Lost 50 lbs and now CPAP killing me

[Julie]

Just a thought - are you taking any new meds?

Old ones?

[skugger]

Just a thought - are you taking any new meds?

Old ones?

Hi Julie - if that's meant for me, then no, no new meds at the time that this started happening. a year ago i was taking amlodipine, losartan, and hydrochlorothiazide for blood pressure. I stopped the amlodipine last summer, then yes, i did stop the other two (doctor's permission) in December. It is worth mentioning that the HCTZ is a diuretic so i always made an effort to stay hydrated when i took it. When the problems started in February I did think that blood pressure and/or BP meds might be related so i resumed the losartan, but doing so didn't change anything. i still take it today, though i'm not convinced that it's really necessary.

i have been taking prednisone daily for sarcoidosis since 2007. that has its own consequences. but it's necessary to keep the disease in check.

[Julie]

Well, it is interesting to look at some side FX of prednisone -

Aggression
agitation
blurred vision
decrease in the amount of urine
dizziness
fast, slow, pounding, or irregular heartbeat or pulse
headache
irritability
mood changes
noisy, rattling breathing
numbness or tingling in the arms or legs
pounding in the ears
shortness of breath
swelling of the fingers, hands, feet, or lower legs
trouble thinking, speaking, or walking
troubled breathing at rest
weight gain

So while you may need to stay on it indefinitely (when was the last time it was questioned?) I think you can also find some things to consider in that list that would affect your OSA, Cpap and other things.

[chunkyfrog]

Common side effect of losartan:
A dry cough, commonly blamed for "something else".
SMH.
Prednisone-diabetic, so cannot take it--totally messes with my blood sugar.

[skugger]

So while you may need to stay on it indefinitely (when was the last time it was questioned?) I think you can also find some things to consider in that list that would affect your OSA, Cpap and other things.

As you can imagine, i'm familiar with the side-effects of prednisone, i know which ones affect me. Been taking it periodically since 1991, and daily since 2007. Kinda hard for me to see a connection. And my current daily dose is a low dose.

I swore by my CPAP machine, and i have no doubt that it was essential for my health and well-being, at the time that it was prescribed to me. They are valuable and important medical devices. But the correlation between its use and the recent, horrible migraine-like pain is clear to me, in my case. I will be very interested in what my neuro and my pulmonologist (who is also my sleep doctor) have to say about it.

It's my personal choice to stop using it for a while & try to recover a little. I won't ever suggest that others stop using their CPAP machines without talking to their doctors, that would be a mistake. Like i said, i think mine is a unique case.

[Kiralynx]

I lost 50lbs down to my goal weight and I noticed I am getting dizzy/lightheaded spells, headaches, loss of balance. I have gone to every doctor there is, cardiologist, ENT, emergency room..etc etc all turned out fine. I stopped using my CPAP and the symptoms have almost disappeared. I did another sleep study and I am awaiting results. Has anybody else had a similar experience? I am hoping my newest study will reveal that my sleep apnea is cured or at least I can get a oral appliance. I have been faithfully using my CPAP machine for about 10 years and it is a pain in the ass. Thanks

All I can say is... I lost 180 pounds, and that was when my apnea began. Been using my Beastie for almost 13 years. I'd've been a CPAP failure if not for the help I got in this Forum. Yes, CPAP is a pain. But it's WAY better than dying early.