about you!
Interested in advertising, have a problem or need to contact us? Click the Report an Issue page.
Latest Activity
"thank you jonathan,i did get the it pack so tried the small and still struggled but i was sat up in bed so will try lying down great suggestion "
"Hi
My first thought is "don't panic"! We're all a bit different, and there are many things that can be tweaked. I took to CPAP therapy like a duck to water, but I've had friends who say they can't cope, but…"
1st time and I’ve failed the mask leak test
Hi everyone, today I received my rental kit - prisma smart max, plus a Philips dreamwear mask which I’ve been wearing unconnected to try and get used to it. I just did a mask fit test using a medium mask and got a constant red/orange leak warning…See More
Are every small CPAP machines any good?
Travel sized, micro - any good?See More
"Ha well it lasted a couple of days but started howling again. But it's a step in the right direction, just needs a bit more work."
"Nope, I just accept that some people's throats tend to close when they sleep, due to a loss of muscle tone during deeper sleep. Back when I was diagnosed, the sleep lab just filmed you whilst you slept, stuck an O2 meter on your finger,…"
"Did anyone tell you exactly what the anatomical issue is, Jonathan?"
"Can't say I know about this."
"So I tore some fabric from one of the filters and glued it over the holes - and it worked!It was dead quiet, and the air was still flowing freely.It was quiet all night then after a few hours a bit of whistling until I gave it a wipe.Vast…"
"Hi Jonathan, well see my nose is blocked a lot, so I mouth breath which really sucks a lot more moisture and makes my mouth dry. So I put humidity on maximum, which makes for condensation at the mask end, which becomes a demonic reed instrument.Now…"
ResMed AirSense 10 getting noisy
HelloI have an NHS issued ResMed AirSense 10 with heated humidifier. In the last couple of weeks, it's developed an annoying noise, when I inhale. It bothers me a little and my partner a lot! I sometimes get problems if the water container in the…See More
"Hi
My first question is why is condensation forming? I very occasionally get some condensation, may be once a month, but I can quickly run a finger around the inside of the mask, and wipe it away. I use a nasal mask, with the humidifier…"
"11K+? Ok that's probably where I should look then :-)"
"Hi John. Thanks for the compliment as I do my best popping on here, but it's difficult due to us now supporting 25k+ patients at the charity. To be honest, the forum is quiet because most people seem to prefer Facebook and forums aren't as…"
"There's some information here, but generally it's very common and likely due to our anatomy."
© 2024 Created by The SleepGuide Crew.
Powered by
