My husband called me this morning at work and pretty much bit my head off because some guy at his company died in his sleep last night due to sleep apnea and he was only 33 years old. It just so happened that I accidently fell asleep last night forgeting to put my cpap on and apparently woke him up thoughout the night gasping for air. I am only 31 and just got diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea 3 weeks ago (because my husband made me go get the sleep study done) and started on cpap 2 weeks ago. Sooooo, now he's freaking out that he's gonna wake up next to me not breathing at all if I don't have the cpap on.
Is it really that serious???
Does this mean that on those rare Sunday afternoons when I have nothing to do and I get to take that lovely 2-3 hour nap on the couch that I'm going to have to drag the cpap out of the bedroom. What about when I accidently fall asleep watching the 6:00 news after work?
Just how compliant do I really need to be? Should I be freaking out too?
Sorry for babbling on and on - I also have severe general anxiety - Luckily there are medications for that!
How real is the chance of dying in your sleep due to apnea?
Ask Reggie White... Yes it can happen, does it happen all the time? Don't know, but personally if there is a chance, why would you want to play russian roulette? If I take a nap, its with CPAP, if I am tired, I go to bed to make sure that I have it on. Am I being too anal about it? Maybe, but I know I won't have as high a risk of dying from SA if I am 100% compliant.
It's very rare, according to my sleep doctor. Your body is programmed to notice when it's short on oxygen (or actually, when it's got excess CO2, which in this case is the same thing) and do something about it.
Not to say that it can't happen, but far and away your most likely damage is from the O2 saturation drop from repeated Apnea events causing long term organ damage.
I suspect people who just stop breathing and die have something else going on as well, and that perhaps it's some form of obscure central apnea rather than OSA.
Liam, who isn't a doctor, but assumes the world follows logical principles, even though annoyingly, it often doesn't.
Not to say that it can't happen, but far and away your most likely damage is from the O2 saturation drop from repeated Apnea events causing long term organ damage.
I suspect people who just stop breathing and die have something else going on as well, and that perhaps it's some form of obscure central apnea rather than OSA.
Liam, who isn't a doctor, but assumes the world follows logical principles, even though annoyingly, it often doesn't.
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crazyone,
It's not likely, but can happen. It's more likely that if you sleep without your cpap you will wake up feeling like crap. It's also more likely (as Liam said) that over time you will do damage to organs like your heart and your brain. If you think you might not need these in the future then just ignor your husband. Otherwise be thankful he is badgering you.
It's not likely, but can happen. It's more likely that if you sleep without your cpap you will wake up feeling like crap. It's also more likely (as Liam said) that over time you will do damage to organs like your heart and your brain. If you think you might not need these in the future then just ignor your husband. Otherwise be thankful he is badgering you.
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
But by that logic walking out in front of busses should be safe because it is rare that people get hit by them.Liam1965 wrote:It's very rare, according to my sleep doctor. Your body is programmed to notice when it's short on oxygen (or actually, when it's got excess CO2, which in this case is the same thing) and do something about it.
Not to say that it can't happen, but far and away your most likely damage is from the O2 saturation drop from repeated Apnea events causing long term organ damage.
I suspect people who just stop breathing and die have something else going on as well, and that perhaps it's some form of obscure central apnea rather than OSA.
Liam, who isn't a doctor, but assumes the world follows logical principles, even though annoyingly, it often doesn't.
Rare is meaningless to those left behind because you became a statistic...
Many people died in sleep. But, exactly how much OSA is to be blamed for ? Not clear.
There is a case report recently, an old lady died in her sleep while she was doing her sleep study.
The study showed that she stopped breathing then the heart beat became slower and slower and finally stopped beating.
(Reference: Death During Polysomnography of a Patient With Cheyne-Stokes Respiration, Respiratory Acidosis, and Chronic Heart Failure
Philippe Bordier et al. Chest 2004 126: 1698-1700. http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content ... 126/5/1698 )
Liam is right, our body is programmed to notice when the O2 is too low or CO2 is too high and will do something about it.
This is true only for people withuot heart or brain problem.
For people with heart or brain problem(perhaps as a long term result of OSA), the O2 might be too low that the brain or heart are not able to response(or response with a severe arrythmia) and will go to a point of no return.
