Long-term cancer, etc. risks of CPAP?

[sleepy1235]

This thread perfectly represents the CPAP talk forum.

Long term low level exposure to chemicals is a legitimate concern. Chemicals that are tolerable at low levels for brief exposures, can have impacts at low levels over long exposures. This is a concern in the scientific literature. Also, it has been commented that chemicals haven't been adequately tested for all impacts. Recently there has been discussion that Central Nervous System (CNS) impacts are not adequately tested in the assessment of chemical safety.

So thought I thought the inquiry was a bit dramatic it still deserved a thoughtful response.

Instead the person posting the inquiry got largely irrelevant responses, accusatory responses, and hostile responses and some name calling.

I was told by an administrator that this was supposed to be a supportive environment.

Reviewing this thread I have to ask, "Really?"

[ems]

This thread perfectly represents the CPAP talk forum.

Long term low level exposure to chemicals is a legitimate concern. Chemicals that are tolerable at low levels for brief exposures, can have impacts at low levels over long exposures. This is a concern in the scientific literature. Also, it has been commented that chemicals haven't been adequately tested for all impacts. Recently there has been discussion that Central Nervous System (CNS) impacts are not adequately tested in the assessment of chemical safety.

So thought I thought the inquiry was a bit dramatic it still deserved a thoughtful response.

Instead the person posting the inquiry got largely irrelevant responses, accusatory responses, and hostile responses and some name calling.

I was told by an administrator that this was supposed to be a supportive environment.

Reviewing this thread I have to ask, "Really?"

Accusatory responses and/or hostile responses have no place here! On that I agree. However, some things need to be taken with a grain of salt. This concern is in the scientific literature and so are many other things we either ingest or handle. This is a low risk concern... there are other things I concern myself with that may cause more harm. I certainly won't stop using my machine because of it. Will you? And, I don't mean to be hostile in any way.

[jules]

some of us are severely chemically sensitive - that little plastic smell may be fine for you but it severely toxic for some of us - enough toxins we die and the journey to death isn't fun

anyone want to step in my shoes, trade lives for a day or so and live a chemically sensitive life with as many restrictions as I have (and I know there are lots of ppl out there who are lots worse) feel free to do so - I would love to escape it

we constantly make decisions based on what information we have - using CPAP (and for me that means well outgassed aged hoses and masks etc.) is better than the brain and heart damage from low O2 - I had a doc in IL who thought otherwise so my CPAP treatment was delayed 4 years from diagnosis of SEVERE sleep apnea cause he thought it wasn't - he was wrong - damn med school prof too

[Wulfman...]

some of us are severely chemically sensitive - that little plastic smell may be fine for you but it severely toxic for some of us - enough toxins we die and the journey to death isn't fun

anyone want to step in my shoes, trade lives for a day or so and live a chemically sensitive life with as many restrictions as I have (and I know there are lots of ppl out there who are lots worse) feel free to do so - I would love to escape it

we constantly make decisions based on what information we have - using CPAP (and for me that means well outgassed aged hoses and masks etc.) is better than the brain and heart damage from low O2 - I had a doc in IL who thought otherwise so my CPAP treatment was delayed 4 years from diagnosis of SEVERE sleep apnea cause he thought it wasn't - he was wrong - damn med school prof too

Good to see you posting (again), "Jules".
I had kind of forgotten how sensitive you were to all that stuff. So, thanks for posting that.
Please don't stay away so long.

Best wishes,

Den

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[archangle]

some of us are severely chemically sensitive - that little plastic smell may be fine for you but it severely toxic for some of us - enough toxins we die and the journey to death isn't fun

If you're truly chemically sensitive, I feel bad for you.

Unfortunately, many chemically sensitive people don't actually check out when tested in double blind testing. There was a local community of people who thought they were chemically sensitive. They moved way out into the country. They got sick and complained every time they saw a farmer a few miles away sprayed his crops. The farmer tried spraying his crops with water instead of pesticides. He still got the same complaints.

[jules]

oh Wulf - I wander through every so often - someone sends me links of threads / posts to read several times a week - I don't think they are posting themselves these days but they read the board.

I was probably chemically sensitive at a young age - not sure when just it was not something that was incapacitating like it is now. Liver stuff and brain fog are the worst part of it.

Workplaces don't like to accommodate for it so we left IL 10 years ago and moved to the WA coast where we have clean air. The brain fog and liver stuff get overwhelming. I was put on CPAP a year and half later having been diagnosed in IL more than 2 years before we moved. I outgassed the first mask and hose several months and machine not as long; I ordered hose and mask from cpap.com once this was going to be a reality but didn't have a machine Rx in hand - this was before mask needed an Rx there. I have never been able to tolerate any Respironics masks - too toxic even with outgassing for months - but do okay with Resmed and the Somnoplus - sometimes don't need to outgas them I can tell when I change filters in the machine too.

We all have to weigh the plus and minus of everything - make an educated decision. We should be making that informed decision not our doctors. However when we have brain fog from untreated sleep apnea even if we are not chemically sensitive, we really can't make one easily. Being chemically sensitive just added another level of difficulty.

I still have NEVER been titrated. I am unwilling to undergo another PSG. The first one was too toxic. I took one night's data (APAP and PulseOx) into the new cardiologist this spring to show that inadequately treated OSA was not reason behind the heart stuff at the time. We talked more OSA the next appt as he is a liaison with sleep lab in his city. He agreed pretty much no sleep doc was going to solve my issues when they see my AHI consistently below 5 and my O2 levels good and didn't push my seeing a sleep doc that second appt like he did the first one.

[Wulfman...]

oh Wulf - I wander through every so often - someone sends me links of threads / posts to read several times a week - I don't think they are posting themselves these days but they read the board.

