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Health Risks of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure Devices?

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Sierra +0 points · over 5 years ago Original Poster Sleep Patron

From time to time the issue is raised about the risks of using these devices, and if the user makes adjustments to them, what the consequences could be. My thoughts have been that I self medicate with two types of insulin several times a day, and that the risk of that is far higher. It turns out that my casual thinking may be more accurate than I thought. CBC our Canadian news outlet has been doing an expose on the risks of medical devices. Here is a link to today's article. When a database of medical device risks was checked the #1 risk was insulin pumps. Over the last 10 years 103 deaths have been linked to insulin pumps. CPAP devices did not even make the top 10 list. And when I did a search of the data base they have using Device Category "UNIT; CONTINUOUS POSITIVE AIRWAY PRESSURE" it came back with two deaths. Both were in the hospital. One was post surgery and apnea was not a factor in the death. The other was with a terminally ill patient. My conclusion is that CPAP devices are very safe, and not a death risk. There is no reason to fear them! There are other medical devices that one should be concerned about though...

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obbyone +0 points · about 5 years ago

In mi case too much pressure caused me CSA now ☹️

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Sierra +0 points · about 5 years ago Original Poster Sleep Patron

It took me a while to figure it out, but yes I think more pressure that the auto CPAP was using, not me, was causing CSA too. I have moved to fixed pressure CPAP mode with my machine, and my AHI and CSA has come down. For some, the auto mode is not all good.

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Biguglygremlin +0 points · about 5 years ago Sleep Enthusiast

Once again Sierra you are right in the details but in this case I do wonder about the bigger picture.

We mere humans tend to misunderstand, misuse and often abuse developing technologies so my first query would revolve around those issues.

The other query is a much more difficult area to get a handle on. Dependence.

Yes it's a ludicrous argument on the surface but is it something we can safely dismiss?

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Biguglygremlin +1 point · about 5 years ago Sleep Enthusiast

I really do love numbers and statistics.

They are the ultimate tool for the twisted. (that's me) And they are the fastest way to invoke chaos or destroy any opposition yet they still maintain the illusion of respectability.

So what do the numbers say. Two people died with their masks on. Is there a historical precedent?

It is widely accepted that most cowboys died with their boots on.
If they had banned the sale of cowboy boots what would have been the effect?
Barefoot cowboys would have been less inclined to be standing on the hot surface of main street at high noon. Leading to a rapid drop in the death rate of cowboys without boots. The logical conclusion is that cowboy boots were dangerous.
We needn't mention that barefoot cowboys would now be dying of snakebite or gangrene instead.

So is a CPAP machine dangerous?

The jury is out but in the meantime not using one might have worse odds.

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Biguglygremlin +0 points · over 2 years ago Sleep Enthusiast

In the 3 years since this thread was lost amongst the cobwebs, I have formed the view that CPAP machines may in fact be much more dangerous than I first realized.

It is possible that there are numerous deaths, caused by suffocation, that are currently being attributed to natural causes, especially amongst the elderly and dysfunctional.

How we could know or prove or prevent this I do not know.

Machine Shuts Off

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Sierra +0 points · over 2 years ago Original Poster Sleep Patron

I recently had an event with my ResMed AirSense 10 AutoSet. According to the SleepyHead Daily report screen, I was comatose for about 1 hour during the night. Have a look at the screenshot for that night below. I got up at about 6:45 to visit the dunny. I didn't notice anything amiss with the machine. As is my usual routine, I turn it off manually and then remove the mask. Went back to bed about 5-10 minutes later, and put the mask back on again. It then autostarts. If I did not use SleepyHead I would not have known there could be an issue. But in the morning when I got up and checked my results as I usually do, I noticed that there was about a 1 hour gap where no data was recorded. It was as if I had my mask on, but the machine was not running at all. It was in the hour before I got up.

So I wonder what really happened. I am pretty sure I would not tolerate having the mask on and the machine not running. I'm thinking it was a data collection issue with the machine or the transfer of data to SleepyHead. Not sure.... All I am pretty sure about is that I am no longer comatose!

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Biguglygremlin +0 points · over 2 years ago Sleep Enthusiast

Do we finally have proof of alien abductions?

Perhaps it's just the printer running out of ink!

What happened to the clocks that stopped when the power went off, and the appliances that all started shouting HELP when the power came back on?

Maybe you are tougher or more impervious than you think!

You might not need that much oxygen to support a good coma!

Yet, in spite of Occam's razor, you choose the most complicated posit!

