CPAPtalk.com

copernicus wrote:still on my first week of Cpap treatment and i think it is going really well until now. The part i am really excited about, is that my doctor claims i will start losing weight easier (weight i have put on for no reason), explaining that the apnea could have actually caused the excess weight.

However, i am in contact with many doctors in different specialities through my work, and anytime i mention my cpap in front of one of them, they look at me like i just admitted to believing in the easter bunny, and tell me not to waste time on the cpap, and to just lose some of the weight.

so what is the truth behind this? did the apnea cause the weight? or the weight cause the apnea? because the next time a doctor gives me that smirk and advises me to lose the weight, he is getting my VOLUNTARY restless leg somewhere it really hurts ....

These docs are not keeping up with the latest research - in other words they stop studying the moment they got out of school and thought they knew everything. Weight these days is considered only one of the indicators of sleep apnea and many times the weight is caused by OSA not the other way around.

When I started snoring badly I was 115 lbs (5'3") . When I suddenly got worse after a nasty cold/flu/bronchitis I went up to 160 by constantly nibbling to stay awake, not moving and emotional eating due to sudden increase in anxiety attacks - so in 2 years I packed on 55 lbs. I am now slowly loosing the weight. I had to relearn the habits of walking everywhere, getting off the couch in the evening, not nibbling junk food constantly and being aware of what I am eating. I am down to 145 and as long as I keep the stress in check so as not to binge on carbs I am slowly loosing it without much effort. (the stress is a bit of an issue since I am currently unemployed)

I am 100% certain that I had SA when I was a skinny guy of 145-150# (12+ years ago) and my PCP never checked likely because I was so skinny and fit. I got my diagnosis when I weighed around 190# (Oct 2009 IIRC) and still have it now that I am around 158#. My weight gain was because I had poor eating habit as cleaning those up has enabled me to drop 30# in 6 months. I doubt I had any weight loss in the 6 months I was on CPAP prior to my altering my eating habits.

lktnky wrote:...Slightly improved by...increasing my water intake...

I get extremely dizzy when I get even slightly dehydrated. Taking a diuretic doesn't help because I have to keep a close watch on how much water I'm drinking throughout the day. I long for the day when I can stop taking it.