Yeah, I know.......I looked at your posting history.......a few last year and a few the year before, etc.
But, it's still good to see your posts.

Take care.

Den

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[jules]

and it looks like "they" haven't posted for almost 2 years but still read the board

[ems]

some of us are severely chemically sensitive - that little plastic smell may be fine for you but it severely toxic for some of us - enough toxins we die and the journey to death isn't fun

anyone want to step in my shoes, trade lives for a day or so and live a chemically sensitive life with as many restrictions as I have (and I know there are lots of ppl out there who are lots worse) feel free to do so - I would love to escape it

we constantly make decisions based on what information we have - using CPAP (and for me that means well outgassed aged hoses and masks etc.) is better than the brain and heart damage from low O2 - I had a doc in IL who thought otherwise so my CPAP treatment was delayed 4 years from diagnosis of SEVERE sleep apnea cause he thought it wasn't - he was wrong - damn med school prof too

I'm sorry to read this and yes, some of us are severely chemically sensitive, but are in the minority. Your post was an eye opener.

[Lrebh]

We are concerned. My husband is 62 and has been using a C-Pap for almost 3 years. He has just been diagnosed with Transitional Kidney cancer after finding abnormal cells in his urine sample at a regular physical. Doctor ordered an abdominal CT scan which found the cancer. He said he has no idea what caused it, only that it is chemical related. Pathology showed high grade cancer meaning it's very aggressive. He estimates the cancer has developed over the last year to two years. The only thing he's done differently is use a c-pap.

We will never know for sure, obviously. But he otherwise eats healthy, exercises, go mostly organic, we don't cook or store in plastic, etc. it's quite possible he'd have this cancer anyway but it's hard to not think breathing in the plastics 8 hours every night for years might have contributed. Wish I could have found more on this. It should definitely be studied more.

Surgery is Thursday and the CT showed no evidence of it having spread. We are hopeful he will be cured after removing his kidney and ureter. DON'T BLOW OFF YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL. Like many cancers, early detection is key.

[Greenkat]

I just wanted to comment in reference to some of the responses given to the poster.

Many of us on this forum are older, and she noted she was only 32. I think we need to be a little more understanding about the 'younger' generation as they have been educated about risks we knew nothing about as kids. I am going to assume a lot of us had mothers who believed 'we'd eat a peck of dirt before we died' with no ill consequences!

I don't necessarily agree with a lot of new data coming out about cancer and how you are exposed to or can get it. I have had it & believe it comes from a combination of genetic pre-disposition & environment. However, my kids were taught in school you should drink bottled water vs. from the kitchen spigot (well damn....we drank from the garden hose during hot summer days!) as well as too much red meat is bad for you (we were raised on 4 course dinners that always included red meat & most of my relatives didn't get cancer)

I think most of the responses she received were legitimate & respectful. Our condition must be treated & the hose is the best method to prevent the immediate risks of heart attacks & strokes. Therefore, the possibility of cancer should take a back seat for now. Hell, they may develop a cure by the time she might encounter this issue.

Anyhow, just wanted to have my say as sometimes it is hard for newcomers to grasp different points of views & then we lose them..or they are turned off by sarcasm & joking they don't initially get as they haven't read enough posts from certain individuals.

This forum is such a goldmine of information I'd hate to lose anyone due to these issues!

Kathy

[OhHelpMe]

He said he has no idea what caused it, only that it is chemical related.

That is a contradiction. In any case, the first clause of your compound sentence is true and the second is dubious.

Very few cancers are caused by chemical exposure these days. At one time we did not understand how worker exposure to a few chemicals was a big risk for cancer. As our understanding progressed, good measures to prevent exposure in the workplace were developed and implemented.

My husband is 62

Now right there is the biggest risk factor for your husband developing cancer. Did your doctor tell you that your risk for developing cancer goes up sharply as you age?



http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1559/

[chunkyfrog]

An important thing to remember is that nearly all medical treatments/drugs have side effects.
We all need to weigh benefits against any negatives.
It helps no one to exaggerate bad effects that are relatively rare and minor (except in rare instances)
I suspect that some internet rumors are started by people planning to cash in--in court.
Of course, that's my opinion.

[Wulfman...]

We are concerned. My husband is 62 and has been using a C-Pap for almost 3 years. He has just been diagnosed with Transitional Kidney cancer after finding abnormal cells in his urine sample at a regular physical. Doctor ordered an abdominal CT scan which found the cancer. He said he has no idea what caused it, only that it is chemical related. Pathology showed high grade cancer meaning it's very aggressive. He estimates the cancer has developed over the last year to two years. The only thing he's done differently is use a c-pap.

We will never know for sure, obviously. But he otherwise eats healthy, exercises, go mostly organic, we don't cook or store in plastic, etc. it's quite possible he'd have this cancer anyway but it's hard to not think breathing in the plastics 8 hours every night for years might have contributed. Wish I could have found more on this. It should definitely be studied more.

Surgery is Thursday and the CT showed no evidence of it having spread. We are hopeful he will be cured after removing his kidney and ureter. DON'T BLOW OFF YOUR ANNUAL PHYSICAL. Like many cancers, early detection is key.

Nothing was mentioned regarding the person's profession. It's possible there were exposures to something in his past that finally caught up with him.

Someone (an in-law) in my wife's side of the family has been battling with melanoma-related cancers for about 18 years and it has moved all through her body. It's now in her brain and they're trying some experimental treatments.

To my knowledge......nobody has ever said that life is fair.


Den

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[ChicagoGranny]

Surgery is Thursday and the CT showed no evidence of it having spread. We are hopeful he will be cured after removing his kidney and ureter.

Prayers for your husband and you. So many cancers are treatable today. May your husband's surgery be a total success and his recovery be rapid.