Increased appetite after starting CPAP?

[JoeP]

I've been working to lose weight for the past several years, I dropped 40 lbs in 2008/2009, i would have liked to lost another 50 but i stalled out. I maintained the 40 lost lbs until last summer when it started to creep back and I started to really notice apnea symptoms. Since last July i have put 20 lbs on.

I have heard all kids of people talk about the weight they have lost after starting CPAP. I haven't lost anything in the 10 days I have been on it and in fact my appetite has increased. I am still going to the gym regularly and working to eat healthy but i am having a hard time with the appetite. A co-worker thinks it may be a good sign that my metabolism is recovering and my body needs the extra energy.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[Sheriff Buford]

I lost weight after starting cpap therapy, but it wasn't within 10 days. I have heard some folks here have a slight "bump-up". Your body will start to do wonderful things. I would not look for any substantial-long term health effects within 10 days. I will bet on the long run, you will eventually lose weight.

Sheriff

[locust78]

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine has found a direct correlation between the amount of sleep we get, and weight gain. It appears that a number of mechanisms are thrown off when we don’t get enough sleep. The hormone that tells us we’re hungry (ghrelin) increases, while the hormone that tells us we’ve had enough (leptin) decreases. In other words, when we don't get enough sleep we feel hungry, even if we've eaten enough. The stress hormone cortisol also surges when we're sleep-deprived. When that happens, we crave high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods. (This has been a news item lately.)

Since you're relatively new to CPAP, is it possible that you haven't settled in yet, and aren't getting the kind of long, restful sleeps that your body needs?

[DrPepper00]

I have been on CPAP for 4 months. I have gained 10 unwanted pounds. My appetite has increased. My energy has increased slightly and now I spend a lot of time cooking and eating. I have started the low carb way of eating. Well, trying to start. So far I haven't been very good about giving up DrPepper. I have given up grains, packaged foods and sugar (except for that in DrPepper). I am sleeping 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours a day with an AHI averaging around 2.

[Gizmogidget]

My appetite increased. I attributed it to swallowing some air which may not have anything to do w it. I tend to be hungrier when waking up and I never was before. It is weird though....

[Papit]

I have been on CPAP for 4 months. I have gained 10 unwanted pounds. My appetite has increased. My energy has increased slightly and now I spend a lot of time cooking and eating. I have started the low carb way of eating. Well, trying to start. So far I haven't been very good about giving up DrPepper. I have given up grains, packaged foods and sugar (except for that in DrPepper). I am sleeping 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours a day with an AHI averaging around 2.

You're sleeping 7 1/2 to 8 1/2 hours a day with an AHI averaging around 2 after 4 months on cpap. Your appetite has improved. Sounds quite good to me. Other than a concern about gaining 10 lb. weight, how are you feeling now compared to before beginning cpap?

[JoeP]

getting about 6 1/2 hours sleep, which is normal for me for the past 5+ years. Even on the weekends i dont sleep much more than 7 hours. The apnea symptoms have only started to occur in the past year.

Current AHI averages .92, I am feeling better, but still not great, certainly not back to the level I was in 2008-2010.

2011 was a real kick to the crotch to me, physically (not a literal kick, just the weight gain), mentally, emotionally and financially. As the year went on i progressively spiraled downward until in October i ended up going to the Dr with pain throughout my body, i tweaked my back lifting, both elbows had tendonitis symptoms, right shoulder hurt, both hips and left knee were in pain most of the time.Doc tested my thyroid and testosterone, both were good. Blood pressure is good, normal cholesterol, no diabetes, low triglycerides. I always joke with him that I am the healthiest borderline morbidly obese person around. For someone who is 5'-10" and 270 lbs you would think that at least one of the above numbers would be out of whack. We came to the conclusion that it was a mix of poor sleep, depression and stress and he wasnt sure which was the cause and which were the effects. So I started setraline and the sleep studies.

I rested my body through the holidays and everything started to feel better except the elbows and shoulder. In February I changed my workouts to follow Crossfit and amazingly I now have little to no pain in any of joints other than routine muscle soreness after strenuous workouts.

