Weight loss and CPAP

atlgirl · Post by **atlgirl** » Sat Oct 02, 2004 9:28 pm

I am a new member to the group. I've been using a CPAP machine at level 9 for about a month. It's hard to tell whether I'm less sleepy during the day because I've been making other changes in my life. I'm trying to eat a healthy diet and get in a daily walk in my neighborhood (which tends to be quite hilly) and I've lost 15 pounds since I started all of that. I would like to lose about 100 more pounds to get to a more normal weight. My question is:
Have any of you found that you were able to stop using your CPAP machine on normalizing your weight (if you were overweight to begin with)? I'm hoping that the blockage that is causing the apnea is due to the extra weight and that I can stop using it eventually when I lose enough weight.
Any thoughts on the subject?

atlgirl

jenewell · Post by **jenewell** » Sun Oct 03, 2004 1:05 pm

According to my doctor losing the weight is the best thing you can do in order to help the apnea. She didn't guarantee that I would stop having sleep apnea, or stop needing cpap ( tissues in the throat that have expanded with weight gain and caused the apnea do not neccesarily change with the weight loss or go back to what they were before ) but she did think there was a good chance that things for me would improve if I lost the weight. I have a significant amount to lose, about 100 pnds, and obviously even if the sleep apnea didn't disappear there are tremendous other health benefits to losing that kind of weight. Keep exercising and going in the direction you are going, and your body will be better for it no matter what.
I have a question regarding your comment about not being sure if you are less tired. Several people, first the sleep tech at the lab who tried me on cpap during my test for sleep apnea, and then the supplier who heard that I had used cpap for about 3 hours the night of my sleep study, both asked me if I felt more refreshed after using it. How soon am I supposed to feel "refreshed"? I would think it's unrealistic to expect to feel this way immediately, and yet these people are 'in the business' and still asked me this. I tried my own cpap for the first time last night and woke up a ton of times just trying to get used to the thing. I do NOT feel refreshed today! Anyone out there have any comments on what to expect, realistically?
Jennifer

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Fri Nov 12, 2004 9:47 pm

The night of my sleep study I was on the mask for 6 hrs. I only slept for 2. My energy level the next morning was over the top. Couldnt stop doing things for 2 days. Now I use my auto unit whenever I can . Even for a few minutes as I cant even lie back in a reclining chair without it. The only time I have felt better was after I was under anesthesia for about 1 hr. Like a burst of energy . Thats also when I had the back pain others have mentioned here. Like I was over inflated..LOL...I was told to expect this .

Lana · Post by **Lana** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 12:54 am

Jenewell, I only whish your MD is right about WT loss and apnea improvement, but what about people (like me) who are not at all overweighted and still suffer from sleep apnea? I have put myself on a diet from the day I started using cpap, lost 17lbs so far, but I just don't belive that is the answer to apnea problem. At least not for me.
About energy level, I was fighting mask and leaks first two nights with very little sleep and you can imagine how discouraged I was, when all of a sudden on the third morning mirracle happend. It was such a tremendous change, I still have hard time believing. I went to work singing, made a few dance steps on my way into the work place and I was smiling like never before:) However, I am noticing now, after 2 months of continuous cpap use, I feel different, not so perky and I'm sleeping longer and longer. From approx. 4 hrs in the first week of usage, I'm now sleeping full 8 hours. Titrator wrote in one of posts, studies are under way to answer this change for the "worse", so until then we all just have to keep up a good work.

calcomments · Post by **calcomments** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 2:11 pm

I started using Remstar Plus CFlex Sept 20. After about 2 weeks I checked my weight. I couldn't believe it. My weight dropped from 195 to 183 ... without any effort my part. It's been 7-8 years since it was that low. I stayed at about 183 since then. I don't diet or anything.

Also tried the Remstart Auto - which I like because it gives detailed monitoring information of sleep patterns. But I prefer Remstart CFlex. The new Auto-Cflex, due out in December, should be ideal.

SleepyGuy · Post by **SleepyGuy** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 3:10 pm

The tech at my titration study uses a CPAP machine and told me she had lost 100 lbs while using it.

Regarding those that say their energy is up. I've been using mine for a week and having problems. One problem is that my energy has actually been too high! I wake up after an hour or two feeling stoked. This makes it hard to get back to sleep, so I usually sleep the rest of the night without it.

loonlvr · Post by **loonlvr** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 4:03 pm

i have been usuing a full face mask since about the first of the year. I now have about 1500 hrs on my remstar plus. it does take some getting use too. I usually take mine off about 4am and sleep a few more hrs. But it will get a lot easier. For me , i wouldnt consider not using it. I feel that much better. One question i have for anyone is if they sell replacement membrane for respirionics full face mask, It seems stupid to buy whole thing when the membrane rips.

