Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
kirk9000

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by kirk9000 » Sun Mar 26, 2017 8:10 pm

grayghost4 wrote:In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional ...
not sure I follow why my question would lead people to have an emotional response?

apologies to all. i was asking an actual question. sorry if it upset you.

i won't return here! best of luck to all.

User avatar
DreamStalker
Posts: 7509
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2006 9:58 am
Location: Nowhere & Everywhere At Once

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by DreamStalker » Sun Mar 26, 2017 8:30 pm

kirk9000 wrote:
grayghost4 wrote:In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional ...
not sure I follow why my question would lead people to have an emotional response?

apologies to all. i was asking an actual question. sorry if it upset you.

i won't return here! best of luck to all.
Don't go! Please don't go!!
Image
Just shake it. ...how how how how!
President-pretender, J. Biden, said "the DNC has built the largest voter fraud organization in US history". Too bad they didn’t build the smartest voter fraud organization and got caught.

Guest

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by Guest » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:21 pm

kirk9000 wrote:
grayghost4 wrote:In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional ...
not sure I follow why my question would lead people to have an emotional response?

apologies to all. i was asking an actual question. sorry if it upset you.

i won't return here! best of luck to all.
Keep in mind this ghost sells cpaps to unsuspecting forum members then acts the part he is quoting above. Quite the sales technique don't ya think? I wouldn't buy an alarm clock from that personality much less a piece of medical equipment.
kirk9000 wrote:I appreciate everyone's comments. I'm not sure why everyone seems so grumpy here!
Not everyone here has their therapy dialed in so that it's effective or are sleeping well.

IMO some here have pissed off everyone in their house and neighborhood so have reached out to the internet to show the world just how angry and unhappy they are.

It's the way of the web.

But to answer your question IMO no using a cpap will not make OSA worse but you'd be foolish to sleep w/o it again. Our bodies have (over time) gotten used to choking and gagging each nite and feeling terrible has become our norm. Once dialed in correctly cpap will relieve all of that stress to the body and its organs. And certainly helps with memory and mood swings - another clue their therapy is not effective.

Stick around there really is alot of good and helpful info here. But getting used to sleeping with plastic on your face just is not the easiest thing to do.

User avatar
Julie
Posts: 19898
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:58 pm

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by Julie » Sun Mar 26, 2017 9:35 pm

This is a CPAP forum - we 'believe' , And your question seems irrational because Cpap is designed to treat apnea, not make it worse. How could it make it worse - a relatively tiny amt of filtered room air with just a bit of extra pressure to help keep your airway open better so you don't wake up gasping, or have a stroke from lack of 02, etc. etc... If you can explain your reasoning for even imagining it could make things worse, please feel free to tell us. Of all the things in the world that can make apnea worse, Cpap would be the last.

User avatar
zoocrewphoto
Posts: 3732
Joined: Mon Apr 30, 2012 10:34 pm
Location: Seatac, WA

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by zoocrewphoto » Mon Mar 27, 2017 12:58 am

kirk9000 wrote: Any thought on why I might be waking up gasping for air suddenly now in the absence of the CPAP machine? Is this normal?
[/quote]


NOw that you know the difference between good and bad sleep, you will be more aware of the bad sleep than you were before.

Also, we develop ways of protecting ourselves. For example, if we have lots of events, we tend to sleep lighter and wake up to start breathing again. We don't sleep deeply because that could be dangerous. But, if you use cpap well for a good amount of time, you will learn to sleep deeply again and get better quality sleep. If you then stop using cpap, it may take some time to relearn those coping techniques, so you may have some extra crappy nights as your brain relearns that it must stay awake all night rather than relax too much.

Consider it a good incentive to keep using your machine. As long as you use it, you will be fine. How you sleep and feel withOUT cpap is your reminder of why you need to be using it.

_________________
Mask: Quattro™ FX Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Resmed S9 autoset pressure range 11-17
Who would have thought it would be this challenging to sleep and breathe at the same time?

User avatar
49er
Posts: 5624
Joined: Mon Jan 16, 2012 8:18 am

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by 49er » Mon Mar 27, 2017 4:40 am

grayghost4 wrote:In Internet slang, a troll (/ˈtroʊl/, /ˈtrɒl/) is a person who sows discord on the Internet by starting arguments or upsetting people, by posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into an emotional ...
How was the OP trolling? She/he asked the questions in a respectful manner.

Just because you think they are stupid, irrational, dumb, etc. doesn't mean the person is a troll.

D.H.
Posts: 3467
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 7:07 pm

Let me rephrase the original question.

Post by D.H. » Mon Mar 27, 2017 10:57 am

I think I've got the gist of it now.

The original question in this thread is whether using CPAP and then discontinuing it is worse than never having used CPAP at all! If you're still here original poster, please confirm that it what you meant.

