Weight Loss and Pressure Adjustment

[Purrceyz]

Has anyone hear seen their pressure numbers change with a signficant weight loss?

Over the last 1 1/2 yrs, I've lost 70 lbs (another 70 to go). My AHI is high, 87, so I've reconciled myself to the fact that I'll always need a CPAP. Besides, I think I may have had OSA for many, many years (my mom believes I had it as a child & I'm now 55 - she took me to various doctors over my loud breathing/snoring and I had my tonsils & adenoids removed twice but the noisy breathing/snoring has been lifelong. Certainly, it worsened with age & the excess weight didn't help.)

My machine is an APAP (which pleased my sleep doctor) so I won't need to big adjustments. Currently, I spemd most of my time at pressure setting of 12. So I need to have it set for a range of 10-14?

Hopefully I can figure out theIntelliPAP Smartlink software (posted a help message here) - I'm on my 2nd try of this software (gave up with extreme frustration when I first got the machine several months ago. The Encore software for my old Remstar was much easier to use!

[Mary Z]

I have lost 30 lbs over the past year (signicant for me) and have not seen any changes in my pressure needs. If you are using an Auto and as you said you spend most of your time at a pressure of 12, you might consider raising the minimum to 12. Still, if your AHI is acceptable and you feel ok I would not make any adjustments.
Congratulations on your weight loss. You may consider having another sleep study when you reach your goal weight. While AHI is not always the best predictor of therapy effectiveness it is the best number we have access to to tell us if therapy is working. How do you feel?

[Purrceyz]

Thank you for the message and your suggestion. As soon as I get the software producing a report, I'll check the AHI (with the old machine it was pretty good.)

In answer to your question, I feel great (I've been on CPAP for about 3 1/2 years, I lost the first 10 lbs by getting treatment, the rest with Weight Watchers). The weight loss had made life much easier (I have no problems with stairs now, tieing my own shoes or picking things off the floor.)

[Breathe Jimbo]

Weight loss has allowed me to lower my pressure a little. For a very lucky few, losing a lot of weight may eliminate the need for CPAP altogether, but most will continue to need it.

[archangle]

I think the weight/apnea connection is exaggerated. As is the connection between weight/exercise/drinking/smoking/eating right/regular checkups and (pick your favorite medical condition.)

They just love to use a medical condition as a "I told you so/You need to do what I tell you" excuse to lecture you.

Yes, weight and apnea are connected. I just don't think they're as connected as the "health advocates" like us to think they are. The number of people who cure or reduce their apnea from weight loss seems to be pretty small.

[TriKKy]

Well, I appear to be one of the small few.

A little over a year ago, I finally went to the Dr. because I was passing out. I had an AHI in the hundreds. Dr. told me even before I did the sleep study he knew I had it: Male, 21.5" neck, very obese, snore, yadda yadda.

Was put on a pressure of 20, which I took to without any issues at all, and it, for all intents and purposes, cured my symptoms.

Dr. told me that weight could help, and that if I lost 40lbs I should come back to see.

In late January I decided to start losing weight. I lost the 40lbs, had another study done, and they dropped my pressure to 14. At the same time, I switched my machine from the horrid RemStar to the S9 Elite so I could see my progress and as I intended to continue dropping weight. At the pressure of 14 my AHI according to the S9 (which I have heard can under-report some...read the threads here), was in the 0.0 - 0.4 range.

Once I lost another 40lbs I dropped the pressure another 6 to a value of 8. 0.0 - 0.4 range remained. Downloaded the data, looked good.

Have lost another 40 lbs and I have the pressure at 4 and I remain 0.0 - 0.4.

So, in summary, since late January I have lost 125lbs to date. My neck size has gone from 21.5" to 17.25" and I have dropped my pressure from 20 to 4 and maintained my quality of sleep.

I have a follow up study coming in December where/when I hope I will see if I can get off the machine. Even if I can't, HUGE difference in pressures. Hope this helps.

PS: 35lbs to go woooohoooo

[Lizistired]

That's great! Keep us posted. Weight loss is a common discussion around here. How did you lose it?

[archangle]

Well, I appear to be one of the small few.

I didn't mean to imply that weight loss would not help or even cure apnea for many people. I mainly wanted to point out that it's not a sure thing by any means. I think it's especially important that people don't delay CPAP because "I'm going to lose that weight."

Losing weight is a good thing for many reasons for most of us. I believe there's a good chance it will help your apnea. Just realize that sometimes, it doesn't fix your apnea. It's probably worth it anyway.

[chunkyfrog]

After losing 38 pounds; I feel better, I sleep better, am more fun to be with;
but with the apnea--My favorite masks don't fit any more!