During my first sleep study i showed no obstructive apneas, during the second I achieved an AHI of 6.5, just enough to be classified as sleep apnea. The sleep doc was really puzzled, i have all the characteristics and symptoms, but the sleep studies didnt show high levels of apnea.

I had pinned my hopes on the CPAP turning things around, maybe i am being unrealistic in my expectations. I do feel better, I dont take naps, the fog has lifted and I remember the entire drive home from work every day. Now if I could just start dropping these pounds.

[bayourest]

It might be worth getting a check of your thyroid levels.
I know that my level was within the very low end of normal at a certain dose of medication.
Despite 11 months on xpap I was still feeling very fatigued, although not nearly as much as pre-xpap.
My doctor increased my thryoid hormone dosage and then I noticed that I felt a lot better and more energetic and more able to tackle weight loss.
I've joined weight watchers and lost 30 lb in 5 months. Sleep apnea may not be the only issue going on for you. Even if your thyroid tests "normal" where is it in the range of normal ? and if it's a problem your doctor may be able to help you address that.
This is just an example....there may be another concurrent health issue that needs to be addressed.

[Papit]

getting about 6 1/2 hours sleep . . . Current AHI averages .92. . . ended up going to the Dr with pain throughout my body, i tweaked my back lifting, both elbows had tendonitis symptoms, right shoulder hurt, both hips and left knee were in pain most of the time.Doc tested my thyroid and testosterone. . . For someone who is 5'-10" and 270 lbs you would think that at least one of the above numbers would be out of whack. We came to the conclusion that it was a mix of poor sleep, depression and stress and he wasnt sure which was the cause and which were the effects. . . i rested my body through the holidays and everything started to feel better except the elbows and shoulder. In February I changed my workouts to follow Crossfit and amazingly I now have little to no pain in any of joints other than routine muscle soreness after strenuous workouts. . . .During my first sleep study i showed no obstructive apneas, during the second I achieved an AHI of 6.5, just enough to be classified as sleep apnea. The sleep doc was really puzzled, i have all the characteristics and symptoms, but the sleep studies didnt show high levels of apnea.I had pinned my hopes on the CPAP turning things around, maybe i am being unrealistic in my expectations. I do feel better, I dont take naps, the fog has lifted. . . Now if I could just start dropping these pounds.

Joe, based on what's happened for me (disclosure:I'm not a doc), if I were in your shoes I'd expect the following to hold lots of promise:
1. Stay with xpap and tweak it as needed for the specific purpose of extending your sleeps to average 8 full hours or more of sleep. (Be delighted by how nicely and steadily your weight comes off and how less hungry you will be.)
2. Discuss with your doc whether to use a sleep aid to help if necessary if good results don't show up after a couple weeks and/or consider use of over the counter aids like anti-histamines (e.g., Zyrtec or Benadryl an hour or less before sleep). Sleep, sleep, sleep. You are NOT "borderline", you are WAY overweight. Get it down, far down.
3. Go further in easing up on stressing your joints in the gym, etc.
4. Get your doc to test you for joint inflammatory disease.
It's doable, man. Good luck to you. Keep us posted.

[chunkyfrog]

In 9 months, I lost 8 pounds without any changes.
I've had to work for every ounce since then.
At least I have a skosch more energy to do it with.

[BlackSpinner]

The apnea symptoms have only started to occur in the past year.

During my first sleep study i showed no obstructive apneas, during the second I achieved an AHI of 6.5, just enough to be classified as sleep apnea. The sleep doc was really puzzled, i have all the characteristics and symptoms, but the sleep studies didnt show high levels of apnea.

I had pinned my hopes on the CPAP turning things around, maybe i am being unrealistic in my expectations. I do feel better, I dont take naps, the fog has lifted and I remember the entire drive home from work every day. Now if I could just start dropping these pounds.

AHI is not everything, there is also RDI. Some people have little total obstructive apnea.

If after 10 days you are already starting to feel better, that is very good. Some people take months.

It can take quite awhile to rebuild the damage done to organs. It is not really about sleep but about breathing and O2. A year or more of damage has been done and it does take a while to heal.

Also calories are not everything, hunt up the low carb threads.