Is it posible to become dependent on CPAP?

[kaiasgram]

[djhall]

Psychologically speaking, in all probability fear of dependency is one of the major reasons why compliance levels are so low for CPAP and this group as a whole doesn't seem to recognize that. This fear of dependency can be a bad thing in and of itself. I know because I delayed therapy for years and I have a dear friend who's machine sits idle as he sacrifices both the quantity and quality of the balance of his life.

I would be interested in hearing a little more about this. Do you think this fear of dependency is warranted or is it a form of denial by people trying to maintain the illusion that they don't really need CPAP, or that it is probably only temporary, or that they can find a way to get along okay without it? If it is a form of denial, do you think they are best served by encouraging the denial as long as they get started?

As for your risking zero visibility to get home to your cpap instead of spend a night without it, is it possible this is more a denial of the risks of getting home than a true inability to endure a night without it? Pre CPAP I made several very risky drives when I really would have been safer to wait it out because I wanted to get home to my own bed and I convinced myself I could probably make it. It wasn't a CPAP thing... I just wanted to get home. It would be more interesting to see what you did in a power outage at home. Do you think you would have gone into a full on panic or would you have napped in a recliner in a partially upright position until the power came back?

[Todzo]

Note: I'm not about to drop CPAP therapy until I've self titrated down to a level (if possible - crossed fingers) that warrants another lab visit with a satisfactory result and a cancellation of the Script by my Doc.

I think your plan is good except that it ignores human variability. That is, today for example I have inflammation due to infection in my body. There are signs that my current pressure is not doing the job – so I up the pressure and keep an eye on it. But in perhaps ten days the infection will be dealt with. Decision time. Probably drop pressure back and watch time.

If I get to the point where I am using minimum pressure from CPAP I will likely develop some form of “phono spirometry” or at least constantly record the audio, watch morning blood pressure, watch my energy levels, etc... Because I do not believe that one test one night means much at all ever. And I believe that if the test is done in the lab it means even less (I do not sleep in the lab nor do I pay many hundreds of dollars to sleep for a night). Inflammation, muscle tone, chemoreflexes, and central nervous system activation are all physiological VARIABLES!!! They will not be all the same ANY night. But all can play a part in forming Sleep Apnea.

I absolutely encourage you in your quest for NO SLEEP APNEA. A worthy and likely attainable goal. No one has proof otherwise. They simply do not know. And many have testified that they have found the goal. But make plans to keep a watch. To diligently monitor. Perhaps literally everyone should be doing that anyway.

[echo]

Dependency is a complicated issue physical vs psychological vs malignant vs benign vs many other characteristics. My Wife thinks I'm dependent because she's seen the fear I experience if I don't have my machine. Objective evidence of this is that I panicked and drove home for hours in a life threatening zero visibility blizzard this winter rather than overnight in a Hotel without my beloved CPAP machine.
<snip>
Apparently no around here knows if a physical dependency on CPAP therapy, which could make things worse can develop, so that is a partial answer in itself for my original question.

I do remember that there was some discussion about this a while ago, and perhaps a study, that hinted that once one has been on successful CPAP therapy for a while, the brain loses its protection against oxygen desaturation (which it had built up over years of untreated OSA). So in that sense, one might indeed be at risk if they sleep a night without CPAP. I personally would not take that risk either. Therefore I always try to make sure I have a backup scenario when travelling - for example when we go camping, I always take my 2nd cpap with us in case my primary one breaks. If you travel with the car a lot, it might be worth keeping a spare in the trunk.

Same reason I carry 2 pairs of extra contacts with me at all times - if the one in my eye dries up and rips or falls out, then I have another lens with me, and can drive home safely.

Psychologically speaking, in all probability fear of dependency is one of the major reasons why compliance levels are so low for CPAP and this group as a whole doesn't seem to recognize that. This fear of dependency can be a bad thing in and of itself. I know because I delayed therapy for years and I have a dear friend who's machine sits idle as he sacrifices both the quantity and quality of the balance of his life.

You might be right. But I'd venture to say it's fear of the unknown (from what I've seen with people that I know), and that it seems like an inconvenience when sleeping.

Using insulin must be annoying too (and people are very dependent on it), but they do it anyway. OSA just takes longer to kill.

[Charity]

I believe that one can become totally dependent on the CPAP over time to the point that they no longer "remember" how to breathe on their own. I just had a friend die who was in his 50's who had been using the CPAP for his sleep aphnea.
He liked the machine because he could breathe easier. He went home to take a nap, and "forgot" to put on his CPAP machine, he died because he didn't breathe. I think that testing should be done to find the relationship between using the CPAP and adverse affects that happen when one does not use it constantly! Other types of therapies should be developed that do not cause such a dramatic outcome. I am sure my friend has not been the only one to die because they had become dependent or addicted to CPAP. I believe it is a good device, but is abused and becomes addictive especially to those that maybe could have another way of dealing with mild sleep aphnea, snoring or breathing difficulties. Just my opinion. You see I lost a friend.

