Long-Term Effects

[Gazhacks]

Has there been or is there going to be any studies for long term use of Cpap? Surely with extra pressure on our lungs will this in the long term damage them. I have looked for reports on the subject but what I found seemed very vague. With people like Corky opting out of cpap after several years it got me thinking how I will feel when I reach a long term milestone. I know of only one true cure for sleep apnea and is in use today but find this very invasive (Tracheostomy) I havent read up on many other alternatives like implants but surely if they worked then we would have heard about them as they would be worth billions to the medical industry.

Im hopefull that in another 10 years or so there will be alternatives to being a hosehead as I dont want to be strapped to my machine for life not just because of the comfort factor but because the lack of knowledge on what Cpap/Apap is doing to us, for better or for worse.

[BlackSpinner]

There is no "pressure on the lungs". The pressure splints the airway open. I have actually found breathing clean humid air is beneficial for the lungs. Using my cpap machine when I had pneumonia drastically reduced healing times and made the whole experience more comfortable.

Even if it does create some problems the alternative is death anyway so I would prefer some lung issues and being alive to bitch about it then having died from a stroke.

[xenablue]

Here! Here! BlackSpinner!

Gazhacks - in the 'olden days' people just died from either just not waking up, or from the complications of untreated OSA. IMHO XPAP is a miracle treatment which is an amazing list of PROS.

I don't have to worry about whether it reacts with any of my meds.

There are no side effects apart from being able to breathe all night when asleep. (Oh, I forget my past life sometimes - here in the U.S. every med you can imagine is advertised on the telly for every ailment you can think of. You can't believe this, but half the ad. time is taken up with telling you about the side effects of that med - including death. When I came here from Australia I was flabbergasted that you could watch ads. for SERIOUS meds, so I'm thinking you don't have these ads. in the UK either?

OK, so strapping a mask on every night is a PITA, but considering the alternative - I'm all for something as innocuous as a CPAP keep my airway open - don't care what the long-term effects are as they can't be worse than any single med I'm taking now, all of which are in a carefully balanced cocktail to minimise reactions, but keep my body humming along.

I noticed from your pics the other day that you are a young, fit, spirited and otherwise healthy young man (from what I could see) and if all you have medically is OSA, I can see why your question would be of concern for you, but think about it - fresh, clean air, humidified and warmed to your specification - can't really be too bad for you, even in the long run.

Cheers,
xena

PS - don't ever change your avatar - I LOVE it!

[Matty332]

The bodies capacity for healing is AMAZING. I am sure that if you took up heavy cardiovascular workout after a long time on CPAP your lungs would strengthen and sort themselves out - that is if CPAP is doing anything to the lungs. I doubt it is - the lungs are meant to take in air, probably at most pressures. They love air - and the CPAP gives it too them. Perhaps the CPAP is making the lungs more durable too who knows? Slightly pressurized air - shouldn't do any harm

[Lizistired]

I have to admit I have not increased my cardio activity in hopes of increasing my lung function and possibly decreasing my need for xpap.
I should.
Who has?
What are you results?

[chunkyfrog]

There are all levels of 'help' we use to enhance our health, longevity, and quality of life.
I wear glasses and a hearing aid, and I had RK so my glasses are MUCH thinner now than when I was a kid.
My Autoset is a very small concession to a longer, healthier life than would have been my lot otherwise.

[peterg]

There are all levels of 'help' we use to enhance our health, longevity, and quality of life.
I wear glasses and a hearing aid, and I had RK so my glasses are MUCH thinner now than when I was a kid.
My Autoset is a very small concession to a longer, healthier life than would have been my lot otherwise.

I have experienced one big negative since starting CPAP, it brings out a fairly severe (difficult to move) stab in the back pain between the shoulder blades. It disappeared when I stopped the study month, and reappeared when i purchased my machine a few months later. It was alleviate when I went down to 3-7cfm and increased when Ive gone back to 4-7 There is an underlying issue with that muscle or joints, but the CPAP is the trigger. I think it is the extra movement of the lungs all night, and I'd imagine it would be similar in arthritic or rheumatoid people (I dont know what my problem is ... yet). nonetheless it is still worth it). I 'm not asking for advice here folks, I agree that CPAP is necessary to stick with, but I disagree that there are no side effects for all people.

another long term side effects is hanging out in CPAP forums, but that's more of a mental health issue and is fixable to some degree

[Lizistired]

So, has anyone increased their cardio activity with the intent to improve lung function and possibly reduce the need for cpap or it's pressure?

[BlackSpinner]

So, has anyone increased their cardio activity with the intent to improve lung function and possibly reduce the need for cpap or it's pressure?

Cpap has to do with the throat becoming obstructed by collapsing or the tongue not staying put depending on ones architecture. No amount of aerobics is going to make a difference.

[MaxDarkside]

For me, it's do or die and I already did the die part, so now I'm doing the do part. xPAP does stretch my lungs. I have a lot more lung capacity, thank you very much. Long term effect? I could care less. It's better than dying in a parking lot.

I'll go for the LONG TERM effect, please. The longer the better (wink).

[chunkyfrog]

In the first few days, I noticed a little back and shoulder pain--probably due to not moving around in bed as much.
Later, that pain went away, along with many other aches and pains (of which I had not been overtly aware).
My stamina went from barely able to run 100' to running a couple blocks without even breathing heavy.
No bad effects for me at all. BRING IT ON!

[unsuspected Severe OSA]

As to Lizistired's questions, both my husband and I have noticed that our baseline heart rates are lower, and it's harder to get the heart rate up to max and my recovery is faster. These are positive effects. Unlike MaxDarkside, I haven't noted any increased lung capacity with swimming or playing the saxophone, but it's only been 5 months.

The long-term side effect is worry about is the drying of the eyes (inducing corneal dystrophy), increasing the eye pressure (glaucoma) or other unknown effects. But now feeling great, I'll just use the nightly OTC eye ointment and have my eye pressures checked annually. Any one else doing preventative CPAP side effect maintenance?

[Carl LaFong]

What I noticed after beginning CPAP was that I was breathing better during the day -- deeper, easier and more regular breaths during normal activity. I'm sure that's still the case but I've probably gotten used to it now and don't notice it. So, I'd offer improved breathing as a long-term effect.

[Linus]

Mild pressures in the lungs is fine in my opinion. There are people who have been hooked up to a ventilator for years In a comatose state. Pressure in a ventilator is much higher than a cpap. I have not heard of lung damage as a result of ventilator use. My thoughts here are anecdotal.

You pose a good question. Long term effects: improved sleep. improved cardio vascular health. Improved oxygen levels. Improved focus and concentration. Lower incidents of sleeping at the wheel. Reduction in sinus infections. Etc.

Physiologically I do not see any peer reviewed studies for cpap effects that change our lungs.

[WearyOne]

Well, I have had some negative semi-long-time effects, but they don't outweigh the health benefits I know I'm gaining. The negatives are increased dental problems due to dry mouth from cpap. I use a hybrid so my mouth and nose are both covered with the mask but I'm guessing since I still have my mouth open a lot within the mask, it's still drying my mouth out a lot. And have messed with the humidity setting a multitude of times to no avail. And I have neck problems because of the strap and apparently the odd positions I get my head in at night to keep the mask from leaking. I'm a very light sleeper and even a small leak can wake me up.

The positives are I don't wake up with a pounding heart like I did about once a month before I went on cpap. I also don't wake up as much. And I know my health will be better.