Experiences with weight loss and CPAP?

[genifra]

Hi,
I'm a 31 year old female, and within the past year I've lost about 70 pounds. That's since the doc put me on a cpap, which definitely helped my quality of sleep! But I've read that losing weight can affect the machine settings, so I'm going back in for another sleep study soon.

Just wondering -- has anybody else here had experience with this type of thing? After you lost weight, did you have your pressure adjusted? How? Did any of you get off the machine completely?

I may not be there yet -- I still have a ways to go.

Thank you everybody!!
Jen

[Muse-Inc]

When I lost somewhere around 40-45 #s, I started mouth leaking. When I finally got into see my sleep doc for some help I'd lost 52#s, he noticed that my face was noticeable thinner with a thinner throat too (we checked pic at diagnosis, yup, thinner). He loaned me an APAP and recording oximeter for 5 nights of data collection last July 4th. Result? Change CPAP pressure from 11 to 9; graduate from my beloved OptiLife pillow mask to the RespCare Hybrid. He still believes that losing all my excess wt (got lots more to lose) will see the OSA and its side-kicks disappear...time and wt loss will tell if such is possible for me.

[slapmeawake]

Yes, I have lost 58 lbs. and my pressure has dropped significantly. I went from 9 to around 6. I also am not sleeping as well and am in the process of trying to tweak my therapy before breaking down for a new sleep study. When I was heavier I slept much better, would get 6 hr. stretches every night and now I wake up every 2-3 hrs again. I'm very discouraged but will soldier on and try to find out what is up. I have lowered my range from 7-13 on the apap to 5.5-11 and so far it hasn't made a difference so obviously something else is going on. Hope we can figure it out.

[tillymarigold]

I lost 60 lbs. and my pressure needs went up by 1cm.

[DreamStalker]

I have lost over 80 lbs since starting PAP treatment ... lost 25 just in the last couple of months and I too began mouth leaking.

My APAP data suggested I could lower my pressure by 1 cm and I took care of the mouth leaking (I'll try and post the mouth leak fix later once I get some pics up onto the PC ... but no tape, glue, or FF mask was neccessary). APAPs are great for those undergoing weight changes.

I do have another 60 lbs to loose to get to my target weight but I know the secret handshake now. Life is good.



I knew you would ask.

It's the carbs ... eliminate them, most all of them. Vegetables are fine ... organic broccoli and leafy greens are preferred. Fruits are ok in moderation (IF you are NOT trying to loose weight). Legumes and potatoes are ok in VERY limited amounts and IF you target consumption within an hour of intense physical activity AND you are already at a fit and healthy weight and NOT trying to loose weight. Sugars (including honey and other nectars), grains, and all associated refined carbs are absolute POISONS (the work of the Devil they are!!) ... that would consist of about 90% of what is sold at your local grocer ... the odds are stacked against your health so that mega-corporations can profit from your ignorance (much like Vegas casinos profit from ignorant tourists).

It's the fats ... eliminate all trans-fats and most all of the so-called "good fats/oils" (canola, safflower, and all vegetable-based polyunsaturates). Instead, add the so-called "bad fats" like coconut/palm oils and organic animal fats ... they provide ketones which are the ideal fuel source for the human organism ... NOT carb-based glucose/glycogen as ignorant dieticians, nutritionists, the various medical associations (AHA, ADA, AMA, NHI), and the FDA food pyramid suggest! Finally, supplement daily with 2 to 4 grams of EPA/DHA omega-3 fatty acids (eating tons of fish would be best if our planet wasn't so polluted) ... Carlson's fish oil and cod liver oil (both in bottled liquid form) I found to be the best.

It's the protein ... eat only organic sources like grass-fed ruminators/herbivors (ie. beef, bison, lamb, goat meat, and venison, etc.) and free-range omnivors (pigs and poultry) and sustainable seafood (preferably cold water fish and shellfish from unpolluted waters). How much protein depends on age, gender, your body's lean muscle mass, and your physical activty ... somewhere between 5 oz per day to 20 oz per day (with little old ladys being on the low end and massive line backers on the upper end).

Add to the above ... quality nightly sleep (apnea free of course) and 20 to 30 minutes of daily walking and 15 minutes of high intensity exercise once or twice a week ... and your primary care physician will look at you in awe when you tell him what you have been doing to improve all of your blood panel health markers.

Basically, eat a very low carb to ketogenic diet, get good sleep, and move the organism around daily. The secret is in balancing your hormonal symphony and synchronizing it to the circadian/monthly/seasonal cycles of life on planet Earth. It is the epigentic music your evolutionary DNA was designed to play (unless of course you were intelligently designed ... in which case you will need talk to your creator for instructions ). Anyway, do what your body was designed to do and your health will care for itself. You don't need any help from Obama or big Pharma or anyone else.

[DreamOn]

Congratulations to everyone who has been successful at weight loss!!!

I lost 110 pounds about 3-4 years ago, by counting calories and exercising (first walking, then adding more intensive cardio, then adding weight-training). I reached my "ideal weight" in a year, so I lost at a healthy rate. At that time I had not been officially diagnosed with sleep apnea yet, so I can't really speak to whether my CPAP pressure would've been higher than now, but I can say that, subjectively, my apnea symptoms were much worse when I was heavier.

