do we play Russian roulette any night we sleep without CPAP

[williamco]

risks including stroke , heart attack and all that scary stuff, can it be materialized over one or couple of nights without CPAP due to cold or any reason?

are these risks for untreated apnea on the long run, or can they materialize over 1 night?
do we play Russian roulette every time we sleep without CPAP?

[Muse-Inc]

I have not deliberately gone to sleep without CPAP therapy since Aug 20, 2007 when I got my CPAP -- I'm not taking any chances.

[LinkC]

I think the answer is "Yes and no".

Yes, they are long-term cumulative risks. But you never know when you'll tip the apple cart, so to speak.

How long you had OSA before starting treatment is a factor, of course. As is your AHI while on CPAP.

So before you snooze without masking up, you should hear Dirty Harry in your head saying, "You gotta ask yourself 'Do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

[cinco777]

I saw the following exchange in my Town newspaper:

Friend: "How do you feel this morning after waking up"?

93-year old Woman: "Surprised"

I use my APAP every night as I want to wake up every morning.

[timbalionguy]

I don't sleep with a revolver while on CPAP......

Seriously, it has been mentioned here that even one night without xPAP if you need it, or missing a night can be fatal. If your system has become accustomed to it, I suspect there is significant risk of not using xPAP. I don't plan on trying it. I have OSA bad enough I have breathing trouble even sitting up. (Finally losing weight, but its not helping so far.) Milder cases may be less risky. But I certainly know that my risk is greatly reduced while 'on he hose' at night.

To this end, I will ultimately get a spare machine.

[Goofproof]

Not using you XPAP treatment correctly every night, is like playing Russian Roulette with a single shot pistol, not a smart move, but one that will make it a self correcting error.

Like Crack usage, you never know when you are taking your last hit. Jim

[sheep1234]

I've only had my cpap machine for about 3 weeks now and sometimes at night I get so annoyed with the hose and/or the nose pillows that I take it off and go to sleep. And then I feel like I've really slept. The rest of the time I've been lightly sleeping-moving my hose with me, making sure my nose pillows are not leaking, making sure they are not tickling the inside of my nostrils (THAT is so aggravating!), tightening up my headstrap, rearranging the headstrap because it's been moved around from tossing back and forth. Usually when I turn over, I have to drag the nose with me and I have to make sure it's not pulling upward or downward too much as it causes the nose pillows to sort of leak air.

Just want to say that sometimes I think I sleep better, faster without my mask, but yes I know...I need it. So I try to hang in there as best as I can. I've only done this a couple of times. Sometimes I'll get my daughter off to school and catch a 1/2 hr nap or so, without the machine.

How bad do you all think this sounds?

I believe my sleep study said I had apneas of 55 or so per hour? Does that sound right? My pressure is 9.0 on the machine.

[Catnap]

I guess I'm "lucky" in a sense, in that I sleep so poorly without my CPAP and so well with it that I'm not even tempted to go without. The mask, hose, et al occasionally bug me, and sometimes wake me up, but it's nothing compared to what sleeping was like before I got it. At least I don't have to get out of bed to deal with them, which I used to have to do for bathroom visits pretty much every hour all night (and pretty much NEVER have to do any more )

Thinking about what timbalionguy said about shopping for a backup machine....

[cinco777]

sheep1234 wrote

How bad do you all think this sounds?

Very. An AHI of 55, if left untreated, will lead to serious health problems.

With all the difficulties that you are experiencing with your mask staying put, you may want to try a mask that will stay sealed and secure against your face. My FF mask with its underchin fit has those attributes. Do some reading on this board re member's experiences with their current mask and you will find other masks that will stay put and not require constant adjustments/tweaking. Be sure to check out the modifications that some members have made to improve their mask's comfort and stayputativeness.

I lucked out in finding a mask (the 5th one that I tried) that works for me. Some members find their perfect mask after trying just one or two. Others, after trying 10 or more, are still looking. Hope you are in the first category. Good luck.

[rested gal]

moving my hose with me
---
rearranging the headstrap because it's been moved around from tossing back and forth. Usually when I turn over, I have to drag the nose with me and I have to make sure it's not pulling upward or downward too much as it causes the nose pillows to sort of leak air.

