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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???"
Views: 24113
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ymmits on
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I've been using Milton once a month - I figure if it's alright to put it in a babies mouth multiple times per day it's ok for disinfecting masks and hoses...
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Permalink Reply by Ginny Edmundson on
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what is "Milton"?
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Hi Mike, Good to see you found some answers......I had a Dr. visit too ....wants me to try singulair to clear my ears . $45 copay ......I guess Its rice and beens for me.....OOOO a new diet plan pharmacuticals and gasoline! Good Sleep,Chris
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:FINALLY had my appointment today with the great ear nose throat surgeon who did my great sinus surgery a year ago. As I suspected, all that air going in is collapsing both of my Eustachian tubes causing the extreme pain & deafness. As a first line attempt to allow me back on my APAP (after my first 10 days OFF now), I am trying Flonase to see if we can get the swelling down with that & decongestants (Over the counter ). If it won't suffice (and we doubt it will) the next step isTympanostomy tubes.
In EACH ear....Not looking forward to it and instead of in her office I have to do it in a hospital under general anesthesia so I don't come unwound during the procedure (long ex captivity USMC issue...). So it looks like the old one thing leads to another that leads to yet another forever continues! But tonight I return to CPAP, and also to Coumadin but not going back to the Atenolol for my heart till I get a new cardiologist to explain why it is needed when the ONLY sinus tach events I have coincide with apneas...I mean it doesn't help but the apap treatment DOES so why turn myself into a vegetable to find myself in a constant stupor and nothing is accomplished? Anyway, back onto the apap tonight with hope for a better 4th month?
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:And so I get a sinus infection with a brand NEW machine after just 2 days? And MY DME says for MY machine to never clean the sealed humidifier tank since it is a sealed unit (Respironics)? Sorry but one size does NOT fit all.....And for the record, I cleaned my tank anyway but didn't help.
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I take singulair too, plus Levocetirizi (generic for xyzal, trying it instead of generic zyrtec, azelastine nasal spray and generic flonase. Have seasonal allergies.....most all year. :) They all seem to be really helping.
Chris H said:
Hi Mike, Good to see you found some answers......I had a Dr. visit too ....wants me to try singulair to clear my ears . $45 copay ......I guess Its rice and beens for me.....OOOO a new diet plan pharmacuticals and gasoline! Good Sleep,Chris
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:FINALLY had my appointment today with the great ear nose throat surgeon who did my great sinus surgery a year ago. As I suspected, all that air going in is collapsing both of my Eustachian tubes causing the extreme pain & deafness. As a first line attempt to allow me back on my APAP (after my first 10 days OFF now), I am trying Flonase to see if we can get the swelling down with that & decongestants (Over the counter ). If it won't suffice (and we doubt it will) the next step isTympanostomy tubes.
In EACH ear....Not looking forward to it and instead of in her office I have to do it in a hospital under general anesthesia so I don't come unwound during the procedure (long ex captivity USMC issue...). So it looks like the old one thing leads to another that leads to yet another forever continues! But tonight I return to CPAP, and also to Coumadin but not going back to the Atenolol for my heart till I get a new cardiologist to explain why it is needed when the ONLY sinus tach events I have coincide with apneas...I mean it doesn't help but the apap treatment DOES so why turn myself into a vegetable to find myself in a constant stupor and nothing is accomplished? Anyway, back onto the apap tonight with hope for a better 4th month?
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:And so I get a sinus infection with a brand NEW machine after just 2 days? And MY DME says for MY machine to never clean the sealed humidifier tank since it is a sealed unit (Respironics)? Sorry but one size does NOT fit all.....And for the record, I cleaned my tank anyway but didn't help.
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You may start to feel like a kid with ear tubes.... just kidding. Hope it helps. Which gear/set up are you going to use?
