Fat and Thin people with OSA

[Space Oddity]

No one who loses weight regrets it. No one.

Those with cachexia?

[SleepingUgly]

No one who loses weight regrets it. No one.

Those with cachexia?

OK, so let me amend it to: No one who voluntarily loses weight regrets it.

[DyingOnMyFeet]

When someone says, "I'm thinking of trying to lose weight to get rid of my high cholesterol," people don't respond, "Don't bother. I lost weight and I still have high cholesterol."

Losing weight may cure or at least improve OSA. There is no empirical evidence to suggest this statement is false, regardless of any anecdotal information anyone brings forth. So if there is a chance they can be cured, and that motivates people to engage in a behavior that will improve their health in a myriad of ways, why not encourage people to GO FOR IT?? CPAP can be used while trying to lose weight.

If I had so much as a 1% chance of losing this crappy diagnosis by losing weight, I would do it! And if all this weight loss later, I had my low BP, my good blood sugar, my low cholesterol, my longer lease on life, and still had this crappy diagnosis, I'd be disappointed. But I would put on my size 4 Sexy Boot jeans, crank up the music and dance, while singing at the top of my healthy lungs, "I'm too sexy for my CPAP!" Then I'd do my little turn on the catwalk, hook up my CPAP, and put my non-fatty livered hot bod to bed.

No one who loses weight regrets it. No one.

G,day sleepingugly - thanks for the kinds words and encouragment - by the way people I never suggeted that people don't need to use cpap and that they just need to lose weight instead to mayby fix their OSA problem - hell I am on cpap right now and glad that I am because for one thing I have more energy in the day to complete my daily 30 km bike rides I am also on a 1200 cals per day diet and I must say the weight is beginning to fall off but with odds of 40 to 50 % of curing my OSA via a big weight loss I JUST GOTTA GO FOR IT I don't care if a big weight loss does not cure my OSA at least I tried and I have nothing to lose by trying like sleepingugly said { No one who loses weight ever regrets it. No one } so my message is to everyone here is USE CPAP FIRST while chasing your losing weight goals and who knows you might just be in the 40 to 50 % of people that actually cured their OSA via big weight loss - Cheers Peter

[BlackSpinner]

As you can tell it is a contentious issue.
One of the reasons is that a lot of the medical industry is still fixated on the apnea = obese meme. So that many of us skinny people get blown off for years, while those of us with a lot of weight got told all will be solved if we just had the discipline to lose weight.

So many of us see red when it is mentioned.

Good luck Peter on your work.

[SleepingUgly]

I have been having sleep studies for decades, and I wasn't blown off because I was thin. But I think I was misdiagnosed because it's more difficult to demonstrate OSA when you're thin, as thin people (speaking generally) tend not to desaturate as much as those who are overweight. If the scoring definitions require desaturations, it won't be picked up.

Any thin person doing their homework who can advocate for themselves can get a sleep study. One doesn't have to rely on a doctor to point out that being tired might mean OSA.

[BlackSpinner]

Any thin person doing their homework who can advocate for themselves can get a sleep study. One doesn't have to rely on a doctor to point out that being tired might mean OSA.

That assumes some knowledge about OSA, the ability to self diagnose and the ability of the sleep deprived to think clearly. My doctor didn't diagnose me, my sister did because her obese husband had been diagnosed and I sounded the same. I had to insist on a sleep study. I desated down to 56%, by the way and I was only about 30 lbs over weight at the time.

[archangle]

When someone says, "I'm thinking of trying to lose weight to get rid of my high cholesterol," people don't respond, "Don't bother. I lost weight and I still have high cholesterol."

When people say "I'm going to lose weight instead of taking my cholesterol pills and blood pressure pills," people die.

Take the pills and then try to lose the weight.

When people say "You wouldn't need that CPAP if you lose weight," people die.

Use the CPAP, then try to lose weight.

[SleepingUgly]

One can encourage someone to "go for" losing weight, while simultaneously using CPAP until they lose the weight and get retested. It's not an either-or situation.

[BlackSpinner]

One can encourage someone to "go for" losing weight, while simultaneously using CPAP until they lose the weight and get retested. It's not an either-or situation.

For many it is presented as such by the medical industry and the media.

[SleepingUgly]

One can encourage someone to "go for" losing weight, while simultaneously using CPAP until they lose the weight and get retested. It's not an either-or situation.

For many it is presented as such by the medical industry and the media.

That's no excuse for us not to encourage everyone to lose weight who comes here inquiring about that.

[BlackSpinner]

One can encourage someone to "go for" losing weight, while simultaneously using CPAP until they lose the weight and get retested. It's not an either-or situation.

For many it is presented as such by the medical industry and the media.

