Hi,
I'm new to the CPAP world and have a question. I have noticed on some of the post that people have commented on weight. I was wondering if there is any medical documentation on the web that states that weight gain can be caused by sleep apnea.
I was diagnosed a couple months ago with OSA. My symptoms when I went to the doctor was: that I felt tired all the time, my wife complained of excessive snoring accompanied with gasping for air, I was up SEVERAL times each night, I'd constantly take head nod's during the day at work, and the other big issue that I told the doctor about is that is seemed like my weight just keeps increasing....and I just have no energy or desire to do anything about it.
I have been on the CPAP machine for a little over a month and I can say that I don't snore anymore and I sleep thru the entire night without getting up:) I do notice that I am really groggy in the morning. But I have notice others discussing that same feeling.
This machine is amazing and after reading several post, I look forward to feeling better than I do after just a month on the machine!
Thanks for listening and if anyone has any website that talks about weight gain and sleep apnea, I would appreciate it.
Weight Gain
Here's one link, it will lead you to others
STANFORD STUDY LINKS OBESITY TO HORMONAL CHANGES FROM LACK OF SLEEP
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STANFORD STUDY LINKS OBESITY TO HORMONAL CHANGES FROM LACK OF SLEEP
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dsmith
I shared all of the symptoms you mentioned above. Those studies on hormonal changes caused by sleep deprivation made me feel a lot better about myself in the last few weeks.
I am still struggling to get eight hours sleep every night. When I do manage I feel the immediate benefits. But some nights it takes hours to get to sleep especially if I don't get to bed before eleven.
Lyn
I shared all of the symptoms you mentioned above. Those studies on hormonal changes caused by sleep deprivation made me feel a lot better about myself in the last few weeks.
I am still struggling to get eight hours sleep every night. When I do manage I feel the immediate benefits. But some nights it takes hours to get to sleep especially if I don't get to bed before eleven.
Lyn
dsmith,
Wow--your description of symptoms/issues is identical to what I'd write for myself.
I'm in limbo land right now, in-between actually getting a machine and insurance/DME delays.
I'm worried that I'm expecting (hoping) the CPAP treatment to "change my life." I simply MUST find more energy. My hope is that the CPAP will allow me to sleep which will, in turn, provide the energy I need to be exercising and dieting. In short--I feel like a fat, lazy bum and I'm tired of it, but cannot find the energy to change my habits. I have been successful at quitting smoking (almost 100 days now) and I pat myself on the back for that!
Allen (Newbie)
Wow--your description of symptoms/issues is identical to what I'd write for myself.
I'm in limbo land right now, in-between actually getting a machine and insurance/DME delays.
I'm worried that I'm expecting (hoping) the CPAP treatment to "change my life." I simply MUST find more energy. My hope is that the CPAP will allow me to sleep which will, in turn, provide the energy I need to be exercising and dieting. In short--I feel like a fat, lazy bum and I'm tired of it, but cannot find the energy to change my habits. I have been successful at quitting smoking (almost 100 days now) and I pat myself on the back for that!
Allen (Newbie)
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Guest
Allen,
The machine has helped tremendously. I don't get up at all during the night anymore. Before I was up about 8 times each night. I am not nodding at work anymore and I actually am starting to feel like going to the gym. Didn't say I had made it there yet, but I do feel more energy and I will start heading that way soon.
Dave
The machine has helped tremendously. I don't get up at all during the night anymore. Before I was up about 8 times each night. I am not nodding at work anymore and I actually am starting to feel like going to the gym. Didn't say I had made it there yet, but I do feel more energy and I will start heading that way soon.
Dave
Hi Allen
It has certainly worked very well for me but it takes awhile to fully reverse the years of sleep deprivation. I am sad to read statistics suggesting that so many people give-up CPAP fairly quickly after starting. I would be reluctant to give up something that has cost me $2,000 (no 'private' insurance)..... but I won't give-up because sleep apnea is devastating and lethal. After 3 months I feel great and getting younger.
This forum keeps us motivated, so stick with us.
Lyn
It has certainly worked very well for me but it takes awhile to fully reverse the years of sleep deprivation. I am sad to read statistics suggesting that so many people give-up CPAP fairly quickly after starting. I would be reluctant to give up something that has cost me $2,000 (no 'private' insurance)..... but I won't give-up because sleep apnea is devastating and lethal. After 3 months I feel great and getting younger.
This forum keeps us motivated, so stick with us.
