aromatherapy oils in cpap machine

[somnia16]

Has anyone used the aromatherapy oils? Supplier #1 sells them and I wondered if it was a good idea to have that moving through the tube and ones nose all night? I do like the idea of eucalyptus...

[Mike1953]

You do not put it in the machine. You put a couple drops on a cotton ball and set is by the air intake at the back of your machine.

[somnia16]

Yes I see but the air intake will bring it through the hose and into your nose or not? I am wondering if that will degrade the plastic on the hose after a time..

[JudgeMental]

Somewhere in my mind long ago, I thought I remembered that aromatic oil scents were not a good thing to have running through your machine. I know that we are not talking about a lot of oil here, but any additive over time could be detrimental to the innards of the CPAP and/or hose. We normally would be conscious for only about thirty minutes or so before sleep (enjoying the eucalyptus), so why have the aromatic scent running though the machine for the remainder of the night. Maybe just use a shot of some eucalyptus spray in your bedroom before bed. Lavender is supposed to be a calming scent also.

[somnia16]

Good idea, since I get up so much at night, might just try some as I am settling in.

[Sleeprider]

I appreciate that I don't normally participate in the aromatherapy provided by our Boston Terrier, thanks to the fact my machine is in a drawer out of range for intake of his butt emissions. I have never introduced scents to the intake. I think if you like it, it's fine but a little bit goes a long way.

[PoolQ]

I used to put the oil on a cotton ball by the intake and never had a problem, then once I got my machine dialed in I found that the aroma therapy oil actually was causing me to be congested-so I stopped using it.

We are talking about very little "oil" running through the machine. The oil does not evaporate very quickly

[srlevine1]

Has anyone used the aromatherapy oils? Supplier #1 sells them and I wondered if it was a good idea to have that moving through the tube and ones nose all night? I do like the idea of eucalyptus...

I tried aromatherapy (eucalyptus) to clear a stuffy nose.

I asked my Respiratory Technologist about using essential oils with CPAP and she claimed it was no different from living with a smoker, being in a dusty environment, or using a room deodorizer. She claimed I could use a finer filter if I was concerned.

Additionally, like any smells, you become accustomed to them over time so they appear to be more a psychological play than anything that may be medically effective. Somewhat like a placebo of sorts.

BTW, purchasing these oils from a CPAP vendor is much more expensive that purchasing them from the local health foods store.

Best of luck. It might work well for you.

[Ockrocket]

Well I'm going to go off the wall here with an idea that crossed my mind a while back....

A chamomile teabag in the humidifier, or a lemon tea, or chamomile and ginger..

The teabag should give off a nice fragrance with no detrimental effect on the machine, other than tannin stains in the water tank eventually.

And if you are thirsty in the middle of the night just stick a straw in the tank for a nice lukewarm sip of tea.

[HL649]

I have been placing 5 - 10 drops (depends on the brand) of Eucalyptus oil in the humidifier for 3 or more years. I have bad sinus problems and usually am stuffed up at bedtime. This works well for me and clears my sinus within minutes. I have never seen any adverse effects of this practice. My doctor doesn't see any problems with this either.

It works for me. It might work for you...it might not.