Posted by Barbara Metzler on May 04, 1998 at 19:18:46:

In Reply to: Re: Problemsexhaling wih C-PAP machine posted by William Costanzo on May 02, 1998 at 12:39:36:

Dear Deborah: Thanks for responding to my post of March 8. You were
the only one kind enough to reply which surprised me. I thought a lot
of people would have noticed an elevated C02. My husband has only been
using his BiPAP for one year. Shortly after he began using it, I spoke
to a representative of Respironics (the manufacturer) about something or

other. During our conversation, the fellow, on his own, mentioned that

if I surf the Internet, I would hear about C02 rebreathing and also
about non-rebreather valves. He didn't go into detail, and I was such a

novice -- and still am -- about sleep apneas, I didn't think about the
fellow's comments on C02 rebreathing until I noticed an elevated C02 on
my husband's monthly blood tests last fall. I asked the pulmonologist
if there could be a connection between the BiPAP and his elevated C02.
The doctor said, "It's possible, but unlikely." He was inclined to
think that the elevated C02 in my husband's blood was from the diuretics

he was taking. And, perhaps he was right. But, to follow up, I posted
my question on SleepNet.

My poor husband has so many problems, I didn't want him to have more
from the BiPAP. However, the C02 elevation in his blood may not have
been from the BiPAP at all. Oddly enough, he is taking fewer diuretics
now, and the C02 elevation is not as bad. My husband was a healthy man
until 1993 when a virus attacked his heart, causing an enlarged heart
and congestive heart failure. He was still functioning pretty normally
until 1996 when he started atrial fibrillation. That made his heart
weaker. Then, his doctor prescribed too much of one of his medications
and he got so bad, the doctor was considering a heart transplant. I
finally convinced the doctor to cut back on the one medication. At that

time, I also took him to a sleep center -- on my own -- because he was
breathing so funny at night and all his many doctors told me to ignore
it. The pulmonologist at the sleep center said he had central and
obstructive sleep apneas and put him on the BiPAP. He is feeling better

than he was a year ago, but we have never been able to decide if the cut

back in medication or the BiPAP helped the most.

CPAP and BiPAP machines, according to Dr. Douglas Bradley at the
University of Toronto, are supposed to help the cardiovascular system.
I don't know Dr. Bradley -- we live in New Jersey. My husband's heart
doesn't look any better on tests, but he does feel better than he did.
I wrote to Dr. Bradley once with a question, but he never answered me.
My husband has also had to use insulin since last fall.

I assume the "Don" you mentioned is your husband. Does he have other
problems that could be causing the left ventricular heart enlargement
and low pulmonary function? Being sick and finding out why is not
easy. I have learned that it isn't safe to put all one's trust in one
doctor. I drag my husband to more than 12 different doctors. I am sure

that he would have died long ago if he had had only one doctor. I am
wearing out myself, and to make matters worse, I also have a daughter
who is very ill from NutraSweet "poisoning." That's a enormous story I
won't go into.

My husband has terrible nasal problems, and the BiPAP only makes them
worse. For many months, he had to sleep sitting up with the BiPAP
because glop from his nose would run down the back of his throat and
choke him. As I write this, I hear him in the bedroom choking and
gagging tonight. We have all kinds of medicines for his nasal problem,
so at least he can usually sleep lying down. But, I don't think that
tonight will be a good night.

I wish you and Don the best. If we can figure out anything to help
them, let's keep trying! Regards, Barbara Metzler
bmetzler@eclipse.net.

Follow Ups:

• Re: CO2 rebreathing with BiPAP masks Charlie Smith 5/05/98 (0)

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