Hope2SleepGuide

Sleep Apnoea Forum Bringing Help + Support to the Patient

Hi - I fairly regularly waken several times per night with panic attacks - 'lurching' in stomach, fast heartbeat and sweating.  I use my CPAP machine every night and occasionally, but not always, these attacks coincide with my husband telling me that my machine was particularly noisy or that my mask wasn't sealed properly.  Anyone else have these symptoms?  Any advice / suggestions?

Cheers

Mags

Views: 896

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

In all probability, Mags, these panic attacks are caused by apnoeas. Is your CPAP infact an APAP? A simple pressure adjustment should take care of the problem - you can learn to do it or you can ask your clinic to do it.

 

My bet is that you have an APAP set at 4 and 20 - wide open. Do you have any idea what your 90% pressure is, what thwe max and min pressure settings are and very importantly, your AHI?

 

TF

I agree with TF in that your settings probably need adjusting.  When we're undiagnosed with OSA, everytime we have an apnoea our body goes into flight-fight state, which is what panic attacks are.  This is also why a lot of people with undiagnosed sleep apnoea suffer panic attacks during the day as well.  In the past when you weren't on treatment you would have been kicked out of REM into a lighter stage of sleep, and slept through the panics.  However, now that you have the CPAP pressure, it sounds like this is why you're waking up with the panics.  Are you on APAP or CPAP?

Hi Mags. I am on CPAP and have these too, when I first started and recently as I am still recovering from pneumonia which restricted my taking deep breaths. It also then led to DVT and EP which has lengthened my recovery time . It is horrible, but the way I deal with it is to think after a couple of minutes, 'Well I haven't died or passed out, so although it is uncomfortable, I am safe and it will pass'. I then use 'visualisation' to cope. I picture myself sat leant against a tree on a slight incline in a meadow with a light breeze blowing and lambs strolling a few metres away. I used to 'listen to' (in my head) the Fleetwood Mac track 'Albatross' to calm me down, but after Marks and Spencer used it now it reminds me of Belgian chocolate cakes lol. I now think of some yoga music I have to help. Anyway, you will be ok, honestly. As the others said, also check your strap settings to stop leakage. Take care. Greg

I have been diagnosed with sleep apnoea, plus night time panic attacks which my consultant tells me often go together. Unfortunately they see the remedy as medication, which I do not believe is the answer for me having tried it. It could be you are subconciously reacting to wearing the mask. My consultant said it can take six months to a year to settle down on CPAP and stop having linked panic attacks, especially as your body has had years of learning which needs to be retuned.

Without doubt, my throat is closing to stop acid reflux and making me wake suddenly as if I cannot breathe. This is not an apnoea although at night it can feel the same. The pressure entering the body, can make reflux more likely according to my consultant and a specialist reflux consultant I also saw. If you think this is possibly your problem, raise the head of your bed by 4 - 6 inches (on wooden blocks), watch what you eat and drink after 6pm and try some anti acid tablets for a short while.

 

Phil

 

Phil

I have experienced the night panic attacks (rapid heart beat) and headaches since using CPAP. I have been able to link it with the CPAP machine not able to operate correctly due to a leaking mask which also causes the noise. As a consequence it causes you to suffer the side effects of apnoea's. i would ensure your mask is secure and not not causing leaks when you are moving in your sleep. If you are suffering with large leaks you will have a noisy CPAP machine and revert to the symptoms prior to its use.

If your husband says your attacks coincide with a noisy machine then it does sound like a leaking mask may well be part of the problem. This is all so complex and there are lots of possible reasons for the panic. You have lots of good advice already on the site but the first one I think is to do everyhting you can to ensure that the mask seals well.

Use the special moisturiser and see if repositioning the straps helps. I often find that getting the mask to one side or the other of my nose can help, depending on where your head hits the pillow. So be prepared to adjust the mask straps once you are lying on the pillow and of course, use the wonderful hose lift so that the hose doesn't pull the mask away from your face.

