Weight GAIN after CPAP?

[Kairosgrammy]

You are so absolutely right. Thank heavens, that even when we disagree, we have someplace to get support from.

It appears that we have collectively confirmed that everyone is different.
We have a variety of co-morbidities, some may even have none.
Each individual's combination of conditions will help determine whether weight loss is easy or hard.
Fortunately, for some, cpap can work alone; other times, we need to pitch in with additional effort.
For a few, weight loss is still elusive.
It does not help that our environment is so full of saboteurs to our better health and weight control.
For this uphill battle, we need all the strength we can get.

[stacia123]

I worked hard to lose weight before I got on the CPAP. Once I began using it, I gained pretty much all that weight back despite being able to exercise more. Calories were counted the same both before and after using the CPAP. The doctor didn't seem surprised, said other patients had experienced the same thing, but offered no explanation other than I was probably burning more calories when I was so tired from untreated sleep apnea. Over a year I eventually lost that magical 10% of my weight again (after having gained it back once I got on the CPAP) with no resultant change in AHI. After a while I was able to exercise regularly and lose more weight, again with no change in my needed pressure or AHI.

I'd very much love to believe I just need to "try harder" or "decide to do the work" or whatever the heck, but sadly, those are just empty words in my case. It's not as though I can't lose weight because I have, yet it's been harder to do so since I've been on the CPAP.

[MaxDarkside]

I'm tall (6 foot, 1 inch) and thin (was 160-165 lbs). I gained weight. I'm now 171 consistently. I've had some life stress (wife was in hospital this month for 6 days) and ate too much McDonald's (who in the world puts a McD's in a hospital! ) so I may have ate my problems and have not lost it yet.

[chunkyfrog]

Fast (I can't believe they call this stuff) Food

[Kairosgrammy]

Well, at 6'1" and 171, you don't have too much to worry about weight wise. Might even be a good gain. Must say though, McDonald's isn't a good way to gain. When my brother was in the hospital, they had a Subway and a McDonalds. Talk about variety. As much as I like Subway, one can get tired of it. He was in the hospital for 4 months before passing and it got to the point where we ate out of the hospital just to get out of there.

I'm tall (6 foot, 1 inch) and thin (was 160-165 lbs). I gained weight. I'm now 171 consistently. I've had some life stress (wife was in hospital this month for 6 days) and ate too much McDonald's (who in the world puts a McD's in a hospital! ) so I may have ate my problems and have not lost it yet.

[brandy2]

I am cruising around looking for side effects of CPAP treatment. I have stuck with this for a year. I am gassy and bloated and seem to be unable to drop the 8 pounds I've gained. Just read a study from the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine which confirms my suspicions that the CPAP therapy has caused me to gain weight. Previously I slept with a mouthpiece which ceased to be totally efffective after years. I will be looking for a new type of mouthpiece now that I have confirmed my suspicions about the weight gain!

[Julie]

I sure wish you'd cite the article re weight gain/Cpap, because it's crap, no matter how legit the journal is. You CAN of course use Cpap and gain weight if you eat more and exercise less, as can anyone, but the Cpap is NOT responsible! Cpap won't automatically help you lose weight if you don't take advantage of the increased energy it gives you, but it won't help you gain by itself.

All Cpap does is blow a tiny bit of air into your oral cavity to keep your airway a bit more open than it is. That is ALL it does, so unless you can explain how it adds weight by doing that, you're all wet!

[TASmart]

There are some studies that say weight gain happens is some people after CPAP treatment, no-one is sure why that happens. In my case 10 pond in the first month, but seems to have stabilized, hopefully at some time I can start dropping, my appatite has gone into high gear and I just want to eat, eat and then eat after I am done eating. But I sure feel good while I eating, and while I am not eating too.

[Julie]

You're eating more because your metabolism is now more active, having more 02 to work with... it's natural, so you do have to be careful at least until you get control of the new situation.