Newbie

[Lostfan1]

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right place but I couldn't find a place to introduce myself. I have been diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. I am getting my CPAP on Tuesday. I have a few questions if anyone wants to help me out?

My husband is not supportive what so ever, I am over weight so he says if I just lost the weight I would feel better. He is very negative about the whole thing I wish I could lose weight but I struggle with being so tired all the time. I'm 5'1 and weight 210. So I keep thinking twice maybe I should hold off on getting the CPAP or just do it. My question what are the chances I will see a difference soon? I am tired all the time, no energy and grumpy. I'm sure some is depression but if I see results quickly my husband wouldn't be so negative.

What do you think? Again if I am in the wrong spot to post I apologize.

[kaiasgram]

Lostfan1, hello and welcome. You posted in exactly the right place by just starting a new thread. There's no special "Introduction" section on this forum.

It's quite common that untreated sleep apnea contributes to weight gain. It has to do with both the fatigue/tiredness that apnea causes (no energy for exercise as you mentioned, craving quick-energy carbs, etc.) and the excess of stress hormones that our bodies manufacture when we're struggling to breathe throughout the night.

As far as weight loss "curing" apnea, honestly very few people can get off cpap by losing weight, though some have. But aside from all the obvious reasons why losing weight contributes to good health, some people can use a lower pressure on their cpap machine when they lose weight. And that can sure make the therapy easier.

If you start sleeping better and feeling better when you start cpap therapy, you and your family will benefit. Let us know any questions you have as you get started. And if you haven't yet found this article, read it before you get your machine so that you can be sure to get a machine that allows you to monitor the effectiveness of your therapy: http://maskarrayed.wordpress.com/what-y ... me-part-i/ and be sure to click the link near the bottom of that article for a list of full data cpap machines.

You found the best sleep apnea forum ever!

[bwexler]

You are in exactly the right place. WELCOME!

You have a lot of reading to do here before Tuesday.

You want to be sure to get a data capable machine no matter what. I recomend the Resmed S9 Autoset, second choice is Philips Reperoncs System 1 DS560TS. Both come with heated humidifier and heated hose.

Make sure you have the ability to try different masks. the mask is the most important key to proper therapy and the most difficult to get right.

Getting proper therapy will help you sleep which will help your body to heal. Lake of good sleep has been taking a toll on your body and contributing to your depression and grouchyness. No one can say how long it will take to see and feel results. Some don't notice a difference until they miss a night with their machine.

[Janknitz]

It is VERY hard to lose weight WITHOUT CPAP. When you have apnea, all night long your body is cranking out stress hormones like cortisol and epinephrine to try to stimulate you to breathe. These stress hormones cause severe inflammation (increasing your risk factors for diabetes, heart attack and stroke!) and they interfere with your body's response to hormones like insulin (causing insulin resistance which stimulates fat storage) and ghrelin and leptin which are involved in appetite control. It's more likely that the apnea caused the obesity than the other way around.

Optimized PAP treatment will help these hormones normalize, which will help enormously in losing weight. I have lost 73 lbs since starting PAP. Now, it wasn't by CPAP alone. I also added a low carb, high fat diet and some (very limited) exercise, but I wasn't able to do anything to reduce my weight UNTIL the apnea was under control. So that's your first order of business. Don't let anyone discourage you from treating the apnea first--it's essential!

Weight loss is always a good thing, but it may or may not reduce your need for CPAP. There are many factors which go into apnea, and weight is only one of them.

I'm sorry that your husband is not supportive. But don't let that stop you from doing what's best for yourself.

[The Latinist]

I agree with Janknitz, when you're struggling to breathe at night it's hard to do anything to lose weight. Indeed, sleep apnea and weight gain create a feedback loop, with weight gain worsening sleep apnea, causing more weight gain. One of the things that made my doctor think I was suffering from sleep apnea was the rapid weight gain I've experienced over the last few years.

I'm sorry your husband is not supportive. But you've come to the right place to find a supportive community of people who want nothing more than to help you with you breathe better at night. When you're feeling unsupported, come here; we will commiserate with you and, what is more important, help you adjust to and optimize your therapy. Welcome!

[tortoisegirl]

Welcome! I hope you do see quick results with the CPAP. It can really vary from what I've read. For a select few its within one night, but for many, it takes weeks, months, or never (ie. any symptoms they have are caused by something else or the CPAP disturbs their sleep more than it helps it). Its also something that requires some work, such as tweaking the settings and finding a good mask.

I'm also a newbie, and just over a month in. I can say that for me, my husband and I noticed some difference within a few weeks. My husband was quite wary of my CPAP need prior to that. He worried about it disturbing his sleep due to noise, and just didn't like the idea of it. Now he notices that he is sleeping much more soundly now, presumably as I am sleeping better. We suspect my awakenings are much reduced. So although he hasn't gone so far to say that he is glad I'm on CPAP, there are not any more complaints. Many spouses say they like it as their spouse's loud snoring stops! I've had some improvement in daytime symptoms, but we weren't expecting much, as I have conditions and medication suspected to be the primary contributor. One good thing the CPAP can do is that over time, after reviewing the data to ensure proper therapy, you'll know whether you need to explore other causes for your symptoms or not.

