Weight Loss and rid sleep apnea?

[Julie]

Well, you say what you say and it's perfectly valid, and I think what I said is not invalid, so it's up to whoever cares to sort things out I suppose. Most people are smart enough to do that, and hope will spring eternal, which is fine, because it will encourage them to lose no matter what their goal is (I hope). Certainly losing a lot of weight has allowed some people to quit Cpap, but I don't think it should be looked on as anything close to definitive, but it hasn't been shown to be that (as you said).

[bv1800]

Hello, i was just curious on here if anyone has lost a good amount of weight, and was able to rid their sleep apnea and rid the cpap machine? Thank you

I'm down 53 lb from a starting weight of 280. My required pressure setting has declined to 4 CM (from 11 CM). I still need to lose another 30 or so to get close to a "normal" BMI (yes, for me BMI is an accurate measure of whether I'm at a healthy weight, so let's not start that discussion), but so far, it appears that I may be one of the lucky ones who may eventually have my apnea reduced to the point that I won't need CPAP therapy. Should that happen, I will never say that I don't have OSA, just that it isn't severe enough to need treatment and I'll always have the risk, that I'll need to return to therapy, if I put on the weight or even as I age, even if I don't put on the weight.

[bv1800]

People who need to lose weight should do it regardless of apnea and Cpap, but if their ultimate goal is to get off Cpap, then they should understand that it's not very likely to happen without major changes, as well as being smart about getting a sleep study to confirm things.

I think it's discouraging to be told 'just lose the weight and you'll get off Cpap', only to find it doesn't often work that way... better to understand that while it may in a few cases of substantial weight loss be possible to quit Cpap, that you'll still feel much better for having lost the weight, Cpap or not, lower pressure or not. If I found out that my hard work of weight loss did not let me come off the mask when I fully expected that I would, I'd be very tempted to go out and eat my head off!

Excellent points Julie. I guess I was looking at it from the point of view that if we tell people that losing weight won't lead to losing the cpap, folks might not even try. So that is why I may seen anal retentive about this.

And it still goes back to my point that there is no research to say one way or another. So why not just say, we don't know what the research says but losing weight definitely will improve your health as long as you implement the necessary lifestyle changes. And get a sleep study to find out one way or another. And you could add in the disclaimer that if you're just losing weight to get off of the CPAP, that is wrong reason since there isn't any solid research either way.

This site doesn't provide a link to the actual research, but they profess that research has shown a 3% change in AHI coming from a 1% change in weight. Since it's across all OSA sufferers, people who have weight related OSA where weight positively correlates to OSA (increase in weight causes increase in OSA) would likely have a much larger change (to make up for all of the people who have zero impact).

http://www.sleep-apnea-guide.com/sleep- ... -loss.html

That said, I finally manged to find a link that estimates the pct of OSA sufferers who's OSA is resolved strictly due to weight loss. The numbers aren't great, but do support the general feedback from this forum, that it's rather rare (~3%).

http://www.mcw.edu/ear-nose-throat/Pati ... -Apnea.htm

Edited to add last section and link.

[mrog]

I asked my sleep doctor about this. He said it usually takes a 20% reduction in weight to reduce the needed CPAP pressure by 1. So, yes weight loss can help sleep apnea, but don't expect miracles from it. Of course, your actual results may vary.

[rosacer]

Get rid of OSA was not the only and more important reasons why I choose to lose weight (it was a hard decision I toke), I knew there was a possibility that happens but I was not sure at all it would.

The reality is that as some has stated loosing weight is good for your general health and life. It is also real 100% that loosing weight is a very complex job, not easy at all for most of people and not gaining it back is harder still.

Loosing weight is a most for the life and if you are able to do it, then do it or try to do it and see what happens with the OSA.

Rosie

[bv1800]

..... not gaining it back is harder still.

Speaking as someone who once lost 100 lbs, only to gain 80 back again, this is the single most insightful comment in the entire thread. At this point in my life, if losing more weight means I don't have to use CPAP, it'll be an additional strong motivation to not regain the weight. Right now, regardless of whether or not I will end up CPAP free for a period of time, regaining weight, even from this point, is the single biggest health concern that I currently have.

[Woody]

In the last 5 years I have lost and regained about 45 lbs of the 150 lbs I need
to lose. The few times I looked at my data that weight loss didn't have any
effect on my pressure or ahi. Perhaps it would be different if I had lost all
the 150lbs at least my Dr. thinks so but he may also believe in the Tooth Fairy!

[49er]

People who need to lose weight should do it regardless of apnea and Cpap, but if their ultimate goal is to get off Cpap, then they should understand that it's not very likely to happen without major changes, as well as being smart about getting a sleep study to confirm things.

I think it's discouraging to be told 'just lose the weight and you'll get off Cpap', only to find it doesn't often work that way... better to understand that while it may in a few cases of substantial weight loss be possible to quit Cpap, that you'll still feel much better for having lost the weight, Cpap or not, lower pressure or not. If I found out that my hard work of weight loss did not let me come off the mask when I fully expected that I would, I'd be very tempted to go out and eat my head off!

