Question for other xPAP users with Asthma, and a ‘Hello’

MarcHines · Post by **MarcHines** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 12:06 pm

Greetings all!

I have made it through my first week of APAP use. Nights have progressed from the first night of ‘no matter what I do this mask really hurts’ to the last few nights where the mask is only a minor annoyance.

My path to getting an APAP was (based on reading other posts) pretty typical. Constant fatigue, and ‘running out of gas’ about 3:00 p.m. most days has lead me through several years of trying to figure out what was wrong.

I had tests for various causes of chronic fatigue (all negative), the big pulmonary test to see if my asthma has suddenly gotten worse (a.k.a the ‘glass phone booth’ test) with x-rays of the lungs. They showed no change that would justify the fatigue. I also got to do the cardiology stress test to see if my heart was the issue. It was fine (thankfully).

My pulmonary doctor, who is also a sleep doctor, had suggested the possibility of sleep apnea. Finally, I had a positive on a test. Then I had second visit to the sleep lab to get my pressure level setting.

The thing is: My Doctor has Asthma patients and Sleep Apnea patients, but at this time I am his only patient with both.

After the first test, I made an effort to get better sleep even without yet having an xPAP machine. I had noticed that nights when I got more sleep (such as it was), I had fewer asthma symptoms during the following day.

SO HERE IS THE QUESTION: Those of you who were asthma suffers before xPAP, do you recall noticing any changes (better or worse) once you started your xPAP therapy?

Thanks in advance for your input!

Marc...

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:23 pm

I have asthma and sleep apnea, along with severe allergies.

My inhaled allergies seem better with the filtered humifified air from my apap. Although I am still taking two prescribed allergy meds.

My apap hasn't helped or hindered my asthma as far as I can tell at this point.

This is just my own experience.

cflame1 · Post by **cflame1** » Mon Dec 31, 2007 2:29 pm

For the most part the only thing that has happened between my asthma and my sleep apnea is that unless I'm sick, then I'm not waking up having to use my inhaler.

My sleep doc is also a pulmy... he treats asthma patients. Don't know if he has others that have both, but he's pretty good at figuring out what's going on with me.

Babette · Post by **Babette** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:47 pm

I don't notice any change to my asthma since starting CPAP - not better, not worse.

I do think my inhaled allergies are lessened. Not 100% gone, but better.

Great thing finding a doc that does both!!! I'm having trouble finding both. I tried to switch to the new pulmonologist in my old doc's practice that is a sleep specialist and THEY SAID I COULDN'T DO IT!

I complained, and after a week, they said I could switch only if I came in and saw the old doc first. I saw no reason to give them a boat payment, so I slammed the phone down after giving them a piece of my mind.

The downside is I still haven't seen a pulmonologist since starting CPAP, and I really need to.

Oh well... Some days my emotional immaturity amazes even me.

LOL,
B.

MarcHines · Post by **MarcHines** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 11:05 am

Thanks to all who kindly responded.

So far, it appears that:

1) xPAP does not seem to make asthma worse (which is good) and
2) in some cases seems to help a little.

This matches my own limitied observations so far. Cool.

Marc...