Lynnm77 · Post by **Lynnm77** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 4:47 pm

I don't have one yet, just had my sleep study. I didn't know there was a relation between the CPAP and losing weight. I had gastric bypass 3 years ago, lost 155. I don't believe I had sleep apnea then. He did not require the study as I'd had it about 15 years prior and showed him the results which said I didn't. Now I'm having problems. I've put back on 60 pounds in the last year and am sick about it. I can't let my surgery to have been in vain. I read something on a site about eating while sleepwalking or something. And I DO eat at night lately, EVERY night. LOL. My husband says he wakes me up from sleeping on the couch to go get in bed, the easiest way for me to "regular sleep", LOL, and I will always go get something to eat and then I'm wide awake. Is this common? Could this have contributed to the years' weight gain? Can I hope to lose this? Please, say yes. LOL Lynn

Dotty · Post by **Dotty** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:00 pm

I have been using the activa mask for about 2 weeks. I can make it thru 6-61/2 hours and I wake up. I have been taking the mask off and sleeping au naturel for the remainder of my 8 hours. Is this harmful? I am a mouth breather and have used chin ups and a chin strap but still not sure I am not having mouth leaks. I don't have the dry mouth I used to and my Husband says I am not snoring. I do have more energy. Is this working?

SleepyGuy · Post by **SleepyGuy** » Sat Nov 13, 2004 7:45 pm

If you have more energy, I'd say yes. Some AutoPAP machines have the ability to display how you did during the night such as the number of apneas.

Sherri · Post by **Sherri** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 10:22 pm

Tonight will be my 5th night using my C-Flex. I feel I have a new lease on my life! Yes, it is cumbersome and sometimes difficult to become accustomed to the machine, but, the benefits I've experience thus far truly outweigh the expense and clunkiness of the equipment. My husband and I are looking forward to returning to a marital bed full-time and I can't wait to begin exercising once again. To restore my health, lose the weight I've gained with sleep deprivation, will allow me to once again enjoy my life. I used to try to walk after waking in the a.m. I'd walk around 2 miles, then come home and sleep 3 hours. Of course, I didn't exercise regularly because I couldn't stay motivated; I was tired all the time. For the first time in years, I have the energy to exercise. Plus, I have also noticed a reduction in my eating. I am optimistic the benefits will continue for my overall health. It took a while to get in this state, so I have no doubt it will take a while to recover.

FireMedic · Post by **FireMedic** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:58 am

I must agree with everyones take on the renewed energy level. THe night of my sleep study, it only took a couple of hours for them to come and fit me with a mask for the rest of the night. I used it and never opened my eyes again until they had to come and wake me up. That day I was bursting at the seams with energy! My only problem was having to wait two weeks for my MD to prescribe the machine. I have been on it for about a month now and its by far the best thing I ever did! I kick myself in the butt for not doing it years ago. I have spent the last month "testing" myself in different things I could never stay awake for, such as boring classes, movies, sitting! I can do it all with eyes wide open!

Lavendel · Post by **Lavendel** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:24 am

I have a great dr who explained sleep apnea in great detail to me. SO many people, are under the mistaken assumption that sleep apnea is caused by being overweight or throat obstruction due to enlarged tonsils, uvula, etc. In some people this is the case, but in the majority it is a disorder in the brain!! Losing weight will NOT cure it! It may help, but it will not cure it. In many people, myself inculded, the part of the brain that controls your airway during sleep shuts down as soon as you hit a certain stage of sleep. There is no way to control this other than using the CPAP machine. Until they come out with a pill that will target that part of the brain & keep things functioning during deep sleep, the CPAP is the only solution. It is scary how many people don't know this is a brain disorder & you can't help it.

FireMedic · Post by **FireMedic** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:37 am

While it is very true that many apnea patients are this way because of neurologic issues versus obstructive ones, They are far from the "typical case". Obstruction or collapse of the airway is very prevalent. The mass from the neck puts iward pressure on the oropharnyx and in effect the structures of the throat close in around the airway. In my case this is made even worse by larger then normal tonsils and adenoids. Losing mass in the neck can definitly reduce the level of pressure needed, if not wiping CPAP use out totally. I know of several cases of more obese patients that had great success with apnea reduction after weight loss. The key is to test and retest. get additional sleep studies done after siginificant weight loss to see if it does make a difference. Obviously you won't see much change until you start noticing loss of mass in your neck, so it was suggested to me to chart change in that area by measuring the area occasionally. Make partof your workout involve the areas of your upper body and shoulder/neck area, you may see improvement.

Not a rant, just a thought.

shun · Post by **shun** » Fri Nov 19, 2004 7:30 pm

Hi, I'm also on level 9 on my c-pap.I'm not overweight. 5'8 and 130 lbs.Did not snore during my test at the sleep clinic and my apnea wasnt while i was sleeping on my back it was while on my side.Figure that one out.Keep using your mask it takes a while to get use to.I've been on it for almost 3 years and feel better with it.Sometimes still rip it off at night.Good luck,you will feel better.

Weight loss and CPAP

Weight loss and CPAP

Good question I am going through the same thing right now

Weight loss

getting use to the mask

new and don't understand

new to this

New user

Energy level

its not all in the brain