weight gain

I am one who gained weight after I went on Cpap. If you looked at what I ate you would wonder how I got to this size. At the time I started gaining weight I was doing Bikram Yoga several times a week.

I can't tell you how excited I was after 10 years of telling Dr.'s that I've been waking up short of breath and sometimes tachycardia that is associated with low oxygen levels. Finally diagnosed with "restrictive airway." I never sleep well in sleep studies issues #1. Most of my serious issues occur during REM Sleep and subconsciously rolling onto my back. CPAP compliance has been 100% no issues really at all. I use ResMed AirSense 10 APAP. So, what have I noticed the most about being on APAP, I would say it's all cardio related. Blood pressure is more stable and my PVC's have been reduced. However, I'm 4 months into therapy and my weight has jumped from 151.8 to 161.3. My calorie intake has remained the same as before between 1,200-1,800 per day. I probably average around 1,450. I'm male, 5'10 and don't want to gain weight eating nothing. It's crazy....... 10 lbs my pants are all almost too small and my shirts are getting tight. I have considered packing up my CPAP and putting into the closet. I would rather go on an extreme diet and get down into the 130's then to weight 180 lbs with a fat face! Believe me I've had one before and not good.....

However my issue is that I'm a pilot currently out on medical but when I do return CPAP compliance is part of my FAA medical examinations. So, I'm I suppose to gain 40 lbs and just be fat or what? I think for me to stabilize my weight I would have to reduce calories down to 800 cal per day. I've read this from another poster that he has the same issue. Eating only 800 cals a day to maintain weight.

BTW all my weight has seemed to be fat related. Around my middle section and under my chin. I was a thin person before starting therapy at 151.8 lbs I've been this weight for 3 years.

Ok, I'm not an expert in cpap as I'm a newbie. I won't call myself an expert in weight loss either but i've studied it and worked it into my lifestyle with success. Calories in/calories out works for most people but not all. There are genetic and other issues that come into play. But regardless, measuring not only calories, but what calories are important. Filling your calorie intake for the day with ice cream is not going to benefit you. You can't simply measure calories. You should look at what kind of calories your'e taking in, such as how many are protein, carbs, fat, etc. Take that further, you need fat calories,just not the wrong kind. Plus, That should also be coupled with exercise. Cardiovacular exercise need not be uncomfortable. On the contrary, you should find your optimal heart rate for weight loss and that should be your minimum. It not only helps with weight loss, but also the whole body system. There is ample evidence that regular exercise is beneficial no matter what your situation. IMHO, everyone should have a combination of healthy eating (calories in) combined with some level of exercise (calories out) no matter what your goal is. I don't think that cpap is the be all end all to every one of someones problems. It simply corrects a sleep time breathing problem. The rest is up to the person individually. What I'm doing? i'm correcting my night time breathing problem, which will help my overnight O2 levels, which will put me back in condition during the day mentally and to an extent physically. It is not going to make me lose weight. I have to take the energy I'm given from using cpap to do that. My humble opinion.

I would go back to my doctor again and if necessary, ask for a cardio and/or a endocrinological consult. You may be retaining water for some reason (and mistaking it for fat), or have other problems only coincidentally related to Cpap, but likely to OSA, though figuring out which came first, the weight or OSA is not as important now as tracking down the underlying issues. People don't gain weight eating nothing (unless you've completely stopped exercising relative to a high rate previously) and you need to be checked out more thoroughly than e.g. your BP.