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i have lost 15 kg ( we use kilograms in Malaysia)
but im still using cpap for very bad bronchial asthma
and i think the sleep apnea symptoms are there if at times i did not use the machine

my doctor says sleep apnea is a result of many heterogenous cause
if its a pure overweight and no other factor , one can get off the machine

Janknitz wrote: . . .
DOCTORS routinely tell their patients that weight loss will cure apnea--with no evidence. What they are really saying is "you lazy fat ass . . .

. . . When it is actually the doctors who are being lazy!
Makes me almost mad enough to grow venom glands!

My sleep study tech said he lost 50 pounds and was able to get off CPAP

Someday, you will find out most people are fools, and don't have the ability to process facts of what truly are happening to and around them.

Just being a sleep tech, doesn't mean you have a clue either, if they are being treated for Sleep Apnea doesn't mean they can't be in De-Nile too.

Don't go Tubing with them! Jim

digitaleagle wrote:I know my Sleep Apnea has been going on for a while. Over the last 25 years I have gradually gained weight. I am now about 55lbs over my ideal. I should have had this machine about 10 years ago.

I am just curious to find out how many people have gotten off the machine by weight loss. If so how much did it take?

My Dr. told me that weight loss won't necessarily get you off the machine. My goal is to get off the machine by losing the weight.

Easier said than done.

I agree with those pointing out weight isn't everything. I lost 100 pounds, but my pressure only went from 18 to 17. My doctor has told me I could be at my ideal weight, and I'll still have severe apneas. Other people have managed to completely get off CPAP, or at least greatly reduce their pressures by losing weight. So, it really depends upon the individual. As was pointed out to me, if you need to lose weight, you need to lose it for far more health reasons than sleep apnea. So, losing weight is a good thing to try since it needs to be done anyway.

Reno wrote:My sleep study tech said he lost 50 pounds and was able to get off CPAP

Some people have reported losing significant weight only to find out they needed even higher pressures.
There are no hard and fast rules that apply to this therapy.

I'm convinced I've had sleep apnea most (if not all) of my life.
I was a skinny kid, but after high school, I had more periods of gaining weight and losing weight became more and more difficult. Working LONG hours with little sleep and shift work (I believe) also had a negative effect.


Den

.

I've been on my Bipap for 5.5 years. Still have problems with my weight. I found out about 1.5 years ago I have pulmonary fibrosis. It's been stable, still have about 70% lung function. My doc wants me to lose weight, but it's been difficult. He told me he wanted me to lose weight to lessen problems with the fibrosis, and of course to prevent cardiac issues. But he did say that even with losing weight, I'd still need the Bipap as my neck is short. He is on Bipap and has the same short neck issue. I never paid much attention to it, till I came across my nursing graduation picture from '71, and sure enough, at 122 lbs, I still had a short neck. Oh, well....it was wishful thinking!

I'm coming up to having another sleep study done as it's been over 5 years.

I'm committed to using this the rest of my life. My husband even sets up the portable battery for me to use it in the RV when camping without electricity. I faithfully use it every night.

Good luck to those that are trying to lose weight, and can come off of CPAP.

I am a 52 year old male and lost 70 pounds. My last home sleep study said I had gone from severe OSA to mild OSA and my doctor gave me the option of not using cpap therapy. I'm waiting for a fuller sleep study in a lab but while I wait I have stopped using my cpap and, although I'm still adjusting to it, my energy level does not seem to be suffering. I'll post again after the full study.

Due to my anatomy and my lovely narrow airways and perforated sinuses, even if I manage to lose all 90 lbs of my excess weight, my doctors have said I will continue to require xPAP therapy. The tissues of my soft palate aren't of any help, either; my ENT suggested that they could remove some of the tissue (scar it up to make it tougher) and/or remove the uvula, however I declined the option.

It's really hard, if not impossible to properly enunciate to speak French or German without a uvula, lol.

However, it's not impossible for some people to not need it after weight loss. My dad lost 280lbs after having gastric bypass in 2004 and he hasn't needed his cpap since 2007. He continues the therapy because he likes it, is used to it, and is afraid of not knowing if other factors will eventually cause him to need it again (he's 50 and an occasional tobacco user). Our whole family has terrible sinuses and xPAP therapy with humidification is a GODSEND. It's so nice not needing to fill up 2 humidifiers in my bedroom every night and have to listen to them gurgle and hiss.