The risk of dying from sleep apnea

I had what was labeled as "malignant a-fib". Not your garden variety easy to treat kind. It made my heart beat over 250 beats per minute- Rapid Ventricular Response (RVR). None of the drugs available could stop it. I can't remember how many times I got shocked back into rhythm. 2 catheter style ablations failed. Finally an external surgical ablation worked (very painful). This was all over a period of about 2 1/2 years. My RVR attacks always came at night.

Last fall I saw a new PCP and went through the story of my a-fib. He looked in my mouth and ordered a home sleep study. Sure enough- severe sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can and does cause a-fib. Had I been tested years ago- who knows.

At first I didn't want to do treatment- my wife talked me into it. I am so glad she did- energy returned, BP dropped- all the good things that can happen- did.

Your call- but I was a skeptic too. No longer.

Early death isn't real the worst thing OSA gives you.
It is the really crappy life leading up to it. Tired, bitchy, aching, maybe a stroke or two and having someone change your Depends. Erectile dysfunction if you are male.
All those lovely things. By the time you die you will be grateful to go.

I agree with what's already been said a number of times - mild, moderate, or severe is not the issue here. My AHI at initial diagnosis in 2011 was 8 which is a very mild case. But, I couldn't stay awake to save my life without consuming lots of caffeine. In the four or so months in 2014 that I was untreated between my MAD, trying WINX, and then finally caving into CPAP, I felt the effects daily.

I guess I would say starving my organs of oxygen eight times per hour is too many. I loved my MAD for convenience but three weeks into CPAP, and I'm adjusting better with each night that passes (with some help from the info on this board). I'm still a relatively young and healthy guy and treating my apnea keeps my weight in check, makes me more present in daily life, and able to deal with challenges more effectively.

Regardless of the severity classification, death is a real possibility from apnea whether as a direct cause or because of an accident caused by drowsiness. I just don't see the point in taking that risk when treatment options exist.

Thanks everyone for your replies. I guess what prompted my outburst was that on another board, I mentioned that my sleep doctor told me that it was alright if I took a nap from time to time without the CPAP. Immediately someone responded that "I should look for another Dr!!" implying that my Dr. was irresponsible for saying such a thing and that I could very well die if I follow his advice. Frankly my Dr. knows me better than strangers. Although I don't nap all that often, I occasionally might fall asleep in front of the TV where my CPAP is not available. I guess I view it as alarmism when people take an "all or nothing" approach, especially when it's not the same degree of danger for everyone with sleep apnea.

That said, I have NO desire to stop the CPAP, it's working for me and I will continue to use it for the rest of my life (or until a better alternative is available).

novatom wrote: I guess what prompted my outburst was that on another board, I mentioned that my sleep doctor told me that it was alright if I took a nap from time to time without the CPAP. Immediately someone responded that "I should look for another Dr!!" implying that my Dr. was irresponsible for saying such a thing and that I could very well die if I follow his advice.

Yes they were right. Sleep is sleep. You stop breathing and lose O2 no matter when you sleep. That one long low O2 reading can cause damage enough to cause a stroke.
I ended up in ER for some other reason and while I was sitting up in bed, all hooked up I dozed off and my O2 went down to below 72% - 5 minute nap. Why would you want to spend ANY time below your required O2 level?

Your doctor may have been right (crystal ball at hand?) but it's like playing Russian roulette... I fall asleep too on occasion for short times in front of the TV... I'm still here today, but if my number's due to come up tonight, I won't be here tomorrow and so I make every serious effort to not let myself go. I don't always win, but I also don't kid myself that it'll be ok for just an hour, half an hour, whatever.

BlackSpinner wrote:

novatom wrote: I guess what prompted my outburst was that on another board, I mentioned that my sleep doctor told me that it was alright if I took a nap from time to time without the CPAP. Immediately someone responded that "I should look for another Dr!!" implying that my Dr. was irresponsible for saying such a thing and that I could very well die if I follow his advice.

Yes they were right. Sleep is sleep. You stop breathing and lose O2 no matter when you sleep. That one long low O2 reading can cause damage enough to cause a stroke.
I ended up in ER for some other reason and while I was sitting up in bed, all hooked up I dozed off and my O2 went down to below 72% - 5 minute nap. Why would you want to spend ANY time below your required O2 level?

Another problem with not using your cpap during naps -- in addition to the health risks and the good chance you'll end up feeling unwell and/or throwing off your sleep cycle with a non-cpap nap -- is that you lose another chance to have your mind/body/psyche get used to the cpap equipment. It's certainly tempting during the first 6 months of adjustment to try to sleep or nap "just this once" without it. But if you stick with it and use it ALL the time, there's a very, very, very good chance you will become so accustomed to it that strapping it on is no longer a problem, and actually helps you relax and fall asleep because your body knows when the mask is on it's "game time" for good sleep. The few times I take naps nowadays I try to use my cpap, even just for 20 minutes, and 100% compliance has gotten me so used to the stuff that at times I find myself checking during the night to see if I'm still wearing it and the machine is on-- when it is. Once you get so used to the mask you may find yourself having to closely make sure you've hooked it up to the machine and that the machine is on, or you might fall asleep without doing so and have a really bad night!

novatom wrote:I occasionally might fall asleep in front of the TV where my CPAP is not available.

everybody should have a spare machine, they're pretty readily available on the secondary market for MUCH less than you got ripped off for the first one.

Grayghost4 has made it his new hobby locating machines on craigslist, and hooking up people here with deals.

get yourself another machine, and keep it by your couch/chair, with a spare mask... and just slap that puppy on when you feel like a nap

palerider wrote:
everybody should have a spare machine, they're pretty readily available on the secondary market for MUCH less than you got ripped off for the first one.

Grayghost4 has made it his new hobby locating machines on craigslist, and hooking up people here with deals.

Once you know something about the various models you will be amazed at the deals you can find. Amazed. I now have two backups, one of which is the original machine through insurance, because I found a better later model on Craigslist.

Note: this is true of metropolitan areas. I think it's harder if you're out in the country.