CPAP and Weight Gain

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:41 pm

OK, I know this is going to sound crazy but I have to ask. Has anyone experienced weight after starting CPAP. I started CPAP in August and by October I had gained 9 pounds. Nothing else changed. My eating is the same. My exercise level is the same. But 9 pounds piled on in a matter about 6 to 8 week time period. Anyone else have that experience?

Karen

Todzo · Post by **Todzo** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 3:53 pm

Noddinggal wrote:OK, I know this is going to sound crazy but I have to ask. Has anyone experienced weight after starting CPAP. I started CPAP in August and by October I had gained 9 pounds. Nothing else changed. My eating is the same. My exercise level is the same. But 9 pounds piled on in a matter about 6 to 8 week time period. Anyone else have that experience?

Karen

Hi Karen!

I have seen results from CPAP send people both ways. Some gain, some loose.

If you are also tired I would be suspicious of unstable breathing from the PAP pressure.

If you feel better I would be suspicious that your taste buds work better and so food tastes better and you tend to eat more.

I am very glad to have been working with a dietitian the last several years. I never before learned how to eat well. It is a good life skill.

I am glad I learned how to deal with unstable breathing.

I am glad I now work with a personal trainer. It is kind of the last piece necessary to get my appitite where it should be. I am three pounds away from breaking the obesity barrier.

Have a great week!

Todzo

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 4:05 pm

Noddinggal wrote:OK, I know this is going to sound crazy but I have to ask. Has anyone experienced weight after starting CPAP. I started CPAP in August and by October I had gained 9 pounds. Nothing else changed. My eating is the same. My exercise level is the same. But 9 pounds piled on in a matter about 6 to 8 week time period. Anyone else have that experience?

Karen

Yes. Sleeping better sometimes results in "better" digestion. It is probably time to start evaluating what you eat. Before my cpap I was snacking a lot to stay awake. That was a hard habit to break. I was also much more of a couch potato, another hard habit to break. I put on more weight after cpap because of these bad habits. My weight has stabilized but I am not losing any for other reasons.

Many people start to loose weight after they get their cpap machine because they get more active and are less hungry.

Sir NoddinOff · Post by **Sir NoddinOff** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:12 pm

Hmmm, that avatar name sounds familiar... Anyway, I did gain some weight over the last year under basically the same circumstances and I don't have an easy answer as to why. I find it disturbing and plan to make some changes but first I'm feeling a little anxious and therefore a bit peckish. Think I'll make a sandwich.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 6:33 pm

All that 02 going into your system - it's like when you workout or mountain climb - you're going to be hungry afterward and you'll process food better!

ddk · Post by **ddk** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:29 pm

I've lost weight and continue to do so because I no longer crave instant energy hits.

My calorie intake has been cut by a third without me even trying to diet. I used to be so exhausted that even the thought of preparing anything, let shopping for individual ingredients, was simply too much so I always went the easiest and quickest route which basically resulted in living off of take-away and junk food.

Even just one night on the CPAP and I stop craving food. I now shop much healthier and eat regular, calorie-controlled meals that have a decent portion size to keep me satisfied.

So... yah... sorry but I find it much easier to lose weight than to gain it with therapy.

Kitatonic · Post by **Kitatonic** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:42 pm

I had the same weight gaining experience the first few months of CPAP, but over this past year, my weight came back to it's usual. Just before CPAP, I was losing weight, almost anorexic looking. Because my desats were in the low 60s, I think the adrenaline buzz was making me thin. I could eat anything and never gain weight. Also, I no longer eat any sweets as I found out I had a pre-diabetic A1c lab test. This test has improved over time, and I think is directly related to the OSA.

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 8:52 pm

Thanks for the replies. In my case, I am no eating more food but actually less. However, after 4 months of using the CPAP now, I have not felt any less tired. In fact I feel worse. More tire than ever, a stuffy nose every single day no matter what setting I put the humidifier on, I wake up in the middle of the night choking because I have a wad of mucous in my throat. If I sleep on my side, the mask moves so I am forced to sleep on my back which is not my normal position. All this because of an AHI of 5.8 and considered mild. The doctor says I may not need CPAP at all if I lose 20 pounds. So instead, I use CPAP and GAIN 9 pounds. I think it's time to get re-evaluated.

