The link between Low T, Sleep, and OSA

[tlewis303]

I have mild to moderate OSA and use cpap setting on 10. I also was diagnosed with Low T, around 270. I have been treating it with Androgel for the last 3 months and I'm feeling so much better. Here of late I have removed my mask in the middle of the night and my wife says I'm not snoring anymore. I'm sleeping better too. If I can lose about 40 pounds I might be able to come off cpap all together from what sleep Dr says. We will see.

I found this interesting article, Doctors are still not sure why the link.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/low-testo ... -link.aspx

Anyone have experience with this link between these disorders?

[Therapist]

Anyone have experience with this link between these disorders?

It's fairly well known that sleep deprivation/sleep apnea can wreak havoc with all hormones. It's not a mystery - the body needs adequate sleep to function properly.

[Julie]

Not to discourage your good intentions or anything, but your doctor is overly optimistic (or just out of date) about being able to stop Cpap after losing 40 lbs. A few people who lose e.g. 100 lbs occasionally can stop Cpap, but otherwise most cannot, and certainly shouldn't without having another lab sleep test. You may get to lower your pressure - or not - but I wouldn't count on a loss of 40 lb. as meaning you're OSA-free. If that were the case, a lot of us wouldn't still be on Cpap at all.

[Huh?]

Not to discourage your good intentions or anything, but your doctor is overly optimistic (or just out of date) about being able to stop Cpap after losing 40 lbs.

Good point Julie. I am wondering if he realizes that 40% of CPAPers are thin?

But like you said, hopefully this will not discourage him from losing weight. 40 lbs of excess weight is very unhealthy - CPAP or not.

[tlewis303]

So whats weird about the hormones is that I was not sleeping well before I was treated for low T. So its like the egg before the chicken here.
Treat low T sleep better, but if you get better sleep your T levels should improve.

[Therapist]

So whats weird about the hormones is that I was not sleeping well before I was treated for low T. So its like the egg before the chicken here.
Treat low T sleep better, but if you get better sleep your T levels should improve.

A lot of life is like that.

[tlewis303]

Well I would love to get rid of having to use cpap believe me as most would.

[Krelvin]

There is a huge never ending topic on this already

viewtopic/t101899/Sleep-Apnea-and-Low-T-for-Men.html