anxiety attacks

[cijit]

Hi I am new to this forum . I have been on cpap since nov 05 and have experienced anxiety attacks during the day since starting cpap .
The sleep specialist has only seen this in clastaphobic people ,but I am not .I tend to wake feeling tense . I have had a couple of afternoon snoozes on weekends without the cpap and awake feeling relaxed .
Has any one had this problem or know of it and its cause .

[Julie]

Well, what some people do is wear the mask when they are awake at home, while reading, watching TV, etc. and just get used to having it on, til they feel more comfortable about it. Be sure you're not wearing it too tight at night, because if you are doing it (to stop leaks), either try loosening it just a bit and see if it makes a difference, or if you do have air leaks, speak to whoever fitted it for you and either have it refitted (better), or consider a different mask (there are a lot out there). Some people also use short term 'Ambien' (a light sleeping pill) for a short time while adjusting to CPAP, and your MD might be able to help you with that. That's really the person to talk to about anxiety anyway. Good luck.

[Jerry69]

The anxiety attacks could be coincidental. I had anxiety attacks 30 years ago, but they had nothing to do with CPAP. There was no such thing as CPAP then.

Fact is, I/we never figured out what caused my anxiety. It went away after a while. Yours will, too. I promise.

Jerry

[Shelly]

Jerry - I don't know you at all, and vice versa, and I'm sure you are the salt of the earth, but don't you think it might be a tad cavalier, if not irresponsible to 'promise' him something you know nothing about regardless of your own experience, let alone that I'm not aware you're a doctor? I realize you probably mean well, but ...

[NightHawkeye]

I have been on cpap since nov 05 and have experienced anxiety attacks during the day since starting cpap . . . Has any one had this problem or know of it and its cause.

Since CPAP involves breathing, you might want to consider whether your anxiety attacks are triggered by hyperventilation. It could be that you are simply more prone to hyperventilation as the result of CPAP therapy. (It can change your CO2 thresholds a little.) If it is hyperventilation, the good news is that if you just remember to exhale slowly after every breath, your CO2 levels will normalize very quickly.

Be aware that once you hyperventilate and blow off all your CO2 you will, sure enough, be having a full blown panic attack, because you will not be able to breathe. EXHALE VERY SLOWLY. If you're dealing with hyperventilation, things will get better in just a minute or two this way.

Been there, done that, don't intend to do it again.

Regards,
Bill

[Darth Vader Look]

As NightHawkeye has said, you could be hyperventilating meaning too much oxygen intake. If you are hyperventilating simply breathe into a paper bag as if you were blowing it up to pop but re-breathe the air in the bag. This helps you as you re-breathe some of the CO2 which helps restore the natural breathing. It also gets you concentrating on how you breathe and controlling your breathing so that the paper bag will not be needed at some point.

[NightHawkeye]

. . . simply breathe into a paper bag . . .

This technique works quite well, however, it is not always convenient to do this or to carry a suitably sized paper bag on one's person at all times. Exhaling slowly however can be accomplished anywhere, anytime and accomplishes the same thing, albeit perhaps not quite as quickly. The objective with either method is to let the CO2 build back up to normal levels.

Also, current medical guidelines for dealing with hyperventilation prohibit using a paper bag. (I suppose they lost a few patients overdosing on CO2 that way.)

Regards,
Bill

[sleepyred]

What kind of mask are you using?

I ask this because I was VERY anxious when I started using the breeze nasal pillows.

Here is a quote from sir_cumference when I was having trouble with my new breeze - ie switching from a nasal mask to nasal pillows (thanks again Sir!):

"it takes a little while to get use to it. Also, you need to learn to relax and let the air come to you rather than worrying and trying to pull the air in (if I'm making any sense?). Make sure you are fully relaxed before putting the mask on, even if you need to lie in bed a few moments to let your breathing settle from getting ready for bed etc. IF you relax, the breeze shouldn't give you any problems."

I also have an inner ear disease and can become off-balance in crowds, etc. Personally, that makes my anxiety levels rise extremely quickly! The other posters have had some excellent suggestions. I'd talk to your doctor again if this does not clear up! Keep trying - you need your cpap! Please keep us posted on your progress and good luck!

[cijit]

Thank you for your suggestions ,when I have an attack I exhale slowly to the count of 5 -1001,1002 1003 `1004 1005 , works well for mild attacks but not for severe .
I believe the attacks are either caused by hypo- ventilation in my sleep or
that my Rem sleep pattern is / has been changed with the cpap .

[NightHawkeye]

I believe the attacks are either caused by hypo- ventilation in my sleep or that my Rem sleep pattern is / has been changed with the cpap.

cijit, what sort of equipment are you using? If you're on straight CPAP right now, it might be possible to affect this by changing to an APAP which could keep pressure low until higher is needed for apnea episodes. Just a thought for you to consider. I'm pretty sure that I'm one of those folks who benefits from increased CO2 at low pressures, you might be too.

Regards,
Bill

[cijit]

Thanks , I use an F&P straight cpap . I trialled the humidifier and found that it was not needed .
Currently trialling an increase in pressure by 1 bar at the suggestion of the sleep lab .