CAN I WEAR MY CPAP DURING COPD FLARE

Hi folks, I have not registered yet, but I will since you guys are so knowledgeable! I have one question and I hope someone is here listening. For the past 2-3 days I have
been having trouble breathing. I do have COPD. I've had horrible breathing problems the past couple of days. I called my doc today but my phone is messing up and when they didn't get me they tried my husband but he couldn't answer his phone at the time. So I have to wait till tmr, and hopefully get to talk to him. What I need to know is if I can wear my cpap during the day to help me breath? I have two inhalers that I'm using more but they are not doing what I need done, to help me breath better! Can anyone help? TIA!

SASSYME wrote:Hi folks, I have not registered yet, but I will since you guys are so knowledgeable! I have one question and I hope someone is here listening. For the past 2-3 days I have
been having trouble breathing. I do have COPD. I've had horrible breathing problems the past couple of days. I called my doc today but my phone is messing up and when they didn't get me they tried my husband but he couldn't answer his phone at the time. So I have to wait till tmr, and hopefully get to talk to him. What I need to know is if I can wear my cpap during the day to help me breath? I have two inhalers that I'm using more but they are not doing what I need done, to help me breath better! Can anyone help? TIA!

I don't know why not.
If it was me, I would.
Any "assistance" with breathing would be welcome, I would think.

Please feel free to register.


Den

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THANK YOU!! Going to do that (both items) right now!

I'm not up on COPD, keep the ER option in mind. I have O2 here if I need it, CPAP may help. Maybe you could call the ER for better info. Jim

I second the emergency room.
Having trouble breathing is a true EMERGENCY.
GO!

Thanks Jim and Chunkyfrog. Hubby is a paramedic (retired) and the hospital is 2 miles away. CPAP is already helping a bit, I'm not gasping at the moment. If it becomes
necessary I will hit the ER. Will talk to Doc tmr, even if I have to show up at his office!

SASSYME wrote:Thanks Jim and Chunkyfrog. Hubby is a paramedic (retired) and the hospital is 2 miles away. CPAP is already helping a bit, I'm not gasping at the moment. If it becomes necessary I will hit the ER. Will talk to Doc tmr, even if I have to show up at his office!

Thanks for that update and glad to hear all that.


Den

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I also think the emergency room should be your number one option. Sometimes when it comes to COPD your oxygen saturation can be dropping do to the lack of proper ventilation, which a CPAP is not designed to 100% help. Although the machine could make you feel better, there still could be a number of other problems that could be neglected. So, don't 100% rely on CPAP - consider the the emergency room.

Also, talk with your physician about considering another sleep study.

When my husband has a COPD flare up, his oxygen saturation drops. He gasps for air and he breathes by heaving his chest upward. He is using muscles in his chest that he normally does not use for regular breathing. He was told at the emergency room that when he breathes like this his muscles will eventually tire and STOP working with NO warning at all. He was told that he could stop breathing with little or no warning. We are to take him to the emergency room ANY time he is gasping for air like that. Not to take him to an urgent care facility and don't try to treat him at home. He needs oxygen and nebulizer treatments at that point. A CPAP machine is not a ventilator. It will not give you the oxygen you need. It will not open your swollen, congested airways. Please go to the emergency room if you can't contact your pulmonologist or primary care doctor.