Just when I thought I did not need my cpap anymore

I'm on a lot of low carb and keto sites and I wish I had a dollar for every person who ASSUMES that they no longer need CPAP because they lost weight. They take great offense when I suggest they may want to get re-tested before chucking the machine out of the window.

So...

In 2010 at age 20 I was 220lbs male and got diagnosed with severe apnea. It was awesome getting a cpap and making it happen! I complied easily from first night.
In 2012 I decided being a fat pregnant pig looking dude I decided to loose the blubber.
I got to 150lbs about 8 months later after changing my lifestyle around drastically! I felt like a million bucks.
Disgusted with myself that I let me get that bad, which was entirely my fault. I ended up not sleeping with my bipap anymore. I felt fine, felt great.

In 2016 I was about 195/200 lbs again after a few tough years emotionally. I emotionally ate myself up in weight again and falling back to old habits.
All of a sudden the apnea came right back full force. Got a bipap again and here I am now.

29 years old now and now 196lbs (started weight loss about 5 weeks ago at 211lbs

I'm more than confident that once I loose the blubber apnea will be gone as well.

Once again, my fault entirely!

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:38 pm

So..

Once again, my fault entirely!

Only because untreated sleep apnea leads to weight gain. When we don't sleep well, we are tired and eat more to gain energy. We are also less able to exercise and stay fit. It is likely that the sleep apnea led to the weight gain in the first place. Using cpap helped to lose the weight, but once you quit using cpap, you are stuck fighting the weight gain without good sleep. Kinda hard.

I totally agree with you Zoocrew. I was never very big but for my height (just shy of 5ft) I always feel my healthiest and most energetic at 108 pounds rather than what I was at diagnosis, around 127 pounds. Even though the BMI calculator put me at just on the cusp of 25 it was not a good indicator, I was actually carrying far too much weight for my health.

Prior to using CPAP I always failed at maintaining any weight loss over time. Using CPAP for about 2 1/2 years now has resulted in extremely good weight control with me being able to stay at around 108 to 110 pounds with very little hassle. I doubt this would be doable without CPAP, and I'm not going to risk trying to see.

Ruinednose, quit blaming yourself and just keep on using CPAP during and after weight loss. Otherwise you are almost certainly going to repeat this cycle over and over to the detriment of your health.

zoocrewphoto wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 20, 2018 11:13 pm

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 19, 2018 11:38 pm

So..

Once again, my fault entirely!

Only because untreated sleep apnea leads to weight gain. When we don't sleep well, we are tired and eat more to gain energy. We are also less able to exercise and stay fit. It is likely that the sleep apnea led to the weight gain in the first place. Using cpap helped to lose the weight, but once you quit using cpap, you are stuck fighting the weight gain without good sleep. Kinda hard.

No, I gained weight again because I didn't have any self control and became part of the obesity epidemic that is rampart in America.
I became a fat pig again because I ate way too much each day. Fried garbage, massive amounts of sweets and carbonation. The apnea went away, I stopped exercising Ave started binge eating, would wake in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and would sneak in 3 slices of cheesecake because I couldn't control myself.


That was my fault and not the apnea. Reread until you realize that the eating and the lifestyle caused my apnea.

Twice it did. I'm allready feeling better, no more reflux allready! It's very exiting, a few more months and I'll be of normal weight.

It's unbelievable what people tell themselves and what excuse they put in place of bad eating habits and what comes along with it.

Don't kid yourself, most apnea patients are obese.... Hmm I wonder why the connection

JNK linked to this a few months ago and it is worth reading:

https://journal.chestnet.org/article/S0 ... 0139-9/pdf

" ... relationship of weight and apnea from a community sleep practice, patients initially diagnosed with OSA were obese (BMI > 29) only 59% of the time. A
full 41% were not obese at the time of diagnosis. The severity of OSA based on the AHI was related directly to weight. But, severe OSA was seen in thin individuals and
mild apnea in very obese individuals." (emphasis added)

and this:

"After weight loss, achieving an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) < 5 occurs in a minority of patients (5% to 30%). Persistent apnea with an AHI > 5 is observed in 70% to 95% of previously obese patients."

I have apnea even when just 20lbs overweight, don't have to be morbid or anything. Some people carry more in their neck region and internally in the throat area stimulating collapse. Some of those people spoken of in that link also includes central apnea patients which is a whole other beast, likely not related to obesity. However furthering itself from osa /obesity... So keep that in mind.

Regardless, people don't want to belive this, they rather stay fat, feel sorry for themselves, tell themselves they are too old, too sick, to change their lifestyle.

There is without a doubt a clear connection between apnea and obesity AND between obesity and apnea. They go hand in hand.
Ive done it twice (loose weight and freed myself)
And knowing how weak I am mentally I may get fat yet again in the future, I'm no better than anyone else.
But I won't lie to myself, or pretend I'm helpless


To each their own... Weight.

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:02 am

I have apnea even when just 20lbs overweight, don't have to be morbid or anything. .

You just keep telling yourself that your apnea is all to do with a few extra pounds... and not bad genetics.... Doesn't mean it's so.

When I had my original sleep study (lab) I was around 148ish and 47 events per hour. Four years later minus over 30 pounds, I had another sleep study (at home) and had 16 events per hour. I still have apnea but dropping weight helped my severe SA become moderate. My pulmonary sleep doctor attributed it to the weight loss.

