CPAP tratment and testosterone levels

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:16 am

I've noticed something happening over the past couple of weeks since I started this CPAP business.

How shall I be delicate, while maintaining the content of my question?

OK, how about this one.

I've never been very hairy chested. Over the last couple of weeks, I have inherited quite a bit more chest hair. Go figure. (I'm 36, not 15.)

Also, I've had several acne breakouts. It's like being in high school again.

I'll leave the other issues to your imaginiation...

A quick Google search and I found there is a definite link between untreated OSA and low testosterone levels. Both of those symptoms could be explained by an increase in testosterone in the system.

I'm guessing treating my OSA has boosted my levels?

If I had low testosterone, I wouldn't have guessed it. I have 3 kids - all of them conceived simply by getting within 3 feet of my wife... no troubles there.

Anybody else grow more chest hair on CPAP?
I'm not sure I want to hear from women on this. Yikes!

Thanks,

JQP

jqp · Post by **jqp** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:18 am

Dang it. I had forgotten to log in.

cwsanfor · Post by **cwsanfor** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:28 am

Three feet? Now that <is> impressive.

Dave2you · Post by **Dave2you** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:52 am

Yes,
I have heard this too and it's true.

from what I Read, during the sleep cycle the body Releases its growth hormone and tell's the body in males to produce more testosterone For the following day.

Since we don't stay in that cycle long we lose out on the growth hormone and testosterone boost. bad idea. This Causes us to lose our Sex drive, strength in muscle and bone, Cause us to get Pudgy. heart problems and psychological issues, like anxiety, Depression, agitation and very short tempers. testosterone helps us men Cope.

bringing it up Fixes that, but shows you the Fuzzier you your genetically meant to be. So you didn't become Fuzzier so much, as stopped losing hair you weren't meant to lose

I for one have had low testosterone for years and have taken a gel for it. Since Cpap, I have had to lower the dose, I feel the old dose too high, I need to get checked again.

I remember telling my doc when I first got my t levels to normal that my arms got Fuzzier, he laughed.

vdol52 · Post by **vdol52** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:49 am

I'll leave the other issues to your imaginiation...

Hooray for you and your wife.
Wonder is the same is true for women.

Victoria

tuna · Post by **tuna** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:53 am

If thats the cast, then I am in alot of trouble as I already get called a sasquatch!

tillymarigold · Post by **tillymarigold** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 10:46 am

vdol52 wrote:
I'll leave the other issues to your imaginiation...
Hooray for you and your wife.
Wonder is the same is true for women.

Victoria

It is.

scenestealer · Post by **scenestealer** » Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:28 pm

I was diagnosed first with abnormally low testosterone, and started testosterone treatment like six months before I was diagnosed with OSA. My levels continued to be really low pretty much until I started on the CPAP, and then they jumped up to really high. They've been adjusting my dose down (and I need to get in and get tested again), but my suspicion is that I may not need it at all anymore - my body may be producing testosterone again normally now that I'm getting normal sleep.

That was actually something my sleep doctor said to me - that chronic exhaustion from bad sleep could lead to ALL SORTS of weird body responses, and one of the key things they see a lot in men is low testosterone when they've had OSA for a long time. So no, you're not crazy. Your testosterone may very well have been really low like mine, and then jumped back to normal after you started treatment.

I had a lot of other weird things going on too, that now my doc attributes to my body not having a chance to heal itself for years. For example: I was peeing CONSTANTLY, and felt parched no matter how much water I drank. But when I drank any water, it pretty much made its way through me in about half an hour, and I didn't feel like I absorbed any of it. Now I think that my liver was probably hyperactive, and not doing it's job of filtering anything out - just passing it through me. And I find that when I have a bad few days where I tear the mask off at night (I'm struggling with sinus problems right now), I start peeing a lot again.

My IBS has pretty much cleared up now too.

I guess sleep is kind of important, huh?

jqp · Post by **jqp** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 11:58 am

I met with my doc this morning for an unrelated sinus infection I've got going on.

I told him about the chest hair, etc... he chuckled. He says he finds most of his OSA patients when they come in complaining that "Mr. Happy" isn't so happy anymore. 9 times out of 10 they've got OSA. After a few weeks on CPAP, Mr. Happy is happy again.

Makes me wonder how many men out there on the little "blue pill" should be on a little "gray hose" instead.

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): hose, CPAP

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 1:15 pm

Well, I can definitely attest to higher testosterone leading to, um, well you know. Not that I've had many opportunities to test that out, but the few I've had actually drew impressed comments... Which I can tell you was not so much the case before...

BadBreath · Post by **BadBreath** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:28 pm

Great. Don't tell my wife. She thought with the snoring gone she was finally going to get some sleep!

amandalee · Post by **amandalee** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 2:36 pm

Makes me wonder how many men out there on the little "blue pill" should be on a little "gray hose" instead.

And how many people with various other health issues actually have OSA and probably wouldn't need all those medications if their sleep apnea was properly treated.

Nodzy · Post by **Nodzy** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:02 pm

With my history I stay as far as possible from fertile women. For years I suspicioned that my swimmers could travel across an intense shared gaze and still score a direct hit.

I have not noticed starting to appear more like my supposed Neanderthal ancestors. But in recently achieving moderate success in therapy I have noticed "suffering" immense recovery of unprovoked, spontaneous pointing episodes. No, NO... sitting on my hands would not resolve the problem.

I won't complain too much. And despite having a reserved sex drive during some periods of my worst OSA suffering, I never endured a loss of it. Too, for the past few years there was no one to regularly test me in that area.

Nodzy

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Brand New Guy · Post by **Brand New Guy** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:12 pm

Well, if what y'all are saying is true, it will be a mixed blessing for my wife and I. We'd both enjoy the increased libido from better testosterone levels, but the hair thing will be a nightmare. I'm not quite cromagnon man, but I feel like I'm close, and my wife occasionally makes comments, that, while gentle and understanding, let me know she isn't too pleased with the hair on my chest and back. I am simply glad she is very nice about it, and doesn't insist on electrolysys, or worse yet, shaving!

Nodzy · Post by **Nodzy** » Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:28 pm

Brand New Guy wrote:Well, if what y'all are saying is true, it will be a mixed blessing for my wife and I. We'd both enjoy the increased libido from better testosterone levels, but the hair thing will be a nightmare. I'm not quite cromagnon man, but I feel like I'm close, and my wife occasionally makes comments, that, while gentle and understanding, let me know she isn't too pleased with the hair on my chest and back. I am simply glad she is very nice about it, and doesn't insist on electrolysys, or worse yet, shaving!

Brand New Guy,

Yeah, like some bare, and some like hair. It's all so confusing.

Nodzy

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