Gaining Weight since starting CPAP

[My_Dream]

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with using a CPAP machine, but for about 9 months now I have been constantly gaining weight. I was 5.11", 200 lbs and 9 months (when I started using a CPAP machine) later weight 230 lbs. the only thing I've noticed is during the night my stomach is constantly bloated from the time I put on my mask to the time I take it off. While I'm breathing, my stomach is filled with air and I know this because I tried exhaling and taking off my mask and my stomach released a lot more air. During the day, I find that I'm always hungry and even after I eat to the point that I'm full, I find my self hungry 1/2 hour later. I'm constantly trying to not to snack during the day so I don't put on even more weight and as for trying to loose pounds, heck I'm just trying not to gain more. Is it possible my stomach has stretched?
I have my setting at 12.8.

Has anyone ever had this same problem?

[My_Dream]

Well I'll asume nobody has any coments, I guess I'll have to do a search on the web. Thanks everyone.

[Wulfman]

Ingesting air from CPAP use is called "aerophagia". If you go to the Search function (above) and search on that word, you'll find lots of reading material.
With regard to your weight gain.......it's been reported by some, but weight loss is more common because a person's body is getting more oxygen and their metabolism is better.

Den

[jda1000]

Interesting effect...I haven't gained weight in my month on CPAP, but I have noticed getting better rest affects my appetite: I am more likely to eat healthy food, and less likely to overindulge. Strange it is; I know sleep improves mental acuity and suspect that improves life's most fundamental decisions?

[stacia123]

I've gained about 13 lbs back of the 40 I lost before I got on the CPAP, and I have struggled for 3 months now to get my weight back to where it was. The weight gain is especially odd since I've gone from exercising 15 minutes 2-3 times per week to 30 minutes 4-7 times per week, I'm taking in less calories per day, I'm eating healthier food. I should not be gaining weight, but I am, slowly and steadily.

I've heard several people say on various forums and blogs that they gained when they got on CPAP therapy, and there have been a couple of theories I've heard as well. A few people have said it might be water retention, and my doctor suggested that as well but after using an OTC diuretic, I'm pretty sure that's not the case with me.

The other theory I've heard is that we just don't burn as many calories. I think this is my particular problem. During the night I must have been struggling constantly to breathe (my rate was about 95 events per hour without a CPAP) and during the day I was probably burning a ton of calories to get things done while sleep deprived. It's going to take me a long time to figure out what my metabolism is like now. Maybe that's the same for you?

Good luck, I hope it gets better for you!

[Georgio]

Is it possible that as cpap has a restorative effect on our musculature, our body weight increases?

[Paul56]

Georgio has an excellent point. Muscles need oxygen to function, repair themselves and to grow. Sufficient exercise and protein intake in the presence of sufficient oxygen will cause muscle mass to increase... which in turn will increase weight.

[SharkBait]

Georgio has an excellent point. Muscles need oxygen to function, repair themselves and to grow. Sufficient exercise and protein intake in the presence of sufficient oxygen will cause muscle mass to increase... which in turn will increase weight.

Muscle weighs more than fat. Wonder if the OP looks/feels fatter or is just heavier?

[alnhwrd]

Also, since you are breathing clean, filtered air for eight hours a night, your sense of smell may be improved, which will make food taste better, so you eat more. Just a thought.

[Insulation Tim]

Geeeeez......I thought that it was all of the wine I have been drinking. I'll have to tell my wife that it's the MACHINE

[stacia123]

I'm just jealous that Insulation Tim is to the point that he can drink wine! I miss wine and caffeinated drinks, but still haven't recovered enough to be able to tolerate them yet.

[MidnightOwl]

I've also gained a lot of weight in the last few years. If's definately not muscle mass and my sense of smell hasn't improved. I'm assuming cpap has nothing to do with it. I'm aging, my lifestyle has changed for the worse etc. Still, you never know. Sleeping thru the night in theory has produced many hormonal changes. Maybe they weren't all beneficial.

I've also wondered if my weight gain is a continuation of a process that started with the untreated apnea that reached some critical point where it is now self perpetuating.

[john_dozer]

"I find that I'm always hungry and even after I eat to the point that I'm full, I find my self hungry 1/2 hour later. "

Based off of nothing else but what is likely common is that you are on the path for Type II diabetes. In Type II your insulin isn't as effective as it once was so your body keeps dumping more and more insulin to bring your sugar levels down. It eventually does bring it down by getting your body to start storing the sugar. Except that all that insulin takes a long time to go away so it keeps working. So next thing that happens is that your body feels an absence of sugar. It gives you a voracious appetite. Sort of a wicked spiral.

There have been links made with Apnea and Type II diabetes and also sugar levels. But as long as you feel your apnea is being properly treated, I'd ask about getting checked for "insulin resistance". This is different than getting tested for Sugar Levels. You might spend most of your day with your sugar within a normal band and there is a test that is a sort of an average sugar level indicator and this will not give off the warning bells during early development of "insulin resistance". I would demand a test that monitors your response to sugar intake, if this seems like a possibility.

[gasparama]

I am a Type II diabetic and have decided that I will rule this disease (or syndrome) so that it won't run my life. I've lost about 15 pounds since Christmas Day and blood sugar levels have nearly (still have some more work to do) normalized. I can't think that CPAP would in itself cause any significant weight gain.

[My_Dream]

First off I'd like to truly thank everyone for responding to my thread and have quickly read through each one.

I don’t believe 30 pound weight gain can be considered water retention, I am now suffering from really bad heart burn every day and my stomach, well let's just say I now have a huge pot belly. A 30 pound increase over approximately 9 months doesn't sound like water retention, but then I'm not an expert. Yesterday evening I increased my pressure to 13.8 from 12.8 and found that I got a better night sleep since I felt more rested when I awoke with the same amount of sleep. Unfortunately the air pressure in my stomach was even more uncomfortable since it seemed to stretch even more. I've heard that when you diet, as you loose weight your stomach shrinks which also helps you not want to eat as much, can the same be said if your stomach stretches. One things I'm still unclear off, I always thought that when we breath air goes into our lungs only, not stomach, is that correct, and if so am I loosing it?

I can't seem to figure this out other than I keep struggling not to put food in my mouth during the day and my lifestyle hasn't changed other then the introduction to CPAP.