Cpap negative side affects

Before I started treatment, my theatre teacher came to me insisting I look into other forms of treatment. She told me her brother was on cpap therapy and now has severe eye damage. I'm assuming he received the damage from mask leaks. She didn't say how nor did she say any other illnesses he has.

Have any of you had bad responses to your treatment? Do you know of any scientifically proven side affects that come with cpap therapy?

In the event of leak exposure over time, I believe it could lead to dry eye. According to the American Optometric Association, advanced dry eyes may damage the front surface of the eye and impair vision.

http://www.aoa.org/x4717.xml

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/170743.php

It's not too far off base that she claims he has eye damage. He may have a damaged eye (or two). Perhaps his pressure leaks did not wake him up and the continued leaks into his eye(s) over time produced an advanced case of dry eye.

The most common negative side effects I've read about so far are:

aerophagia (gas/bloating)
claustrophobia
frequent waking due to tube being in the way or bumping you
rainout aggravation
red marks on face from too tight of a mask
nasal irritation
nasal congestion
bridge sores
nose bleeds
headaches
ear pressure
sinus pressure
acne or skin irritations from the mask
dry mouth
dry eyes (from air blowing into them)
continued daytime sleepiness even with treatment

I'd have to pry into each side effect to show scientific data, but with enough people on this forum to share their experiences of the same symptom the proven data is unneccessary (for me).

I have only had to deal with aerophagia, nasal irritation, some dry mouth and continued daytime sleepiness (which are ALL getting much better now).

Edited to add links...

I have had the usual - aerophagia, red marks on my face, sinus congestion, and poor quality sleep. If you read enough on forums, you will hear that PAP causes and cures just about every known disease or disorder. It is hard to know what is true and what is just coincidence.

I just know that it is arguably the least invasive and most effective treatment possible for this disorder. The other alternatives are generally much scarier than things such as gas or marks on your face. If you spend time googling other treatments, things get scary real fast. PAP is a walk in the park compared to having your jaw broken in four places and re-positioned or having the inside of your throat scraped out! Even the oral appliance can be a mess with TMJ pain, teeth being knocked out of line, etc. Plus they are stupid expensive.

PAP is my choice, despite lots of issues, because it is the best overall. I want the best treatment possible and will deal w/ all of the unpleasantness to get it.

I have had small issues like leakage and sinus pressure. I did look at other treatments but they seemed more....painful! Overall it's been pretty good but I still have some things that could change! I would choose this over surgery or mouth guards. Although I know those have been valid treatments for many people, for me personally probably not.

IMO...Mask leaks into the eye would be uncomfortable and corrected rather quickly...If you are asleep, your eyes would be closed and the negative effects from the CPAP would be minor.

All of those side effects you have mentioned are really not side effects as they can all be addressed pretty easily. I agree with LSAT that dry eyes can also be addressed by using an over the counter med like Genteal eye drops. We have all at one time or another had all of these problems and have fixed them with help from this forum. I can't see how someone could have really bad eye problems because of cpap air blowing in their eyes, once you notice it you fix it and there is no more problem. In my humble opinion, this person must have had a pre-existing or some "other' reason to have that bad an eye condition. When I was using the quattro, I had eye tearing and swelling from the air blowing into my eyes, went to the doctor to rule out any infection or problem, had none, so just started using Genteal and the problem went away. I no longer use the quattro, so no air blows into my eyes.

There is a very small probability of eye problems not due to leaks, however the probabilities for nasty negative health effects of not using it far far out weigh them.

Compared to most drug therapies and surgery the side effects are almost non existent.

LSAT, some people actually sleep with their eyes open partially or fully. My ophthalmologist suspected that, in combination with my cpap usage, when I started having extreme dry eyes a few years ago. After research and consultation with a dry eye specialist, I rotated different OTC drops during the day (as they have different things in them) and used a thicker gel at night--including Genteal. Using the gel, or any drops at night, didn't really help. The dry eye specialist inserted punctal plugs into one of the tear ducts in each eye, which helps keep more tears in your eyes. That's what really helped. (And also kept up the day drops, warm compresses on my eyes several times a day, and cleaning my eyelids!) Still don't know if I sleep with my eyes open at all (one doc thinks yes; the other no). All I really care about is that the problem improved. I was miserable with the gritty feeling, pain, sensitivity to light, etc. Dry eyes can be a very painful problem if severe enough. And it can cause permanent damage. Although treatable, it's not always something that can be corrected with just OTC drops. (Sometimes sleeping with a special mask for dry eyes can help, too.)

Although FF masks are worse with leaking into the eyes, it's not the only one. Even though I use the Hybrid, the air can leak at the top of the mask and shoot up the side of the noise into the corner of the eye.

I definitely would not say side effects are almost non-existent; some people have many of them. But most of the time they can be successfully addressed without stopping cpap therapy, which is so extremely important to our health. Finding the solution to the side effects is a lot better than surgery or living with untreated OSA.

wearyone,

May I ask what kind of sleeping mask you used for dry eyes? My mother has severe dry eyes and I'm curious.

I use a Tranquileyes mask with my Quattro FFM and its the only way my eyes don't dry out at night.

dragon672,

Here are two sites I check out frequently:

http://www.dryeyeshop.com/storefront.aspx
http://www.eyeeco.com/


I use the Tranquileyes too, but I'm thinking about moving up to something stronger like the Onyix or Quartz mentioned at the above sites.

Pam

Here's one more to watch out for: I saw my primary today because my scalp has been itching and burning and my hair has been falling out, and last night I woke up with pain right where the adjustment latch is on the back strap. Primary said my scalp on the back of my head is angry red and inflamed, and it may be an allergic or sensitivity reaction to the material in the strap of my cpap mask. She prescribed a topical steroid lotion to reduce the inflammation. I didn't really wait that long to get some attention for this, but I now wish I had made an appointment even sooner, right when the itching started because it's very unusual for me, I never have dandruff or any scalp problems. Now my scalp needs to heal and breathe, and I don't know what I'll be doing the next few nights for sleep. I can't sleep on my side without great discomfort from aerophagia and, if I do fall asleep on my side I inevitably wake up with nightmares that get my heart pounding and cause more arousals and awakenings.

I know skin irritation was mentioned in the list of side effects, but most people would be thinking facial skin irritation from the mask. While an unlikely occurrence, head irritation or even an allergic reaction can be caused by the headgear straps. Dont' delay if you have symptoms. This is not fun!

Oh wow! Ive only had my mask cut open my nose which lead to 2 nights without my cpap! I never thought about the straps irritating! Thanks!

Had nasty eye leaks from a Swift FX. When sleeping on my rt side the left eye would be dry and stuck shut. Needed a damp cloth to dissolve the crust so I could open the lid. Changing to the Opus 360 got rid of the problem. The 360 provides firmer support for the pillows: something a side sleeper may need. Remember our faces come in all sizes. Some Masks won't fit well, some not at all. Hopefully you'll find one that fits just right.
Best wishes,
Cindy

Not to minimize any "issues" that some might have w xpap therapy, however the most significant side effect is...ahem...longevity.