Weight loss and getting off CPAP

Hello! I was just diagnosed with moderate obstructive sleep apnea in January 2018. I was fitted with a Dreamstation and a full face mask in mid-February. That mask did NOT do anything but leak like crazy so I took it back after three nights of tortured "sleep." They gave me a nasal mask called Wisp small/medium and it's better but when I get it tight enough on my face to prevent leaking it puts too much pressure on my nasal passages and constricts my breathing. I'm also prone to chronic nasal congestion. Just went to my regular doctor to ask for something to force my nose open and he just told me to go get some Zyrtec but when I read the box it all had stuff to keep you awake. I got some Benadryl with nasal decongestant and it didn't even help.

My nasal passages are totally raw from too much nasal spray. My nose is sore to the touch. I can only wear my mask for about 2 hours before my nose closes back up and I start suffocating. I'm sick of this. I haven't slept much in 3 weeks. The full face mask left my mouth unbelievably dry. My dreamstation has a humidifier. I also have two humidifiers going in my bedroom with the door shut and the heat quite low. Still dry as a bone in my nose and mouth. Water often rolls out of my hose it's so humid in my room.

I may just be one of those people who can't tolerate this therapy. The sleep doc made it seem like this would be the miracle I need to get better but here I am 3 weeks later not making any improvement despite my best efforts. I feel less rested now than I did before every night became a fight to get to sleep. I'm ready to throw in the towel on this machine. I'm a light, touchy, fitful sleeper to begin with. I can't sleep anywhere but in my own bed and that's often a challenge. It's so counterintuitive to have insomnia and sleep apnea, but here I am. I dread bedtime which has become a real hassle washing up all the equipment and getting it ready to suffocate me and aggravate me each night. When i have the mask on I feel like it's hard to pull oxygen from the hose despite it blowing pretty hard (my ramp starts at 5 and my 90% is usually 8 or less). I went into the provider menu on my Dreamstation and corrected a few things so I could breathe out easier and such, but I still can't sleep with it a full night.

Even before I was diagnosed, I decided I was absolutely sick of being overweight so I started monitoring my calories very closely every day, every meal. That started right before my sleep study in mid January. Today I've lost 15 pounds and I'm still doing well with that. In fact, I find it easier to lose weight than it is for me to sleep with that torture device on my face each night. I'd like to hear from people who lost enough weight to get off their CPAP but I have a feeling they don't need this forum anymore, but I'm hoping some of you stick around or know someone like that. I need to lose 85 pounds to not be considered overweight anymore. At what point in weight loss do most people find that they don't need their CPAP anymore?

Thanks for reading this far. Sorry I'm rambling I'm literally in a fog of confusion at the moment.

Lose the weight if you need to, keep the XPAP! Jim

Try a different mask. I had the same issues you are having with the Wisp causing nasal congestion due to pressure on the nasal bridge area. There are masks that don't do that. You just have to keep trying different masks until you find one that works better for you.

Which DreamStation? Model number?

Wish I could say weight loss worked for me. I gained a metric ton of weight after starting cpap 12 years ago. Then lost 165 pounds 5+ years ago. I am smaller now than I was when I was diagnosed. My sleep apnea never improved. Mine is not weight related.

Weight loss sometimes INCREASES the pressure needed to prop the airway open.
Still the old "Weight loss, blah, blah, blah" MYTH continues to exist.
Weight loss (when needed) is a good thing, and helps with most other things,
but perpetuating that hideous myth is is unspeakably CRUEL.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 08, 2018 4:24 pm

Weight loss sometimes INCREASES the pressure needed to prop the airway open.
Still the old "Weight loss, blah, blah, blah" MYTH continues to exist.
Weight loss (when needed) is a good thing, and helps with most other things,
but perpetuating that hideous myth is is unspeakably CRUEL.

YES!!!!

I am living the consequences of a doctor who not only believes this myth....but treats patients accordingly. After my weight loss my 16 pressure was no longer working. I bumped to 18. No help. I asked for a new sleep study. She told me no. She told me I had lost weight and my SA would go away if I just lost more. Then she told me to hit the gym because my arms looked bad. I gave up and after 7 years of 100% compliance.....I stopped using my cpap at all. 3 years later I am in hell all over again. I am barely functioning. I am now in the process of finding a new doctor and getting back to my cpap. Because I know how much time that is going to take I am shopping on my own for a new apap and trying to get myself to a point where I don't NEED a sleep doctor to continue my treatment if needed.

