1. < Sleep Health

Can't Breathe with Cpap, causing Anxiety attacks

Posted by dersh @dersh, Nov 21, 2022

Alright so I should state that this issue has just arisen within the last couple months, and I have previously had somewhere between a year to a year and a half of using my Cpap machine regularly without issues.

Recently when I use the Cpap within a matter of 10-15 minutes usually, sometimes shorter, sometimes longer I feel like I am breathing in large volume of air but I don't feel like I am getting enough oxygen. Like I am breathing into a paper bag or on a mountain which then triggers a massive anxiety attack and I have to immediately take the mask off and get up for atleast a few hours.

My anxiety is pretty much mostly when I am laying down, usually 90% of it will go away when I am upright on in a computer chair. I use a full face mask as I can only breathe out of my mouth, my nostrils are always plugged.

It actually led me in Sept to having to go to the hospital as I thought I was having a blood clot in my lung as I was using the machine, after an hour I was feeling like I was suffocating. I took the mask off and after an hour I still hadn't caught my breath feeling. I spent 8 hours (still feeling like I was on a mountain) in the emergency they did xrays, and an angiogram which all came back normal. Eventually they gave me Lorazepam, and the breathing issues I was having just went away. I was surprised as in all my years experience with anxiety had never had it manifest that way.

So I am getting in touch with my Respirologist to see if maybe something else is up but I mean the Co2 exhaust ports on the mask are clear and I regularly change the filter. I can breathe totally fine without the Cpap and sleep fine without it too. But the moment I put that damn mask on its suffocation time.

So I am starting to think I cant use this machine anymore as maybe I've developed an intolerance to it. I'm 38 and the machine was government provided here in Canada, but I mean if I'm not able to use it regularly I might as well give the thing back so they can sanitize it and someone else use it (assuming they do reuse them).

Im getting off of all medication soon, hopefully I will be able to lose weight as if I could do that my apnea issues would evaporate. Anyway your thoughts would be appreciated.

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kittykelly1234 | @kittykelly1234 | Nov 21, 2022

Maybe try the new machine that just had the nose attachment for air instead of whole mask. Also how long has it been since you did another sleep study. You may need an adjustment

REPLY
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Nov 21, 2022

Hello @dersh, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @kittykelly1234 and others. I've had a similar experience with my CPAP when I had been using it for awhile which started me on a quest of trying many different full face masks. I'm currently using the ResMed AirFit F20 full face mask but still looking and may switch back to one that fits under and up against the nose that also covers the mouth. I've always been a mouth breath myself which I think is partly because I have a deviated septum.

I met with a Mayo ENT a year or so ago to discuss my options. I didn't really want surgery and was happy when he put me on a proprietary nasal spray plus having me do a saline nasal rinse twice daily prior to using the spray. This made a world of difference in my ability to breath through my nose on both sides. Prior to that my right nostril was always plugged up and sometimes the left one was too. I used the nasal spray for 3 months and then just stayed with doing a nasal rinse in the morning and evening every day which has worked pretty well most of the time. I also found that if I take a menthol cough drop a little before I go to bed it opens my nostrils and lets me breath better at night.

Last month I ran across a device call SinuSonic (https://sinusonic.com/) which intrigued me a little. I read the study referenced by the company and decided to try it. I've been using it twice daily instead of the nasal rinse and find that it has helped considerably with my stuffy nose. The device lasts for 6 months before you need to replace it so I thought it's similar in price to my nasal rinse product and much easier to use. Here's a link to the study:
-- Correlation of Exhaled Nasal Nitric Oxide With Sinus Computed Tomography and Sinonasal Outcome Test Scores: A Cross-sectional Pilot Study:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327813408_Correlation_of_Exhaled_Nasal_Nitric_Oxide_With_Sinus_Computed_Tomography_and_Sinonasal_Outcome_Test_Scores_A_Cross-sectional_Pilot_Study

Please don't give up on the CPAP, it does normally take a minimum of a year to get used to it. I was fortunate that I had a local medical supply company with a sleep therapist that helped me with all of the mask issues.
Have you discussed your problem with the CPAP with your sleep medicine doctor or care team?

REPLY
1 reply
dersh | @dersh | Nov 21, 2022
In reply to @johnbishop "Hello @dersh, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @kittykelly1234 and others...." + (show)
@johnbishop

Hello @dersh, I would like to add my welcome to Connect along with @kittykelly1234 and others. I've had a similar experience with my CPAP when I had been using it for awhile which started me on a quest of trying many different full face masks. I'm currently using the ResMed AirFit F20 full face mask but still looking and may switch back to one that fits under and up against the nose that also covers the mouth. I've always been a mouth breath myself which I think is partly because I have a deviated septum.