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Sierra +0 points · over 2 years ago Original Poster Sleep Patron

That night was the time when our daylight savings time fall back to standard time. I would have blamed the glitch on that, but the clock in the ResMed is pretty dumb and doesn't allow you to set the time back one hour. You can move it ahead, but not back. I would hope that is one thing they will have fixed in the AirSense 11 model. The only way to change the time back is to delete all your data.

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Biguglygremlin +0 points · over 2 years ago Sleep Enthusiast

Daylight saving! Of course! It's so obvious now!

History of Time

According to that Canadian article, daylight saving causes heart attacks and traffic accidents! Maybe that's the end result of deleting data.

Cows can be pretty dumb and all Queenslanders (Aussie State) swear that daylight saving stops the cows from milking.

All of these indisputable scientific facts make it highly probable that daylight saving would also glitch the CPAPs!

I read something to the effect that the best thing about ending daylight saving in Tasmania is that you get to watch the sunset over lunch. I guess that's even more true in Canada.

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Sierra +0 points · over 2 years ago Original Poster Sleep Patron

Our province, Alberta, just had a referendum on making daylight savings time permanent. It was defeated 51% to 49%. Not sure if the cows got to vote or not....

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Biguglygremlin +0 points · over 2 years ago Sleep Enthusiast

That was a pretty close vote.

Maybe the chickens held the balance.

What were the main issues?

Watching the sunrise over lunch in winter?

Getting the kids to bed while the sun's still high in summer?

Running out of milk because the cows are all lost and confused?

Seems to me that if you go a bit further north you could watch the sunrise, and set, over a leisurely lunch of poutine with caribou curds. (No cow's milk remember!)

Maybe they should have delayed for a while until the cows, and the neighboring districts, had made up their minds about where the sun should be in the sky.

So does this put you back to glitching CPAPs or was it actually a vote for permanent standard time?

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Sierra +0 points · over 2 years ago Original Poster Sleep Patron

Quite frankly, I think it comes down to the fact that some people are too lazy to change their clocks twice a year....

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Biguglygremlin +0 points · over 2 years ago Sleep Enthusiast

Yes, it's not much to ask really.

But it can be a little confusing.

Just the simple things that seem so easy.

Like, which day should I do it?

Can I still do it the next day if I forget or is that too late?

What time of day is it supposed to happen?

Is 12:00 o'clock midnight pm or am?

How do I change the time on this stupid device?

Where did I leave the manual?

Do I change it forwards or backward?

What does that even mean?

What other devices have clocks?

Should I check on the appliances?

What about the fridge?

Does anyone remember how to reset this microwave?

I nearly forgot the air conditioner!

Do these earbuds know what time it is?

And that stupid alarm system!

I seem to remember installing some powerpoint timers somewhere.

Do any of my tools know the time?

How about the cars?

Could someone please help me find the garden sprinkler manual?

Did I forget anything?

Oh, there are some things at work!

Surely they can wait till Monday!

Did I leave something in a locker somewhere?

How about the devices on loan to family or friends?

Should I chase them down and reset them too?

What about my poor CPAP?

How do I access the menu again?

Didn't someone mumble that this would stuff up my CPAP data?

Should I risk changing it or shouldn't I? :(

Do I have to dig out the spare CPAP and reset that as well?

I don't remember how to change the time on this stupid thing!

Now, where did I put that manual?

How many things already know about daylight saving?

How will I know if they know?

Did they require permission?

How do I know if I gave them permission?

Why is the sun in the wrong place?

Why has MilkyWhite stopped milking?

Where's all this stress and anxiety coming from?

And now the vacuum cleaner's gone feral.

And the coffee machine's on strike!

And the sprinklers are having a revolution in the backyard!

I duck out for a coffee but I'm distracted because the car clock is flashing.

And there are so many confused pedestrians wandering all over the road!

Well, there were until I ran into them.

Because I was tired and distracted and worrying about my CPAP and poor MilkyWhite!

Anyway, after a very stressful day it's finally all sorted.

I can ignore the vacuum cleaner endlessly bumping into the china cabinet and pretend the sprinklers aren't still drowning the lettuces and snuggle up with my glitching CPAP for a good night's sleep, dreaming of Milkywhite in happier times.

Then, first thing Monday morning, everybody turns up two hours early for work!

But no. They're not early, I'm two hours late! How did that happen?

Wait!

Don't tell me I set those clocks wrong!

Do I really have to do this all over again? :(

What's this pain in my chest?

It's probably just indigestion from these messed-up mealtimes.

Nothing a warm cup of milk won't fix .............................

You're right Sierra!

I don't know why people make such a big deal out of it.

We really should do daylight saving more often!

But let's wait till we all have an Airsense 11 and milk in the fridge! :)

Adjusting to Daylight Savings

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