Excellent points Julie. I guess I was looking at it from the point of view that if we tell people that losing weight won't lead to losing the cpap, folks might not even try. So that is why I may seen anal retentive about this.

And it still goes back to my point that there is no research to say one way or another. So why not just say, we don't know what the research says but losing weight definitely will improve your health as long as you implement the necessary lifestyle changes. And get a sleep study to find out one way or another. And you could add in the disclaimer that if you're just losing weight to get off of the CPAP, that is wrong reason since there isn't any solid research either way.

This site doesn't provide a link to the actual research, but they profess that research has shown a 3% change in AHI coming from a 1% change in weight. Since it's across all OSA sufferers, people who have weight related OSA where weight positively correlates to OSA (increase in weight causes increase in OSA) would likely have a much larger change (to make up for all of the people who have zero impact).

http://www.sleep-apnea-guide.com/sleep- ... -loss.html

That said, I finally manged to find a link that estimates the pct of OSA sufferers who's OSA is resolved strictly due to weight loss. The numbers aren't great, but do support the general feedback from this forum, that it's rather rare (~3%).

http://www.mcw.edu/ear-nose-throat/Pati ... -Apnea.htm

Edited to add last section and link.

Thanks for the two links. On the sleep apnea guide site, it also says,

Countless clinical studies demonstrated that sleep apnea can be cured in patients with weight problems. However, losing weight when you barely can stay awake, is a very difficult task for any patient.

But just like with the mcw site with the 3% statistic for weight loss and apnea cures, it doesn't give supporting documentation which I find very frustrating. Do totally understand how losing weight when you can barely stay awake can be very difficult even though I am thin. The sleepier I am, the more junk food I crave since it is so hard to decipher true hunger signals.

[bv1800]

..... The sleepier I am, the more junk food I crave since it is so hard to decipher true hunger signals.

Perfect insight into how OSA can be the CAUSE of weight gain, not the result of weight gain.

In the end, weight loss is a critically important goal, regardless of OSA impact. I wish that the vast majority of people who are obese and have OSA would as a minimum, be able to lower pressure, but I think that we have sufficient evidence to demonstrate that this wish isn't reality.

[Janknitz]

Keep in mind that weight loss is not going to cure structural defects that may have been the primary cause of sleep apnea, independent of weight loss. With a receded jaw (from a genetic condition) and narrow airway to begin with, there's little chance I'll ever get off CPAP, and perhaps if I had been on it in the first place when I was still very thin (it wasn't widely available back then) I could have avoided gaining the weight in the first place.

[archangle]

I suspect we're overly pessimistic about weight loss curing or improving apnea on this board. I think there are also a lot of idiots, including medical doctors who think weight loss is a sure fire cure for apnea.

I feel pretty confident in saying

1) Weight loss isn't a sure fire cure for apnea.
2) You shouldn't wait to start CPAP because you plan to lose weight. Most people trying to lose weight fail.
3) If you do lose the apnea with weight loss, you'll probably get apnea back when you regain the weight like most people do.
4) Losing the weight is a really good idea if you need to. Do it even if you don't cure your apnea.

[rosacer]

Well said Archangle

[bv1800]

I suspect we're overly pessimistic about weight loss curing or improving apnea on this board. I think there are also a lot of idiots, including medical doctors who think weight loss is a sure fire cure for apnea.

I feel pretty confident in saying

1) Weight loss isn't a sure fire cure for apnea.
2) You shouldn't wait to start CPAP because you plan to lose weight. Most people trying to lose weight fail.
3) If you do lose the apnea with weight loss, you'll probably get apnea back when you regain the weight like most people do.
4) Losing the weight is a really good idea if you need to. Do it even if you don't cure your apnea.

You can add a corollary to #2: In fact, if you have OSA, are obese and trying to lose weight, there's a very good chance that CPAP therapy will help you lose weight. In fact, OSA may have caused your obese condition.

[rosacer]

bv1800, that'a a very good point.

In my case, 5 years ago when I was diagnosed with OSA (AHI=32) I waited 6 month to get a machine from the hospital (here it works like that in some situations). I gained 35 pounds in those 6 months, I remember seeing the weight going up and up and up and not been able to stop it. I was also worst each day in every sense; it was as if something was not working anymore to control my myself or whatever.

The point is that yeah I believe OSA has to do with weight gain somehow. After I started treatment I was not able to loss that weight and it toke me one year to pay my sleep debt.

[jstill]

Thank you all for you replies and stories. Im only asking this post because I've just been newly diagnosed with OSA and have been on cpap for about a week now. Im 25yr old, male 5'9 210lbs. My doctor said that it could be possible for me to get off the machine eventually, but i would have to become super lean, and committed to my weight loss. Thats Why i asked this. If it was possible with out surgery, just plain weigh loss....