Can Mild Sleep Apnea With AHI 14 Be Fatal ? Can A Sleep Apnea Sufferer Die In Sleep ?

[EastWeekender]

Hi,

I got my sleep study done and my AHI was 14 and it was very high in the supine position, but it was 2.5 in the left side position.

The doctor recommended CPAP therapy, and I have started that.

Yesterday was the first night and it was not very comfortable. 

I went to have a second opinion with another sleep specialist doctor, and he said that CPAP therapy is required but parallelly you can also try to lose weight. After losing 10 % of bodyweight, you can do a sleep study again.

My question is ... if I ignore the CPAP therapy and just focus on losing weight .... will there be a problem.

I don't suffer from classic symptoms of sleep apnea and without CPAP machine as well I feel fresh all day with no headaches.

So can I just focus on losing weight and not do any CPAP therapy.

I agree leaving sleep apnea might result in heart disease or diabetes or other problems but can sleep apnea be fatal where can any sleep apnea sufferer die in sleep? Has there been any case where a sleep apnea patient died of choking and not heart disease or diabetes.


Thanks,
East

[SarcasticDave94]

Do both. Get the CPAP, get started on getting used to it. AND form a plan to lose weight. However losing weight will not guarantee to eliminate Apnea or CPAP necessity.

In my past, I did what you're thinking. First I tried a basic CPAP in 2015. It was single pressure only, no auto adjusting. I had very high AHI of 74 or so, and I weighed 300 pounds.

I failed CPAP compliance and returned the CPAP. I had a long discussion with my wonderful primary care doctor. We researched CPAP and alternative ideas. We latched onto bariatric weight loss surgery, as I'm mobility disabled, can't work off the excess weight. Further I have heart and lung conditions of PVCs and COPD, and my Apnea is Complex, both Central and Obstructive.

I had a process of about 9 months to satisfy my health insurance to pay for me to get a bariatric sleeve surgery to lower my weight. The complex comorbidity helped them decide to OK it. And in September 2016, I had the sleeve performed, which is a laparoscopic style abdominal surgical procedure with several small cuts. They surgically remove the left 70% of my stomach, leaving a banana shaped stomach.

My diet was pretty drastically cut. If I ever overate, I'd get massive pain and vomit. However not so drastic as the bypass style.

I lost 102 pounds in about 1 year. Oh, and my Apnea were still there, to this day even while holding 225 lbs. Weight loss of my 100 or so pounds did cut AHI to roughly half at 37, but that's still severe.

Moral, weight loss helps almost always, but there's absolutely no guarantee to negate CPAP need or the Apnea.

PS, yes Apnea can kill. There's lots of variables involved, but it certainly does happen. Grab the treatment while you have it available.

[EastWeekender]

Thanks mate for such a detailed reply.

I wish you the best and all the health

[SarcasticDave94]

Thanks and wishing you success as well

[PeaceLoveAndPizza]

Interesting question. 

I just did the same thing after 5+ years on CPAP. I lost 15% body weight through exercise and diet, and just completed a two-night sleep study, My AHI dropped to well-below 5 indicating I did not need to use a CPAP. I have tested at home as well with and without it with no noticeable difference in sleep quality, SpO2, and sleep stages have almost 2x deep sleep without CPAP, but I snore without the CPAP machine.

I will continue to use it as I feel I sleep better with it than without it. Plus the snoring is well-managed with CPAP, so there is that as well.

I agree with Dave that having the CPAP will not be something you regret, especially if it is well-covered by insurance. It will be there whilst you need it, then you can test similarly to what I did and decide.

[super7pilot]

I was the polar opposite. I started in the 1980's in Japan while in the Air Force. I was having what the Dr's called panic attacks at night. I guess back then sleep apnea just wasn't on the radar. So their fix? Put me on Valium at 1mg three times a day.

I was 30 yrs old. Our normal sqaudron routine was to form up on a football pitch and workout for one hour then go on a 2.5 mile run. We did this on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Bottom line. I was in top condition.

10 yrs later I was at an Air Force shrinks office talking about my workmates suicide (I was the lucky guy who found him hanging from a large water pipe) And this dr noted my panic attacks and made arrangements for a sleep study. Yep, I had apnea. So got off the Valium and on a CPAP. A few years later the Dr's noted that as I was in shape. They said my apnea could be treated by a surgery called UPPP. (super painful by the way) And it worked (for 23 yrs anyway) and here I am. Back on the CPAP.

And no, Your apnea will wake you up before you die. It does this by doing to you what it did to me. A full on panic attack. You will awake "thinking" you are dying. But you aren't and won't.
But long term apnea can indirectly kill via high BP, heart issues and falling asleep while driving.

[SarcasticDave94]

I based my answer about Apnea can kill, due specifically for the Carrie Fisher death, suspected Apnea without treatment. Maybe not proven true or accurate, but I despise not having Apnea treatment myself, and when my Centrals were very high, I felt like the walking dead. And CPAP, BPAP without backup breath rate made it 10 X worse.

Being choked every few minutes with Obstructive, and large CA breath stoppages doesn't sit well with me at all. Going to dig in and get finances in order so I can buy my machine as soon as I get it to work out. All the doctors I've tried are not willing to get to the right one, ST-A.

[LuminousOne]

With all due respect, Carrie Fisher's death is a single case and cannot inform a standard response to the question. The coroner's report indicated numerous probable causes such as cardiovascular atherosclerosis and evidence of several narcotics found in her system. No one cause could be attributed and sleep apnea (untreated) was likely added to the list as a possible contibuting factor in combination with the others. Unfortunately, the popular press got ahold of the statement and distorted the facts.
 
      

[SarcasticDave94]

We're both free to have personal opinions about it. Narcotics certainly wouldn't be all that good I'd imagine.

I suppose I am erring on the side that the therapy is better to have than not if you can get Dr. Donothing to help not hinder.

[LuminousOne]

I wasn't sharing my opinion on whether anyone seeks treatment or not (it is none of my business) but commenting on the results of the coroner's office as presented by members of the the media. They want people to read or click on their stories and frequently add 1+1 and turn it into 3.  

I agree with you on the narcotics - it was a very worrysome assortment.