Question:
I have sleep anea but I dont use the CPAP

I have been diagnosed with moderate to severe sleep apnea and have tried to use the machine. I am extremely claustrophobic and have difficulty falling asleep. My doctor have prescribed sleeping pills to help, but no help. what am I to do. I know it is life threating. I even lent my cpap machine to a friend. I would hate to ask for it back. — peggyp (posted on March 4, 2003)

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March 4, 2003
Peggy, I know my doctor WILL NOT do the surgery if you have sleep apnea until you get the CPAP machine. You have to use it for several weeks before surgery and have it with you at the hospital. There have been deaths contributed to undiagnosed sleep apnea following surgery. Go to the memorial page and read about Ginger.Not trying to scare you, but not using the machine could be a real problem.I would get that machine back!!
— Debbie W.

March 4, 2003
I know how difficult adapting to the machine can be. But I urge you NOT to have this surgery without treating the sleep apnea for at least 6 weeks (that is the length of time my surgeon requires. Surgery has enough risks associated with it, you need to get this under control.
— Lynda D.

March 4, 2003
I , too am claustrophobic, and had a hard time, but my pulmonolgist suggested using nasal pillows instead of a mask. And it works much better for me.
— beetle B.

March 4, 2003
Dear Peggy, PLEASE try to get used to your CPAP prior to having surgery. Maybe the nasal pillows suggested by a previous poster would be a better possibility for you. Ginger Brewster listed on the memorial page of this website was my best friend. Words cannot express how tragic and unnecessary her death was. Also, please make sure your surgeon not only knows you have sleep apnea, but takes precautions for it during and after your surgery. Best of Luck to you for a safe and successful surgery.
— Hackett

March 4, 2003
You are playing with fire, and I truly think you know the answer to your own question. I highly doubt you will get any validation here that what you are doing is "OK". It reminds me of a previous post from a woman who never told her PCP she had WLS (she was afraid that he'd tell someone in her small town!), and yet still asked him to blindly treat her. So- as a matter of life or death, ask for it back. Correct me if I am wrong but those machines are "fitted" for individual use. The mouth piece and setting is adjusted just for you- your friend needs to invest in their own. Your body is just not something to play around with. Sleep Apnea- you stop breathing when you sleep- and you CAN DIE. Your friend will understand if you tell them you need it to LIVE. What they wouldn't understand is if you hadn't asked for it back, and you passed away in the night. How horrid they would feel.
— Karen R.

March 4, 2003
Hi Peggy, I am with you and your feeling toward the CPAP machine! Ugh . . I call it my Iron Lung! I too hate to be closed in . . . However, My niece never used hers and got in real trouble with her lungs . . . she died at 37. It all started with her Sleep Apnea and her refusal to where the machine. Peggy . . . I have had mine for two weeks . . . I put off going to sleep b/c I hate that thing. But each night I sit on the side of the bed and say to myself "OK girl . . . it's live or die". I choose life and put on that Iron Lung Thing . . . Also, ask the Doc to put a ramp on it to gradually built the air pressure up! Best of Luck Peggy . . . Choose to Live! Michele :)
— Michele D.

March 4, 2003
I also did not like the full mask. There is a very soft plastic tube you can get that fits inside your nostruls and attaches over your ears like the oxigen you get in the hospital. I find it to be very comfortable and there is nothing over your face. You can also lie any way you want. If you want more infor on this e-mail me at [email protected] and I will get the name of it for you.
— Belinda M.

March 4, 2003
Everyone below has covered the cpap issue, I won't comment on it. BUT, prescribing sleeping pills to a person with sleep apnea I feel is criminal. Sleeping pills usually depress your nervous system, causing your breathing to be more shallow. This is a ticket for disaster in a person who is not treating her sleep apnea. PLEASE, consult a sleep specialist and get back on your cpap. As far as lending a cpap machine to a friend....the machine is set for YOUR particular pressure that is perfect for you. Others shouldn't be using a cpap that hasn't been prescribed for them. This is very, very dangerous.
— [Deactivated Member]

March 4, 2003
I have sleep apnea and had a very difficult time the first 2 months with my CPAP. I started doing some relaxation exercises and used my CPAP for a few hours each night finally building up to all night. I am so glad I stuck with it, it has really changed my life. I didn't realize that I was falling asleep so much and was always tired. So, now in addition to my surgery, I am really feeling like a new woman and hope to eventually not need my "pappy"!!
— [Deactivated Member]

March 4, 2003
Please get your CPAP machine back and set up an appointment with your respiratory/home health person immediately! Try the nasal pillows, I used them for about a year since I got claustrophic with a mask too. If those don't work, keep trying anything you can til you can use that CPAP every time you sleep, even for a short nap!!! I tried CPAP back in early 1998, for about 6 weeks, then gave up on it. Just to emphasize how much I hated CPAP, I went through UVPP surgery in early 1998 to try to correct the snoring & apnea. It didn't do the trick either. In January 1999 I fell asleep at the wheel on the interstate going 75mph. Fortunately I woke up in time to correct it. If you don't already have high blood pressure you will soon enough with untreated sleep apnea. I tried CPAP again in February 1999, tried 3 mask/headgear setups til I found the right one. I used my CPAP every time I slept until I was post-op from WLS. Then I used it for shorter periods of time because it hurt the pouch, often slept sitting up. At 2 months post-op my PCP ok'd me to go off blood pressure meds and the CPAP! That was 6 months ago. I recently sold my machine on EBAY :) PLEASE treat your apnea!!! Good Luck - Anna LAP RNY 7/3/02 -117lbs. p.s. Make your bedroom comfortable for you and your CPAP machine. Keep it a bit cooler, use a/c in the summer when necessary. Being even slightly warm increases the feeling of claustrophobia and mask discomfort.
— Anna L.

March 4, 2003
First, I am with Joy. Prescribing sleeping pills to a patient with sleep apnea is a prescription for disaster. I had severe sleep apnea for two years and twice tried to get adjusted to the CPAP and could not because of vasomotor rhinitis (constant nasal congestion). My doctor wanted me on CPAP before surgery, but I admitted to him I could not get adjusted. I knew I desperately needed it and every night I would put it on only to wake up an hour with it off. I made sure I spoke with the anethesiologist about my apnea and I had to be intubated while awake and I was intubated for two days after surgery.
— Lisa N M.

March 4, 2003
Joy...another thing you can try is putting the mask on before going to sleep while you are watching tv or reading just to get used to it.
— Lisa N M.

March 5, 2003
hey thanks for all the posts. I have asked my friend to give me the machine back and will get it tomorrow. I just hope it is not too late. My doctor gave me the sleeping pills so i could fall asleep. The Sleep study doctor gave it to me also. I only used it for a few nights. What about benedryl? I am really feeling the effects of the sleep apnea. Thanks so much for your concerns.
— peggyp

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