NEWLY DIAGNOSED SLEEP APNOEA SUFFERER

[gale4cwinds]

Hi everyone,

I have severe sleep apnoea and have been put on CPAP. I am finding great difficulty using this machine as I suffer greatly with panic attacks and even though I was looking forward to using the machine on the first night, so that I could finally start feeling refreshed again, I suffered one of my worse panic attacks ever ( I have suffered with these attacks for the past 17yrs). Ever since then I dread using the machine. I dread going to bed! I go around every day with dread of the night time knowing I have to use this machine. I also feel that having to use the machine every night adds to the dread because I don't feel like a normal person any more. Normal to me was going to bed without a machine and sleeping comfortably. When I finally relax (a bit) with the mask on, I manage to fall asleep for a bit but then wake up on a regular basis during the night, which I never did when I wasn't using the machine. I also want to add that I am 35 yrs old and would like to know if there are any other sufferers out there around my age.

[cindjo717]

I am 49 now, but I think that I had sleep Apnea since my thirties at least. I also have panic disorder, I wonder how many sleep apnea sufferers have it too. I also wonder if there's a connection with the loss of oxygen during apnea events that triggers panic disorder... hmmmmm First what type of mask are you using? You can go to your settings/profile and put in your machine, software, mask et al there, so we all can see.. You might do better with a different style mask. During my sleep titration study I was given a nasal pillow mask,my being a mouth breather made this extremely uncomfortable and I had panic attacks very badly while trying it. I switched to full face (one would think this would be worse) and it actually feels so much better. I found that with the nasal pillow mask, my breathing out of my mouth made a suction type of feeling and I felt like I was being suffocated.

[Newbie Woman]

There's another newbie posting about panic attacks now and it might help you to read some of her responses.

[Coffeelover]

I was the same way. Very claustrophobic, and when I would put the mask on at night I couldn't sleep. I was scared for some reason. I even slept for awhile with a night light on which is something that I never do. But it did get better. I decided that I would wear it for a little while each night and try to work up to all night. There is no rush. Just take it one night at a time. You can quit anytime you want to. (This is what you tell yourself.) Now, about 2 months later it has already begun to make a big difference in my sleep. I am sleeping very deeply each night and starting to feel more energetic during the day. Even my insomnia is going away. I chose a nasal pillow and now am very comfortable and relaxed with it. Good luck. You are not alone. Don't look at it as a prison sentence. One night at a time...

[wmcanally]

I too am a new Sleep Apnea person. I also have anxiety. When i had my second study where i wore my nasal mask i thought this isn't gonna work. It felt like i couldn't breath, and was having to inhale very deep to get air in. I haven't received script yet, ill get that this week. But i think i will be getting a face make not a nose mask. I'm not clear on what a nasal pillow is? I finally relaxed enough to go to sleep. The tech said i did fine. But when i was told to sleep on my back it was alot harder to breath it felt like to me. I'm a 44 year old male whos had anxiety for 10 years. My BP is always high when i go to the doctor or its borderline high. Monitored at home its very normal. After I'm there a while i relax. This happened even on medication to treat anxiety. I'm determined to use the CPAP and get my apnea under control.. Theres so many things to decide. My doctor has recommended a machine, but I'm not sure if thats what ill get. Not sure what the insurance is going to pay for. Things are pretty tight so i wont have alot of flexibility if theres a large out of pocket cost for the machine.

Good luck to you!!

[SleepingUgly]

It's possible your anxiety will decrease with effective treatment of your OSA. The tough part will be overcoming these issues to use the mask. There are psychologists who are certified in behavioral sleep medicine that can help.

[sheep1234]

In the beginning (I've been on cpap since 10/09) I hated it too!! I was so mad that I had to wear this thing! Why me? whine, complain....I didn't want anyone to see me. I felt like I was the only one.

But now...I wish, wish, wish I had had it a few years sooner! Now I see the benefits of being on cpap and I appreciate it every time I put it on. Now I'm trying to get my husband to do a sleep study because he snores...not real loud, but enough to wake me up or prevent me from falling asleep and he suffers from migraines. He does NOT wanna go and I'm like "I took care of my snoring/health issue. Why can't you?" Also, my mom snores terribly and has bad dreams. She soooo needs to be on cpap, but she's being a big baby about it too. lol I just wanna shake them both so bad.

Try to become acclimated to it little by little. I would sit on my bed and wear my mask for a bit. Try to think of it as a new toy and only YOU get to enjoy it. The annoyance of having to wear a mask FAR outweighs what could happen if you don't!

[gale4cwinds]

I would like to thank those who have replied to my post so far. I found them all to be very helpful. @ cindjo717, I breath through my nose and so started off with a nasal mask, however, after having severe panic attacks using this mask, I asked to be given the nasal pillows. I did find a huge difference using this and much easier to use at first but then I started getting awful sores in the inside of my nose and also it felt that the inside of my nose was freezing with the air even though I increased/decreased the settings in my humidifier. I ended up going back to using the nasal mask again but still get panic attacks and not even getting a full night sleep. I woke this morning at 4.00am & then that just sets the anxiety off all over again. I know it feels that all I'm doing is groaning over everything but just want my life back again without having dread of using the machine and having panic attacks over it. I am finding t very difficult knowing that I need a machine now to sleep at night @ Newbie Woman, I certainly will check out the post from the other newcomer. Thank you. @ Coffeelover, I too need to sleep with the main bedroom light on now. It's like being a child all over again and being afraid of the dark Did you have any problems using the nasal pillows and if you did they get better @ wmcanally, I hope you get your sleep apnoea sorted and that you get the help/machine you need. Keep me posted. @ SleepingUgly & @ sheep1234, thank you both for your replies also. I think I will have to take it little by little - even though doing that much sends me into a panic as well. Here's hoping it does sort out my panic issues. I have been trying to tell myself that if it was another type of illness and I needed a machine as a treatment to overcome it, then I would have to use it but it doesn't seem to be working YET Once again though, thank you all for your replies. They do help

[Pugsy]

I asked to be given the nasal pillows. I did find a huge difference using this and much easier to use at first but then I started getting awful sores in the inside of my nose and also it felt that the inside of my nose was freezing with the air even though I increased/decreased the settings in my humidifier.