The real challenge is keeping those unwanted pounds away. I kept the weight off for about a year, but now I have regained half the weight I lost. This is not an uncommon experience, as it's so easy to slip back into old patterns of eating and cutting back on the exercise. Just keep an eye on that, as apnea symptoms could creep back into your life....

~ DreamOn

[unable to get user name to work]

I noticed with even a few pounds weight change that there is a need to change masks and increase/decrease settings on mask & machine by one. Remember the face is the lst to be affected by weight changes and guess it depends on the percentage change of the BMI when adjustments are needed.
Always nice to hear success stories of reduced/or elimination of cpap need with weight loss alone. Those of us that have a stuctural airway problem with a lower BMI to start with do not have the option of weight loss changing things much. If you can lose/maintain weight to reduce symptoms sure beats having expensive non reversable airway surgery that may not work.

[ZIFF]

Not sure if this link will work, but it is to a recent study that showed significant improvements in severity of OSA after weight loss, and some complete elimination of the condition. If the link doesn't work I will try a different one.
http://www.weightlosstriumph.com/can-we ... apnea.html

[timbalionguy]

Dreamstalker, good for you! I follow, as much as I can, the same kind of low carb ketogenic diet. I have a lot of weight to lose, and before xPAP, even a low carb diet worked slowly. Now that my metabolism is improving, I am seeing improved results with the diet. I eat meat almost exclusively-- like the lions I know and love! (I do not like or tolerate many vegetables, and the few I like are the worst ones for low carb, so I use a different natural fiber supplement.) I take heavy doses of vitamin C and calcium, about the only vitamins/minerals a good carnivore diet does not supply (Humans are one of the few animals that cannot synthesize vitamin C, and unlike the lions, I cannot crunch up bone). Since I was able to finally begin being a 'full time carnivore' again in October, after a disasterous summer, I have lost about 20 pounds. I am seeing some changes in mask fit already, some good, some bad. My OSA responds only stubbornly to treatment, and it may take a different brand or type of machine to really get things dialed in. But I suspect that OSA is at least partially to blame for the obesity, as I have had symptoms of OSA for as long as my weight has been tough to control. I suspect that I will always need the mask. (The other contributing factors to my obesity are having the 'thrifty gene' and having a very strong 'sweet tooth'. As protein-oriented as my metabolism seems to be (See the book 'The Metabolic Typing Diet' for how to determine your balance), that surprises me. Cats don't even have taste receptors for sweet )

And you are right-- the Government food pyramid is all messed up!

[pmcall57]

I just want to say how inspired I am to read all this weight loss success! Thanks for posting, everyone. I intend that a year from now I can say I've lost my extra 60 pounds. (Have a hunch it's going to be easier now that I'm sleeping properly!)

[Kiralynx]

Ironically, it was after I lost 180 pounds that the symptoms which I now know indicated apnea developed.

So I have no idea if losing additional weight -- which I would like to do -- would improve my apnea situation or not.

I eat no sugar, no starch, no artificial sweeteners, no maltodextrin. The only carbs are from fruits and vegetables -- and frankly, fruit is a once-a-week treat for me. Occasionally, I have a bit of honey. I eat (according to most dieticians) a horrendous amount of fats -- good butter, and coconut oil and olive oil. I eat meat and eggs and cheese. Green leafy veggies, and also zucchinis, and other squash, as well as green beans and asparagus and broccoli and cauliflower.

[JohnBFisher]

... Basically, eat a very low carb to ketogenic diet, get good sleep, and move the organism around daily. ...

CAUTION! Anyone who is diabetic needs to be careful to not overdo this. Work with your healthcare team to be certain you do not overdo it. Why? A diet with too few carbs can actually cause problems for a diabetic. And even then, it's a great approach, with some moderation.

[SnoozyWoozyCat]

I'm so jealous! Since starting CPAP a little over a month ago (100% compliant she's says patting herself on the back ), my appetite has increased in a BIG way! If it's not nailed down, I inhale it. I had been feeling so sick the months prior to my diagnosis, that I had lost 22 pounds in a little over 2 months time because I didn't feel like eating. Now that I'm starting to feel a little better, my appetite seems to be making up for lost time! It could be other things like hormones, thyroid or just the change in seasons who knows. My cat even looked at me a little more worried than usual when I threatened to make Cat Butt Stew out of her for using my sofa as a scratching post. This is my normal threat when she is mis-behaving, but this time I think she could see the deranged hunger in my eyes!

[Muse-Inc]

...appetite has increased in a BIG way! If it's not nailed down, I inhale it...

Investigate trying 100 mgms Grape Seed Extract in the morning; cut my appetite to ziltch...and mine was ginormous whatever balance of carbs-protein-fat I tried. Took 2 days and shazzam, no more appetite to deal with. I take the NOW brand.

[SnoozyWoozyCat]

Investigate trying 100 mgms Grape Seed Extract in the morning; cut my appetite to ziltch...and mine was ginormous whatever balance of carbs-protein-fat I tried. Took 2 days and shazzam, no more appetite to deal with. I take the NOW brand.

Thanks Muse -- I'll try that. Hope it works cuz I can't afford to be putting on the pounds!