Perhaps put a reed diffuser or some lovely fragrance (lots of different ways of doing this) near to the inlet on the machine so you get sweet fragrance whilst sleeping. I breathe the lovely smell into my mask deeply and this helps me go to sleep initially although I still wake up in the night, not in such a panic any more thankfully!

 Hope this all gets easier. This cpap / apap is not a straightforward exercise but it does get easier eventually.

Best wishes, Rosemary  

Mags, what type of mask do you use? I'm assuming it is a full face mask or nasal mask to stop leaks make sure you have your hose coming from above your head either from a bed head or use a hose lift. Mask liners normally help and save you washing your cushion as much and reduce marks. Also depending where the leaks come from i.e. from the top of your mask into your eyes, tighten just the top straps slightly until you get it right. Also if you use a FFM with a dial, try adjusting it. On the waking up depending on which machine you have make sure your ERP settings are right that is your exhale settings.

You certainly aren't new to cpap are you Mags? It isn't just a matter of getting used to things then is it! Is the panic that you feel like you can't breathe or is it perhaps that there is a general state of stress in your life at the moment made a heck of a lot worse by being trapped inside a mask?

I expect you've talked to your GP about the panic attacks and have been offered help from him / her? I sure hope so! Especially as your cpap clinic / sleep study professionals reckon they've helped as much as possible and have no more suggestions. The GP has ultimate responsibility for your well being as you probably know.  

I think that the aroma stuff is really nice. Someone said they rinsed their tube with a weak solution of mint mouthwash. That might also be a nice thing to try. I think deep breathing (the relaxation technique sort of breathing) when you first put the mask on is great and I tend to go to sleep more easily when I do this and feel more comfortable generally.

Is your bedroom warm enough perhaps or maybe not warm enough? Do you wake up because you need to go the loo perhaps? Anything that will make it possible to stay asleep comfortably may help you to not wake up in the night in a panic.

Frankly, I don't think I'm sure whether I wake up because I need to go to the loo or whether I realise I need the loo when I wake up. What comes first, the chicken or the egg and all that! All I know is that when I sleep soundly I tend to feel less stressed. Broken nights also make me more stressed and it is a self perpetuating problem that can cause panic in itself.

I do hope it settles down for you because lots of the good effects of the cpap are wrecked if you keep waking up in a panic. You ceratinly aren't alone on this site and hopefully all the different people's experiences will result in at least a few ideas that may be able to be reorganised into something you can use! All the best to you Mags.

Rosemary

 

 

 

You have not answered the vital question, Mags! We now know you have a CPAP set at 8cmH2O but  what is your AHI? Without knowing that, all else is conjecture.

 

TF

Glad you've found sharing this to be of help Mags.  However, you definitely need to find out your AHI to make sure the set pressure is working for you.  It's good you get an annual overnight sleep study, but you need them to be able to check your machine.  What machine do you have by the way?  A pressure of 8 isn't particularly high, and if it's too low for you the apnoeas will still be getting through, which may be what's causing this.

Also, you mention having asthma.  Some people with asthma also have to use oxygen with their CPAP so that might be another area to look at if it's not connected to the CPAP pressure.

Is there any chance of you getting checked out whilst in the US, as 6 months is a long time to go with these problems?

The information is recorded as a 7 day and a 30 day average in most if not all machines, Mags. Tell us the machine name and model and someone here will know how to get at the read-out.

If you are over there on business, you should have medical cover and the firm can pay for a check-up. If on holiday, read the small print of your travel insurance. OSA is an accepted exclusion, unless you took out cover for it, of course.

 

TF

Sorry for delay in replying Mag (having major computer problems + can't even view some things on my own sites!!!).  You should be able to view your AHI on your machine (as long as your clinic haven't barred it) by clicking through the arrow buttons and find the menu for AHI.  Do you have a date card in the slot on your machine?

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Sleep Apnoea Forum

New to the Sleep Apnoea Forum? 

1. Stop by our Sleep Apnoea Welcome Center to introduce yourself to the SleepGuide community.
2. Start a New Topic of Conversation.
3. Post your photos - of yourself, your old CPAP machine, your new CPAP machine, your pet, something about you!

