Does it ever get fixed?

[rlamoreaux]

I had a sleep study over a year ago. I was prescribed a pressure of 17. I was still having AHIs numbers between 5 and 10 nighlly. Months later I was haveing a very bad shortness of breath issue, and it was getting worse, PS I also have Parkinsons, After many tests we found I had a 7 cm enlarged thyroid on the left side that was crushing my wind pipe. In surgury the doctors had to open me up, like open heart surgury because the thyroid had grown behind my breast plate. Now a few months after surgury my AHI numbers are usually below 1. So I started lowering my preasure. Im down to 9 now and my numbers are staying below 3. Now if I could only loose about 50 lbs I think I might not need this machine anymore. What do you think?

[Pugsy]

Now if I could only loose about 50 lbs I think I might not need this machine anymore. What do you think?

You may or may not be able to discontinue cpap but it sure wouldn't hurt to give it a try. Some do and some don't.
You would be in better shape for sure.

[Goofproof]

Most people that use XPAP successfully need it for life, most that think they can do without it are in De-Nile. XPAP is a Life sentence, meaning longer healther life, i'll take that gladly. Feel free to stop treatment if you want a shorter life. Jim

[Resister]

Does that mean that no one has ever successfully "tested off" a c-pap machine?

[Goofproof]

There is no such as No-One, due to the numbers of XPAP users out there, it means that most XPAP patients that are looking for a easy way to quit XPAP, use that as a excuse, and are not monitored well enough to know what is going on in their bodies. They live in the world believing they are fixed, when they are really swimming in De-Nile, and going untreated. Without nightly monitoring, you don't know how your body works when sleeping, the software can show up problems during the night. Jim

[OutaSync]

I had a sleep study over a year ago. I was prescribed a pressure of 17. I was still having AHIs numbers between 5 and 10 nighlly. Months later I was haveing a very bad shortness of breath issue, and it was getting worse, PS I also have Parkinsons, After many tests we found I had a 7 cm enlarged thyroid on the left side that was crushing my wind pipe. In surgury the doctors had to open me up, like open heart surgury because the thyroid had grown behind my breast plate. Now a few months after surgury my AHI numbers are usually below 1. So I started lowering my preasure. Im down to 9 now and my numbers are staying below 3. Now if I could only loose about 50 lbs I think I might not need this machine anymore. What do you think?

If the enlarged thyroid was causing 100% of our apneas and it has now been removed, it's very possible that you won't need CPAP any more. However, the only way that you would know that is to get another sleep study. If I were you, I would keep using the CPAP until I had lost the extra weight and then schedule a sleep study to confirm or rule out your suspicions.

[goldfinch]

You won't know without a sleep study, or at least that was what was told to me.

There was a recent study on weight loss and its effect on severe obstructive sleep apnea. The diet was a very low calorie diet with the participants losing a lot of weight in a short period of time. http://www.sleepreviewmag.com/news/2011-07-06_02.asp. Most of the participants had their apnea improve. Some had it improve enough to not need treatment.

Of course, if the weight is not kept off the apnea will in all likelihood have to be treated again. I would think they would have to pay close attention to their health and have a follow up study if there were any changes in symptoms or if there was any weight gain.

Good luck! I've lost 20% of my maximum weight and only have about 10 more pounds to lose but I still have sleep apnea. It is mild/moderate but still requires treatment. I wouldn't be surprised it it used to be severe.

[busylady]

Weight doesn't always make the difference. I've been told that I don't fit the "profile." I think mine is an inherited issue because of mouth and palatte structure. So, as others have told you, only a sleep study would tell you if you could go off CPAP. Since this therapy has become a very popular new issue, it seems that some "sleep mills" tell everyone they need CPAP. Have heard a medical person say we all stop breathing some during the night, some more than others. Who knows.