Lyn
Dave & Allen,
I didn't snore at all until I gained 100 lbs. Then I snored so loudly, I could be heard all over the house. I was so tired, I was afraid to drive my car. I would fall asleep reading a book while sitting in my car waiting for my son to come out of his school. I was a substitute teacher and could barely keep my eyes open during the school day. My life was being severely impacted by OSA. I knew I had OSA but I didn't want to deal with it. I waited over a year before I finally talked to my doctor. I've done the sleep studies and titrations and FINALLY have a really good sleep doctor. He tells me that there's no way I can lose weight until I start sleeping better. Being so fatigued, it's impossible to motivate yourself to exercise. There's also been alot of discussions on this board about sleep deprivation and how it increases your desire to eat.
I've been doing CPAP since July. I recently increased my pressure from 9 (which is what the titration study said I needed) to 12 (per doctor's orders) and I think I'm doing better. My daily statistics show that my apneas, hypops, snoring...all that...has been greatly decreased by increasing my pressure. I still don't feel "Great" but that will come...at least that seems to be the outcome for most people on CPAP. The best part is that I am now exercising almost every day, eating much healthier and I'm losing weight. CPAP does work. How quickly it works depends on your body and your treatment, but it does work.
As far as weight being an issue, it most certainly is for me. Both my GP and my sleep doctor say that my OSA would be greatly reduced if I lose the weight. My GP actually said he would bet money on the OSA disappearing if I lose the weight....so I'm going to. Several of us are trying to encourage each other to to exercise more and eat more healthy. You're welcome to join us....everybody's welcome to join us. We check in on Fridays and tell each other how we did during the week. You are very welcome to join in whenever you want to...the more the merrier.
Amy
I didn't snore at all until I gained 100 lbs. Then I snored so loudly, I could be heard all over the house. I was so tired, I was afraid to drive my car. I would fall asleep reading a book while sitting in my car waiting for my son to come out of his school. I was a substitute teacher and could barely keep my eyes open during the school day. My life was being severely impacted by OSA. I knew I had OSA but I didn't want to deal with it. I waited over a year before I finally talked to my doctor. I've done the sleep studies and titrations and FINALLY have a really good sleep doctor. He tells me that there's no way I can lose weight until I start sleeping better. Being so fatigued, it's impossible to motivate yourself to exercise. There's also been alot of discussions on this board about sleep deprivation and how it increases your desire to eat.
I've been doing CPAP since July. I recently increased my pressure from 9 (which is what the titration study said I needed) to 12 (per doctor's orders) and I think I'm doing better. My daily statistics show that my apneas, hypops, snoring...all that...has been greatly decreased by increasing my pressure. I still don't feel "Great" but that will come...at least that seems to be the outcome for most people on CPAP. The best part is that I am now exercising almost every day, eating much healthier and I'm losing weight. CPAP does work. How quickly it works depends on your body and your treatment, but it does work.
As far as weight being an issue, it most certainly is for me. Both my GP and my sleep doctor say that my OSA would be greatly reduced if I lose the weight. My GP actually said he would bet money on the OSA disappearing if I lose the weight....so I'm going to. Several of us are trying to encourage each other to to exercise more and eat more healthy. You're welcome to join us....everybody's welcome to join us. We check in on Fridays and tell each other how we did during the week. You are very welcome to join in whenever you want to...the more the merrier.
Amy
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dsmith1057
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Sleepless on LI
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Truer words could not be written. I barely had enough energy to breathe prior to going on CPAP therapy. I couldn't exercise and had put on some pounds. I even had tried dieting and eating right, but my levels would not allow the weight to come off. I didn't know I had OSA at that time. Just figured everything was perhaps stress-related or just not aging well.allen wrote:I'm worried that I'm expecting (hoping) the CPAP treatment to "change my life." I simply MUST find more energy. My hope is that the CPAP will allow me to sleep which will, in turn, provide the energy I need to be exercising and dieting.
After being diagnosed, not only did the energy come back, but it did exactly what you wrote, gave me the power to take my life back and start to exercise, lose weight and be healthier. I now am on a strict eating lifestyle, exercise at least three days a week (just started walking in the mornings 2 1/2 miles every day) and drink plenty of water. It makes you feel so much better about everything in your life once you feel energy and alive again. It doesn't change your life: You do! But it gives you the incentive and the ability to want to change it.
Best of luck to both of you once you start your therapy. We're all here for support.
