Reducing pressures after weight loss

[melissa1974]

Hi, all! I haven't been around in ages due to many things going on in my personal life. I apologize and hope to be more active on the boards again, now that life has settled down a bit.

I do have a question, however. I have recently lost nearly 50 lbs, and will be continuing to lose weight because I had a gastric bypass. I am currently using an auto bipap machine and have my min EPAP set to 13, my max IPAP set to 25, with a PS of 4. I have noticed for the past 3 weeks, that when I check my pressure in the morning (which I know is an indicator of where I spent 95% of the night at or below) has been exactly 17 every night. Until recently, my pressures would range from 18.4-22, most frequently being somewhere between 18-19, but getting up above 20 once a week or so. The fact that it has been precisely 17 for 21 days in a row is leading me to believe that I am actually requiring a lower EPAP at this point. Does that make sense? Of course, I had hoped that with weight loss, I would be able to use lower pressures, and perhaps someday actually not need my machine, but I know that may not happen.

I do not have software, and get my information from the LCD screen on my machine each morning. I record all of the info from the screen in a journal everyday, so that I can monitor trends. My doctor has admitted that I am more knowledgeable than he is about how the machine works and has given me his blessing to make needed adjustments to my pressures. I am quite comfortable going into the clinical menu to do so, but I just want some advice about how you would proceed. Do you agree that lowering the EPAP makes sense, given what I am seeing? How much would you lower it at a time? How long do you typically wait between adjustments/how many days worth of data before making another adjustment?

Oh....and I guess I should add that my AHI is always below 4.0 and my AI is always below 0.5, so I am getting good therapy. I feel well rested each day.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Julie]

Hi, lucky you! I don't know the protocol for something like that, but I suppose I would just try lowering it 1-2 #'s at a time and seeing how it goes for a week or so, and if things seem fine, do it again. You do know that you may be one of the people who really does get to go off Cpap in time because of the bypass? Crossing my fingers for you!

[Beachmeezer]

Congrats to you! I've lost 50 pounds. At this point my CPAP therapy needs no changing. I firmly believe that my sleep apnea is a reason why I was heavy. I ended up at the sleep clinic as a check off for lap band surgery but ended up going the Weight Watchers route instead of lap band. The one good outcome of an awful weight loss surgery referral (the clinic was horrible) was the referral to the sleep disorders clinic and a requirement that I pursue that. So far my mask and pressure settings are good through a 50 pound weight loss. I'm hoping for another 30.....but I think I had sleep apnea beforeI got heavy and will always need CPAP. - Kim

[melissa1974]

Thanks for your replies! I think I will try to lower the EPAP by one pound tonight and see how things go. I suppose the worst that will happen is that I will have more apneas and not sleep well.....not good, but not the end of the world.

thanks!

[K5MOW]

Congrats to youon losing 50 pounds. WOW. My wife and I also are going to try to lose some wait. I hope that I will be able to lower my presher also.

Roger

[Muse-Inc]

Melissa, you go girl! Congrats. I lost about 45#s and needed less pressure. I'd lost a lot of flesh in my lower face and throat and hadda give up my pillow mask...started losing therapy air, tiny little puffs of essential air via loose lips. Hadda go to a FFM. Keep us posted!

[blusaber]

Hi

I have gone from A cpap pressure of 12 to an auto machine running between 7 and 8 after losing 32 lbs . I had them get me an auto machine just because of changing pressure requirements with weight loss my goal is to lose another 70 lbs I ordered a treadmill yesterday

Good luck with your journey

Gary