Ginny Edmundson said:
I take singulair too, plus Levocetirizi (generic for xyzal, trying it instead of generic zyrtec, azelastine nasal spray and generic flonase. Have seasonal allergies.....most all year. :) They all seem to be really helping.
Chris H said:
Hi Mike, Good to see you found some answers......I had a Dr. visit too ....wants me to try singulair to clear my ears . $45 copay ......I guess Its rice and beens for me.....OOOO a new diet plan pharmacuticals and gasoline! Good Sleep,Chris
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:FINALLY had my appointment today with the great ear nose throat surgeon who did my great sinus surgery a year ago. As I suspected, all that air going in is collapsing both of my Eustachian tubes causing the extreme pain & deafness. As a first line attempt to allow me back on my APAP (after my first 10 days OFF now), I am trying Flonase to see if we can get the swelling down with that & decongestants (Over the counter ). If it won't suffice (and we doubt it will) the next step isTympanostomy tubes.
In EACH ear....Not looking forward to it and instead of in her office I have to do it in a hospital under general anesthesia so I don't come unwound during the procedure (long ex captivity USMC issue...). So it looks like the old one thing leads to another that leads to yet another forever continues! But tonight I return to CPAP, and also to Coumadin but not going back to the Atenolol for my heart till I get a new cardiologist to explain why it is needed when the ONLY sinus tach events I have coincide with apneas...I mean it doesn't help but the apap treatment DOES so why turn myself into a vegetable to find myself in a constant stupor and nothing is accomplished? Anyway, back onto the apap tonight with hope for a better 4th month?
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:And so I get a sinus infection with a brand NEW machine after just 2 days? And MY DME says for MY machine to never clean the sealed humidifier tank since it is a sealed unit (Respironics)? Sorry but one size does NOT fit all.....And for the record, I cleaned my tank anyway but didn't help.
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Is their an up side to this stuff? What a list ooofahhh
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:
Chris H said:Hi Mike, Good to see you found some answers......I had a Dr. visit too ....wants me to try singulair to clear my ears . $45 copay ......I guess Its rice and beens for me.....OOOO a new diet plan pharmacuticals and gasoline! Good Sleep,Chris
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:Hmmmmm:
- SINGULAIR may cause serious side effects. Behavior and mood-related changes have been reported: agitation including aggressive behavior or hostility, bad or vivid dreams, depression, disorientation (confusion), feeling anxious, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there), irritability, restlessness, sleepwalking, suicidal thoughts and actions (including suicide),
tremor, and trouble sleeping. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have, or your child has, any of these symptoms while taking SINGULAIR. - The most common side effects with SINGULAIR include upper respiratory infection, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, stomach pain, diarrhea, earache or ear infection, flu, runny nose, and sinus infection.
Heck. I ALREADY have all that! :-)
- SINGULAIR may cause serious side effects. Behavior and mood-related changes have been reported: agitation including aggressive behavior or hostility, bad or vivid dreams, depression, disorientation (confusion), feeling anxious, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there), irritability, restlessness, sleepwalking, suicidal thoughts and actions (including suicide),
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No side effects after 4 weeks of the singulair. I think the the nasal sprays are helping the most. I use to take OTC Zyrtec (the generic) and don't really know if the more expensive replacement I am taking is helping more or not. I could get the OTC generic zyrtec from my pharmacy for $22 for 90 tabs. I think all of us now pay more attention to POSSIBLE side effects. But what affects one person badly does not affect the next person. Did you ask for samples from the MD to try?