[palerider]

I believe that one can become totally dependent on the CPAP over time to the point that they no longer "remember" how to breathe on their own. I just had a friend die who was in his 50's who had been using the CPAP for his sleep aphnea.
He liked the machine because he could breathe easier. He went home to take a nap, and "forgot" to put on his CPAP machine, he died because he didn't breathe. I think that testing should be done to find the relationship between using the CPAP and adverse affects that happen when one does not use it constantly! Other types of therapies should be developed that do not cause such a dramatic outcome. I am sure my friend has not been the only one to die because they had become dependent or addicted to CPAP. I believe it is a good device, but is abused and becomes addictive especially to those that maybe could have another way of dealing with mild sleep aphnea, snoring or breathing difficulties. Just my opinion. You see I lost a friend.

this is total bullshit and the worst kind of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt).

cpaps DON'T breath for you, and therefore, there's NOTHING to "forget".

you can't become "addicted" to cpap anymore than you get "addicted" to glasses.

your friend possibly died because he didn't USE his cpap, because it was NEEDED to prevent the very things that he may have died FROM.

if it hadn't been for the cpap, he might have died much earlier.

after all, two of the more unfortunate side effects of sleep apnea are heart attack or stroke.

[GettingBetter]

Yes this is an old thread. No I didn't revive it, but I am going to add my two cents.

I think the word "dependent" is misleading. I think conditions of the individual may warrant daily use. I believe I am one of those people because my oxygen levels were dropping to a low of 66%. I want my cpap on, even if my pressure on auto settings has reduced to lower settings.

[MrGrumpy]

I dont have a right or wrong answer that is scientific. However, I believe it could become possible to become "dependent" on CPAP. As in, if you get used to better quality sleep on the machine and its pulled from you or breaks and you dont replace it, and you crash, yeah it is just like a depressed person used to taking Prozac who gets their Prozac pulled and they crash back into clinical depression.

I think with the human body, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Now what I dont think is possible with CPAP is for you or anyone else to become physically addicted or dependent on CPAP in the traditional sense, like you get physically addicted to alcohol or benzos or amphetamines or whatever. CPAP does not work that way. But yeah you could get psychologically addicted (in a good way, IMO) to the feeling of having good quality, deeper feeling sleep and waking up more restored in the morning. There is nothing worse than waking up in the morning feeling like you did not sleep well and your batteries did not recharge.

Remember when you were a kid? And you would sleep late on Saturday morning? And wake up raring to go and watch Saturday morning cartoons and eat your Captain Crunch? And you dreamed during the night and your sleep was DEEP feeling and you woke up feeling well rested? With untreated sleep apnea, you NEVER wake up like I just described. You wake up feeling hung over, like...something is not right but you cant pin it down until a doctor suggests you might have sleep apnea and sends you off for your first sleep study and it comes back positive.

And your first night on that CPAP, you have the first dream and night time erection youve had in at least ten years? And you wake up feeling like you actually got some REAL sleep for the first time in maybe at least ten years???? THAT is a good feeling and yeah, I think once you get that, you will want it more and regularly. But thats just normal...so whats the big deal if you become dependent on CPAP?

[Wulfman...]

I believe that one can become totally dependent on the CPAP over time to the point that they no longer "remember" how to breathe on their own. I just had a friend die who was in his 50's who had been using the CPAP for his sleep aphnea.
He liked the machine because he could breathe easier. He went home to take a nap, and "forgot" to put on his CPAP machine, he died because he didn't breathe. I think that testing should be done to find the relationship between using the CPAP and adverse affects that happen when one does not use it constantly! Other types of therapies should be developed that do not cause such a dramatic outcome. I am sure my friend has not been the only one to die because they had become dependent or addicted to CPAP. I believe it is a good device, but is abused and becomes addictive especially to those that maybe could have another way of dealing with mild sleep aphnea, snoring or breathing difficulties. Just my opinion. You see I lost a friend.

It sounds like you've never used a CPAP machine, so you sort of get a "pass" on your lack of knowledge about the devices.
Your friend didn't "forget" to put on his CPAP.......he tried to get by without using it.......and it was a fatal decision.
My wife and I knew someone who died in his sleep from similar circumstances. He got a late night call-out for his job and when he got back home in the morning, he went to bed and didn't use his machine.......and died from a heart attack.
We don't use our machines "constantly".......only when we sleep.
There are other remedies, but CPAP is the "gold standard" and is less invasive than surgeries or other things.
The CPAP machines keep the airway open so that the user can breathe more naturally. So, the only thing "addictive" is breathing well and getting more oxygen while sleeping.......and feeling better for it. Without it, there is more strain put on our heart and other organs which can lead to heart attacks or strokes.
Not really much different than becoming "addicted" to wearing prophetics, eyeglasses, hearing aids, walkers, canes or other things that people use to live more normal lives.

So, you're totally wrong with regard to your perception of this therapy.
And, in reality........what difference does it make??? People who need it, NEED TO USE IT!!!

I doubt that you're still following the responses to your post, but this is also for others who would try to minimize this therapy.


Den

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[Goofproof]

I am dependent on treatment for Sleep Apnea, because I have Sleep Apnea and I chose to make my life better by treating it every time I sleep.

Those that don't must not have a reason to make their lives as good as they can be. Jim

[nkawtg]

I think I know where the OP is going with this.
I've been on my CPAP since January 2016 and now it seems when I lie down in bed, breathing without CPAP is a little more difficult, more labored if you will.

[chunkyfrog]

More BS; and a scoop shovel full of road apples.
(From a road used by many horses)
Nkawtg, many of us breathe/feel better using our cpap because we NEED it.

[palerider]

More BS; and a scoop shovel full of road apples.
(From a road used by many horses)
Nkawtg, many of us breathe/feel better using our cpap because we NEED it.

I like to rephrase the question as:

Is it possible to become dependent on glasses?

it's pretty much the same thing.

[chunkyfrog]

EXACTLY like glasses. Thank you, you cherubic little demon.

[palerider]

EXACTLY like glasses. Thank you, you cherubic little demon.

I've been told I have my moments, and, of course, you're quite welcome.