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[CPAP] can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - Printable Version

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can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - wt92555 - 10-01-2016

Hi fellow forum readers,

This is my first post and I will try to keep it short. I started using CPAP machine about a year and half back. My incidences were on the pretty high (about 35 per hour) and after using it for all this time, cant go without it for a good night sleep. I feel refreshed, don't sigh all day long after bad sleep.

But the question is more about my dad. He has a heart condition (74 years old), has a pacemaker (rate responsive) implanted and I see the same symptoms that i had myself. Always tired, snores real heavy all night and would wake up sometimes suddenly. With his myriad heart problems, i feel that using CPAP and having a good night sleep on a consistent basis, would help his health and well being lot. I have tried to encourage him over the phone (he lives abroad) to go do a sleep study and get a CPAP but he (and mom) told me that they are worried of him using any machine because of his pacemaker.

question 1- Is there any kind of interference of CPAP machine with pacemakers?
question 2- Anyone on the board fit the profile of using CPAP and also being on pacemaker?

any kind of advice or pointing towards any website would be real helpful.

Thanks in advance for your patience reading my long post.
Regards.


RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - PoolQ - 10-01-2016

FIL has a pacemaker and AHI of 39- now doing fine on BiPAP sleeping like a baby and no more snoring.


RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - PaulaO2 - 10-01-2016

Using my Google Foo, I came up with several pacemaker sites that specifically say sleep apnea machines are safe to use.

The danger is anything with magnets or electrical impulses or stuff like that. xPAP machines are basically super-wimpy, super-expensive leaf blowers.


RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - wt92555 - 10-01-2016

Hi Paula.
Thanks for your reply. would you mind posting at least 1 link. Unfortunately i spent quiet a few hours but typing all types of search words like "interference of cpap with pacemakers" or variations of these did not lead to a relevant search result showing it was safe.

I would really appreciate if you could kindly link something. Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Regards.


RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - justMongo - 10-01-2016

There may be hemodynamic interactions that dictate coordination of PAP with the cardiologist.



RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - OpalRose - 10-02-2016

(10-01-2016, 10:14 PM)wt92555 Wrote: Hi Paula.
Thanks for your reply. would you mind posting at least 1 link. Unfortunately i spent quiet a few hours but typing all types of search words like "interference of cpap with pacemakers" or variations of these did not lead to a relevant search result showing it was safe.

I would really appreciate if you could kindly link something. Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

Regards.


Google
Cpap and pacemakers.
Many articles come up.




RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - WLKSRQ - 10-02-2016

I had a pacemaker implanted about 6 years ago and have been on CPAP for one month. Stats are looking good and I already sense a feeling of better sleep and being more rested. My cardiologist was the one who encouraged me to get a sleep study (and PAP if warranted) in the first place. My sleep doctor never mentioned any downsides of CPAP use for pacemaker patients. Just my personal experience. Website suggestion -- medtronics.com, a major manufacturer and patient monitoring entity.


RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - PaulaO2 - 10-02-2016

News article from website called Advance Healthcare Network in their Respiratory Care and Sleep Medicine division

Quote: News Update
CPAP Best Treatment for OSA Patients With Pacemakers
Posted on: December 27, 2005
Standard treatment with nasal continuous positive airway pressure is the best strategy for people with obstructive sleep apnea who have pacemakers, according to a study in the Dec. 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Researchers from Heraklion University Hospital, Heraklion, Crete, Greece, compared CPAP to atrial overdrive pacing (AOP) in 16 patients who use a pacemaker and have OSA. They decided to compare AOP to CPAP after a smaller study revealed the technique may help ease OSA symptoms.

In the first part of the study, participants were randomly assigned to receive AOP, which consisted of pacing at 15 beats per minute above the spontaneous mean nighttime heart rate, or backup pacing and CPAP. A month later, the two groups switched so researchers could compare the treatments.

Each patient underwent sleep tests to determine how well each of the strategies - AOP and CPAP - were affecting their OSA. Researchers noted no change in OSA symptoms when the patients were on the AOP strategy. However, they saw significant improvements when the subjects used CPAP.

From American Heart Association:
Quote:Medical equipment: These devices do not appear to interfere with implanted pacemakers, but you should always tell your healthcare professional that you have a pacemaker before testing with electronic devices.

Dental ultrasonic scalers, cleaners and drills: Some patients may feel an increase in pacing rates during dental drilling.
Diagnostic radiation (such as screening X-ray and mammography)
Electroconvulsive therapy (such as for certain mental disorders)
Pills swallowed for video endoscopy
Electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG)
Laser surgery
Pet Emission Tomography (PET scans)
Sleep apnea machine
Acupuncture with no electrical stimulus
Echocardiogram
Heart rate monitor
Bone density tests with x-ray or ultrasound on heel or hand

I used "devices safe with pacemakers" and "CPAP and pacemakers". Unfortunately, the second one got a lot of hits on the gadget that makes the tongue twitch. Sigh. I'll send you the links via PM since both were commercial links.


RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - wt92555 - 10-02-2016

Thanks Paula. PM received and I read it.

Thanks everyone for posting your thoughts and opinions. It makes me feel much better and when my parents visit next May, I will definitely be encouraging him to go do an at-home sleep study.


RE: can pacemaker users use CPAP machine - richb - 10-02-2016

Hi wt92555,

Welcome to the Apnea Board. You mention that your FIL has myriad heart conditions. If one of those is Congestive Heart Failure he may suffer from Periodic Breathing and Central Apnea. He would need an Echo Cardiogram to determine his ejection fraction (above 45%) to see if he was eligible for treatment of these types of Apnea. If he has just plain Obstructive Apnea there doesn't seem to be much to prohibit treatment with CPAP. A sleep study (PSG) will determine the types of apnea that need treatment. Using Sleepyhead software will allow your FIL to see the efficacy of the treatment and also see if Central Apnea and Periodic Breathing are showing up. So, Your FIL needs to work with a Sleep Doc and his Cardiologist to figure out the best treatment for him.


Rich