[quote=Ruinednose post_id=1272820 time=1540126941 user_id=69140
And knowing how weak I am mentally I may get fat yet again in the future, I'm no better than anyone else.
But I won't lie to myself, or pretend I'm helpless

[/quote]

You won't be as weak if you have proper energy rather than sleep deprived cravings for carbs. Perhaps you think that is just an excuse, but it is real.Why make it harder for yourself? You will have to work at either way. Wouldn't it be nice to be healthy while doing it? Blaming yourself for tripping while your shoes are tied together isn't helpful. Untying the shoes will make the real work easier.

Skinny people do have sleep apnea. They don't get diagnosed as much because many doctors still believe the myth that only older fat guys have sleep apnea. Hell, even some babies have sleep apnea. I wonder how many fewer people would be obese if they were diagnosed back when they were a good weight. They would be out playing sports, hiking, exercising, etc instead of sleeping extra, hungry all the time, and dragging through the day as they slowly get worse and worse.

Looking back, I probably had sleep apnea when I was in college (Over 25 years ago). I was not obese. I do have the classic conformation for sleep apnea. Narrow airway, small mouth, small chin, scalloped tongue, teeth removed in high school to make room, etc. No way I can ever change that. There will be no cure for me. But that's okay. The treatment works great, and there are lots of bad health issues that I don't have to deal with. I do wish Ihad been diagnosed in my 20s rather than 39.

You can continue to be angry at yourself, and get more depressed each time you regain the weight. Or you can accept that you need cpap the rest of your life, lose the weight, and then stay healthy. It seems to me that the only thing to blame yourself for is not using your machine when you know you need it.

zoocrewphoto wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 1:57 pm

[quote=Ruinednose post_id=1272820 time=1540126941 user_id=69140
And knowing how weak I am mentally I may get fat yet again in the future, I'm no better than anyone else.
But I won't lie to myself, or pretend I'm helpless

You won't be as weak if you have proper energy rather than sleep deprived cravings for carbs. Perhaps you think that is just an excuse, but it is real.Why make it harder for yourself? You will have to work at either way. Wouldn't it be nice to be healthy while doing it? Blaming yourself for tripping while your shoes are tied together isn't helpful. Untying the shoes will make the real work easier.

Skinny people do have sleep apnea. They don't get diagnosed as much because many doctors still believe the myth that only older fat guys have sleep apnea. Hell, even some babies have sleep apnea. I wonder how many fewer people would be obese if they were diagnosed back when they were a good weight. They would be out playing sports, hiking, exercising, etc instead of sleeping extra, hungry all the time, and dragging through the day as they slowly get worse and worse.

Looking back, I probably had sleep apnea when I was in college (Over 25 years ago). I was not obese. I do have the classic conformation for sleep apnea. Narrow airway, small mouth, small chin, scalloped tongue, teeth removed in high school to make room, etc. No way I can ever change that. There will be no cure for me. But that's okay. The treatment works great, and there are lots of bad health issues that I don't have to deal with. I do wish Ihad been diagnosed in my 20s rather than 39.

You can continue to be angry at yourself, and get more depressed each time you regain the weight. Or you can accept that you need cpap the rest of your life, lose the weight, and then stay healthy. It seems to me that the only thing to blame yourself for is not using your machine when you know you need it.
[/quote]

The first time I lost weight I went for a sleep study, I was scared to rely on my quality of sleep or how well I felt and slept through the night.

Sleep study came *clean*. I got off the machine.

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:30 pm

Sleep study came *clean*. I got off the machine.

False negatives happen on sleep studies all the time.

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:40 pm

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:30 pm

Sleep study came *clean*. I got off the machine.

False negatives happen on sleep studies all the time.

Ok. So sleeping without interruption or any symptoms for apnea for years does matter either.
Whatever.
It's genetics, it's sickness, it's age,... You guys find any excuse you can. Make sure you double down on deep fried and soda. And tell yourself it's everything but your eating habits.
It may be, but your pregnant double chin is definitely a factor too

I bet most here are overweight... But whoa... If you point it out people get butthurt, they can't handle it.
Take it for face value! But I guess chase it with a pizza if you got to

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 8:09 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:40 pm

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:30 pm

Sleep study came *clean*. I got off the machine.

False negatives happen on sleep studies all the time.

Ok. So sleeping without interruption or any symptoms for apnea for years does matter either.
Whatever.
It's genetics, it's sickness, it's age,... You guys find any excuse you can. Make sure you double down on deep fried and soda. And tell yourself it's everything but your eating habits.
It may be, but your pregnant double chin is definitely a factor too

I bet most here are overweight... But whoa... If you point it out people get butthurt, they can't handle it.
Take it for face value! But I guess chase it with a pizza if you got to

Well, Since all you want to do is be an insulting jackass, and you certainly don't need OUR help in anything...

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 8:25 pm

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 8:09 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:40 pm

Ruinednose wrote: ↑

Sun Oct 21, 2018 7:30 pm

Sleep study came *clean*. I got off the machine.

False negatives happen on sleep studies all the time.

Ok. So sleeping without interruption or any symptoms for apnea for years does matter either.
Whatever.
It's genetics, it's sickness, it's age,... You guys find any excuse you can. Make sure you double down on deep fried and soda. And tell yourself it's everything but your eating habits.
It may be, but your pregnant double chin is definitely a factor too

I bet most here are overweight... But whoa... If you point it out people get butthurt, they can't handle it.
Take it for face value! But I guess chase it with a pizza if you got to

Well, Since all you want to do is be an insulting jackass, and you certainly don't need OUR help in anything...

There's nothing I can say right by you
The truth hurts, I know being overweight is difficult I've been there and still am and probably will return!
But it doesn't mean we ignore it or act like it's not a significant part of the issue. More than half of OSS patients are also obese, it's clearly connected, I bet if some here lost weight they wouldn't need the machine either.
I'm sad to see the ignorance among us