One night skipping cpap = dead (Reggie White)

Reggie White only played here for the Carolina Panthers for one year at the end of his career, but he was popular in the community and retired to a home on Lake Norman. In this video, his widow hints that he skipped the mask only one night.

http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=9375718

Great guy. I wish he had stayed around longer.

My dad only skipped one night. And that's how he died at the ripe old age of 52.

fortomorrow wrote:My dad only skipped one night. And that's how he died at the ripe old age of 52.

So sorry to hear that.

Most of us went many years undiagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea gradually getting worse. I am guessing that the body had time to develop defense mechanisms that kept us alive.

With successful nightly cpap treatment those defense mechanisms probably diminish. I feel that the danger of death from skipping one night of cpap is greater than when cpap is not used at all.

What do the rest of you think?

rooster wrote:
I am guessing that the body had time to develop defense mechanisms that kept us alive.

With successful nightly cpap treatment those defense mechanisms probably diminish. I feel that the danger of death from skipping one night of cpap is greater than when cpap is not used at all.

What do the rest of you think?

wow.....that is a disturbing and enlightening thought.

I think the defense mechanisms theory could be correct.
I think I have had OSA all my life. It wasn't until
I had pancreatitis and my body was severely weakened, that I
bagan to notice the fatigue. After that it just continued
to get worse.

In reference to skipping a night, there have been many posts
here that suggest that is not a good idea.
Personally, knowledge of the RWhite story just makes it
easier for me to attend to my therapy.

I have not experienced a night without my mask since 6/29
when my cpap journey started. I have no plans to find
out what the day after, a night without it, feels like.

Thanks for posting this.

Good post - thanks!

I was just going to get my deviated septum fixed because I got hooked on nose spray to use my cpap. The insurance company wanted another sleep study without my cpap. I felt like I was going to die. My heart was racing, I was out of breath and felt terrible. After that I asked the surgeon to do all the surgeries to help. I am glad I did. I still use cpap but I am still swollen also. But when I got out of the hospital I didn't use it at all for 3 weeks and was of. The surgery works and I think it will add years to my life.I always wondered what would happen to me if I got into a situation where I couldn't use cpap, and that made the decision clear for me.I found out how I would do with out it for one night,..... not good.Consider the surgery. It wasn't that bad. The tonsils hurt, that was the worst part.

I can report that since using cpap, that if I fall asleep even for a few minutes now during the day, that I feel strangely poorly when I wake up. Lack of oxygen? My body is accustomed to cpap now I guess.

My story is that undiagnosed sleep apnea = heart attack and lucky to be alive.

I posted this on another thread, but it's actually more pertinent here. I felt fine before CPAP. I didn't feel excessively tired or sleepy before my diagnosis. I had a heart attack which woke me in the middle of the night. I knew that I snored, but had no idea I had sleep apnea. While in the hospital, I kept setting off the oxygenation alarms at night. The docs there strongly suggested I be evaluated for sleep apnea.

I spent five days in the CCU and my family had to came in from all over the country. Not something I want to go through again! At 46 years of age, a pre-menopausal women, with no other major risk factors for heart disease, I am convinced that sleep apnea was the major contributory factor to my heart attack. From my subsequent sleep studies, I was told that I had severe sleep apnea, with oxygenation dropping to as low as 54% and more than 40 apnea episodes per hour.

I've actually been afraid to go to sleep each night. I just got my CPAP machine a few days ago. I will do anything I can to make the therapy work for me. I intend never to close my eyes again without it. Next time I might not be so lucky to survive a major heart attack.

Excellent vid..sad and scary story indeed. Reminds us of the seriousness of this disorder...not that I've ever lost sight of it's implications but a great reminder nevertheless.

rooster wrote:

fortomorrow wrote:My dad only skipped one night. And that's how he died at the ripe old age of 52.

So sorry to hear that.

Most of us went many years undiagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea gradually getting worse. I am guessing that the body had time to develop defense mechanisms that kept us alive.

With successful nightly cpap treatment those defense mechanisms probably diminish. I feel that the danger of death from skipping one night of cpap is greater than when cpap is not used at all.

What do the rest of you think?

This was an excellent video. Thanks for posting it, Rooster.

I have missed some days due to severe GERD. I am taking another med which empties your stomach faster, along with Previcid 30 mg twice a day and occasionally, Gaviscon for inbetween. Because of the centrals which, going back to straight low pressures are not getting better, but sometimes worse, I have been seriously thinking of stopping cpap therapy until sometime in the spring when I can have another sleep study done. I have been afraid that if I keep doing cpap therapy I will make centrals worse. Now, with this video information I think I will stay on the cpap and take my chances.

Thanks again for posting this video. It certainly got me thinking twice.


Anne

Earlier this spring (2008) a neighbor of mine went a night without his CPAP, that next morning his family found him dead ... he was only in his mid 40's ... very tragic especially since it could have been prevented ...

Gosh, that is so scary!

We lost power this past weekend as the fuse box went out. I had trouble sleeping the first night and a bit better the second. I could have tried using the cpap the first night, but the power kept going out and was so afraid I'd suffocate (wouldn't happen, would it?????) with the mask on.

Hubby was able to replace the fuse box on Monday, so now I'm back to sleeping with it.

Wow, great post and find. This was never revealed that he OSA and caused his untimely death. One of the great football players of all time! More importantly a great man!

It was publicized that Reggie died from sleep apnea. Some credit this with giving a boost to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep apnea in the general population that we have seen since Reggie's death in 2004.

The NFL player's union has had all of its retirees screened and is finding a high incidence of obstructive sleep apnea, especially in the linemen. Some college football teams have also done the screening.

rooster wrote:

fortomorrow wrote:My dad only skipped one night. And that's how he died at the ripe old age of 52.

So sorry to hear that.

Most of us went many years undiagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea gradually getting worse. I am guessing that the body had time to develop defense mechanisms that kept us alive.

With successful nightly cpap treatment those defense mechanisms probably diminish. I feel that the danger of death from skipping one night of cpap is greater than when cpap is not used at all.

What do the rest of you think?

my thoughts exactly...
which leads to the question of back up batteries for apnea.. or preventive measures to take if the power is going to be off for an extended period. Such as sleeping in a chair.