Maybe you can find a short video online explaining apnea and the fight going on every night in your body. Also, if your sleep study data was especially bad (such as big drops in oxygen levels, waking up dozens of times an hour, or just a large number of apneas an hour), that alone should help some. Apnea definitely isn't only caused by weight. Plenty of folks have obstructive apnea and are of normal weight. There is also another type of apnea associated with a brain problem (central apnea). Or, can he go to a doctor appointment with you? If you have a good DME, the CPAP setup appointment could also be helpful for him to get some info.

I think with some education and some time, he will come around some, even if you didn't get immediate results. Education that this is something that could take a matter of months to see results may also be important information to get across from him. The first week especially can be very tough to adjust, and you may end up disturbing his sleep as you start to get accustomed to it. I was lucky enough to have my husband out of town for my first week, and was grateful he wasn't there for my extra awakenings and issues. Some folks don't even try to use the machine at night at first, and get accustomed to it during the day, such as while watching tv (works better without a full face mask, especially if you wear glasses). Best wishes.

[library lady]

Welcome! You are definitely in the right place for help and support. It takes a while to realize the benefits of CPAP so it's important to stick with it. My first week was horrible, and it was then that I found this forum. Do as much reading as you can this weekend and you will be one step ahead of me in your knowledge, maybe even two or three steps. Formulate your questions for the DME you are getting your equipment from while you are reading. I didn't know anything about the machines, so I am fortunate that my DME carries only the fully data-capable machines. She asked me which one I wanted, and there were only two that matched my prescription. I chose the one that appeared to be easiest for my arthritic hands to manage.

[Taz]

Hi Lostfan1,

Welcome!!! You've come to the right place...this board is a wealth of knowledge and will become your "go to place" for problem solving. I'm a newbie, too...this is my 14 day on CPAP. I have the weight issue, too and need to lose 40-50 lbs so I honestly know how you feel. My first night on CPAP was horrible and I did not sleep, at all. But....the 2nd night I slept soundly for 7.5 hrs and was elated. I had not slept that long in years. I felt awake & fully alert for the first time in years, too. No, I have not had any real surge in energy, yet but I'm just all around feeling better and the dark depression seems to have left. As far as weight loss goes, I can already tell that I'm no longer craving coffee and carbs, as I did prior to CPAP. I was drinking coffee from 5:30am to almost noon, just trying to stay awake. I now drink one cup of coffee, a day and I'm fine plus I sleep much better without all the caffeine. I'm amazed that I'm no longer looking around for high carb snacks, I just don't think about it anymore. I'm hoping my energy level will improve, soon because I know I need to start getting some exercise.

I'm sorry your husband is not supportive but I bet, when he sees changes in you, he will come around and he will see changes. My husband is supportive and observant because he will soon be on CPAP, too. I tested severe in my sleep study and he tested mild. He noticed the changes in my attitude & mood before I did. Please take the advice of the other posters and read and learn as much as you can about getting the right machine & mask, it is so important. I was reading and posting here for a month before my sleep study and it was time well spent. Because of the information I learned on this board, I made all the right choices and I hope you can do the same.

Take Care,

Taz

[Seawind36]

Welcome, Lostfan1

I am a newbie as well - 4 days in! My husband has already seen a difference in me - I don't look like a zombie first thing in the morning! Hopefully as your husband sees improvement he will become more supportive. In the meantime, if he is open to learning, share information about sleep apnea and cpap therapy. There is so much more that goes into it than most realize!

[Bill44133]

Welcome Lostfan1

Your in a good place here lots of helpful people here.

When you have a 15 minutes I would suggest that you review this youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gie2dhqP2c

The video for me put this whole thing is perspective, and helped me understand what was happening with me. Better than any doctor.
Once you understand you can show the video to your husband and other loved ones to help them understand what is going on.

Your apnea caused your weight gain and your depression. Until you start your therapy and optimize it your going to have problems.
I have been on this therapy for over one year now. The fog is lifted and the depression is about gone and I have lost 40 lbs just because I feel better and am moving
more and am more active. I have adjusted my diet some, but I think my wight loss is because I feel better and I am more active.

Don't be afraid to ask questions here.

I wish you well

[Lostfan1]

Thank all of you so much! I really appreciate all the support. I was really thinking of postponing it until the fall but you have given me the help I needed. I am going forward. It sounds like there are a lot of options on CPAP machines and levels etc. hope I get it right! I have someone actually coming to my home to bring it and set me up. I've been doing a lot of reading on the websites you all gave me. Very informative thanks!

[Bill44133]

Thank all of you so much! I really appreciate all the support. I was really thinking of postponing it until the fall but you have given me the help I needed. I am going forward. It sounds like there are a lot of options on CPAP machines and levels etc. hope I get it right! I have someone actually coming to my home to bring it and set me up. I've been doing a lot of reading on the websites you all gave me. Very informative thanks!

Your life and your health depend on it.