Quadriplegic with breathing issues during sleep

This question was asked in Co Bluffs, Iowa on 04/30/2013.
I am a quadriplegic and my respiratory levels are already low, but very low during sleep. At times during the night I feel as though I am choking. I am afraid that using a CPAP will make me feel as though I'm breathing through a straw when I'm awake, and I do not want to become dependent on a device that makes my breathing easier (I don't use a respirator). In this situation, what are my options?

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Doctors Answers (3)

Jeannine Louise Gingras, MD
Answered on: 5/1/2013 1

You may benefit from BiPAP, Bi level positive airway pressure at night, as you may be hypo-ventilating. An overnight sleep study with carbon dioxide monitoring would be diagnostic.

SomnoDiagnostics, Inc.
Answered on: 5/1/2013 1

Your best option sir is to see a Board Certified Sleep Specialist to evaluate your situation specifically.

J. Douglas Hudson, MD, DABSM
Answered on: 5/1/2013 1

You do not become dependent upon a CPAP. You likely need a bi level machine (BiPAP) for reasons which are not important to explain. Your breathing now may be more like breathing through a straw but with a PAP it could open up a new world. You need an overnight sleep study.