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CPAP Sinus Infection?
This is from a correspondence I've been having with Susan McCord, who gave me permission to share it with all you on the forum. Italicized emphasis is my own... Will be interested to hear what you guys think she should do:
"I've been sicker than a dog with this CPAP/sinus stuff since the day after Christmas. Nobody, including my sleep doc will really discuss it with me or else they just dismiss it. This has been going on, off and on, since shortly after I started CPAP in July.
Today I was at my cardiologist for a checkup, and was telling him about all this ongoing. Usually it goes away spontaneously in 2-3 days--this time it's hung on for 10 days so far. Can't stand it.
Anyway, cardiologist, who's also an internist prior, told me it's not uncommon at ALL for pts. on CPAP to have this and that I have an infection. I asked him why the MDs don't tell us about it--he and I have a VERY open relationship and he knows I can't stand having smoke blown up my ass--he told me it's because the sleep docs are so worried about compliance that they don't tell pts. about the possibility of sinus complications AND that it's not uncommon for them to avoid talking about it even if pts. bring it up. They tend to assign the sinus problems to something else.
I was mildly horrified and, frankly, I think he is too. He told me to talk to my PCP and get started on an antibiotic and whatever else PCP recs. He also said people usually stay off CPAP for a week or so till the infection clears. THAT scares me to death. I don't think I'm gonna do it. Internet says to d/c too, but I don't think I can......what do you think I should do???"
"I've been sicker than a dog with this CPAP/sinus stuff since the day after Christmas. Nobody, including my sleep doc will really discuss it with me or else they just dismiss it. This has been going on, off and on, since shortly after I started CPAP in July.
Today I was at my cardiologist for a checkup, and was telling him about all this ongoing. Usually it goes away spontaneously in 2-3 days--this time it's hung on for 10 days so far. Can't stand it.
Anyway, cardiologist, who's also an internist prior, told me it's not uncommon at ALL for pts. on CPAP to have this and that I have an infection. I asked him why the MDs don't tell us about it--he and I have a VERY open relationship and he knows I can't stand having smoke blown up my ass--he told me it's because the sleep docs are so worried about compliance that they don't tell pts. about the possibility of sinus complications AND that it's not uncommon for them to avoid talking about it even if pts. bring it up. They tend to assign the sinus problems to something else.
I was mildly horrified and, frankly, I think he is too. He told me to talk to my PCP and get started on an antibiotic and whatever else PCP recs. He also said people usually stay off CPAP for a week or so till the infection clears. THAT scares me to death. I don't think I'm gonna do it. Internet says to d/c too, but I don't think I can......what do you think I should do???"
Tags: cold, cpap, infection, sinuses, upper-airway
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on -
Oh Rock, I sure hope you get feeling better. Working when you're sick is such a bummer. When I was nursing you had to be communicable to take a day off, I'm sure your job is the same way.
Get Well,
Mary Z.
Rock Hinkle said:I am fighting a sinus infection now. I can't breath through my nose at all. It's horrible. I have to muscle through one more night of work.
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Permalink Reply by Rock Hinkle on -
Well I just got home from the doc. I have the flue and a sinus infection. Lucky me.
Yes it is the same at my work Mary. Everyone else is also out sick. I was the only one that did not call in this week. Had I felt as bad on Sunday as I did last night I probably would have. everyone in my family has this "bug" that is going around. My daughters are the only ones that do not have it. They were already on antibiotics though.
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Permalink Reply by Jackie S. on -
I noticed since working overnights it takes a long time to heal. If i go into work with a lil cough or sore throat it's a full blown thing the next day. If i don't work at the onset of symptoms I'm ok. I love my job but working overnight really isn't all that healthy for several reasons as you know. Feel better!
Rock Hinkle said:Well I just got home from the doc. I have the flue and a sinus infection. Lucky me.
Yes it is the same at my work Mary. Everyone else is also out sick. I was the only one that did not call in this week. Had I felt as bad on Sunday as I did last night I probably would have. everyone in my family has this "bug" that is going around. My daughters are the only ones that do not have it. They were already on antibiotics though.
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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on -
Hi Kevin--I haven't been on SG for a couple of weeks, at least. Wanted to tell you I'm so sorry about your dad's death. Had he been ill? Was his death expected?
Losing parents is tough, regardless of how old you are. Both of mine are dead, for many years now, and there are many days when I'd give anything to be able to talk to one of them, especially my dad.....so, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, and I just wanted you to know.
Susan McCord
Kevin Barthelemy said:I find it interesting that you brought up fungal infections...the house we're still (after 2½ months) trying to finish moving out of, has so much mold in it, we couldn't help but recognize the fungus as a health issue. The primary reason for it being so full of mold was that the house had a hole in the roof for the first five or six years we were there. Once we discovered the hole (had to stand down the block to see it), the landlord had it repaired, but that lovely black mold was already all through the place. On top of that, the basement had flooded three times in the last 13½ years, resulting in most of our belongings stored in the basement getting moldy. Everything we pick up in the basement kicks up clouds of spores...and aside from my health issues, my wife is asthmatic, too.
I had an appointment scheduled with my doctor on Monday, but managed to forget (not difficult - my father just died), and will now have to get a new appt. I had intended to bring the subject of fungal infection up. It wouldn't be a surprise, if some of my problems stem from breathing in too much fungal material.
susan mccord said:Kevin--Hi! I don't think you and I have cyber-talked before. At any rate, I'm the one who started this whole sinus topic, way back early in January. I'm still in active treatment after all this time, but finally making progress.
The reason I'm inserting myself into this at the moment is this: you mentioned having sinus infections ever since you were in boot camp. This just occurred to me, so please don't take it as a suggestion or a diagnosis--I'll NEVER do that to anybody again after what I've been through!
What I want to say is that somewhere in my endless search for answers for myself, I ran across something about people getting fungal infections that need to be treated differently than a bacterial infection. I know NOTHING about this other than that. But for whatever reason, it made me wonder if you've ever been tested for fungus involvement.
Interesting that you can pinpoint the origin of your infections to being in boot camp. I can do the same--my sinus problems (which I've NEVER had in 67 years!) began within a week of starting CPAP.
Hope you have an MD that you trust to help you climb through all this--it can be exhausting trying to deal with so much every day. I'm gonna send you a friend request which you can accept or not, as you prefer. Take care....
Susan McCord :-)
Kevin Barthelemy said:I'm not nearly as good about cleaning my gear as I ought to be, however, there doesn't appear to be any direct relationship between my cleaning of the CPAP, and my having sinus infections. For one thing, the pattern hasn't changed much, since I began using the CPAP; ever since Navy boot camp, I've had sinus infections on a regular basis.
Much of my problem with infection, currently, is likely to stem from our long, drawn out process of moving. It's been, pretty much, work really hard, to the point of exhaustion, then several days of not being worth a copper dime, before another round. Moreover, I've just started seeing a new psychiatrist, and he's had me drop a couple of meds, without tapering off - then he added another mood stabilizer, which I took for the first time last night. While it is true that I didn't manage to start my CPAP before crashing, it's never caused me to be totally wiped out, like I've been all day today.
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