[Health] New here... nasal drainage issues

[Fir.na.tine]

So I got my CPAP a month ago, and it has been great. The first night I had a dream, and it was great! LOL.

Heres my issue. I have a head cold. It started last night and I used my machine but was miserable. The nasal drainage ran down the back of my throat and I woke up with a sore throat. 

How can I combat this, or is there a way? I have used nearly every OTC and RX med there is, while some slow it, it never goes away and i end up suffering. Thanks.

[srlevine1]

So I got my CPAP a month ago, and it has been great. The first night I had a dream, and it was great! LOL.

Heres my issue. I have a head cold. It started last night and I used my machine but was miserable. The nasal drainage ran down the back of my throat and I woke up with a sore throat. 

How can I combat this, or is there a way? I have used nearly every OTC and RX med there is, while some slow it, it never goes away and i end up suffering. Thanks.

This is one of those issues where everyone has an opinion and the answer depends on who you ask. Even doctors vary in their answers. Some say take a break from CPAP, but don't drive or use heavy machinery while tired. Some say continue CPAP therapy.

What I do ...

If my cold is severe, humidifiers can sometimes ease my symptoms. The trick is to find the correct balance because too much humidity can also worsen the symptoms.

In any event, I wash my machine and accessories with mild detergent each day to reduce the chances of reinfecting myself with my own germs who seem to like warm wet surfaces like in my mask, hose, and humidifier tank.

I usually use a Sucrets extra strength lozenge upon wakening to deaden any residual soreness in my throat caused by post nasal drip or excessive dryness.

I also use an OTC saline nasal spray to combat dryness if necessary. (Make sure you keep the applicator clean) For some unknown reason, I believe saline rinses seem to make me feel better faster. But, this is anecdotal and is based purely on my feelings.

And, if my mucus secretions are thick, I use Robitussin expectorant ONLY (without additives because I am taking other drugs) to thin the secretions and keep everything moving. I also maintain my hydration and am fond of hot tea with honey (I don't drink anything with caffeine due to an arrhythmia.)

Best of luck with symptom control and I hope you feel better fast.

[Gary1of2]

Try a spoon of honey a little bit of cinnamon added to a cup of hot water. You have to play with the amount of cinnamon to your taste. Is has natural properties in it. I do it at least twice a day when ihave a cold works great.

[trish6hundred]

Hi Fir.na.tine,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I hope you get over your cold, soon.
Good luck as you continue CPAP therapy.

[HalfAsleep]

I don't have CPAP yet, but I can second some of the treatment options from posters above. I have such thick post nasal drip, I sometimes can't even swallow when I'm trying to sleep.

Faves: cough drops that have an anesthetic. Sucrets, but also the cheapo-stuff like Hall's; you have to look carefully at the package. I now use these for medication that makes me feel nauseous as well; it seems to eliminate the nausea!

Simply Saline: I love this stuff. It goes in cool, is easy to squirt without destroying the internal wall of the nose, and just feels great. It thins the gunk that goes down my throat.

I can use Dextromethorphan, but found I like Simply Saline a lot more, it's much cheaper, and less invasive. I can use SS whenever I feel like it and don't have to wait 4 hours or whatever it is between Dextro batches.

Honey in tea.

Make sure you drink a lot of water.

[HalfAsleep]

I forgot to mention the newest member of my arsenal.

Last week, I had a sore throat (and, yes, drippy nose) and aches all over. Flu coming on. I got permission from my MD to use a current prescription for a steroid inhaler prophylactically (instead of after my lungs got sick too). Genius! Flu never went to my lungs. My sore throat fixed right up. I normally would have had a massive chest cold, coughing, etc. for 6 weeks. This batch of flu lasted a mere 5 days. Alot of sleeping, but not bad.

I also took night time Nyquil.

I thought I'd mention this as CPAP is all about airway limitation. A couple of puffs of the inhaler twice a day, and I kept the air going.

This inhaler is nothing fancy. This one's Flovent, but there are a lot of different ones. On me, it takes a couple of days for it to work.