Clonazepam/Sleep Meds & Apnea: Extent of Causal Link

[M.D.Hosehead]

Brian, my experience with FP FFM's is that the wrong size will cause a lot of leaks.

This page:

https://www.cpap.com/cpap-mask-sizing.php

led me to the correct size when I was having trouble getting a seal.

[BrianinTN]

Here are some links to images of my reports. The first is the aggregate index numbers for the first few days; the next three are the graphical reports for three of the days of therapy. I'll keep these as links rather than images so I don't assault poor unsuspecting people who stumble upon this thread.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... lstats.png

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... /mar15.png
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... /mar13.png
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... /mar11.png

[BrianinTN]

Bump. Any reactions to the data I posted a couple days ago? Thanks.

[Pugsy]

Brian,
Are you aware you can change the time zone in the software so that your reports are not split? Makes visually a little easier on the eye.
Company settings tab, double click on Encore Company under Offices, there it will open to where you can Edit the time zone.

Regarding your data itself.. AHI of 20 something with predominance of Hyponeas? I am sorry but I am not familiar with your machine or which is what with the Bipaps. This might be a good thing to post in a separate thread with topic mentioning this problem and your machine type. Go ahead an post the images instead of links. We are used to it and sometimes people just don't bother with links.

Something sure isn't working for you. I haven't followed all of your story but those reports are pretty ugly and something needs to be done to try to improve things. Sorry I don't have anything very constructive to offer.

[roster]

Here are some links to images of my reports. The first is the aggregate index numbers for the first few days; the next three are the graphical reports for three of the days of therapy. I'll keep these as links rather than images so I don't assault poor unsuspecting people who stumble upon this thread.

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... lstats.png

http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... /mar15.png
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... /mar13.png
http://i1104.photobucket.com/albums/h33 ... /mar11.png

Brian, Let me suggest you start a new post with these links and title it "BiPap ST User Needs Help with Centrals". This would help get the attention of members with centrals (a small minority here) or professionals with experience.

It would also help a little to change your equipment profile to "Text" (not "Images") so members can see at a glance what equipment you are using.

Good luck.

[BrianinTN]

Awesome, thank you for the suggestions. I'll put that together now!

[EricinNC]

Man, klonopin and all other similar benzo meds or barbituates can push your pressures way up. I had a sleep doctor tell me once that "taking extra klonopin is dangerous." He was darn straight. I have discovered with this Resscan software I have now that when I take a double dose of klonopin once in a while, my pressures nearly bottom out on the machine...as in go to 19!

Booze can do the same thing, even worse. Booze is an awesome muscle relaxant. People have choked to death from being too drunk, their airway just relaxed too much.

I am physically addicted to klonopin now, I started taking the stuff years before I was put on CPAP to deal with physical symptoms that later were heavily resolved by CPAP! But when I tried going off the klonopin, I was not very successful because I had been taking high doses of the stuff daily for years. Physical addiction, legally prescribed. So I say if possible, go with CPAP and try to avoid the benzos, booze, etc.

Eric

[NightMonkey]

Booze can do the same thing, even worse. Booze is an awesome muscle relaxant. People have choked to death from being too drunk, their airway just relaxed too much.

I am physically addicted to klonopin now, I started taking the stuff years before I was put on CPAP to deal with physical symptoms that later were heavily resolved by CPAP! But when I tried going off the klonopin, I was not very successful because I had been taking high doses of the stuff daily for years. Physical addiction, legally prescribed. So I say if possible, go with CPAP and try to avoid the benzos, booze, etc.

Eric

Eric, If you are addicted to klonopin, you need professional help.

My guess is you are not addicted but you are very likely dependent. To understand the difference in the two conditions see http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pa ... 488-5.html .

Dependence on klonopin can be beaten fairly easily if you go about it systematically using the proper technique. This is by tapering off over a long period of time. The length of the time period is greater if the dose you have been taking is large.

What dose have you been taking and for how long?

[Hawthorne]

I certainly agree with NightMonkey, from my experience with a benzodiazepam. You often are dependent on these drugs NOT addicted.

