Weight loss

LindaCPAP · Post by **LindaCPAP** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 6:57 am

Hello CPAP Friends,

I am a newbie and many of the comments I received from you helped me keep my CPAP on for 3 hours last night!!! Woohoo! I am getting more used to the machine and mask but I still go to bed with my heart beating like a little rabbit! Everything was fine until I felt it kick in with an increased pressure (I don't even know what it was) when I was near the 3rd hour. It kind of freaked me out so I took it off. I'll give it a try tonight to see if I can get through a whole night so I can learned how the machine operates. If anyone has any suggestions or comments on how to get through the night, please let me know.

My anxiety is getting better but it is still there. This morning I woke up with a sore chest - is this common? I know all of the reasons I am supposed to wear this cpap but I think it is going to take a while to get used to it.

I've heard that continous use of the cpap may assist in weight loss because the body isn't in chronic stress producing more cortisol. I am overweight but I am also very active. No matter what I do I cannot lose weight. If anyone has experienced a jump start to their metabolism using a cpap, please let me know the details.

ksp · Post by **ksp** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:01 am

I'm new too and I also experience sore chest but I believe that to be normal as I think your breathes are larger and chest is working more while you sleep if that makes sense. Can't say for weight loss but I sure hope you are right about that. On my second week and it does take some getting used to but I have had it on all night every night.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:25 am

I lost about 25 lbs during the first 3 months of PAP treatment without changing anything in diet or physical activity.

Hypoxia resulting from OSA does indeed throw your hormones completely out of balance. It's not just cortisol but also leptin and thyroid hormones (TSH, T4, T3) which in turn cause imbalances of grehlin, insulin, glucagon, human growth hormone, serotonin, and testosterone (yes women utilize this one too) and a host of other hormones. Basically, the OSA induced hypoxia and lack of REM sleep totally messes up your endocrine system which eventually leads to obesity, hypertension, cardiovasular disease, diabetes, depression, and an early arrival to the morgue.

LindaCPAP · Post by **LindaCPAP** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:40 am

WOW - thank you Dreamstalker! I didn't know that sleep interruption had that much to do with the endocrine system. I am a healthnut. I watch what I eat, exercise every day, (walk, swim, yoga) and for the life of me just couldn't lose any weight. I can outrun and outswim my kids but being overweight contributed to all sorts of ills, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and now sleep apnea. I felt like a failure - like I did something wrong. Now I am starting to think that the sleep apnea is hereditary and that all of my relatives died of complications caused by this and not necessarily heart disease. I will find a way to beat my anxiety and learn to love my cpap.

Country4ever · Post by **Country4ever** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:42 am

Hi Linda,
What settings are you on?
Initially I was on APAP, but discovered that because of how it works, it was waking me up alot at night. I'm on straight CPAP now, and don't wake up much.
It really takes some patience getting used to it. If you can stick it out, you start realizing how good it feels to get some decent rest, and that will help you tolerate it better.
And be patient and kind with yourself. Just wear it as much as you can, then take a break. If you take it off and wake up in the middle of the night, try putting it back on. Sometimes it drives me nuts, especially when I'm not real tired when I go to bed. I might decide to take it off, but then put it on in the middle of the night, when I'm more tired and it won't bother me as much.

I thought using the CPAP helped with my endless hunger at first, but I still easily fall back into over-eating, if I eat sweets. Maybe all those years of over-eating from sleep deprivation have become a habit for me now??

Good luck to you! Hang in there.

DreamStalker · Post by **DreamStalker** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:51 am

Country4ever wrote:Hi Linda,
What settings are you on?
Initially I was on APAP, but discovered that because of how it works, it was waking me up alot at night. I'm on straight CPAP now, and don't wake up much.
It really takes some patience getting used to it. If you can stick it out, you start realizing how good it feels to get some decent rest, and that will help you tolerate it better.
And be patient and kind with yourself. Just wear it as much as you can, then take a break. If you take it off and wake up in the middle of the night, try putting it back on. Sometimes it drives me nuts, especially when I'm not real tired when I go to bed. I might decide to take it off, but then put it on in the middle of the night, when I'm more tired and it won't bother me as much.

I thought using the CPAP helped with my endless hunger at first, but I still easily fall back into over-eating, if I eat sweets. Maybe all those years of over-eating from sleep deprivation have become a habit for me now??

Good luck to you! Hang in there.

