Can a little weight gain change apnea significantly?

[Rob K]

I had another sleep study this year and was diagnosed with severe apnea with arousal index of 57. Machine set to 8cm as a result.

I had a study 5 years ago and apnea was mild with arousal index of 18.7 . Was told to sleep on my side and go without the machine or use machine at 5cm at that time.

The only difference between 5 years ago and now is that I gained 5-6lbs between those studies. Can 5lbs weight gain make that much of a difference? Maybe each night is different and they only get a small snapshot of what's really going on, thus varying results. I'm trying to understand what might cause such a large change.

[Rob K]

I maybe just figured out the answer from looking at the studies. 5 years ago I had a mix of side and supine sleeping over a 3 hour period before titration. Apnea was worse on my back. On the latest study I slept the entire 2 hour period on my back before titration. Was told not to go without the machine. Probably had severe apnea all along while sleeping on my back. Maybe things have not changed much all at, just different interpretations.

[Julie]

A gain of 5+ lbs should not change things significantly.

[zonker]

objection, your honor!

asked and answered.

[Pugsy]

Weight gain ...or loss...and it's effect on severity of sleep apnea is another one of those things that comes with that YMMV sticker. I don't see 5 lbs making any huge difference and I see you already figured out the difference was more likely related to sleeping position.
This is why sleep studies often encourage people to sleep totally on their backs if at all possible...get the worst case scenario kind of thing.
Same thing could also be said of REM stage sleep...my OSA isn't all that horrible (12 AHI) in non REM sleep but in REM sleep it was 53 per hour. If I hadn't got any REM during the sleep study they might have totally missed just how bad my OSA was.

Now 50 pound difference...I could see that maybe making a big difference IF weight was a big contributor to the cause of the OSA...but weight isn't always the cause. I weighed all of 110 lbs when I had that sleep study done in a lab with my REM worse AHI.

There's always the chance of a lot of different variables potentially impacting changes of any kind.

[Rob K]

It appears my apnea is also worse during rem. I had very little rem before titration on either of those studies. It seems like body position was the biggest factor between those studies. I can see now that it's tough to get a good overall diagnosis and treatment with one night in the lab, a lot of variables. That's probably why so many people end up here. Thanks for the help

Buy the way. Getting appointments in 2021 was hell. I had to wait 4-5 months for my night in the lab. They were testing for seizures also and the wiring was ridiculous so I only dosed for 20 minutes all night. I find out when I'm there that they have no doctor on staff to prescribe a sleep aid. I had to get that from my doctor after the fact and also wait another 2-3 months for the do over.

[ChicagoGranny]

I can see now that it's tough to get a good overall diagnosis and treatment with one night in the lab, a lot of variables.

Yep. Three studies for me. Only one made sense. OSCAR-type software helped me get straightened out.

The only difference between 5 years ago and now is that I gained 5-6lbs between those studies.

You haven't aged five years?

Buy the way.

How much? There's a big market for the fountain of youth.

[Mum's The Word]

I managed a fifty pound weight loss over about a two year period from mid 2019 to mid 2021. I've been working to maintain that loss. I got a new machine about 10 months ago. If anything, I think my pressures are a bit higher. In my case, the weight loss did not change my apnea. I think the higher pressures may be due to having a "new" different machine.

My sleep doctor was skeptical when I saw her to replace my six year old machine, but she respected the data and wrote me a new prescription.

Mum

[chunkyfrog]

Needing more pressure with weight gain or loss is not unusual.
With gain, there is more bulk to interfere with airflow.
With loss, some bulk may be reduced, but it leaves floppy membranes behind.
Same effect.
Taking a tuck in that excess tissue is too dangerous to do.

[Janknitz]

I lost 75 lbs and didn't see any appreciable changes in my apnea.

We are getting older, too, and we lose tone in those tissues as we age.

[Rob K]

Thanks for the humor. I'm eternally young, in my mind.

Congrats everybody on the weight loss that it huge. I lost 10lbs a while back just by stopping the consumption of 4 to 6 Coke Classics that I was drinking per week. Hard to believe they can cause a person to pack on that many pounds.