'It saved my life': Comedian pushes Quebec to fund sleep apnea treatment

After decades of struggling with chronic fatigue and serious health issues, comedian and actor Anthony Kavanagh was finally diagnosed with sleep apnea and able to access treatment that dramatically improved his quality of life.

Now a spokesperson for the Quebec Lung Association, Kavanagh is pushing the provincial government to cover the cost of that treatment for other people living with the disease.

The bilingual Greenfield Park native, born to Haitian parents, built a hugely successful career as an actor, comedian and stage performer in Canada and Europe. But as he rose to stardom, he was suffering from a condition that went undiagnosed for years.

On Tuesday, Kavanagh gave a press conference at the National Assembly explaining the numerous impacts sleep apnea has had on his life.

"I was always tired, I thought I was depressed, then my hormones were up and down," he told Quebec AM. "I used to fall asleep all the time. I went to see numerous doctors who gave me numerous prescription drugs that made everything worse."

Kavanagh was even hospitalized while on tour in Switzerland after he thought he was having a heart attack, which turned out to be a panic attack.

The comedian was taking anti-depressants but didn't think depression was the real issue.

Finally, two years ago, he was diagnosed with sleep apnea — a disease that causes people to stop breathing while they sleep — which his doctor said he'd probably had undiagnosed for two decades.

"She said 'I don't even understand how you can walk around,'" Kavanagh explained.

After his presentation at the National Assembly, MNAs unanimously adopted a motion recommending Quebec's health insurance board (RAMQ) provide continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines free of charge to people not covered by private insurance.

"It literally changed my life and my quality of life," Kavanagh said of his machine.  

A common condition

It is estimated about one in 10 people in Quebec suffer from sleep apnea.

Helen Driver, manager of the Sleep Disorders Lab of Kingston Health Sciences, said there are varying degrees of severity for sleep apnea.

Symptoms can include daytime fatigue, memory problems, diminished mental capacity, and changes in mood, because the body is never fully resting and the brain isn't getting enough oxygen.

"I used to snore like a jackhammer," said Kavanagh. "When my wife would come on tour with me she used to sleep in the bathroom."

Driver said sleep apnea can also cause strain on the heart and lungs, putting people at risk of high blood pressure and metabolic swings.

Getting a good sleep improves long-term medical outcomes and everyday quality of life, Driver said. 

She said the National Assembly motion was "fantastic."

Treatment can be cost prohibitive

But the machine, which includes a mask typically worn over the nose and mouth that pushes air through to the lungs, can cost anywhere between $1,000 and $3,000.

"It's really like a reverse vacuum cleaner," Driver explained.

"[Sleep apnea] has a huge impact on the population, and there is a therapy that we know is effective and works," she said. "For people to have pay out of pocket, it has an impact on people's financial bottom line."

Kavanagh said he was surprised by the reaction to his presentation at the National Assembly and that it showed him "democracy worked" when the vote passed unanimously.

"Most people don't have the extra $2,000," he said. "I've had a lot of people tell me they can't afford it."

He uses a BiPAP machine, which has the dual function of pushing air in and taking it back out to stimulate inhalation and exhalation.  

"It's not pleasurable," Kavanagh said. "I'm used to it now so I don't mind. I take it everywhere: I take it on the plane, on tour. I'm used to it because it saved my life."

He said he can't go one night without it, and that staying up all night is easier than sleeping without the machine, because if he's awake he can breathe. If he's asleep without the machine, he's not getting oxygen.

"You're being choked all night, literally," he said. "It's not sexy, but the alternative is much worse, so I prefer to have a mask."