Yes. Sugar imperceptibly very toxic to your health ... it causes insulin resistance which raises levels of grehlin (the hunger hormone) and makes you eat more calories than your are likely to burn off.

IMO, sugar and its highly refined carb cousins should be banned by the FDA or at least classified as controlled substances.

LindaCPAP · Post by **LindaCPAP** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:07 am

I'm not really sure what my 'setting' is. I know it starts out at 4 then ramps up. I need to talk to my technician and learn more about my machine.

This is for Dreamstalker: I once heard Marilu Henner call sugar 'kiddie cocaine' - how true - it really is a drug!!

Pineapple · Post by **Pineapple** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 8:39 am

Linda,

You're doing graet keep it up.

I found at first I was being freaked out by the sound of my CPAP "breathing". I had to convince my mind that the machine was reacting to my breathing not forceing me to breath. You're chest pain may simply be from this subconsious reaction, but if it gets worse do call the doctor. You might try ear plugs if you can't get past the sound.

3 hours, not bad for starts. Freaked out when you hit top ramp, yea I had that. Do the meditation thing and go to a happy place until you can't take anymore and take a break. Get your partner in on the act. If my break seems to long he nudges me and minds me "the therapy can't work if you don't have the mask on". It took about 2 weeks before I stopped noticing the top presure, and now I no longer need the ramp to get me there.

Overweight but still active? How lucky you are - many of us suffer from such fatigue the activity thing is a real problem. Sounds like you have the diet part under control, The rest should come once you start getting some decent blocks of sleep at night.

sootired2 · Post by **sootired2** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:12 pm

Linda, kudos to you for seeking help and not giving up! I know the pressure can freak you out. I've only been on bi-pap for about 2 months now, but every time I woke up the first 2 weeks or so, I hit the ramp button so the pressure would drop and then I would fall back asleep right away. I probably didn't spend too much of the night at the pressures that were ordered, but oh well. Now I don't even hit ramp when I start out.

I also suggest you set a goal to use the cpap 30 min longer each day or week or whatever you decide. It will keep you focused on success while getting you used to it. Pretty soon you will be up to all night! It does work.

KarenAZ · Post by **KarenAZ** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 9:27 pm

It took me awhile initially to get used to mine also. They told me to keep it on for as long as I could and then to take it off if I wanted. I think it took me about a week and a half to go to where I wasn't waking up to take it off. I still wake up but I don't take the CPAP off (well I wasn't when it was okay LOL - I have to have another sleep study done to adjust the pressure).

You're doing great - it is kind of scary when you first start using it. I will say that I KNOW the quality of sleep was so much better when I was using it.

hugs
Karen

lifeartist59 · Post by **lifeartist59** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:12 pm

Weight loss was the original reason for me to be tested. My physician said that cortisol levels can be elevated due to apnea and that I has a symptom of elevated levels. I was struggling to lose weight. So far, it really has not helped with weight loss. I found it actually making it a bit harder. But will it be a help to my health anyway, I think so. I exercise a lot more now, and I am still restricting calories at the same as I was before cpap. I am not really sold on it helping with weight loss, but that does not take away from the real reason for needing cpap.

Sideswiper · Post by **Sideswiper** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:14 pm

I just think of the machine as nothing more fancy than a personal humidifier. Sure I'm wearing a mask, that makes it super personal. Sure it regulates pressure but in the end that's just how hard the fan is blowing.

I really hope I lose weight on this thing but I haven't committed myself to living without sugar yet. What convinced me to use xPAP is that it keeps my oxygen levels in my blood much higher in the night. I'm sure it saves a lot of stress on the heart. Weight loss, energy gain, any other benefit is just bonus!

Treesap · Post by **Treesap** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:02 pm

Linda,

I have the same machine. You can increase the settling time up to 45 minutes. That may allow you enough time to fall asleep before the machine jumps to a higher pressure.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:18 pm

Personal humidifier? Now I like that one - it takes the scariness out of the machine. It will give me a good visualization the next time I put on the nose pillows. Thanks.

LavenderMist · Post by **LavenderMist** » Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:28 pm

Linda,

Yes, I had the chest soreness at first because I am a shallow breather and not used to getting lungs full of air so it made the chest muscles sore.

I have lost 57 lbs over the last yr and still losing due to the increased energy enabling me to exercise and also watching my calories. I feel like a new person. It didn't happen right away mind you, I had been on cpap for over a year when I started seeing a big improvement. Patience and persistence are the key here.

Good luck,
Mist

Machine	Mask

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