blood sugar and osa

Before being diagnosed with severe OSA I experienced rising blood sugar. Self testing at home revealed that my blood sugar was high in the mornings before eating (fasting) but normal for the rest of the day. My blood sugar is near normal now after eight months of CPAP use. I'm sure that my OSA was the cause of my blood sugar issue. I was also over weight and have lost 42 pounds during the eight months of CPAP use. OSA must have been causing hormone abnormalities causing increased hunger as I've had no trouble shedding weight. Has anyone else experience similar results from treatment of OSA?

Before my OSA was treated it was like I had an eating disorder - always wanting to eat, like there was no "off" switch. There were times I'd get up in the middle of the night and cook something to eat. I didn't know then that OSA could cause the appetite hormones to be out of whack. I still like my food, but I am no longer compulsive about it, and I like my sleep too much to wake up and go to the kitchen. I did not have the same experience with my blood sugar. My mornings were always normal so my diabetes went undiagnosed because the screening fasting blood sugars didn't reflect how badly my body responded to food. My blood sugars did come down with better sleep and losing some weight, but they are still high and require medication. Then again, I'm still overweight. I have a feeling my blood sugars will be fairly normal once I reach a normal weight.

Just to chime in on a couple of things here.
Firstly, it doesn't matter how skinny you are/become - if you're diabetic, you will remain so, although control will be easier, and you'll be healthier anyway.
Secondly, if you suffer from high blood glucose/sugar, nothing will cure this. Low-carb diet, exercise, improved health, meds etc. will all help to 'control' diabetes.
There are many more overweight people who DON'T have diabetes, despite an incredibly bad diet and their glucose numbers will never rise no matter what they eat. Those of us who drew the short-straw in the genetic lottery of our families, just have to deal with this - it's nothing WE did to cause diabetes (or OSA for that matter).
If you have what is termed 'pre-diabetes', then act immediately and live your life as a diabetic as this will allow you to have much better control.
Also - diabetes causes you to crave high-carb foods - untreated OSA will worsen your BG - make you eat more, sleep less, feel depressed, worse blood glucose numbers. A never ending cycle unless you treat both the diabetes and the OSA.

Cheers,
xena

xenablue wrote:Firstly, it doesn't matter how skinny you are/become - if you're diabetic, you will remain so, although control will be easier, and you'll be healthier anyway. Secondly, if you suffer from high blood glucose/sugar, nothing will cure this. Low-carb diet, exercise, improved health, meds etc. will all help to 'control' diabetes.

I'll be the first to admit that as a diabetic I'm not super informed on all aspects of the condition. But is this like OSA in that for a segment of those with OSA, gaining weight pushed them into OSA and losing weight could make them no longer in need of treatment? I've heard people that lost a lot of weight say that they were off all blood sugar meds. But does that mean their body now responds normally to foods, or do they have to maintain a diabetic diet to have normal blood sugars? I want to do more reading about the whole subject. I found it interesting that some gastric bypass surgeries are resolving blood sugar issues instantly. Not sure how that is since diabetes is pancreas related. Oh well, I need to become better informed.

I read the article about diabetics and gastric bypass.
Interesting, but a little hard to believe. They claimed practically overnight results.
As I understand, even they didn't fully understand why the results were so fast.
I wonder if follow ups are in yet; as many with the surgery do regain weight--it's not magic,
and requires a lifelong commitment.

kteague wrote:

xenablue wrote:Firstly, it doesn't matter how skinny you are/become - if you're diabetic, you will remain so, although control will be easier, and you'll be healthier anyway. Secondly, if you suffer from high blood glucose/sugar, nothing will cure this. Low-carb diet, exercise, improved health, meds etc. will all help to 'control' diabetes.

I'll be the first to admit that as a diabetic I'm not super informed on all aspects of the condition. But is this like OSA in that for a segment of those with OSA, gaining weight pushed them into OSA and losing weight could make them no longer in need of treatment? I've heard people that lost a lot of weight say that they were off all blood sugar meds. But does that mean their body now responds normally to foods, or do they have to maintain a diabetic diet to have normal blood sugars? I want to do more reading about the whole subject. I found it interesting that some gastric bypass surgeries are resolving blood sugar issues instantly. Not sure how that is since diabetes is pancreas related. Oh well, I need to become better informed.

I guess it depends on what actually causes one's OSA - if, for example, it's a very small throat opening, regardless of weight, then I don't believe being skinny will 'cure' you of OSA.

I know of many people who were able to get off all their diabetic meds with diet and exercise changes, however they are all fully aware that one single high-carb meal and a BG test will prove they are still diabetic - just have great control. Also, having to take meds isn't a sign of failure by any means. Each person is very different in their insulin use and/or resistance and also whether there are other health issues playing into the equation. I have a non-diabetic A1C of 5.6%, but my BG numbers show I'm diabetic when ever I eat, even though I'm careful to keep my carbs low enough to never go over 140.

I have found that my BG numbers are BETTER since starting CPAP, but this wasn't a miracle cure.

As far as gastric bypass - I spoke with my endo about this, and he agreed with me, that you are trading one set of eating issues for another. Also, most people who undergo this surgery have their diabetes return in the future. I just read a post on the ADA forums who questions that if those about to have bypass surgery would go on the eating plan needed following the surgery - BEFOREHAND, would they even need the surgery at all?

I learned a wealth of information on the ADA forums, just like I've learned from this forum... and still learning from both.

Cheers,
xena

chunkyfrog wrote:I read the article about diabetics and gastric bypass.
Interesting, but a little hard to believe. They claimed practically overnight results.
As I understand, even they didn't fully understand why the results were so fast.
I wonder if follow ups are in yet; as many with the surgery do regain weight--it's not magic,
and requires a lifelong commitment.

Well they can only eat a little bit so that is the solution right there. Portion control.

But yes like with gestational diabetes it is hovering in the back ground just waiting for the chance to come back.

Funny you should mention it. For the last couple weeks, I've been waking early every so often with sugar lows - the shakes, sweats, etc... and had to get up and eat something. The one time I took the time to check my glucose level it was 52! Now I keep an orange next to my bipap machine. I inject insulin once per day, before bedtime. I've lowered my dose by about 20% so far in these 2 weeks. Prior to this my insulin dose has been the same for 5 years. My morning sugars are currently in the normal range, but still lower than what I usually saw pre-pap. So yet another sign that my bipap therapy is working. This is on my list to talk to the doc about - should I keep lowering insulin if my need continues to decrease, or would he rather start lowering the dose of my oral medication?