Last edited by Sleepless on LI on Thu Sep 29, 2005 6:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
L o R i
Y'all are so encouraging, I got teary-eyed reading your responses. I live in Houston and, as a teacher, was not at work for the last week. I've had time to be on the phone hounding the insurer, the DME, my doctor, etc...
Today I was back at work and am bitter that I've come home with not one phone message or email from any of them. My fingers will be pushing some buttons tomorrow during my conference period, and that's a promise!
I am so hopeful and I thank you for your encouragement.
Congratulations to each of you for your successes!
Allen
Today I was back at work and am bitter that I've come home with not one phone message or email from any of them. My fingers will be pushing some buttons tomorrow during my conference period, and that's a promise!
I am so hopeful and I thank you for your encouragement.
Congratulations to each of you for your successes!
Allen
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Jan in Colo.
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Allen--you WILL start feeling better after CPAP. I've had the same problems with losing weight. I work out with weights three times a week--BIG weights (for a female anyway) none of those little 5 pound things. Serious workouts. I play tennis 3-4 times a week, kind of "competitve" social games. Country Club tennis I guess would be how to describe it. You have to do your best, people watch you, people sneak looks at your scores, talk about you and place bets on you, all that stuff, you try to move up the ladder and challenge better players, etc. Hmmm, maybe I should describe it as GOSSIPY tennis, lol. I've been doing all this for the past 10 years. My weight hasn't BUDGED. I know every diet known to mankind. I tell my friends I am the most physically fit fat person they'd ever want to know.
I did all this PRIOR to CPAP. Lift weights, come home and take a nap. Play tennis, come home and take a nap, lol.
BUT, now WITH the CPAP, I actually walked out of a VERY competitive tennis game the other day with sweat just dripping off of me.......and thought, well, what a lovely day this is, I think I'll go take a walk on one of the local trails. And after that, I think I'll clean out my dresser drawers.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now there is NO way that thought would have popped into my head immediately after a tennis game prior to CPAP. Absolutely NO WAY. I would have been crawling back to my car to go home and SLEEP.
Okay, so my weight still hasn't budged. But CPAP is defnitely making a huge difference. HUGE.
So I'm going to be happy even if I continue to be the world's fattest physically fit person. Because I'm going to be an ALERT, ALIVE and ACTIVE fat physically fit person! At the very least!
And it will work for you too!
Jan in Colo.
I did all this PRIOR to CPAP. Lift weights, come home and take a nap. Play tennis, come home and take a nap, lol.
BUT, now WITH the CPAP, I actually walked out of a VERY competitive tennis game the other day with sweat just dripping off of me.......and thought, well, what a lovely day this is, I think I'll go take a walk on one of the local trails. And after that, I think I'll clean out my dresser drawers.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now there is NO way that thought would have popped into my head immediately after a tennis game prior to CPAP. Absolutely NO WAY. I would have been crawling back to my car to go home and SLEEP.
Okay, so my weight still hasn't budged. But CPAP is defnitely making a huge difference. HUGE.
So I'm going to be happy even if I continue to be the world's fattest physically fit person. Because I'm going to be an ALERT, ALIVE and ACTIVE fat physically fit person! At the very least!
And it will work for you too!
Jan in Colo.
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Sleepless on LI
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Jan,
What a great attitude you have. Kudos! You be that physically fit "fat" person. I love it! If you're feeling as great as you are, and you are as active as you are, you are already ahead of the game. Great to hear you feel as energetic now as you do. That must make you feel like a million and a half bucks! I'm so happy for you.
What a great attitude you have. Kudos! You be that physically fit "fat" person. I love it! If you're feeling as great as you are, and you are as active as you are, you are already ahead of the game. Great to hear you feel as energetic now as you do. That must make you feel like a million and a half bucks! I'm so happy for you.
L o R i
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SnoreNoMore2005
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I've been curious about the weight issue since I know four people with sleep apnea and all are overweight by 40 - 100+ lbs. I didn't think I was an OSA candidate because at 6'1" and 190 lbs, I'm a bit on the thin side. I was shocked when my sleep study diagnosed me with OSA even though my wife had been telling me for years I stop breathing while I sleep. My wife never knew whether to shake me when I stopped breathing or get up and look for my will.
Does sleep apnea cause or contribute to one gaining weight? From what I've read on the subject, I would submit that the reverse may be more likely to be true.
SnoreNoMore2005
Does sleep apnea cause or contribute to one gaining weight? From what I've read on the subject, I would submit that the reverse may be more likely to be true.
SnoreNoMore2005