[sleeplessinaz]

Congratulations on your weight loss.!!!!! I myself have lost 35 lbs over the past year (signicant for me) and have not seen any changes in my pressure needs except for it went up bit from 7 to a 9..

You may consider having another sleep study when you reach your goal weight. of course if you are still tired when you wake up that is a sign that the pressure might not be high enough.

Carrie

[TriKKy]

That's great! Keep us posted. Weight loss is a common discussion around here. How did you lose it?

Changed the way I ate, exercise 5x/week at least and move more in general. Cliche, I know, but it worked. No "diet," no outside advice, books, gimmicks, or even calorie counting. Just took everything I've read about food and put it to good use.

Well, I appear to be one of the small few.

I didn't mean to imply that weight loss would not help or even cure apnea for many people. I mainly wanted to point out that it's not a sure thing by any means. I think it's especially important that people don't delay CPAP because "I'm going to lose that weight."

Losing weight is a good thing for many reasons for most of us. I believe there's a good chance it will help your apnea. Just realize that sometimes, it doesn't fix your apnea. It's probably worth it anyway.

I hate chatting on the internet sometimes because tone is lost! I didn't mean that opening comment as an attack, but said it with a smile I agree with you actually, that weight loss is not the perfect solution or even any solution for every person. It appears to have worked well for me, but I have read about and seen people who are not even slightly overweight who have apnea, so weight doesn't tell the whole story by a long shot.

I also agree in not delaying because of a plan to lose weight. It's like buying clothes that are too small for you now because you are planning on losing weight. I will admit that only once recently did I do that and it happily paid off.

My next sleep study will be in December I think so I will get to see what the outcome is then. Until then, and as I've done every night since I got the machine, I will get my 7-8 hours hooked up with my hose. I was also one of the few blessed people who had 0 adjustment. I was put on a pressure of 20 and the ramp annoyed me so much first night I turned it off and just used 20.

[redd5000]

My CPAP was set at a pressure of 10. In the last 4-5 months I have lost 40 lbs. I started having trouble with air being forced out of my mouth while I slept (really bad dry mouth) and wondered if my weight loss was causing me not to need as high a pressure. I have gradually reduced the pressure down to 7, but not sure if I am doing the right thing or not. I usually judge how well I sleep by where my blood pressure is in the morning and it is higher than I would like, as if instead of resting I am not getting enough oxygen. My blood pressure is always low at bedtime. Sleeping is going to kill me! LOL. Has anyone experienced this type of thing after weight loss?

[Julie]

Please start a new thread- this one's 2 yrs old.

[jweeks]

Has anyone hear seen their pressure numbers change with a signficant weight loss?

Hi,

I was on BiPAP at 14/21 when I weighed 330 lbs. I have lost 165 lbs, exactly 1/2 of my body weight. I am now on APAP in the range of 9 to 14, with my pressure typically around 11 or 12. That is the good news part. The not quite as good of news is that it took a long time to get there. In fact, my sleep issues got worse as I started to lose weight. The period between 280 lbs to 230 lbs was somewhat of a nightmare because the skin in my airway became more loose and floppy as I lost weight. I needed even more pressure, and then I started to get air ingestion in my stomach. Things started to get better when I got below 220 lbs, but I was still on pretty high pressure with BiPAP down through 195 lbs. The point where my pressure needs really dropped is when I kicked exercise into high gear. By becoming more lean, my airway tightened up. Working on my abdominals and upper body strengthened up my breathing muscles, which significantly helped an issue where I had low respiratory effort.

The net-net is that life is a lot better dealing with pressure levels of 11 and 12 than it was in the 20's. Masks fit better and leaks are far less of a problem. While this was a long road for me, 4 years, it was well worth every minute. When I started on CPAP, I had a handicap parking permit because I couldn't walk a flight of stairs in a parking ramp at work. In contrast, 2 weeks ago, I ran the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, finishing in 3 hours 44 minutes. This journey was for who I became. Don't do it expecting improve your apnea, but if it does help, then so much the better.

-john-

[VikingGnome]

I've lost 50 pounds over the past 1.5 years. I was on pressure of 15 on CPAP. After the weight loss I'm on bilevel 20/16. So clearly the weight loss didn't improve my pressure needs. They got worse. I think my weight is less related to my OSA than genetic anatomy. I have 3 siblings and my mother who all have OSA and are on either CPAP or Bilevel. We all have very small airways so OSA is inevitable. I think I've had OSA since childhood (my snoring was infamous at summer camps and college). I've been on CPAP for 13 years. So over those years of treatment, my OSA worsened and now requires significantly more pressure to keep airway open.