Some of the sudden death during sleep, which was previously attributed to stroke or heart attack, could be initiated by a sleep apnea event.
We have to wait for more evidence/data to answer the question. May be it is not rare, but just unrecognized so far.
Before that, I agree with Mikesus, whenever possible, put your CPAP on.
There is a case report recently, an old lady died in her sleep while she was doing her sleep study.
The study showed that she stopped breathing then the heart beat became slower and slower and finally stopped beating.
(Reference: Death During Polysomnography of a Patient With Cheyne-Stokes Respiration, Respiratory Acidosis, and Chronic Heart Failure
Philippe Bordier et al. Chest 2004 126: 1698-1700. http://www.chestjournal.org/cgi/content ... 126/5/1698 )
Liam is right, our body is programmed to notice when the O2 is too low or CO2 is too high and will do something about it.
This is true only for people withuot heart or brain problem.
For people with heart or brain problem(perhaps as a long term result of OSA), the O2 might be too low that the brain or heart are not able to response(or response with a severe arrythmia) and will go to a point of no return.
Some of the sudden death during sleep, which was previously attributed to stroke or heart attack, could be initiated by a sleep apnea event.
We have to wait for more evidence/data to answer the question. May be it is not rare, but just unrecognized so far.
Before that, I agree with Mikesus, whenever possible, put your CPAP on.
http://tssm.org.tw/sleepforum
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I never said not to use your CPAP. What I said was if you happen to either forget it or take it off in the night, don't panic that suddenly you're going to wake up dead. (er, um..., I mean...)
There have always been unexplained deaths. Heck, after a certain age, any unexplained death is ruled to be "death by old age". Unless there are SUSPICIOUS circumstances, autopsies are rarely performed.
When someone dies, they stop breathing. This is an apnea event. Their heart also stops beating. This is a cardiac arrest. But the fact that the dead stopped breathing doesn't mean that's the CAUSE of their death. They could have had a stroke, or an aneurism. They could have had any a heart attack.
I don't doubt that there are odd conditions where rare people might not register the lessening O2, and might just never start breathing again. But according to the sleep doctor at my sleep clinic, apnea almost never kills anyone directly.
Now, that's sort of splitting hairs. AIDS never killed anyone directly, either. It simply reduces your immune system to the point that any old infection comes along and kills you.
I'd never suggest that someone intentionally stop using their CPAP machine, but I don't think it's worth scaring the bajeesus out of someone who occasionally doses off before putting it on, or takes it off in the night.
Liam, who occasionally doses off before putting it on, or takes it off in the night. But he's talking about underwear.
There have always been unexplained deaths. Heck, after a certain age, any unexplained death is ruled to be "death by old age". Unless there are SUSPICIOUS circumstances, autopsies are rarely performed.
When someone dies, they stop breathing. This is an apnea event. Their heart also stops beating. This is a cardiac arrest. But the fact that the dead stopped breathing doesn't mean that's the CAUSE of their death. They could have had a stroke, or an aneurism. They could have had any a heart attack.
I don't doubt that there are odd conditions where rare people might not register the lessening O2, and might just never start breathing again. But according to the sleep doctor at my sleep clinic, apnea almost never kills anyone directly.
Now, that's sort of splitting hairs. AIDS never killed anyone directly, either. It simply reduces your immune system to the point that any old infection comes along and kills you.
I'd never suggest that someone intentionally stop using their CPAP machine, but I don't think it's worth scaring the bajeesus out of someone who occasionally doses off before putting it on, or takes it off in the night.
Liam, who occasionally doses off before putting it on, or takes it off in the night. But he's talking about underwear.
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Liam, I agree, odds are for the average sleep apnea patient it wouldn't matter other than a lousy night of sleep. Most of us went a LOOONG time before diagnosis.
But, knowing what we do now, we have to admit that we are at a higher risk. We can reduce this risk by using CPAP treatment. Personally I don't like playing the odds when it comes to my health, but others may feel differently...
But, knowing what we do now, we have to admit that we are at a higher risk. We can reduce this risk by using CPAP treatment. Personally I don't like playing the odds when it comes to my health, but others may feel differently...