It would really be helpful I think if I didn't get such sinus problems when using the machine. I think that is why I am so tired in the morning. My breathing is being affected by mucous gagging me and stuffy sinuses. Both of which I don't have when I don't use the machine. I'm just not sure how to get around that part. Maybe if I can, then this might actually start working. Any ideas???? I don't want to quit. I'm too stubborn to quit, even if it's tempting.

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:01 pm

Noddinggal wrote:Thanks for the replies. In my case, I am no eating more food but actually less. However, after 4 months of using the CPAP now, I have not felt any less tired. In fact I feel worse. More tire than ever, a stuffy nose every single day no matter what setting I put the humidifier on, I wake up in the middle of the night choking because I have a wad of mucous in my throat. If I sleep on my side, the mask moves so I am forced to sleep on my back which is not my normal position. All this because of an AHI of 5.8 and considered mild. The doctor says I may not need CPAP at all if I lose 20 pounds. So instead, I use CPAP and GAIN 9 pounds. I think it's time to get re-evaluated.

Unfortunately with the machine you have evaluating your therapy is going to be hard to do because they have basically given you a brick.

You could have tried a bunch of different masks in the first 30 days because the manufacturers allow returns (which not all DME honour) You have no way of knowing what your leak is with this machine. I always sleep on my side because my mask fits right. It also hangs off the edge of the pillow.

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:19 pm

You are absolutely correct about this machine. I have been fighting that fight for a couple of months now. First I had the Escape and then after my doctor insisted that he should be able to get an AHI report from the DME, even though I insisted he could not with that machine, then and only then was I able to change machines. Now I have an Escape Auto. Big deal. So now I can get an AHI report but nothing else. Ooops, I guess I neglected to change that on my problem...I'll have to do that. However, it's still not a machine that gives much detail as far as reports go. If I had the money, I would just buy my own machine and buy the one I want but dealing with the insurance company, they will pay for only what they feel is necessary. I do check the AHI on the machine in the morning and it ranges between 0.9 and 1.8. Once or twice it was less than 0.5 but mostly up near 1.0 or higher. My initial AHI from the sleep study was 5.8. But there's no way of knowing if there are leaks.

Ha, ha, ha. I just tried to change my equipment in my signature to the S9 Escape Auto and it isn't even an option. It's not the "Autoset", just plain "Auto". It's probably an outdated model or something. I wouldn't doubt it. I've had so much trouble with this DME but my insurance company won't approve a change at this time. Crazy!

BlackSpinner · Post by **BlackSpinner** » Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:44 pm

Your doctor might be able to make them lend you an autoset for a few weeks in order to debug the situation.

Noddinggal · Post by **Noddinggal** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:29 am

I will talk to the doctor again. Oh BUT.....I am so excited. Last night I increased the humidity (see I had lowered it little by little because I read that a lot of people lower it to avoid the stuffiness) and it was better for me to INCREASE it. Also, I used a different mask. I had been using the Swift FX and I think it's too flip floppy and doesn't really stay in place on my nose and I end up not getting full air flow into my nose if it's even slightly out of place. So of course that would make me have a decrease in 02 wouldn't it? So I used the Swift LT last night which was more stable on my face and didn't move and this morning, even with only 5.9 hours sleep, I feel GREAT. My AHI was 0.8 but I still feel so much better. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it continues. Thank you! It is because of you guys that I gave it another shot last night, I was ready to throw my hands up and say, I had enough. But I will keep at it. I have a bad heart valve and I am really trying to delay open heart surgery so I have a good reason to keep my oxygen flowing and my organs healthy. My heart is just fine, it's just the valve that's bad and WILL need to be replaced, but I do need to keep my heart fine so valve replacement will bring me the best result possible. Thank you again!!!

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 5:53 am

Have you tried a Pap pillow (with a cutout for a side sleeper's mask) to allow you to get off your back? You can search here or on Google to see what it looks like.

Heavylids · Post by **Heavylids** » Tue Dec 18, 2012 6:46 am

It's the humidifiers fault. Just a litle water weight gain...that's all.

CPAP and Weight Gain

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