That's no excuse for us not to encourage everyone to lose weight who comes here inquiring about that.

And no excuse to make adjustment to cpap harder by pushing weight loss at the same time.

[SleepingUgly]

One can encourage someone to "go for" losing weight, while simultaneously using CPAP until they lose the weight and get retested. It's not an either-or situation.

For many it is presented as such by the medical industry and the media.

That's no excuse for us not to encourage everyone to lose weight who comes here inquiring about that.

And no excuse to make adjustment to cpap harder by pushing weight loss at the same time.

Maybe we should do a careful inquiry into all the stressors they are undergoing in their life currently, and then we can judge whether it would be best for them to initiate weight loss at that particular time or not. Alternatively, when they inquire about losing weight, we can leave it to their good judgment to decide when they want to start.

[lorraineg57]

One can encourage someone to "go for" losing weight, while simultaneously using CPAP until they lose the weight and get retested. It's not an either-or situation.

For many it is presented as such by the medical industry and the media.

That's no excuse for us not to encourage everyone to lose weight who comes here inquiring about that.

And no excuse to make adjustment to cpap harder by pushing weight loss at the same time.

Maybe we should do a careful inquiry into all the stressors they are undergoing in their life currently, and then we can judge whether it would be best for them to initiate weight loss at that particular time or not. Alternatively, when they inquire about losing weight, we can leave it to their good judgment to decide when they want to start.

Weight loss doesn't necessarily have to be a big stressor. Simple changes such as watching simple carbs (Not eliminating, monitoring) and portion control go a long way. Watch the sugar intake, etc. These simple things can make a huge difference. I don't think anyone is suggesting a "biggest loser" type of regimen.

[rosacer]

SleepingUgly

KUDOS TO YOU ! I love the way you have encouraged Peter and all the others who are thinking at loosing weight in case it can help with OSA.

Peter go ahead with your project. I KNOW that not everyone who lose weight will get rid of OSA, sadly some people wont but it doesn't means neither that nobody who lose wight will ever get rid of OSA.

As SleepingUgly stated, even if you continue to have OSA you will improve your life a lot.

Me too I'm loosing weight (no worries I'm still using my CPAP ). My pneumologist the first thing he told me was I give you a referral for a sleep test to find your new pressure in X months. I have lost 27 pounds and my pressure has gone down 2 cmH2O.

I wish everyone had something that could do to get rid of OSA. Saddly that's not the case but for those who have as option to lose weight (and have decided to go that way), it could be really nice if we encourage then even if we are in the group that never will get rid of it.

You can be sure that I will let you know what happened with my sleep test when I will have it. I'm planing to lose 70 more pounds to attain my healthy weight.

Go Peter Go !

p.s I hope my comment wont put me in the foes of some other people

[DyingOnMyFeet]

SleepingUgly

KUDOS TO YOU ! I love the way you have encouraged Peter and all the others who are thinking at loosing weight in case it can help with OSA.

Peter go ahead with your project. I KNOW that not everyone who lose weight will get rid of OSA, sadly some people wont but it doesn't means neither that nobody who lose wight will ever get rid of OSA.

As SleepingUgly stated, even if you continue to have OSA you will improve your life a lot.

Me too I'm loosing weight (no worries I'm still using my CPAP ). My pneumologist the first thing he told me was I give you a referral for a sleep test to find your new pressure in X months. I have lost 27 pounds and my pressure has gone down 2 cmH2O.

I wish everyone had something that could do to get rid of OSA. Saddly that's not the case but for those who have as option to lose weight (and have decided to go that way), it could be really nice if we encourage then even if we are in the group that never will get rid of it.

You can be sure that I will let you know what happened with my sleep test when I will have it. I'm planing to lose 70 more pounds to attain my healthy weight.

Go Peter Go !

p.s I hope my comment wont put me in the foes of some other people

G,day rosacer - thanks for the kinds words and encouragment - here is my reply post concerning using cpap and losing weight goals posted again incase you missed it

By the way people I never suggeted that people don't need to use cpap and that they just need to lose weight instead to mayby fix their OSA problem - hell I am on cpap right now and glad that I am because for one thing I have more energy in the day to complete my daily 30 km bike rides I am also on a 1200 cals per day diet and I must say the weight is beginning to fall off but with odds of 40 to 50 % of curing my OSA via a big weight loss I JUST GOTTA GO FOR IT I don't care if a big weight loss does not cure my OSA at least I tried and I have nothing to lose by trying like sleepingugly said { No one who loses weight ever regrets it. No one } so my message is to everyone here is USE CPAP FIRST while chasing your losing weight goals and who knows you might just be in the 40 to 50 % of people that actually cured their OSA via big weight loss - Cheers Peter