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CPAP Can Cause Central Sleep Apnea?

I have a woman in my AWAKE group who says she read- and that her doctor had told her -- that CPAP or BIPAP can actually CAUSE central sleep apnea to develop. Anyone know if there's truth to this? She writes:

That is beyond shocking because it suggests that this treatment is potentially LETHAL. ok so it does not always work-but CAUSING a severe neurological issue????????

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Permalink Reply by Terry Vella on March 12, 2012 at 4:12am

Scooby, welcome, CSA is the brain telling the nervous system not to both breathing vs OSA a blockage. If your awake your brain doesn't tell you to stop breathing. I have a mix of OSA and CSA with the majority being OSA but never have a problem beathing during the day.

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Permalink Reply by Terry Vella on March 12, 2012 at 4:12am

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on March 12, 2012 at 8:17am

Scooby, sleep apnea is by definition confined to times we are sleeping. If you are having episodes during the day when you don't breathe, run, don't walk to the closest neurologist or internal medicine doctor. If your daytime brain is forgetting to tell your respiratory centers to

breathe this is not central sleep apnea from your muscles becoming lazy and needing the CPAP to keep your airway open. It may be called central apnea and if so could be a sign of a serious neurological condition. Don't mean to scare you. If you are not breathing during the day it's very serious. It's not lazy muscles, but a brain problem.

Please go to the doctor today, and report back! This could be very serious.

I think it is true that too high of a pressure can cause central sleep apnea, but I don't understand the mechanism. This is not what you have Scooby.

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope www.hope2Sleep.co.uk on March 12, 2012 at 8:26am

Scooby, there was a discussion about daytime stopping breathing on here a few months ago..... http://www.sleepguide.com/forum/topics/holding-breath-whilst-awake

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Permalink Reply by Scooby on March 21, 2012 at 3:13am

Hi Terry, Mary, and Kath, Thank you so much for the information you posted. I will definitely go and see a doctor soon and have it checked out. I hope it is nothing serious. Fingers crossed.