I met with a Mayo ENT a year or so ago to discuss my options. I didn't really want surgery and was happy when he put me on a proprietary nasal spray plus having me do a saline nasal rinse twice daily prior to using the spray. This made a world of difference in my ability to breath through my nose on both sides. Prior to that my right nostril was always plugged up and sometimes the left one was too. I used the nasal spray for 3 months and then just stayed with doing a nasal rinse in the morning and evening every day which has worked pretty well most of the time. I also found that if I take a menthol cough drop a little before I go to bed it opens my nostrils and lets me breath better at night.

Last month I ran across a device call SinuSonic (https://sinusonic.com/) which intrigued me a little. I read the study referenced by the company and decided to try it. I've been using it twice daily instead of the nasal rinse and find that it has helped considerably with my stuffy nose. The device lasts for 6 months before you need to replace it so I thought it's similar in price to my nasal rinse product and much easier to use. Here's a link to the study:
-- Correlation of Exhaled Nasal Nitric Oxide With Sinus Computed Tomography and Sinonasal Outcome Test Scores: A Cross-sectional Pilot Study:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327813408_Correlation_of_Exhaled_Nasal_Nitric_Oxide_With_Sinus_Computed_Tomography_and_Sinonasal_Outcome_Test_Scores_A_Cross-sectional_Pilot_Study

Please don't give up on the CPAP, it does normally take a minimum of a year to get used to it. I was fortunate that I had a local medical supply company with a sleep therapist that helped me with all of the mask issues.
Have you discussed your problem with the CPAP with your sleep medicine doctor or care team?

Jump to this post

@kittykelly1234 @johnbishop
Well I too have the ResMed AirFit F20 Mask. I have to have a full Face mask. I actually need the full face mask as I mostly cant breathe at all out of my nostrils so I am a mouth breather so I cant use the nostril masks.

Its not an issue with getting used to it. As I stated I had previously used the machine fine every night for almost a year and a half. Then all of a sudden when I use the mask its like I am just rebreathing air/Co2 over and over again, I get out of breathe and light headed. As far as I can tell all the exhaust ports on the mask coupling are clear. The Cpap get a new filter monthly.

I dont get out of breath or feel like im suffocating without the Cpap machine, its this feeling like I cant breathe that triggers the anxiety attacks. My pressure is already pretty high at 20 so I dont think I could go any higher comfortably.

As I mentioned I did put in another call to my Respirologist so I am going to see his opinion of what he thinks might be causing this as it might be physical and not the Cpap machine.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Nov 21, 2022
In reply to @dersh "@kittykelly1234 @johnbishop Well I too have the ResMed AirFit F20 Mask. I have to have a..." + (show)
@dersh

@kittykelly1234 @johnbishop
Well I too have the ResMed AirFit F20 Mask. I have to have a full Face mask. I actually need the full face mask as I mostly cant breathe at all out of my nostrils so I am a mouth breather so I cant use the nostril masks.

Its not an issue with getting used to it. As I stated I had previously used the machine fine every night for almost a year and a half. Then all of a sudden when I use the mask its like I am just rebreathing air/Co2 over and over again, I get out of breathe and light headed. As far as I can tell all the exhaust ports on the mask coupling are clear. The Cpap get a new filter monthly.

I dont get out of breath or feel like im suffocating without the Cpap machine, its this feeling like I cant breathe that triggers the anxiety attacks. My pressure is already pretty high at 20 so I dont think I could go any higher comfortably.

As I mentioned I did put in another call to my Respirologist so I am going to see his opinion of what he thinks might be causing this as it might be physical and not the Cpap machine.

Jump to this post

I had that similar issue that made me remove my mask in the middle of the night when the pressure was too high. I found that I could turn off my CPAP and turn it back on and it would go to the starting pressure and I could breathe OK again.

REPLY
1 reply
Mentor
John, Volunteer Mentor | @johnbishop | Nov 21, 2022
In reply to @johnbishop "I had that similar issue that made me remove my mask in the middle of the..." + (show)
@johnbishop

I had that similar issue that made me remove my mask in the middle of the night when the pressure was too high. I found that I could turn off my CPAP and turn it back on and it would go to the starting pressure and I could breathe OK again.

Jump to this post

I forgot to mention that I found some cloth covers for the ResMed AirFit F20 that make the mask more comfortable and actually let a little air leak.
-- https://cpapcomfortcover.com/fits-airfit-and-airtouch-f20-full-face-mask/

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