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NIV (non-invasive ventilation) weaning?

Question
Hello,
I am 38 years old and CF patient. Since a severe pneumonia I sleep for two months with a NIV (non-invasive ventilation) device.
Now I tried the day before yesterday to sleep without NIV. This was quite ok. However since yesterday evening and today, my breathing got worse. Oxygen saturation is good, however breathing is hard and lung function at the center today was deteriorated.
Now I thought, if my lung could probably have been over-stressed because of the night without NIV and now has a kind of muscle ache and has to recover first.
Could that be possible? Is there any advice for weaning from the NIV?
Regards,
Answer
Hello,
just to try to sleep a night without NIV is not a good idea. In case of a NIV device the goal is to take the burden of breathing away from the breathing muscles.
You have therefore said quite right, that you caused a sudden muscle ache of the breathing muscles. This could end in the single case sometimes in a total exhaustion of the breathing muscles and lead to a fast raise of the carbon-dioxide values in the blood and to a so-called carbon-dioxide anaesthesia. Therefore not undangerous!
Therefore go on using the NIV regularly and if necessary reduce it only very slowly (that means one hour per night) and try the weaning in close cooperation with your center and under control of the blood gases.
It is possible - however only under control!
Best regards,
Fischer
17.07.2017