CPAP Withdrawal Help

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with OSA back in 2008 and started CPAP therapy back then. My pressures over the years have ranged from 8.0 to 15+. In late 2016, I underwent Gastric Bypass Surgery and lost over 130 pounds, which I have kept off. One of my goals in losing weight was to see if I didn't have sleep apnea anymore and could stop using a CPAP. After starting to lose weight back in 2016, I noticed my machine (System One) was showing I was at the lowest pressure over 95% of the time and an AHI below 1 all the time. Over the past 2+ years, I have been lowering the minimum pressure once every or every other month by .5 to see how my body would adjust. I'm now down to a minimum pressure setting of 4.5 and my machine average pressure keeps dropping as I drop the minimum.

Here's the question: if you can relate to the above history and stopped CPAP therapy, how did you do it? Every time I try and fall asleep without my CPAP, my anxiety kicks in and basically, my mind isn't allowing me to fall asleep without it. I plan on continuing to lower the pressure to gently allow my body to adjust. I did run this by my sleep doctor and he did tell me I was going about it the right way. My wife has told me, that on the rare occasion I have fallen asleep without my CPAP, that I didn't snore and she didn't notice me stop breathing. I'm just wondering if anyone out there has had success in eliminating the CPAP from their life after losing a lot of weight and what method worked for them. Please help...I'm really eager to ditch this device. Thanks in advance.

Welcome to the forum.

If you haven't had a repeat sleep study without cpap to see if your OSA is for sure gone....do it.
I think it will help with the anxiety if you know for sure that you don't need the cpap.
You can't go any lower than 4 cm on your machine...so while there is therapy value at 4 cm...you won't know for sure until you have a sleep study without cpap and go without cpap for about 3 nights before you do the sleep study if you can. Make sure there is no hold over effect muddying up the results.

Maybe just a home sleep study would be sufficient...doesn't have to be in a lab setting. Home studies can be quite comprehensive now.

Thanks, Pugsy. My challenge is going to be allowing myself to fall asleep without the CPAP on. Maybe I just need to try longer....

I too feel that you need a study to be able to certify yourself as clear of apnea.