Hi there,
I am recently diagnoses with OSA. Starting in last high school and early univeristy I recall this overwhelming urge to sleep and extreme fatgue. It was all I could do to make it to (some) of my classes. It is amazing that I did well and got into law school.
I started working as a lawyer two years ago. Most of the time I feel as though I am swimming through molasis. I have had to fein illness a few times just to go home and sleep. I sleep through much of the weekends (this is my first weekend on CPAP).
My weight climbed substantially over the past 10 years (from slightly overweight at 5 '9 and 163 pounds to morbidly obese at 335). While I would love to blame it all on my undiagnosed OSA, I realize that weight is a multifactoral and complex thing.
What I am wondering is this. What comes first the weight or the sleep apnea. I do not lack knowledge of healthy living or exercize (you won't find any greater expert on the subject than a self loathing fat person). My major stumbling block seems to always be that I do not have the energy to cook or exercize when I come home from work. Everytime I set the alarm to exercize before work was a dismal failure. A yummy meal was often the only soothing thing in an otherwise pretty dismal existence.
I am hoping that as my sleep apnea improves I will have the energy to deal with my weight. Nonetheless I realize that it is just one piece of the puzzle (with habit, food preferences and self control being other really important pieces). Anyone else out there have any experience with this?
Any fellow OSA fatties out there?
8 posts
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wading thru the muck!
- Posts: 2799
- Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2004 11:42 am
Popinka,
Before I gave in and went for a sleep study I thought that "if I would only lose the weight" but then I found out my long time apnea suffering may be causing my weight gain and hypertension and many other ailments. Check out this article.
Apnea leads to obesity
Before I gave in and went for a sleep study I thought that "if I would only lose the weight" but then I found out my long time apnea suffering may be causing my weight gain and hypertension and many other ailments. Check out this article.
Apnea leads to obesity
Sincerely,
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
wading thru the muck of the sleep study/DME/Insurance money pit!
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Guest
I am also overweight & thought that my CPAP machine would be my ticket to renewed energy & quick weight loss. Well, I am a changed person because of my CPAP. I am no longer tired, etc., & do have more energy, but it didn't make me want to go jump on the treadmill any quicker than before! I have resolved to lose weight this year & have already lost 7 lbs in one week (following Dr. Phil's quick start) I have found that trying to exercise too much just doesn't work (for me anyway) I walk three times a day on my treadmill for 10 minutes each! It's working & I can handle that. I have fibromyalgia & severe pain in my iliac bones in my hips, so walking is all I can do.
Give your CPAP some time...in my experience I got WORSE before I felt better. About week three I felt I was back to before I was on the CPAP. My dr. assured me this is normal as your body is adjusting to finally getting sleep. Hang in there & don't beat yourself up. We get overweight for many reasons& I feel sleep apnea has a lot to do with it as I was never overweight until I started have so many sleep problems.
Give your CPAP some time...in my experience I got WORSE before I felt better. About week three I felt I was back to before I was on the CPAP. My dr. assured me this is normal as your body is adjusting to finally getting sleep. Hang in there & don't beat yourself up. We get overweight for many reasons& I feel sleep apnea has a lot to do with it as I was never overweight until I started have so many sleep problems.
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littlebaddow
- Posts: 416
- Joined: Wed Dec 08, 2004 12:21 pm
- Location: Essex, England
Hi Popinka
I have recently been diagnosed as having moderate apnoea and I'm in week 5 of PAPlife. I'm male, 47, 5'8" and around 260lbs. The doctor told me that my weight is a contributory factor and it would be a help (though not a cure) if I could get back to normal weight.
In my case, the weight certainly came first. I've always been heavy, but did not suffer obvious symptoms of apnoea until about 9 months ago. Over the years, my weight has gone up and down, though on a generally steadily rising trend from around 180lbs in my early twenties. For the last 10 years, I've been between 225lbs and 285lbs, and ironically, my symptoms appeared when I was at the lower end of that range, having managed to lose nearly 60lbs through a combination of steady exercise and sensible eating over a period of 12 months.
I've since put back around 30lbs, during the period when the symptoms were at their worst, when my capacity for exercise was reduced and my comfort eating increased.
There may well be a link, but if I'm honest with myself, I think it's eating too much and lack of willpower that are the major factors in my weight problem. Certainly, the improvement in my health has encouraged me to increase my exercise, but the willpower is still insufficient to reduce the food intake!
One thing is clear to me. Whatever the link may be between them, obesity and OSA both require a long term approach and perseverence to overcome, so keep at it.
Good luck
Paul
I have recently been diagnosed as having moderate apnoea and I'm in week 5 of PAPlife. I'm male, 47, 5'8" and around 260lbs. The doctor told me that my weight is a contributory factor and it would be a help (though not a cure) if I could get back to normal weight.
In my case, the weight certainly came first. I've always been heavy, but did not suffer obvious symptoms of apnoea until about 9 months ago. Over the years, my weight has gone up and down, though on a generally steadily rising trend from around 180lbs in my early twenties. For the last 10 years, I've been between 225lbs and 285lbs, and ironically, my symptoms appeared when I was at the lower end of that range, having managed to lose nearly 60lbs through a combination of steady exercise and sensible eating over a period of 12 months.
I've since put back around 30lbs, during the period when the symptoms were at their worst, when my capacity for exercise was reduced and my comfort eating increased.
