Cauterization of turbinates and CPAP

So I got a cauterization of my turbinates 5 days ago. In this procedure they reduce expanded bloodvessel in the noise which can cause blockage in the airflow. Lung doctor and ENT approved it and it will be beneficial for CPAP. Yet now I am after the 5th day of the provedure and when I put on the mask for the first time since then, it feels like I am suffocating. Has someone similar experience? How long did it take until you could use CPAP again?

No experience fortunately! However here is a link to check out. It sounds like there are a few recommended temporary measures to promote healing and reduce swelling such as a nasal saline spray, and a decongestant such as oxymetazoline or Afrin.

Turbinate Surgery

Another thought would be the pressures you are using for the Auto Ramp on the machine. I find anything less than 7 cm to be a bit suffocating even at the best of times. I now use 8.4 cm for my Ramp Start Pressure. This is combined with a Ramp Only EPR of 3 cm. This of course is limited by your minimum pressure setting. But, that may be too low too. Do you have a SleepyHead daily report to post with your new machine?

After 10 days CPAP was already better. It is just the mucus constantly build up and dried crusts or other residuals in the nose which cause to limit the airflow. I noticed that sleeping without CPAP doesn't cause me the same extreme tiredness anymore (although my number of events were always on the lower end). This part extremely surprised me, because none of the involved doctors suggested to go to the ENT (basically I went by myself) because the obstructive apnea doesn't take place in the nose but further back in your throat (therefore they never brought it up and it is not the lung's doctor specialty).

After 2 weeks I was pretty much ready again to use the CPAP daily. I only noticed that I had to switch to a bigger cushion for the mask. Maybe my perception is wrong, but I think removing the excess tissue made my nose less "stable" if a smaller cushion rests on my nose, having less tissue leading to less structural integrity. Or maybe I just had originally a cushion which was too small.

Despite my ENT saying there was enough room in the back, I think the reduction of the turbinates helps me to breathe better at night and throughout the day. The idea to reduce the turbinates came up when I reacted well to the nose spray from the ENT which they apply to you before they send down the camera through your nose. Basically the ENT told me if Otrivin for 5 days gives you relief, then a reduction of the turbinates might help me.

You have ENS. Go to Facebook and look up the Empty Nose Syndrome Awareness page. ENT won’t admit it, this happens all the time but they won’t tell you what it is. It’s horrible and so many people get it from what you had done and turbinate reduction. I had the same thing done. Go check it out.