You might want to try rigging a way to hang the main hose overhead so you can be like a fish on the end of a slack line -- able to turn completely over without having the hose tug at your mask:

LINKS to Hose hangers and methods of managing the air hose
viewtopic.php?t=10640

[Patrick A]

risks including stroke , heart attack and all that scary stuff, can it be materialized over one or couple of nights without CPAP due to cold or any reason?

are these risks for untreated apnea on the long run, or can they materialize over 1 night?
do we play Russian roulette every time we sleep without CPAP?

I venture to say yes. People are probably thining i'm a nut case because of my rant about APRIA RIPOFF jacking me around about getting me a new machine.....biottom line is every time you sleep nap or just doz off in your chair with out the hose you are endangering your life.

[ColinP]

risks including stroke , heart attack and all that scary stuff, can it be materialized over one or couple of nights without CPAP due to cold or any reason?

are these risks for untreated apnea on the long run, or can they materialize over 1 night?
do we play Russian roulette every time we sleep without CPAP?

They can materialise over one night.

Not many people understand the mechanism by which our blood pressure increases while having an apnea. The blood vessels in the lungs will contract when there is a low level of oxygen in that area of the lung - this is the body protecting itself, by keeping the majirity of the blood flowing to the parts of the lungs that are oxygen-rich. Unfortunately, during an apnea, the whole lung is low in oxygen, causing all the blood vessels in the lungs to contract. The heart has to pump much harder to get the blood through the lungs, and the heart (like all muscles) gets it's oxygen from the blood, which has less and less oxygen to give.

So what happens when you stop breathing is that the oxygen content in the lungs drops, causing the oxygen levels in the blood to drop as well as causing the blood vessels in the lung to contract. The heart has to pump much harder against the constriction, but has less available oxygen to do so. Your blood pressure goes up, and your pulse races, while your blood oxygen levels drop even further, putting enourmous strain on both the heart and the vascular system. Then you become an angel and learn to play the harp.

[SuperGeeky]

ColinP wrote:
Not many people understand the mechanism by which our blood pressure increases while having an apnea. The blood vessels in the lungs will contract when there is a low level of oxygen in that area of the lung - this is the body protecting itself, by keeping the majirity of the blood flowing to the parts of the lungs that are oxygen-rich. Unfortunately, during an apnea, the whole lung is low in oxygen, causing all the blood vessels in the lungs to contract. The heart has to pump much harder to get the blood through the lungs, and the heart (like all muscles) gets it's oxygen from the blood, which has less and less oxygen to give.

So what happens when you stop breathing is that the oxygen content in the lungs drops, causing the oxygen levels in the blood to drop as well as causing the blood vessels in the lung to contract. The heart has to pump much harder against the constriction, but has less available oxygen to do so. Your blood pressure goes up, and your pulse races, while your blood oxygen levels drop even further, putting enourmous strain on both the heart and the vascular system. Then you become an angel and learn to play the harp.

ColinP, this is an excellent explanation!!! I was shocked when reviewing my first Sleep Study. The heart really goes haywire!! If someone is genetically favored towards heart disease, years of obesity and no exercise, besides years of untreated OSA, absolutely living under the gun.

Someone suddenly dying in their sleep or while taking a nap is not uncommon...

My favorite Flash presentation from Resmed illustrates quite well what ColinP described.

Titled "Understanding Sleep-Disordered Breathing", I have to watch it every once in while to remind myself of what OSA does to the body.

The Flash Presentation can be downloaded and watched repeatedly. Just google...

SG

[cinco777]

ColinP wrote

Then you become an angel and learn to play the harp.

Love your summary line on what can happen if you ?sleep? without your machine.

Some, however, rather than ascending, will be learning to shovel coal in a warmer climate.

[BlackSpinner]

Just want to say that sometimes I think I sleep better, faster without my mask, but yes I know...I need it. So I try to hang in there as best as I can. I've only done this a couple of times. Sometimes I'll get my daughter off to school and catch a 1/2 hr nap or so, without the machine.

How bad do you all think this sounds?

I believe my sleep study said I had apneas of 55 or so per hour? Does that sound right? My pressure is 9.0 on the machine.

How would you feel about your daughter coming home to your dead body on the couch? An apnea is an apnea no matter whether you are having a nap or not - It is like some one is holding a hand over your mouth.