Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
pee_jay
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by pee_jay » Tue May 03, 2011 4:24 am

roster wrote:
pee_jay wrote:I'm 6 feet tall and was 280 lbs. Lost 30 lbs over 5 months
If you are 250, then your BMI is 34 and you are obese.

As others have pointed out you don't know what your untreated AHI is. And you don't know how many respiratory related arousals you are having each night.

You are playing the dangerous game of 'denial'.
Sorry, I left off 4" of me!

I'm 6 feet 4 inches - but, yeah, I still have to lose another 30 lbs or so.

And I'm not so much in denial. I know I need to get another sleep study to confirm, but can't afford one right now, and am feeling very good.

pee_jay
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by pee_jay » Tue May 03, 2011 4:38 am

So Well wrote:You guys are being scammed by pee_jay the TROLL.

Everything he is posting is probably lies - about sleep apnea, about his machine, about his weight, about the testing, about building his own CPAP and sleep testing equipment.

jules already figured him out in an earlier thread.

See viewtopic.php?f=1&t=58410&p=549693#p549693 and viewtopic/t58410/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=45 ... or#p406116 and a little humorous one about expanding nostrils at viewtopic.php?f=1&t=58377&p=549694#p549694

Image
Actually, the nostril one was mine (though not intended as humor), but the other one was by a different PJ (peajay).

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ozij
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by ozij » Tue May 03, 2011 4:45 am

pee_jay wrote:
Pre XPAP, I was desaturating to the upper 70s. I purchased a pulse oximeter early on in my XPAP therapy, to monitor its efficacy. I never desaturated while on XPAP (at least not during the nights I monitored myself with the pulse ox). But I have not noted any desats since losing the weight and being off XPAP. I checked every night the first week I was off therapy, and once a week or so since.

My primary care doc did put me on Synthroid since then, which may be energizing me a bit. But I felt pretty good without it, too. Much better than I did when I first was diagnosed with apnea and was having the headaches and fatigue.
Thank you pee_jay for coming back to this thread and giving us the additional info about your oxygenation.

I think you will also find that in some case, hypothyroidism contributes to OSA as well.

Good luck in your continued journey to healthy living.

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jnk
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by jnk » Tue May 03, 2011 7:38 am

archangle wrote: . . . denigrate the idea that losing weight may make CPAP unnecessary . . .
Even the dramatic weight loss of bariatric surgery is not as effective a treatment for OSA as CPAP. That is why weight loss, though often a good thing for any human being when done correctly, should not be considered a primary treatment for OSA on the same level as PAP therapy.

Stubborn doctors often get that wrong and mislead patients on that point. That is why, IMO, there is often such a backlash on this board against misleading statements about weight loss--to help the patients who have been lied to by their doctors: "Ah, just lose a few pounds and everything should be fine." There is no data to support the assumption that the use of that approach is anywhere near as successful at treating OSA as PAP therapy is--even though loss of weight, done correctly, might improve the health of the patient.

I believe the statements in this 2008 bariatric-surgery study sum it up well in explaining why misleading statements about weight loss and OSA made by doctors can be very dangerous to patients:
"Several studies have shown that OSA may persist following weight loss. . . . A very small minority of patients experienced resolution of obstructive events after sustained weight loss, and many patients continued to require CPAP therapy. Recurrence or worsening of sleep apnea has been observed following an initial weight reduction even without a concomitant weight increase. Reports that purport to show resolution of OSA in a majority of subjects do not describe how resolution was defined or if polysomnography was obtained after the weight loss. . . . Despite dramatic reductions in our patients' AHIs the overall prevalence and severity of OSA remained high. . . . Perceived resolution [of snoring] may have led many of the patients in our study to assume that their OSA had resolved and, therefore, no longer warranted treatment. Patients and physicians need to recognize that subjective resolution of snoring does not equate to improvements or cure of OSA following weight loss."

"Patients and healthcare practitioners should recognize that reliance on weight loss as a 'cure' for OSA may lead to an inappropriate cessation of CPAP therapy. Failing to recognize or treat persistent OSA may significantly impact health and quality of life." -- http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2542489/
Once any patient is diagnosed OSA, it is irresponsible to consider the patient 'cured,' even for a moment, without a PSG showing an AHI below 15 (especially in supine REM, after being off PAP for at least a week) to go along with the patient's reported complete end to excessive daytime sleepiness, in my not-so-humble opinion. Even then, the likelihood of recurrence is high, requiring regular sleep studies for life. Just my opinion as a patient. An obese patient, at that.

But I feel strongly that scientifically unsubstantiated claims that mislead patients NEED to be denigrated loudly and persistently. It is a matter of life and death in which there is little room for myth and wishful thinking.

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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by Janknitz » Tue May 03, 2011 11:55 am

But I feel strongly that scientifically unsubstantiated claims that mislead patients NEED to be denigrated loudly and persistently. It is a matter of life and death in which there is little room for myth and wishful thinking.
Absolutely correct!!!!!!!

People have no business coming on this forum and crowing about how their OSA was "cured" without a confirming PSG. Success must be confirmed by OBJECTIVE measurement--otherwise it is potentially harmful to others who make similar assumptions that turn out to be WRONG.
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Lizistired
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by Lizistired » Tue May 03, 2011 1:54 pm

Pee_Jay, I am happy for you and happy you posted your experience. As far as I know this is a public forum related to CPAP.
Did you increase your activity level also? I like Taubes. I have his book but haven't finished it, as it seems I heard most of it in his presentations on youtube.
I have the same issues with my O2 levels dropping while reading in bed, etc. I hate reading with the hose on.
I hope this works out for you. As long as you feel better than with the hose and you are checking your O2 levels.. Good For You!!

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jnk
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by jnk » Tue May 03, 2011 2:21 pm

"The consequence of using screening oximetry [is] that a significant number of patients with sleep disorders that cause excessive sleepiness would remain undiagnosed and untreated." -- http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/conte ... 7.full.pdf
OSA is about much more than O2 levels.

HoseCrusher
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by HoseCrusher » Tue May 03, 2011 3:29 pm

jnk wrote: OSA is about much more than O2 levels.
While I agree with this, I must also add that the body functions much better when it has adequate O2 levels.

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jnk
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Re: Lost weight, lost need for CPAP

Post by jnk » Tue May 03, 2011 7:49 pm

HoseCrusher wrote: . . . when it has adequate O2 levels.
Yep. And when it has adequate effective sleep, too, as verified by a PSG, if one has been diagnosed with OSA.