There may well be a link, but if I'm honest with myself, I think it's eating too much and lack of willpower that are the major factors in my weight problem. Certainly, the improvement in my health has encouraged me to increase my exercise, but the willpower is still insufficient to reduce the food intake!
One thing is clear to me. Whatever the link may be between them, obesity and OSA both require a long term approach and perseverence to overcome, so keep at it.
Good luck
Paul
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old_backhoe_man
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Fri Dec 10, 2004 4:29 pm
weight
I had assumed my extra weight came first - that is, before the recent articles on the connection between the quantity & quality of sleep and metabolism. But in looking back over the years, I realize now that my snoring started in my teens, followed by full-blown OSA in my early twenties. Within a few years came the weight gain, as well as some cognitive issues associated with sleep deprivation (memory problems, personality changes). In my mid-thirties, the physical damage started (hypertension, edema, hypersomnia), followed by heart failure in my early forties.
One more thought: Because I sleep in a chair during all of my "naps" and throughout most of the night, I constantly battle edema. I'm on a diuretic, but because I can't sleep for long laying down, the fluid in my legs never fully goes away. So in addition to the "fat" weight, a lot of my weight gain is actually water weight. I never really thought about just how much of my weight was excess water until last summer, when I gained 70 pounds in four months (all water). At 6 foot tall, I went from 358 pounds in March to 427 pounds in July. I now hover around the 400-pound mark. I don't know what I would actually weigh without the excess fluid, but I know I have felt like a water balloon for several years.
One more thought: Because I sleep in a chair during all of my "naps" and throughout most of the night, I constantly battle edema. I'm on a diuretic, but because I can't sleep for long laying down, the fluid in my legs never fully goes away. So in addition to the "fat" weight, a lot of my weight gain is actually water weight. I never really thought about just how much of my weight was excess water until last summer, when I gained 70 pounds in four months (all water). At 6 foot tall, I went from 358 pounds in March to 427 pounds in July. I now hover around the 400-pound mark. I don't know what I would actually weigh without the excess fluid, but I know I have felt like a water balloon for several years.
I'm 5' 10 and weigh 298 and have been struggleing with my weight and getting poor sleep and high blood pressure for several years. I finally got my cpap this morning after being diagnosed with OSA 2 weeks ago. I hope that I will be able to loose some weight and get my blood pressure down soon, I also have fibromyalgia which makes it much harder to loose weight. I have found that gentle yoga has really helped me out a lot, I've gotten better sleep and I'm in less pain as well as my blood pressure does not run as high, it's not a cure by any means but really does help make the symptoms bearable. I've not been able to do any in 11 days now due to 2 surgeries in the last 10 days and I can really tell a huge difference in how I'm feeling.
This is all just sooooo frustrating. Especially since I have a three year old and just taking care of her is all I can do some days. This has also had a horrible affect on my 6 year marriage my husband & I split up last October because I was always so tired and grumpy as well as all the other symptoms that go along with sleep apnea & fibromyalgia.
This is all just sooooo frustrating. Especially since I have a three year old and just taking care of her is all I can do some days. This has also had a horrible affect on my 6 year marriage my husband & I split up last October because I was always so tired and grumpy as well as all the other symptoms that go along with sleep apnea & fibromyalgia.
MegansMum
Hi MegasMum,
I've got about the same weight as you, and it's changing....hopefully downward! But I sure wish I had the five extra inches of height that you have on me!
I've been on the treatment since Thanksgiving. It has helped my mood considerably. (But I also think my many forum friends have helped that mood alot as well!) Before the diagnosis, I was definitely grumpy as well, and depressed and sulky, and extremely exhausted. The small amount of new energy must be helping, because I smile more at people, and my co-workers, well I can tell they see a difference in me, because they respond well to my new mood. So I hope the mood improves for you. Any hope the new you might improve your split relationship with your husband? I hope so. Regardless, I'm hoping for good changes for you too. Oh, I've still got lots and lots of problems, you name it I've got it. But I'm grateful for not feeling quite the same way as before. I'm hoping it's so for you too. Keep up posted on how things go for you.
Linda
I've got about the same weight as you, and it's changing....hopefully downward! But I sure wish I had the five extra inches of height that you have on me!
I've been on the treatment since Thanksgiving. It has helped my mood considerably. (But I also think my many forum friends have helped that mood alot as well!) Before the diagnosis, I was definitely grumpy as well, and depressed and sulky, and extremely exhausted. The small amount of new energy must be helping, because I smile more at people, and my co-workers, well I can tell they see a difference in me, because they respond well to my new mood. So I hope the mood improves for you. Any hope the new you might improve your split relationship with your husband? I hope so. Regardless, I'm hoping for good changes for you too. Oh, I've still got lots and lots of problems, you name it I've got it. But I'm grateful for not feeling quite the same way as before. I'm hoping it's so for you too. Keep up posted on how things go for you.
Linda
Hi Linda,
My hubby and I have been talking the last 2 weeks since my diagnoses came in and we have become better friends now that we know part of the reason we were always fighting. I don't think we will get back together soon there is just to much that needs to be worked through but I do see us at leats friends and possible back together some day. The good thing is we are Catholic so divorce is out
Cindy
My hubby and I have been talking the last 2 weeks since my diagnoses came in and we have become better friends now that we know part of the reason we were always fighting. I don't think we will get back together soon there is just to much that needs to be worked through but I do see us at leats friends and possible back together some day. The good thing is we are Catholic so divorce is out
Cindy
8 posts
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