Is Xanax safe for people with Central Apnea?

As the title says, is xanax safe for those with CSA? My doctor doesn't really know anything about central apnea, which is why I am asking here.

I have idiopathic central apnea, meaning they don't know it's root cause. I have been having some issues with public speaking/presenting to large audiences at work and would like to try Xanax as an occasional crutch in addition to psych therapy.

My concern is whether or not xanax will effect my respiratory drive, heart rate(i have bradycardia) or blood pressure, especially while sleeping.

I would not take medical advice from a message board...there are no doctors here.

LSAT wrote:I would not take medical advice from a message board...there are no doctors here.

I don't take advice from here as Gospel. But perhaps someone has been in a similar situation and would have knowledge to share and/or has gotten good information from their doctor(s) that mine doesn't have.

I take Xanax and have SA, but few CAs. Therefore, I cannot say that Xanax is bad for CAs, but at least they do not cause them (for me anyway). Not sure that helps much, but it may be difficult to find a person like you describe.

Xanax and other benzodiazepines have been getting some pretty bad press lately, but primarily for use by older folks and long term use by anybody. You may want to ask Dr Google. I am an "older" person. I would use it for occasional anxiety on an as needed basis. I would define occasional as not more than once or twice a month. I would not use it routinely or for a sleep aid. I am not an expert. I base my comments solely on what I've read that's been published by fairly reputable sources and are strictly my opinion.

I occasionally use a quarter of a .5 mg tab of alprazolam (generic xanax) to reduce anxiety in order to sleep.
I seem to have gotten more sensitive to this drug in my old age.
My apnea is osa, with very little central.

I feel that in a perfect storm scenario things could go bad. An overdose of xanax, maybe some alcohol in the bloodstream, possibly a cough med in the mix... put that together with an inadequate CPAP therapy session and maybe things could get dangerous. Especially if one vomits and the body can't eliminate it. Think Jim Morrison. In the past I've personally noted that xanax tends to suppress my centrals up to a point where it wears off, usually in the middle of the night. Xanax can also affect one's respiration cycles. But that's just me, and I'm not a doctor BTW. The caveat against xanax usage for older people is almost universal with doctors these days.