Weaning

[Paulthesleeper]

I have had nocturnal sleep apnoea for a few years and use a ResMed cpap ventilator with nasal pillows. I was 23 stone and have lost 7 stone in weight. I would like to try and wean from the cpap. I have occasionally forgotten to take my vent with me on business trips, and have not slept well. Is there a protocol for weaning? I have an appointment at the chest clinic in October.
Thank you in advance
Paul the sleeper

[palerider]

I have had nocturnal sleep apnoea for a few years and use a ResMed cpap ventilator with nasal pillows. I was 23 stone and have lost 7 stone in weight. I would like to try and wean from the cpap. I have occasionally forgotten to take my vent with me on business trips, and have not slept well. Is there a protocol for weaning? I have an appointment at the chest clinic in October.
Thank you in advance
Paul the sleeper

Think of your cpap as glasses. can you wean yourself off of glasses? Do you see well when you don't wear glasses?

WEAR YOUR CPAP.

[ups4]

I'm not sure why you would want to "wean" yourself off of a therapy that by your own admission is working well for you.

You mentioned that you didn't use your CPAP therapy while away on business and the results were that you didn't sleep well.

Congratulations on losing the weight. That should definitely help in every aspect of your health. But this alone should not be a reason to stop your CPAP therapy. There are many other factors that indicate the need for sleep therapy.

I say stick with it. What harm could it do?

[zonker]

I have had nocturnal sleep apnoea for a few years and use a ResMed cpap ventilator with nasal pillows. I was 23 stone and have lost 7 stone in weight. I would like to try and wean from the cpap. I have occasionally forgotten to take my vent with me on business trips, and have not slept well. Is there a protocol for weaning? I have an appointment at the chest clinic in October.
Thank you in advance
Paul the sleeper

welcome to the forum!

you seem to be under the impression that cpap is a temporary thing. unfortunately, this is not the case. this is something that you will have to do for the rest of your life. and as you have stated, you don't sleep well without it.

you may have read somewhere that losing weight is the "key" to ridding yourself of cpap. this is a dastardly canard if not a downright lie. while losing weight is a good and commendable thing, it's not going to allow you to get off cpap.

so, if i were you, i'd stick to it. and you MIGHT want to consider getting a backup machine that would be always packed and ready to go.

good luck!

[ChicagoGranny]

I have occasionally forgotten to take my vent with me on business trips, and have not slept well.

This is an indication that, despite a significant weight loss, you still need CPAP to be healthy.

If you want to explore this in detail, please let us know. It will take some effort on your part and a bit of time to see how you are doing and how you should proceed.

[chunkyfrog]

Note: if the OP's cpap was, in fact a "vent",
there would be no "forgetting" it.
Obviously this one does not understand apnea or terminology.
[[[Weaner = weiner]]]

[DeepFriedDuck]

Note: if the OP's cpap was, in fact a "vent",
there would be no "forgetting" it.
Obviously this one does not understand apnea or terminology.
[[[Weaner = weiner]]]

Why insult the guy on his first post when he asks a legitimate question?

[prodigyplace]

Note: if the OP's cpap was, in fact a "vent",
there would be no "forgetting" it.
Obviously this one does not understand apnea or terminology.
[[[Weaner = weiner]]]

Why insult the guy on his first post when he asks a legitimate question?

Because PaleRider did not beat her to it.

[DeepFriedDuck]

Because PaleRider did not beat her to it.

That was unnecessary.

[chunkyfrog]

Paul's first and ONLY post did not seem like a legitimate question.
Where does one even get the IDEA that one might wean oneself off cpap?
If Paul were indeed on a ventilator, as opposed to a cpap, there would be no question that he needed it.
His post really does sound like a drive-by trolling.
Forgive me for being OBSERVANT.
Edit: A day late, but Lucy finally jumped in to help
STOMP THE FROG.
We certainly know what thrills that poor, miserable troll.

[kteague]

We still live in a world where many, even many medical professionals, tout weight loss as the cure for sleep apnea and blame weight gain for having it. In some cases both are true. I know someone who lost weight and their sleep apnea resolved, but they are the only one I know personally. I can't fault anyone who believes it CAN happen, because it can. I do take issue with providers who do not give users a realistic picture so they can measure their expectations. Or maybe they figure if it's a motivator to actually lose the weight, is it a bad thing? In my case, I snored when I was young, fit and trim. My dad wasn't a big man, yet his obnoxious sleep breathing was legendary. My brother is a relatively slender guy but has OSA. It's in our genes, not our jeans. To the OP, if I were you I'd keep using the CPAP and at your upcoming appointment ask the doctor about retesting, either at home or in the sleep lab. Just guessing based on your comments that you still need treatment. If you tell us the exact make and model of your machine someone here will be able to instruct you if there's maybe already answers to your questions in your machine data. Maybe enough so that a repeat sleep test might prove unnecessary at this time.

[ChicagoGranny]

It's in our genes

The role of epigenetics should not be underestimated.

[Lucyhere]

Note: if the OP's cpap was, in fact a "vent",
there would be no "forgetting" it.
Obviously this one does not understand apnea or terminology.
[[[Weaner = weiner]]]

Why insult the guy on his first post when he asks a legitimate question?

Because PaleRider did not beat her to it.

Yup.

[Gryphon]

Only way to "Wean your self off CPAP" would be to find some way to treat the condition with a method other then CPAP. Things like taking up the Didgeridoo might help... but I wouldn't put all my eggs in that basket. There also other things you could look at like mouth gards or other items that can help. A correctly ajusted PAP device with a fitted mask though is the gold standard and least evasive way to treat apnea. At least compared to the surgical options.

You can get your self re-tested at a sleep clinic to see if your apnea has improved with your lose of weight.

Mind you... Weight loss isn't always the magic pill for curing APNEA. For some loosing weight can potentially "Cure them" but for a lot of people weight was not even a factor in their Sleep Apnea. There plenty of skinny people who had to fight with their doctors to even get tested for apnea because they didn't fit the "Stereotype" of being a "middle aged overweight man"

When I lost about 50 pounds about 6 years ago... it seamed to me that my apnea may have even gotten a bit worse. "In that I was using a fixed pressure CPAP at the time and I kept having to rase the pressure of my machine to keep my AHI from going up as I lost weight.

I would not just stop using my machine like it was some sort of drug I was trying to stop taking. CPAP treats a structural abnormality with the airway. It helps hold it open like supports in a mine shaft. Pressing on the airway from the inside to help keep it from collapsing.

As you already noted, you mentioned not using your machine on several occasions during business trips and suffering poor sleep. I would think that this is proof positive that you still need your CPAP and shouldn't stop using it or leave it at home when ever you travel.

Keep it with you, Use it always for any sleeping you may do.

Best of luck and congrats on loosing so much weight.

Rest well,

Gryphon

[snuzyQ]

Hi Paulthesleeper:

Unfortunately, the loss of weight will not likely cure your sleep apnea.

Researchers have run studies on the morbidly obese with OSA who undergo weight loss surgery to find that only 4% of such patients bring their AHIs to normal (less than 5) after losing tons of weight. Then, of those 4%, all have their sleep apnea return with aging, underscoring that sleep apnea seems to worsen with aging and over time.

Keep on with your CPAP. It's saving you from more than you will ever know.