I will briefly answer by stating I don't think that this can make anything worse from an objective point of view. However, you can subjectively fell worse because you've become accustomed to feeling better!

To all, please stop being rude to those with whom you don't agree or don't understand!

_________________
MachineMask
Additional Comments: Auto PAP; 13.5 cmH2O min - 20 cmH2O max
Last edited by D.H. on Mon Mar 27, 2017 12:25 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
chunkyfrog
Posts: 34377
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: Nebraska--I am sworn to keep the secret of this paradise.

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by chunkyfrog » Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:06 am

chunkyfrog wrote:Once your parachute had opened, ride it all the way to earth. . . .
. . .
Your CPAP is, essentially, your parachute.
Why even test the "ride" without it?
WHOA!
Have you seriously considered how this ENDS?

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her

User avatar
Goofproof
Posts: 16087
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 3:16 pm
Location: Central Indiana, USA

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by Goofproof » Mon Mar 27, 2017 11:30 am

chunkyfrog wrote:
chunkyfrog wrote:Once your parachute had opened, ride it all the way to earth. . . .
. . .
Your CPAP is, essentially, your parachute.
Why even test the "ride" without it?
WHOA!
Have you seriously considered how this ENDS?
Suggestion if you don't like your parachute, don't board the plane! Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

User avatar
AquaLavaLamp
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Jul 15, 2016 5:08 am
Location: Northwest New Jersey

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by AquaLavaLamp » Mon Mar 27, 2017 1:39 pm

Kirk, It may be that you are just more aware now than you used to be. Waking up, gasping for breath is so hard on your body. Be kind to yourself. You were smart enough to do a sleep study. Don't let your anxiety about Alzheimer's take over your mind. Use your apparatus. Breathe.

_________________
MachineMask
Additional Comments: Heated hose
AquaLavaLamp
I wish I learned sooner that I wasn't really sleeping all those years...

User avatar
Okie bipap
Posts: 3550
Joined: Thu Oct 15, 2015 4:14 pm
Location: Central Oklahoma

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by Okie bipap » Mon Mar 27, 2017 2:44 pm

The only way to really know is for someone to use cpap for a period of time, say one year, then go a period of time without using the cpap and then have another sleep study which would probably cost 5 - 6 thousand dollars. Personally, I don't have that much money I can waste just to answer a question. For my self, I don't want to go without my machine long enough to test this out.

_________________
Machine: AirCurve™ 10 VAuto BiLevel Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Evora Full Face Mask - Fitpack
Additional Comments: IPAP 20-25, ps 4, OSCAR software
Growing old is mandatory, but growing up is optional.

Mogy
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu Mar 09, 2017 12:16 am
Location: Edmonton, Canada

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by Mogy » Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:48 pm

Hi kirk9000,
Your questions seem like valid ones to me. You haven't posted what the results of your sleep study were.
Do you look at the data that the machine is collecting? (ie. Events/hour and what type of events).
I believe it is normal to be worried about Alzheimer's and how it might be connected to Sleep Apnea.
Using weight loss, general exercise, and tongue/throat exercises I managed to get my AHI down to approx 5.
Not using a machine currently.

User avatar
kteague
Posts: 7768
Joined: Tue May 16, 2006 8:30 pm
Location: West and Midwest

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by kteague » Mon Mar 27, 2017 7:51 pm

Have read discussion on here before about the possibility that in our untreated state our body develops coping mechanisms to deal with the stress hormones, low oxygen, etc. and that after some time on treatment, those mechanisms may not kick in so readily. This is not a worsening of our sleep apnea, but rather a lessening of our ability to cope. Maybe this could be what you are thinking of? My only thought on the subject of early Alzheimer's is that years of untreated sleep apnea with repeated interruption of oxygen to the brain could cause all kinds of issues. Since obstructive sleep apnea is mostly collapse of tissues when asleep I don't see how the brain would cause that. Now, if you're talking central sleep apnea, and your use of "forgetting" makes me think maybe you are, and since Alzheimer's being a disease of memory loss, that could be a whole different discussion. Are you diagnosed with central sleep apnea? As you seek answers, it will be helpful to delineate which type of sleep apnea you are referencing.

_________________
Mask: TAP PAP Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Improved Stability Mouthpiece
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control
Additional Comments: Bleep/DreamPort for full nights, Tap Pap for shorter sessions

D.H.
Posts: 3467
Joined: Sun Sep 04, 2016 7:07 pm

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by D.H. » Mon Mar 27, 2017 7:57 pm

Whatever the link between Sleep Apnea and Alzheimer's disease (if any), it makes no sense not to treat your Sleep Apnea!

_________________
MachineMask
Additional Comments: Auto PAP; 13.5 cmH2O min - 20 cmH2O max

New guy1234

Re: Is CPAP making my sleep apnea worse when I don't use it?

Post by New guy1234 » Sun Jun 18, 2017 11:11 pm

I have the same problem. My central apnea is now worse if I don't use my cpap