Weight Control and Cpap machine

[maggiedooley39@gmail.com]

Hi,

I wrote in last week with questions regarding weight gain and the use of Bi Pap or C Pap machines? Does anyone have any information?

Thanks, Maggie

[DreamStalker]

Hi,

I wrote in last week with questions regarding weight gain and the use of Bi Pap or C Pap machines? Does anyone have any information?

Thanks, Maggie

Maggie - For your own personal internet-security, you should avoid posting with your full email address. If you like, I can try and delete your post with my spam button.

It is best to register and become a member of the forum but if you prefer to post as a guest, just use your name "Maggie" instead of your full email address.

RE: your question, most people lose weight when using CPAP therapy for OSA. With untreated OSA, the body's hormonal system becomes unbalanced and CPAP therapy often leads to a rebalance.

Insufficient oxygen to the brain while asleep (or while awake too) triggers a release of high levels of cortisol (the fight or flight stress hormone). Brief and infrequent spikes of cortisol is a good survival tactic for our body to have when one is within an immediate state of danger .... but chronic cortisol secretion, like when being stressed with sleep apnea oxygen deprivation night after night for years is quite harmful -- stressing the adrenal glands, increasing blood pressure and blood fatty acids leading to heart disease, breaking down white blood cells and diminishing the immune system, increasing insulin production leading to cellular insulin insensitivity and eventually weight gain, obesity, and diabetes.

CPAP therapy helps normalize the hormonal balance and the body usually (though not always 100%) will lose some weight. I lost about 25 lbs during the first month on CPAP without changing diet or exercise habits.

[chunkyfrog]

Like he said.
I lost some weight after starting cpap, and it did help with a focused effort to lose more,
due to increased energy levels.
Once added, fat tends to be very, very tenacious.
You have to WORK to kick it off.

[WearyOne]

CPAP therapy didn't make any difference in my weight. I've been on xPAP a little over 10 years. It's only last year when I started getting serious about how I was eating that I started losing. I've lost about 40 pounds. But again nothing to with xPAP therapy as the weight loss only started last year when I made huge changes in my eating,

[Janknitz]

I gained some weight at first because CPAP stopped my GERD and reflux. I was able to eat more.

But once I adopted a lifestyle change that corrected my metabolic issues, I was able to lose 75lbs and keep it off six years now. That would have been impossible before CPAP.