CPAP stopped working after weight loss

[pwaterman]

Hi guys! Been awhile, glad you are still here.

I was diagnosed with OSA, got a CPAP machine, and was having great success with it. No more waking up exhausted with a headache.

I recently started a diet and lost 20 pounds and now all the sudden the CPAP machine has stopped helping! I'm not seeing leaks or anything and the machine data says I am doing fine, but I feel like I did before I got the thing.

Has anyone had this happen to them?

Thanks!

Paul

[chunkyfrog]

As one loses weight, {{CONGRATULATIONS!}} pressure requirements often change--sometimes upward.
Can you post your data, so we can see what is happening?
Also, are you using Auto mode, and what are your settings?

[quietmorning]

Chunkyfrog, that's good to know. Weird - but good to know.

[salton]

If you think about it, it makes sense. As you lose weight, you might have more loose flesh to block your airway. It might tighten up with time.

[jwerley]

It has definately happened to me!!! I lost the weight (30 lbs.) to perhaps help my sleep apnea....and it has done the opposite! I go for the results of my latest sleep study next week on the 14th.....The morning after the sleep study the tech told me that my doc and I should have an interesting conversation.

[Wulfman...]

Hi guys! Been awhile, glad you are still here.

I was diagnosed with OSA, got a CPAP machine, and was having great success with it. No more waking up exhausted with a headache.

I recently started a diet and lost 20 pounds and now all the sudden the CPAP machine has stopped helping! I'm not seeing leaks or anything and the machine data says I am doing fine, but I feel like I did before I got the thing.

Has anyone had this happen to them?

Thanks!

Paul

Hi Paul.

Yes, if you could post your pressure settings (and maybe a report from some night)......that would help.
If you're using a range of pressures in Auto mode, the pressure changes could disturb your sleep (keeping you from staying in the deep or REM sleep stages) and cause that "unrested" feeling. Also, I see you're using a nasal mask.......mouth-leaking (loss) of your therapy air could also contribute to that.


Den

.

[pwaterman]

Hey guys!

Thanks for the replies! I'll try to post some data this evening.

It hadn't occurred to me that weight loss might make my throat area lose and saggy like my old jeans. That may just be it! Would you expect that over time this gets better, or am I doomed to get to my ideal weight only to find out I am wore off then when I started?

I've been pretty paranoid about the mask and it sure seems to be fitting correctly still so I don't think I am having leaks. I haven't yanked the data out recently but the limited information on the LED says my AHI hasn't been worse than 1.4.

Anyway, I'll post the data tonight and thank you so much again for your replies.

And hell ya! 20! Pounds! Whohoo!

[kteague]

I struggle with my weight, so I find that 20 lb weight loss impressive - congrats!

I'm going to throw something out knowing the liklihood of it being useful info is small, but if you run out of rabbit trails to chase... Does the quality of your sleep feel any different? Since you've been dieting, is there any chance some nutritional deficiency could be at play? For instance, limbs movements are sometimes thought to be related to low ferritin and many report magnesium helps their legs thus helping sleep. Just wondering if there are any other ways nutrition could affect sleep. The question in my mind is if your daytime symptoms are OSA related, other sleep problem related, or nutritional and not related to sleep?

[Todzo]

Hi guys! Been awhile, glad you are still here.

I was diagnosed with OSA, got a CPAP machine, and was having great success with it. No more waking up exhausted with a headache.

I recently started a diet and lost 20 pounds and now all the sudden the CPAP machine has stopped helping! I'm not seeing leaks or anything and the machine data says I am doing fine, but I feel like I did before I got the thing.

Has anyone had this happen to them?

Thanks!

Paul

Hi Paul,

Good thing on the weight loss. Way to go. My recent reading showed me two new tricks for that. One, set a protine goal. If you eat enough protine satiation tends to form solid. Second, eat many kinds of raw veggies and fruites. It feeds the microbiome.

When I moved to my new city my weight came off. Less stress, hills to climb, and some guidance from my personal trainer daughter to eat more protine.

As I expected unstable breathing crept into my data. Times when I would breath more. Some periodic breathing. Even some clear airway apneas.

If you breath too much the respiratory effort will arouse you. With less down there the pressure from the xPAP makes it easier to breath - but - there is not so much down there to push back.

I did spend time with my machine during the day and that helped. It is much less stress here and that helped. I did some 85% of maximum heart rate interval training (I am somewhat in shape) and that helped.

I had trouble connecting with a doctor here in my new very little city and so ended up simply lowering my pressure a cm/H2O at a time and watching the resultant data. I started at the 15 cm/H2O they had raised my pressure to a bit over a year before (it needed to be raised) and some 60 days later found obstructive events occuring at 7 cm/H2O so went back to 8. About ninety days later I raised it a point to get though the winter (there were some obstructive events in my data - never AHI above 2 (well very rare) but true obstructive waveforms).

Have a great weekend!

Todzo

[Drowsy Dancer]

There is such a thing as a post hoc fallacy. I lost about 70 pounds after starting CPAP, and my pressure requirements went up a little bit--not a whole bunch.

If your treatment is not as effective as it was, there might be something else going on.

[quietmorning]

There is such a thing as a post hoc fallacy. I lost about 70 pounds after starting CPAP, and my pressure requirements went up a little bit--not a whole bunch.

If your treatment is not as effective as it was, there might be something else going on.

DD, what would some of the things be that might be an issue?

[chunkyfrog]

Remember, most of us here are not doctors, and even a doctor would have to see you, your chart,
and your test results to know the whole picture. I suggest you make an appointment.
It is the only really good way to know for sure. Our experience is not yours, and we are all unique.

[Drowsy Dancer]

There is such a thing as a post hoc fallacy. I lost about 70 pounds after starting CPAP, and my pressure requirements went up a little bit--not a whole bunch.

If your treatment is not as effective as it was, there might be something else going on.

DD, what would some of the things be that might be an issue?

I have no idea! My point was that there is a whole universe of things that can go wrong with one's health that are unrelated to OSA. xPAP only fixes SDB (not necessarily even disordered sleep itself).

[rosacer]

pwaterman:

In my case allergies seems to influence my results. This last days my AHI has increased as the dandelions pollen has done

I know I suffer from allergic rhinitis, some days the AHI is very low (0.6) and others really high (2.4) even if there is no leaks or something else that could explain the results.

I have lost a lot of weight too, I'm at 10 lbs from my normal BMI and still plugged to the hose. I have been wondering two possibilities for it 1) I belong to the gang of those who have small airways and would have been diagnosed with OSA even when I was slim; 2) the tissue inside the throat has become saggy as my arms did and it makes there is still a blockage producing the OSA.

In any case the result is the same for now, I'm still a OSA patient.

pwaterman, if you can post the results that could help the guys to give you some ideas. Good luck