3 Questions a) Back aches b) Sleep duration c) Weight Gain

kluzo · Post by **kluzo** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:41 am

Thank You in advance for any comments/sudgestions.

A) My back has been getting worse and worse with every morning. I currently am taking more Advil then I have in my whole life. At first after 15 mins or so the pain would sub-side but now it is taking hrs. Have others had the same thing? If so what was/is a good solution.

B) Before I got my cpap machine I usually would sleep quite easily 7-9 hrs (and was still dragging my behind) Know I have to be careful not to go to bed to early because I am only sleeping between 4-5 hrs (BUT FEEL GREAT!) Can I kiss goodbye a nice 7-8 hr sleep?

C) I am still active in sports and life in general and I have maintained my weight for the last few years. However since I have been on the machine I have gained some pounds. I have not changed my diet at all and am still active in sports (ex: Hockey twice a week) Is some weight gain normal?

Cheers

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 12:00 pm

A) Yes, many get the back pains. I think it is because your lungs are now under slight pressure which in turn increases the volume and your body has to adjust to it. It took me about 2 or 3 weeks before the pains went away on their own.

B) Yes, this too will pass. It took me about a month or two for my body to get back to normal 7 to 8 hour sleep night.

C) Sleep apnea upsets the hormonal levels in your body (they are tied closely to weight gains/losses). Hypoxia resulting from OSA causes an increase in adrenaline and cortisol productions and also affects leptin and grehlin balances all of which affect insulin levels as well as insulin sensitivity by cells. All these hormones in addition to testosterone, HGH, T4 and T3 interact in an orchestra to maintain metabolic processes (both anabolic and catabolic) for the body which in trun determines whether you gain/loose weight or stay the same (assuming diet and exercise remain constant).

So some people gain, some loose and some have no weight change with PAP treatment. Give your body 2 or 3 months to adjust to the treatment ... then decide whether you need to adjust your diet and/or exercise.

Reidan · Post by **Reidan** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:22 pm

A) I had severe back pain the first few months. So bad that I was going to a Chiropractor. They eventually passed.

B) My amount of sleeping never seemed to change.

C) I have actually lost weight. Embarrasing related story is this week I was moving some tables here at work. I lifted one up over my head to walk between two other tables and my pants almost fell off. I had to go back to the manufacturing floor and find a drill to put a new hole in my belt.

RiverDave · Post by **RiverDave** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 5:34 pm

A) backache and chest pains (thought I was having mini heart attacks) for the first 4 or 5 weeks.

B) My sleeping went from 9 hrs to between 5 and 6.

C) Weight slightly increased, but that was due to other reasons

Slinky · Post by **Slinky** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 6:28 pm

I think the CPAP mask and hose tend to cause us to sleep on our backs more than usual at first and that can contribute to the back aching. As we get more comfortable sleeping w/our equipment, especially our back, we go back to our usual sleeping positions, whatever they were.

kluzo · Post by **kluzo** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:47 pm

My back pains usually subside with a nice hot shower and I am back to light weight lifting which has helped a little, but my chest pains are HUGE! With the tightness in my chest even bending down to pick something up hurts. I am a side sleeper and usually wake up in close to the same position as I fell asleep in. I am wondering though if the back of the head strap is applying to much pressure on the base of my neck? I tried to loosen the strap but then got some leak issues so I had to tighten them up a bit again. It's been about 7 weeks being on the cpap but the pains did not start till about 1 or 2 weeks after I got my trial cpap.

Nodzy · Post by **Nodzy** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:25 pm

1. Back pains can be many things. Depending on how long you've had OSA... and compounding damage from low oxygen levels while sleeping.... your body has considerable internal damage to try to repair at cell level. And getting more consistent oxygenation while sleeping means that you probably are going to be feeling more as the nerves respond. And even they usually work better.... often being more sensitive. Plus what's mentioned above about lungs and airway.

2. No doubt.... better quality of sleep, for many of us... can mean not as much need for sleep in each session. Generally speaking... that is. Too, with the healing and repair... comes that nerves thing again. Damaged nerves being repaired... new ones being generated.... that in itself yields some level of discomfort whether it's pain.... or just a feeling of "I need to move." In this case.... to get up.

3.. The weight gain is normal for many, just as weight loss is normal for many.... when getting good therapy. Simply... OSA hinders normal metabolic and other chemical process routines by lack of proper and consistent oxygenation. Once metabolic and other chemical process routines start getting what they need to function unhindered... there are going to be changes for most people. Not all people lose or gain weight, and not all feel pain in the back or chest.

Nodzy

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:31 pm

One cheap thing to try is B-150 Vitamin high dosages, or B complex twice the normal dosage, no downside to it and it helps the wife and I both. If I stop it in 4 days the pain is back... Jim