As NightMonkey said - Dependency is easier to get over than addiction. It must be done slowly by tapering the dose down. The time table for this tapering will depend upon the dosage you have been on.

I just wanted to point this out and reinforce what NightMonkey said, lest dependency be confused with addiction.

[EricinNC]

Booze can do the same thing, even worse. Booze is an awesome muscle relaxant. People have choked to death from being too drunk, their airway just relaxed too much.

I am physically addicted to klonopin now, I started taking the stuff years before I was put on CPAP to deal with physical symptoms that later were heavily resolved by CPAP! But when I tried going off the klonopin, I was not very successful because I had been taking high doses of the stuff daily for years. Physical addiction, legally prescribed. So I say if possible, go with CPAP and try to avoid the benzos, booze, etc.

Eric

Eric, If you are addicted to klonopin, you need professional help.

My guess is you are not addicted but you are very likely dependent. To understand the difference in the two conditions see http://www.healthcentral.com/chronic-pa ... 488-5.html .

Dependence on klonopin can be beaten fairly easily if you go about it systematically using the proper technique. This is by tapering off over a long period of time. The length of the time period is greater if the dose you have been taking is large.

What dose have you been taking and for how long?

Well thanks Mr. practice medicine online. Here is how I feel like when I taper off klonopin even slowly: I feel like I am going to have a stroke.

Dude, it is well documented that it does not take long to get physically addicted to benzos. Talk about things you actually know about, please. Ive been taking high dosages of klonopin for so many years its is extremely unlikely I have not developed significant physical dependence.

Eric

[NightMonkey]

I am physically addicted to klonopin now, ...

Eric

...its is extremely unlikely I have not developed significant physical dependence.

Eric

You are tripping over the terminology. The difference between dependence and addiction is huge.

You can read the link I posted above or you can not read it. Your choice.

But it is not nice to scare people who would benefit from benzos with the word "addiction".

Bye for now.

[M.D.Hosehead]

NIghtMonkey is right to point out the terms "dependence" and "addiction" describe different things. Too many people carelessly use the two interchangeably.

Some are also careless using the term, "withdrawal. "

When a person takes a dependency-producing drug to treat a chronic condition, if that person tries to decrease the dose, the original symptoms will return. A person with chronic pain managed by opiates cannot expect to stop opiates without pain returning. Similarly, a person whose anxiety disorder is treated by benzodiazepines can expect the anxiety symptoms to return if the dose is decreased below the effective one. Re-emerging symptoms of a condition a drug had been treating is not the same thing as "withdrawal symptoms."

Of course, it's better to not resort to dependence-producing drugs, but it isn't always possible.

[Mr Bill]

When I had a cold recently, I asked my pharmacist what he would suggest as an antihistamine, explaining that I had complex sleep apnea with mostly central events. He nixed antihistamines like benedryl and in passing, sleep aids such as melatonin. He said that anything that would make me sleepy would also tend to suppress respiratory drive. I know that's not a problem for those of you who mostly have obstructive sleep apnea.

[mstevens]

I asked my pharmacist what he would suggest as an antihistamine ... He said that anything that would make me sleepy would also tend to suppress respiratory drive.

This just shows why one shouldn't get medical advice from pharmacists.

Some sedating drugs can suppress respiration. Some others do not.

[EricinNC]

I am physically addicted to klonopin now, ...

Eric

...its is extremely unlikely I have not developed significant physical dependence.

Eric

You are tripping over the terminology. The difference between dependence and addiction is huge.

You can read the link I posted above or you can not read it. Your choice.

But it is not nice to scare people who would benefit from benzos with the word "addiction".

Bye for now.

You sound as if you speak from personal experience. If you take klonopin or xanax or valium for long enough, you WILL become physically addicted to it. Physiologically addicted, as in your body will not like it if you stop taking the stuff. And the stuff DOES relax the airway during sleep.

Dont argue with me about this man, you dont know what you are talking about. Take 2 to 4 mg klonopin for ten years and see if you do not become physically addicted to it. You will.

Eric