Using CPAP if you don't have apnea

Caterina · Post by **Caterina** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:30 pm

I have been tested for apnea and I don't have it. However, I don't sleep very well. I don't get up tired and I am not sleepy during the day. However, I sleep very few hours and have nightmares (4-5 hours). A friend of mine told me that if I use the CPAP on a low pressure (4-8) I would sleep much better.
Could someone please tell me whether this is safe?

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:35 pm

I would not consider 4 cm to be enough air. Did you have a Real Sleep Study done? What were your O2 stats, and other results from the study. Jim

Linda3032 · Post by **Linda3032** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 9:38 pm

It probably would be safe, but I doubt that you will sleep better. Why on earth would anyone want to use cpap if they don't have sleep apnea?

I would pursue all other avenues of my sleep problems before I went to the expense of cpap equipment.

The equipment and mask would only cause further sleep problems, in my opinion.

Or maybe I just responded to a jokester.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:12 pm

Caterina,

You must be desperate to be willing to try cpap to help you sleep. As Jim suggested, please give us more info on your sleep study - something may stand out to someone. There can be other things besides apnea that disrupt your sleep. Maybe your results will give some clues. Also, there have been repeated accounts on here of sleep studies that didn't catch the problem - sometimes more than once.

About the nightmares - could they be a medication side effect?

Don't give up on finding an answer specifically for your situation.

Kathy

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:38 am

I am surprised that there has been so lottle discussion of XPAP use in conditions other than apnea.

There are studies and some docs are using pap in GERD- reflux- control.

We all know it helps, so why not use it as a primary treatment for reflux?

A second and thrd very important use is in congestive heart failure and pulmonary edema,

I hope to accompany my 86 y/o uncle to Mayo next week for his appt with the sleep doc for use in his CHF.
His 02 sats from oxiometer are 83, but I do not think he has OSA.
tomjax

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:31 am

I wonder if you've seen a neurologist - there are really very many different sleep problems/syndromes that have nothing to do with apnea, and while you may have been given a sleep study to rule it out first, you and your MD need to go much further to find out what is causing your problems, which could be anything from (as mentioned) having 'silent' acid reflux to night terrors (just an example, far more likely to occur in very young men) to emotional upsets, etc. and a doctor who specializes in sleep disorders, but is NOT fixated on apnea per se, not necessarily a respirologist or pulmonologist, may be the place to start.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:06 am

Caterina - If you can find out why you have the sleep issues you have, then what to do about it will be more apparent. You've made the first step toward finding answers, don't stop now.

Tomjax - Interesting you mention that. I've read anecdotal evidence of some other benefits of cpap as you mentioned, never looked for any research results. I have heard of it being prescribed for asthmatics or people with severe allergies to things inhaled (someone told me their doctor presented it to them as an option).

Maybe one day cpap users won't be so unusual. I just hope we don't see the day when it is touted to cure everything and opportunists prey on desperate people.

Are we too late to get on the bandwagon and make our fortunes? I can just see it now - instead of the trendy oxygen bars there would be nap cubicles that for an extra (exhorbitant) fee included cpap. Hmmm

Kathy

tomjax · Post by **tomjax** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 10:39 am

Kteague
Google: CPAP chf

cpap pulmonary edema
cpap reflux
cpap csr

This is a very goood article on chf/cpap
http://www.otwo.com/pdf/streetsense/FEB_06_SS.pdf

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

ColoZZZ · Post by **ColoZZZ** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:13 pm

Why on earth would anyone want to use cpap if they don't have sleep apnea?

Maybe we just make it sound so glamorous that everyone wants to get in the act???

But seriously, there's good advice above and I sincerely HOPE that your sleep problems can be solved by a means other than strapping a mask to your face and having air blown into your lungs every night or sedatives.

Goodluck,

-Andy

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 12:50 pm

you may not have sleep apnea but might have other sleep disorders, rem disorders, acting out your nightmares, sleep terrors, ect. I'd pursue your sleep study a bit more and find out what THEY did see going on instead of just no you don't have sleep apnea.

shippy · Post by **shippy** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:52 pm

caterina

Someone please correct me if I am wrong in saying this, but you have to have a prescription from a Doctor to use a cpap machine, it is against the law to take someone elses prescription medication, I know someone who lost his drivers license and the police threatened to arrest him after falling asleep and having an accident while driving on someone elses prescription medication. Not sure what cpap usage without a prescription would entail as far as the law is concerned but if something happened to a person such as a heart attack while using a cpap with out a prescription, I wonder if a person would have a leg to stand on with an insurance company when it came down to paying the bill. Something to think about, it could be i am just over cautious.

Dale

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 7:55 pm

You are probably not wrong, but I am one of those who believes that it is my body and I can do what I will. Too much big brother in this country.

shippy · Post by **shippy** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 8:28 pm

snoregirl

You are probably not wrong, but I am one of those who believes that it is my body and I can do what I will. Too much big brother in this country.

Yeah snoregirl there is too much big brother looking after everything, and I thought about something else, I was playing around with my PRESCRIBED pressure trying to find a better setting recently, wonder if the cpap police can arrest me for that ha! ha!

Dale

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:24 pm

shippy wrote:snoregirl

You are probably not wrong, but I am one of those who believes that it is my body and I can do what I will. Too much big brother in this country.

Yeah snoregirl there is too much big brother looking after everything, and I thought about something else, I was playing around with my PRESCRIBED pressure trying to find a better setting recently, wonder if the cpap police can arrest me for that ha! ha!

Dale

They shoot you for that! You should never reset your machine, I let the Sleep Fairy reset mine, that way I won't get shot. Jim

shippy · Post by **shippy** » Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:27 am

Hey !! Jim

Does the sleep fairy leave a dollar under your pillow when he or she comes to reset your machine? or maybee that was the tooth fairy who leaves money under my pillow ha! ha!

Dale

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