Anything other than water in humidifier?

[Ghost1958]

I've put Vick's on a qtip and placed it near the air intake of the machine rarely.    If your completely clogged up with the flu etc it will let you breathe.
     But I change filters right after.
    
    Up your pressure, turn off the heat to your machine and if possible lower the room temp.

[Sleep Viking]

Thanks all. I should clarify a bit - once i turned the heat and humidity off I was able to breathe well. Cooler air would still feel better, but I'm used to it. I've even added just a touch of humidity back. My AHI went from 87 during my sleep study to an average of about 3. In spite of that I may give the ice a shot next time the temps are too high.

 And it's funny you should mention the bourbon - my other thought was adding a few drops of Everclear to the water in the tank as a disinfectant. But I remember reading, I think from a post here, not to use alcohol for cleaning so I sorta nixed that idea up front.

[CB91710]

Some online suppliers sell "aromatherapy" stuff to put in the humidifier tank water.

But my thoughts are: I got no way to escape that stink other than taking off the mask. I can't cover my nose, or leave the room, or even just simply put out the incense. There is no smell in this world that I want to be snorting all night long.

My wife really likes the kind that uses the fiber disk that you soak with essential oil.  You adjust the "intensity" by moving the little platform closer or farther from your air intake.
It's not strong enough to scent the entire room, it's noticeable in the area of the machine for a few minutes after soaking the disk, but dissipates quickly, particularly with the AC or a fan.

I've tried it a few times, it's kinda neat, but not really noticeable (but I have a horrible sense of smell anyways).

[CB91710]

And it's funny you should mention the bourbon - my other thought was adding a few drops of Everclear to the water in the tank as a disinfectant. But I remember reading, I think from a post here, not to use alcohol for cleaning so I sorta nixed that idea up front.

Ya, alcohol tends to be too "drying" and can damage the soft components.   The hose and mask are going to be replaced regularly, but you have the internal seals on the humidifier connections to worry about.

Just clean with water and baby shampoo, and allow to dry.
That will help prevent the formation of molds which would be the biggest problem with the humidifier and anything downstream.
Between the filter and humidifier, it's just normal air.   Your filter keeps dust and dirt under control, and that area is no more inviting to bacteria than your bedroom walls.

You are not exhaling into the humidifier... the positive pressure of the machine helps to prevent that.   If you were, you would be rebreathing your own CO2.  It's not impossible, but it's not something happening every time you exhale.

[TheDuke]

My own experience with CPAP humidifiers has been quite favorable. And I find that the high moisture levels helps my sinuses and nasal passages to open up and improve my breathing comfort.

TheDuke