Perhaps, but there are more variables than that.Mikesus wrote:Personally I don't like playing the odds when it comes to my health, but others may feel differently...
For example, I've been spending more than half of my sleep time NOT on the CPAP, because I can't seem to get restful sleep with it on.
Is there a higher risk for me in not wearing it? Perhaps, but compared to the MUCH higher risk of driving after not having gotten any appreciable sleep for 3 or 4 days, I tend to think the odds of my succumbing to SADS (Sudden Adult Death Syndrome) are insignificant by comparison.
That may not directly relate to this case, but there is more to consider than just "sleep with it on" vs "sleep with it off", and until we know all of the considerations, I don't see any point in fear-mongering.
Putting it another way: If I'm prescribed a medication, it's best if I take it, and don't miss a dose. But for most conditions, missing one does isn't going to kill you, it may just slightly delay your full recovery. Does it make sense to run around like chicken little, yelling about the sky falling, and generally raising the patient's stress level? Or does it make more sense to say "Well, no, your risk isn't high. It's still better to take every does on time, but if you miss one here or there, don't sweat over it too much."
My view, my take, my two cents to spend as I see fit.
Liam, very tired from trying to sleep with CPAP last night. Not feeling funny.
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Crazyone, first off appreciate the fact that he is freaking out. Obviously he cares enough to freak out. Secondly I would try to keep that in mind so you will remember to be compliant, as it appears in your case you are doing it for others as well as yourself. Will it kill you to miss a night? Probably not, but it would probably lower your anxiety and his if you don't...
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Thank you both Mikesus and Liam1965! You both are very helpful. Actually, there's more to learn about aleep apnea on this forum than all of the sleep disorder websites I've browsed on the internet. It's nice to know there are so many people out there dealing with this craziness too. Thank you all for providing "Sleep Apnea 101 for Dummies".
I will continue my effort to use the cpap everynight throughout the night. I believe it will take a long time for me to be fully compliant though. I love sleeping as much as I love Vegas but its difficult getting use to having something suctioned to your face and straped around your head.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure which type of Apnea I have. One doctors visit and the sleep study was the length of my efforts in order to end the night time noises. Luckily, this is apparently genetic and my father had and extra cpap machine. That helped avoid the $1000 insurance deductible!!!!! The one doctor assumed that it was not Obstructive sleep apnea since I am of average weight, though all he did was take a looksy in my mouth with a stick and a light. Would the technical report from my sleep study shed some light? I never returned the phone call to the respiratory tech since the insurance did not cover that either. Is it helpful to know which type you have? Heart problems are also common in my family. Which I guess increases my chances for additional problems.
Is it necessary to have a medical professional that monitors your apnea?
I just hate to spend money on things that I need and are not at all frivalous!
(Typical Female)
I will continue my effort to use the cpap everynight throughout the night. I believe it will take a long time for me to be fully compliant though. I love sleeping as much as I love Vegas but its difficult getting use to having something suctioned to your face and straped around your head.
Unfortunately, I'm not sure which type of Apnea I have. One doctors visit and the sleep study was the length of my efforts in order to end the night time noises. Luckily, this is apparently genetic and my father had and extra cpap machine. That helped avoid the $1000 insurance deductible!!!!! The one doctor assumed that it was not Obstructive sleep apnea since I am of average weight, though all he did was take a looksy in my mouth with a stick and a light. Would the technical report from my sleep study shed some light? I never returned the phone call to the respiratory tech since the insurance did not cover that either. Is it helpful to know which type you have? Heart problems are also common in my family. Which I guess increases my chances for additional problems.
Is it necessary to have a medical professional that monitors your apnea?
I just hate to spend money on things that I need and are not at all frivalous!
(Typical Female)
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wading thru the muck!
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Did your Doc tell you that a majority of heart attacks happen before 9am. Your body is so beat from not breatheing during the night. O2 levels are at their lowest. Take a stressfull drive to work . Have a cup of coffee and donut and Wham. Your in an ambulance if your the lucky one. Dead on the floor otherwise.
I'd play it safe. Why tempt fate.
Chris
I'd play it safe. Why tempt fate.
Chris