Weight loss is great. I put my seriously out of control type 2 diabetes into complete remission. My BP is fantastic. I am definitely healthier than I was 165 pounds ago. But my apnea did not improve and in my own opinion it got worse. '

I lost 60 pounds over the last year, and still need my machine every night.

Your mask should not be so tight that it's painful and leaves marks on your face. There are great tips on this website for how to get the fit right.

There is no magical cure with PAP therapy. It helps tremendously, but it's not magic. It can also take some time, patience and fortitude to find the best mask (for you), the best fit (for you) and the best therapy settings (for you). There is no one size fits all cure.

You must have a positive attitude for this to succeed. I'm not talking positive like "oh boy this is the best thing ever" but positive like "I AM going to make this work."

I agree that you need to try different masks. I've been using an xPAP for about 6 weeks and over the first 4 weeks, I tried about about dozen different masks before I settled for (yes, that is settled FOR, not on) the one I have been using for about 2 weeks. It's fairly comfortable, minimal leaks, AHI under 5, so I will use until/if I find something I like better.

It is definitely a process. Hang in there! You are in the right place for support!

You might be one of the lucky ones who doesn't need CPAP anymore after losing a substantial amount of weight. But the statistics for people who lose weight and actually keep that weight off for ONE year, let alone for the rest of their lives, is pretty dismal. So you lose X number of pounds and don't need CPAP for the amount of time you maintain that weight loss. Then you regain the weight (and statistically, most people gain MORE weight than they lost). Now what???

It's hard at first to get used to sleeping with a plastic mask strapped to your face blowing air at you. You're talking here to hundreds, perhaps thousands of people here who have been through it. And most of us wouldn't be talking about it if it wasn't something hard that we went through and came out OK eventually, so we want to help others who want that help.

There are masks that don't come anywhere near touching the bridge of your nose, there are adjustments you can make to minimize leaking, there are tricks to learning to sleep with the machine.

If you'd like help, just ask.

taylorc42633 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 08, 2018 3:44 pm

I may just be one of those people who can't tolerate this therapy.

You are doing many things wrong. You may find out you can easily tolerate the therapy when you get it optimized. Stick around, keep the conversation going and let people help you step by step.

taylorc42633 wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 08, 2018 3:44 pm

At what point in weight loss do most people find that they don't need their CPAP anymore?

"It's not the size of the neck on the outside, it's the size of the airway inside the neck." - Dr. Mack Jones

Once you get to the point that you realize that you are going to sleep with your mask every night for the rest of your life and start working towards making it easier rather than denying it, things will get better.

Most people come to this forum because they are desperate - just like you. For many people it takes time and changes before they settle in to enjoying the benefit of PAP. It took me two months. Weight lose is great but will likely not solve your OSA problem so keep working on fixing your treatment.

We will help you help yourself.

Hi talorc,
As you have read, we are all about the benefits of CPAP here at cpaptalk.com, not so much about the benefits of weight loss.
I was diagnosed a little over a year ago with moderate OSA and started off a lot like you. I still have not slept many full nights with my machine. I have been slowly working my way up. My average time with my APAP is about 4.5 hours per night.
There are definitely benefits to using PAP therapy. I now feel a lot better and am more productive.
I have also lost about 50lbs and the last sleep test said that my OSA is now mild. According to the studies, that is what you can expect from weight loss.
I started a program that includes weight loss, cardio exercise, and tongue/throat exercises that I believe will bring my AHI even lower. The studies suggest it is possible.
I outline my plan here:
http://www.apneaboard.com/forums/Thread ... leep-Apnea

OMG!
Another snake oil exercise program!

Weight loss is great! Go for it! But ...... in the meantime, continue to use your machine. Talk to the crowd here, they have secrets to share that no DME knows. They can and will coach you to find a mask that will suit, help you find the correct settings to maximize your treatment and all the little stuff that arises.

Insomnia is a regular pita. Lots of us have it, sometimes or always, but again, there people here who can help.

But it is so easy to say no to your therapy, if you have the discipline to loose weight, then you have the discipline to stick with the machine. When your unnecessary weight is gone, then we'll talk about next steps.