CPAP silicone allergy: Anyone know of other options? Solutions?

HI, @steventomer -- welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Thanks for your suggestion about an all-cloth mask to use with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that works for your wife with her silicone allergy. I'm guessing that @sanibelsandy @bernese53 @gman007 @jimhd @blueyes782 @racerjon may be interested in this. Sounds like you are doing a lot to make this work for her with the taping the oxygen tubing and all.

How is she doing with her sleep apnea now that she is able to use the CPAP machine?

She's doing fine with the CPAP therapy now. Without the cloth mask, She was continually getting perioral dermatitis (a rash around the mouth), and a rash anywhere the silicone oxygen tube touched her skin.

To eliminate the silicone, she also had to change out the nose pads on her glasses with polycarbonate pads, and remove her IUD. If someone has a silicone allergy (and it's real, not imagined - we've done several challenge / response trials with silicone for her), they really need to get rid of any exposure.

Her response is interesting: it starts with a rash (no anaphylaxis), and then all of her joints swell up. For her, it triggers an autoimmune response that only goes away with Prednisone.

Every time I use my CPAP, I break out in rash and get very little sleep. It is 2:26am and I woke up with less than 2 hours of sleep. Does anyone wake up with swollen hands and feet. Both are very painful but my doctor neglects these. One other thing that I find bad is my horrific nightmares. I am coming off of some meds.

Hi, @macjane -- that doesn't sound like fun at all to be breaking out in a rash and getting very little sleep every time you use your continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

Wondering if it's just when you use your CPAP that you get swollen hands and feet? I also thought that you are connecting your horrific nightmares with withdrawal from some medications. Is that correct?

I am interested in your wife's experience with the cloth mask. My daughter had tried one (Don't know which) but went back to her regular mask. Reviews I have read mentioned that the cloth masks were a hassle to position and leaks were a continuing problem. I may need to take a look at the one (SleepWeaver Anew) your wife is using. I did find relief from my allergy with the AirTouch, which has the memory foam welded to the silicone so the silicone doesn't come in contact with my face. It sounds like your wife's silicone allergy is worse than mine, so the AirTouch likely would not work well for her. I am interested in where you found the polycarbonate eyeglass pads. I had to switch to plastic frames because of my silicone allergy but much prefer the frames with the nose pads that elevate the glasses away from the face. I hadn't been able to find any alternative to the silicone eyeglass nosepads so I would appreciate information on the polycarbonate pads. Thank you!

Positioning can be tricky, but we were able to get it to work without too many leaks.

As for the polycarbonate nose pads, I'm not sure where we got them from, but there are some links if you do a search for "eyeglass nose pads polycarbonate".

Yes - medicine was Effexor.

@macjane -- so sorry the withdrawal process from venlafaxine (Effexor) has produced such horrific nightmares. I thought you might be interested in this Connect discussion on withdrawing from Effexor, http://mayocl.in/2HSF4Wc. Lots of experiences shared that echo yours.

Thank you so much. The withdrawal is/has been a nightmare. I think many doctors ignore some of the side-effects of this med. It never helped me other than to make me feel worse. Again, many thanks. Jane

Hi, @macjane -- wondering how you are doing and how it's going with the CPAP machine? How is the swelling and rash you were experiencing?