Chris H said:
Is their an up side to this stuff? What a list ooofahhh
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:
Chris H said:Hi Mike, Good to see you found some answers......I had a Dr. visit too ....wants me to try singulair to clear my ears . $45 copay ......I guess Its rice and beens for me.....OOOO a new diet plan pharmacuticals and gasoline! Good Sleep,Chris
Mike C (at the Beach!) said:Hmmmmm:
- SINGULAIR may cause serious side effects. Behavior and mood-related changes have been reported: agitation including aggressive behavior or hostility, bad or vivid dreams, depression, disorientation (confusion), feeling anxious, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there), irritability, restlessness, sleepwalking, suicidal thoughts and actions (including suicide),
tremor, and trouble sleeping. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have, or your child has, any of these symptoms while taking SINGULAIR. - The most common side effects with SINGULAIR include upper respiratory infection, fever, headache, sore throat, cough, stomach pain, diarrhea, earache or ear infection, flu, runny nose, and sinus infection.
Heck. I ALREADY have all that! :-)
- SINGULAIR may cause serious side effects. Behavior and mood-related changes have been reported: agitation including aggressive behavior or hostility, bad or vivid dreams, depression, disorientation (confusion), feeling anxious, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are not really there), irritability, restlessness, sleepwalking, suicidal thoughts and actions (including suicide),
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I meant which mask etc are you trying?
Ginny
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Samples , Yes , improvement first night , yes , More will be revealed ......85 wow thats toasty. How about filling a tupperware container with water ,freezing it and placing it near the air input of your machine to cool things off going in? 2.7 AHI is good , I dont know if 0 is possible.Good Sleep,Chris
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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Beverly was having trouble posting this reply to Stacy's comment:
I thought your words were coming from me. I could not believe I was not the only one with this problem. I use distilled water and clean my CPAP Respironics heated unit every week like I am suppose to. I clean the filter every week. I clean the tubes exactly like I am suppose to. Ever since I got this I sleep great but sometimes I wake up with my left nostril with a sinus issue. I think it could be the distilled vinegar that cleans it. I rinse it real good (hoses) and poor distilled water through it and swish around. My left eye looks puffy red and waters. I have oil heat and have adjusted the heater portion as I feel comfortable. it sure helps me in the winter. I was wondering what to do in the summer. this blog is great help. I will have to go online and discuss this with the CPAP people because apparently this is something that is common. A fungal problem could lower the body's defenses and become serious. I have noticed this problem since day one of the CPAP but lost weight from getting sleep and feel good otherwise. I use the nostil type and my insurance is good enough to get what I need. Its the surgical supply place I have to watch since they don't tell you what size nostil things you are getting. Anyway, is there any improvement to your sinus issues? Because I am starting to sneeze while I am sleeping too and not sure what that means with the humidity. I keep the entire unit below my bed level. I have been taking allegra and think I should find another solution. If anyone can advise to what humidity number for my tank it should be in the warmer season, I would appreciate it. Thanks. Winter was not bad. Only time I noticed a problem was when I cleaned it and used the vinegar and I even dilute it even more now. thanks
Stacy Williams said:Mike, I haven't had sinus or ear infections, but have struggled with sinus discomfort since starting my CPAP therapy in October. Every time it would flair it was like having a really bad head cold (congestion, draining, sneezing, totally miserable feeling). I started doing everything people posted here, and documenting results, and now I am glad to say it's been about three months with no issue. It took the following:
1. Weekly cleaning with a very mild solution including a vinegar rinse
2. Daily Neti Pot rinses
3. Setting humidity to 4 on my machine
4. Using only one brand (CVS) of distilled water - no idea but Walmart irritated my sinuses
5. Completely stopping all decongestants
6. A supply of Benedry for that "tickle"
Overall, I use a Benedryl now about one time every two weeks, I get like a tickle in my left sinus that will make me sneeze. I know it seems like a lot, however, I see this as a situation of my own creation. Since I am overweight, I also committed to working out daily and have dropped 42lbs since being diagnosed, and that helps. I continue to exercise daily and try to eat reasonably without feeling like I can't live my life. For me, it's all about balance. I don't know if any of those things will help you, I would think maybe you have a sensitivity to something in the water or in the mask/tubing. I seriously tried distilled water from CVS, Meijer, Walmart, and Kroger and found CVS seemed to be least irritating. Hope it helps.
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