Sores inside the nose?
Either wrong sized nasal pillows or the headgear is simply too tight. Only the tiny tips of the inner cones go into the nostril and then just barely. Don't know which nasal pillow mask you tried but take a peek at this video to see if perhaps the top strap was too tight. Top video is for the Swift FX like I use but the principle is the same for all nasal pillow masks. Only the little cones fit inside (and just barely) and little tension is need to keep the rim of the nasal pillow sitting next to the nostril. (they do have videos for other nasal pillow mask brands)
http://www.cpaplibrary.com/nasal-pillows.html

Ice cube nose?
I have had that despite having humidifier turned all the way up. Room air temp is cooler and will cool the air going up the long hose. I solved it by adding a hose cozy to insulate the long hose so that there isn't so much of a drop in the air temp going up the hose. If that doesn't warm up the ice cube nose enough there are heated hoses available (pricey) and even a home made heated hose option with using reptile heater cable.
Hose cozies available at cpap.com...online suppliers and even Ebay. With varying fleece density. Fleece is nice because lightweight but still offers good insulation.
I use one from Padacheeks. A little heavier fleece but needed since I like much cooler bedroom temp.
http://www.padacheek.com/PAC_Hosecover.html

Good luck. For some people all this adjustment just is hard to manage but whatever problems you have had, I can bet someone here has also had them and can offer ideas on how to minimize them.

[RomeinDNVR]

I also suffer from axiety issues, have most of my life. I am 31 years old and just started CPAP 3 weeks ago. I had severe anxiety attacks after my second night of use, after speaking with my Doc he gave me an RX for Ambien to help me get through this transition period. I don't take it every night, but as you probably know from your own experience, I can tell when I have a lot of anxiety that will just increase in magnitude once I mask up. It is on those nights I take an Ambien to help get me through it.

One piece of advice I can offer is to spend a couple hours before bed with your mask and machine on and just read or watch TV. It really helped me get used to how it feels to breath and become more accustumed to wearing a mask.

I have noticed that there are a lot of people on this board that are against taking sleeping meds, however I would guess that they do not suffer from severe anxiety. Talk to your doctor and let him/her know what you are going through, it is very normal to feel the way you do.

There is nothing worse than experiencing a panic attack, anyone that has not expereienced one would have a hard time understanding what it does to you during and after... fear does last well after the attack is over.

Good luck to you.

Rome

[Pugsy]

I have noticed that there are a lot of people on this board that are against taking sleeping meds, however I would guess that they do not suffer from severe anxiety. Talk to your doctor and let him/her know what you are going through, it is very normal to feel the way you do.

I have noticed this also and I am a firm believer that there is a time and place for just about anything. That includes sleeping pills or whatever. Sometimes we just gotta do what we gotta do but always as with any sort of medication I think a complete discussion about any meds is needed just to make sure everyone is on the same page as to what is wanted and what is expected and what might happen.

The brain is the most powerful drug of all and if it is in the middle of a panic attack it will rule and everything else will take a second chair. Sometimes we just have to help the brain out a bit whether it be with behavioral therapy modifications or even meds.

[Newbie Woman]

Others have said much of what I'm going to say, but here's my story anyway.

I've always had issues about things on my face. I'm claustrophobic in a lot of situations. I had some really unfortunate medical treatment when I was small and I believe many of my fears and furies come from that.

I can do an MRI if I ask the tech to say I can end the test whenever I want. I've even told them to lie to me if I can't. The sense that I have control eases the fear.

The same with masks. Don't ever try to pin me down and put one on me because I'm pretty sure I would fight you. But if I calmly, quietly tell myself that I can take a mask off any moment I want to, I do well.

I expected CPAP therapy to be my worst enemy, and I denied I needed it until my husband thought I died one night and made me go to his sleep doctor.

Surprisingly, I took to CPAP like a duck to water, but I had to do a lot of self talk to keep myself calm. Plus, I think I have a very gentle machine. The first night though, I started panicking and it started shoving air into me and I thought I was going to lose it. I hated that machine. I turned it off until I was calm again. When I turned it back on, I breathed like a normal person and it returned the favor.

When it wasn't going well, I told myself I could do anything for four hours, which I had to do for insurance purposes. I could lie awake for four hours if need be. I have insomnia, and I could lie awake all night. I fell asleep.

After four months of therapy, I can truthfully say I love my machine and my mask. They've made a huge positive difference in my life.

[Coffeelover]

I never had a real problem using the nasal pillows, except that I had to fidget with it to get the air blowing in exactly the right spot up my nose in order to feel as though I could breathe easier. That went on for a few weeks but now I just put it on and don't worry about it. I never had sores. I do keep it slightly loose, and sometimes I have a tiny leak but I can adjust it quickly.