Dave, your short note raises a number of possibilities. Are you depressed? Do you truly have obstructive sleep apnea, and if so is the treatment effective? Are you just very frustrated with the CPAP and mask? There are ways to deal with each of these. Both depression and sleep apnea can be treated and managed effectively. Apnea is a chronic condition and while it may not be "cured" it can be managed so as to eliminate the symptoms. Because apnea can have such drastic effects on us if it is not treated, we need to balance the slight discomfort and nuisance of the CPAP against the many benefits of treatment.
If you are truly considering suicide, consult with a mental health professional at once. Do not delay. You can be helped.
If you are not feeling relief for your apnea symptoms, and/or the CPAP treatment is bothersome and a nuisance, again there are ways to manage. There are many issues that can come up with diagnosis and treatment, and we have tried to cover them in some detail in the book, Sleep Apnea--the Phantom of the Night. Many of the problems are trivial to fix, the book will help you engage in a dialog with your sleep specialist to find a way to assure that your treatment works for you.
There are some problems which are a bit dfficult to manage; these include open mouth during sleep, which is discussed in the book, and so-called "complex sleep apnea." Some people open their mouth during sleep (this is not under voluntary control but the result of muscle relaxation during sleep) and this may allow some of the air pressure to blow off, lessening the control of apnea. Perhaps a full face mask would help. Complex sleep apnea is a newly discovered problem that may only emerge when CPAP is used. Carbon dioxide or CO2 levels are used by the body to help regulate breathing. The increased ventilation from CPAP carries off too much CO2, leading to an imbalance in CO2--there is so little that the body slows or stops breathing, causing "central" apneas. Your sleep specialist should be consulted to see if either of these problems is affecting you and for an appropriate treatment. Look for a detailed report on complex sleep apnea in the newsletter, in the near future.
There is help!
Dave, your short note raises a number of possibilities. Are you depressed? Do you truly have obstructive sleep apnea, and if so is the treatment effective? Are you just very frustrated with the CPAP and mask? There are ways to deal with each of these. Both depression and sleep apnea can be treated and managed effectively. Apnea is a chronic condition and while it may not be "cured" it can be managed so as to eliminate the symptoms. Because apnea can have such drastic effects on us if it is not treated, we need to balance the slight discomfort and nuisance of the CPAP against the many benefits of treatment.
If you are truly considering suicide, consult with a mental health professional at once. Do not delay. You can be helped.
If you are not feeling relief for your apnea symptoms, and/or the CPAP treatment is bothersome and a nuisance, again there are ways to manage. There are many issues that can come up with diagnosis and treatment, and we have tried to cover them in some detail in the book, Sleep Apnea--the Phantom of the Night. Many of the problems are trivial to fix, the book will help you engage in a dialog with your sleep specialist to find a way to assure that your treatment works for you.
There are some problems which are a bit dfficult to manage; these include open mouth during sleep, which is discussed in the book, and so-called "complex sleep apnea." Some people open their mouth during sleep (this is not under voluntary control but the result of muscle relaxation during sleep) and this may allow some of the air pressure to blow off, lessening the control of apnea. Perhaps a full face mask would help. Complex sleep apnea is a newly discovered problem that may only emerge when CPAP is used. Carbon dioxide or CO2 levels are used by the body to help regulate breathing. The increased ventilation from CPAP carries off too much CO2, leading to an imbalance in CO2--there is so little that the body slows or stops breathing, causing "central" apneas. Your sleep specialist should be consulted to see if either of these problems is affecting you and for an appropriate treatment. Look for a detailed report on complex sleep apnea in the newsletter, in the near future.