Panic disorder

Tunifer wrote:PS. I don't know if any of you are old enough to have ever had surgery using ether as an anesthetic but it is extremely traumatic. They physically hold you down while you scream and fight, and put a mask on your face that has the ether on it. It is a horrible smell and it makes you sick and dizzy before it finally puts you out. When I was a child, I had two separate surgeries where they did that: tonsils and later appendix. My adult mind tells me that at that time, that was all they had but the little girl inside of me still does not like anything on her face like that.

Tunifer,

I can see how such a thing would be terrifying.

Is that part of the problem? That a nasal mask looks and reminds you too much of that ether mask?

In that case, the pillows may very well be easier to deal with IF you can get over the hump of something touching your nostrils. They look less medicinal in the first place. And being able to easily scratch your nose is another advantage.

Just a quick note: I use nasal pillows (a modified Breeze with a firm overhead support, not like the newer Swift) and it allows me to sleep face-down. So, you don't have to change your sleeping position - that might be part of the problem. Plus, you barely feel this kind of mask, you might like it better, you should ask your DME to try other masks.
McSleepy

Hi Tunifer,

I can sympathize with your issues. I suffered bad panic attacks 20 years ago and had to get professional help. Ever since then I have had to work hard at keeping them under control. I still suffer from them occasionally. About 5 years ago they got out of control and I had to get professional help again. When I needed an MRI a few years ago, they pushed me into the MRI machine and I was yelling for them to get me out about 5 seconds later. They came straight away, but by the time they got me out I was shaking like a leaf. (So, they suggested sedation, but sleep apnea is a contraindication for that. I eventually managed to get through an open MRI session.)

I too would frequently have panic attacks with a nasal mask. After an attack I would have to get up and calm right down before trying again. I would try to put the mask on as close as possible to actually falling asleep, but I often just ended up going to sleep first and thus slept without the mask. (This is seriously not good.)

I like my Swift FX nasal pillows much, much better. I haven't had a CPAP-related panic attack since I started on them.

(As for full face masks, I imagine my reaction to one of those would be very similar to my reaction to the MRI machine mentioned above.)

Best wishes for getting through this. Just take it one day at a time and work at resolving all the little issues that will crop up. Persevere and you will succeed and your health will be much better for it.

Tunifer wrote:...I mostly have it under control...

My personal and professional opinion is this is an interim position. Full recovery (repair of the trauma(s)) is possible. Of course, you already know that it is not quick or easy. But it is possible for almost everyone, and with the right practitioner and techniques can be greatly helped along. You've already shown a lot of courage and persistence, so I know you can do this once you decide the cost is worth the benefits. Best wishes!

I also suffer from Panic attacks from time to time. The only medicine that has helped me with them is Xanax. It is specifically for panic and anxiety attacks. If I'm having an anxiety or panic attack or if I can feel one coming on, I immediately take a Xanax and within 15-20 min. it has either gone or has calmed down a lot. My RX is 0.25 mg/day (my doctor calls this a "baby dose") but I can take up to 4 tablets at a time if I need to. Usually, one tablet is enough but I have had to take 2 a few times. When I do have an attack, it is scary and awful (hard to describe). I may go for weeks or months just taking my one tablet a day (at night) and it keeps the attacks under control. I also believe that just having them if I need them (and I know they work) helps me have more control over the attacks. I also take an antidepresant per day (celexa), but it doesn't really treat the anxiety attacks very much. Hopefully, you will find some help with your attacks. You might want to ask your doctor about Xanax.

I was glad to see recently a post here in this board covering "The effect of drugs on sleep quality and architecture"

https://www.sugarsync.com/pf/D6354786_0890504_661740

You need to be a paying member at the UpToDate to have access to this report otherwise.

The following is a link to my source:

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=69759&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... ep+quality

Paula J, a few months ago I was prescribed by a Shrink to take Alprazolam (generic Xanax) 0.5 mg twice daily to help me withdraw from the 10 mg of Zolpidem (generic Ambien) which helped me start CPAPing with the mask. It did work and now I continue taking the Xanax and also very rarely the 10 mg Zolpidem tablet when I can't fall a sleep on the mask after a 30 min try. BTW, trying this and also trying to nap without falling asleep louses up the data in my APAP. I wished that I could delete these data before going to sleep for the night.