Interested in advertising, have a problem or need to contact us? Click the Report an Issue page.

 

Latest Activity

Jonathan replied to Jonathan's discussion ResMed AirSense 10 getting noisy
"Just to tidy this up, I finally had an in-person review by my sleep clinic yesterday, who agreed the ResMed AirSense 10 was "wheezy" and replaced the machine."
Nov 9
Collette rose replied to Collette rose's discussion 1st time and I’ve failed the mask leak test
"thank you jonathan,i did get the it pack so tried the small and still struggled but i was sat up in bed so will try lying down great suggestion "
Nov 3
Jonathan replied to Collette rose's discussion 1st time and I’ve failed the mask leak test
"Hi My first thought is "don't panic"!  We're all a bit different, and there are many things that can be tweaked.  I took to CPAP therapy like a duck to water, but I've had friends who say they can't cope, but…"
Nov 2
Collette rose posted a discussion

1st time and I’ve failed the mask leak test

Hi everyone, today I received my rental kit - prisma smart max, plus a Philips dreamwear mask which I’ve been wearing unconnected to try and get used to it. I just did a mask fit test using a medium mask and got a constant red/orange leak warning…See More
Nov 2
Collette rose is now a member of Hope2SleepGuide
Oct 31
John posted a discussion
Oct 30
Profile IconBill Wright, Nicole Watson, TJ Bennett and 2 more joined Hope2SleepGuide
Oct 29
John replied to John's discussion evil mask noise
"Ha well it lasted a couple of days but started howling again. But it's a step in the right direction, just needs a bit more work."
Oct 24
Jonathan replied to John's discussion Has anyone been told root cause of their OSA?
"Nope, I just accept that some people's throats tend to close when they sleep, due to a loss of muscle tone during deeper sleep.  Back when I was diagnosed, the sleep lab just filmed you whilst you slept, stuck an O2 meter on your finger,…"
Oct 24
Jonathan replied to John's discussion evil mask noise
"Good to know you found a solution!"
Oct 24
John replied to John's discussion Has anyone been told root cause of their OSA?
"Did anyone tell you exactly what the anatomical issue is, Jonathan?"
Oct 21
John replied to Jonathan's discussion ResMed AirSense 10 getting noisy
"Can't say I know about this."
Oct 20
John replied to John's discussion evil mask noise
"So I tore some fabric from one of the filters and glued it over the holes - and it worked!It was dead quiet, and the air was still flowing freely.It was quiet all night then after a few hours a bit of whistling until I gave it a wipe.Vast…"
Oct 19
John replied to John's discussion evil mask noise
"Hi Jonathan, well see my nose is blocked a lot, so I mouth breath which really sucks a lot more moisture and makes my mouth dry. So I put humidity on maximum, which makes for condensation at the mask end, which becomes a demonic reed instrument.Now…"
Oct 17
Jonathan posted a discussion

ResMed AirSense 10 getting noisy

HelloI have an NHS issued ResMed AirSense 10 with heated humidifier.  In the last couple of weeks, it's developed an annoying noise, when I inhale. It bothers me a little and my partner a lot! I sometimes get problems if the water container in the…See More
Oct 16
Jonathan replied to John's discussion evil mask noise
"Hi My first question is why is condensation forming?  I very occasionally get some condensation, may be once a month, but I can quickly run a finger around the inside of the mask, and wipe it away.  I use a nasal mask, with the humidifier…"
Oct 16
John replied to John's discussion What's a good Apnea forum?
"11K+? Ok that's probably where I should look then :-)"
Oct 16
Kath Hope replied to John's discussion What's a good Apnea forum?
"Hi John. Thanks for the compliment as I do my best popping on here, but it's difficult due to us now supporting 25k+ patients at the charity. To be honest, the forum is quiet because most people seem to prefer Facebook and forums aren't as…"
Oct 16
John posted discussions
Oct 16
Jonathan replied to John's discussion Has anyone been told root cause of their OSA?
"There's some information here, but generally it's very common and likely due to our anatomy."
Oct 12

© 2024   Created by The SleepGuide Crew.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service