CPAP continuous usage

[kevinjohnson]

I had actually known I had sleep apnea for a number of years, I just didn’t do anything about it. My wife would tell me that I stopped breathing during the night and that she would lie awake counting the seconds until I started to breathe again. I thought I was sleeping through the night, so I never really gave it a lot of thought. Anyway, what’s the big deal? I always thought, so I snore and stop breathing. At least I’m getting some sleep. A few years ago I went for a routine physical checkup, and my doctor asked me if there were anything else she needed to know. I told her I had sleep apnea. She asked me how I knew, and I told her about my wife’s account of my sleep habits. I was told to use a CPAP mask for some time until I get the breathing right. I have been using it for more than two years. I feel good, My sleep apnea is gone with the medication and my breathing is alright. So can I stop using the CPAP? I have tried to stop it but I have felt it is needed, maybe its the psychological effect of using it continuously. Please give your suggestions.

[tic chick]

welcome kevinjohnson!

well unfortunately, sleep apnea is not just a benign condition where you stop breathing and then start up again. continuous sleep apnea can cause heart disease, cardiovascular disease and other problems. here is a link to read up on that:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/syc-20377631

i don't know where you live or what kind of doctor you saw, but usually a primary care physician will send you to a sleep clinic to be monitored for a night. this will give your doctor information on how bad your sleep apnea is. the sleep clinic would also set a certain pressure on your cpap machine. you just don't put on a cpap without having the machine set up to give you the best results. i also don't know any medication that cures sleep apnea, unless there's something new out there that i don't know about. all i know is from my experience with my friend who has had sleep apnea for over 30 years.

i couldn't tell you to stop using the cpap machine, as i am not a medical professional and this forum is not for medical advice. i would suggest you find a good primary care doctor or go back to your other doctor and ask if you can have a sleep study to see if your apnea is gone. i would also ask the doctor what the medication was for that he/she gave you. i urge you not to take this lightly because it is a life altering condition. plus, you could have other problems that are contributing or causing your sleep apnea.

this is my best advice. i wish you good health and please check back in to tell us how you're doing.

thank you for sharing,
jeannie

[agate]

Hi kevinjohnson!

I agree with what tic chick said.

My son and his dad both have had sleep apnea. My son has been using a CPAP monitor for about 30 years. His dad wore one for years but then refused to wear it in the last few years of his life. He died of a heart attack. He might have lived longer if he'd kept on with the CPAP routine.

It's pretty important to get it right with the CPAP. When you get examined by a doctor and have a sleep study done, they may find that you don't have sleep apnea but do have something fixable in some other way--something that can be corrected without having to wear the CPAP monitor.