Any dangers to doing CPAP?

[Allan-Dallas]

Are there any negatives/dangers to using CPAP? Can having high-pressure air blowing into your nose all night long cause any problems?

I've been suffering from panic attacks since starting CPAP, and wonder if there is a connection. To be clear, the panic does not happen at nite using CPAP. Actually I am quite comfortable. It is during the day. I've had anxiety before CPAP, but never had panic attacks this I have had this week. I'll also add that since starting CPAP, I have been sleeping terribly, so I'm sure this is not helping. When I say terribly, as far as I know I sleep through the nite, but wake up exhausted.

So, can CPAP is bad for you?

[Country4ever]

Hi Allan,
I've wondered the same thing and look forward to the answers.
When I was going through perimenopause, I would wake up gasping, heart pounding, in a total panic. I would also have panic episodes during the day. In retrospect, it wouldn't surprise me if they were related to the sleep apnea. I'm sure the hormonal changes were contributing to the apnea too.
Has anyone looked at your numbers? Just because you're using your machine, doesn't mean its settings are helping you. You might still be getting horrible sleep. Can you talk to your doc about looking at the information from the machine and maybe he/she could make some changes that would help? Also.....is there a better mask for you?
Do you have other things going on in your life that might be keeping your really stressed out all night too?
Maybe you could use something like an occasional xanax?
Do you have any other medical problems that might need looked at?

[dieselgal]

I think the biggest danger would be not using CPAP if you were diagnosed with SA. If your settings are correct I don't know of any dangers other than you might get gas and strap marks.

[Robbie]

My guess is that this might be a varied response thread - but here is one person's experience. I have struggled off and on with anxiety for a few years now. The kind that just comes out of nowhere and pow. It never seems to occur for any good reason, but it's real to me. In the 5 weeks that I've been on CPAP, the anxiety has been MIA - gone - non-existent.

Was mine the normative experience? Maybe not. Is it purely coincidence? Maybe. Anyone who has been in situations where you sleep little for extended periods of time knows that it messes up your emotions. Intuitively, you would think that better sleep leads to healthier emotions.

That said, anxiety can be caused by a number of things I guess. I'd be very surprised if CPAP contributed to daytime anxiety - but them again I'm not a doctor - nor do I play one on TV.

None of the abovde was meant to make light of your experience or the reality of it. I'd be curious how this works out for you over time as it's the second mention of the situation I've seen over the last few days.

I wish you well.

[Perchancetodream]

I think that the biggest danger of CPAP therapy may well be that we tend to use it to explain all of the symptoms that we experience. Especially when they seem to occur or worsen with the onset of therapy or a change in therapy. The danger is that we may be overlooking the actual cause of the symptoms.

Your increase in panic attacks might be related to your sleep (or lack of it), and then again, they may have an entirely different cause. Perhaps your doctor could explore other possibilities with you.

Susan

[Guest]

The cpap treatment is working on to recover your metapolism and increase your hormone hence working to recover your perimenopause. Like snoredog said "Is only air it wont kill you". Perhaps have some sort erotic sweating execise will reduce your body nature desire (panic attack) that long been forgoten....like my doctor said. After that everything was blue beautiful sky and haven on earth ........ Hope this help.