Sick of the Machine - Need a Cause, Need a Cure

SleepingUgly wrote:

49er wrote:Finally, switching gears, as someone who is thin, I don't understand why people are discouraged from thinking that losing weight might cure their apnea. Just because people like me have sleep apnea doesn't mean that folks who are overweight might not have a chance of curing their apnea if they lose weight.

Agreed. I've been fascinated by that phenomena since I got here. My theory is that it's an excuse not to lose weight by those that need it and possibly to avoid feeling blamed for acquiring it in the first place. (Note that I am not saying they SHOULD feel blamed.)

What you say makes sense SU. I am also thinking that it is threatening to people to think that someone can cure apnea by losing weight when they are stuck using a machine the rest of their lives.

Of course, it is just a theory on my part and I have no proof of this. And there are people who don't feel that using a machine is confining.

49er

Sir NoddinOff wrote:I recently read somewhere that humans are the only animals who get disruptive sleep apnea. This is because when our early ancestors came down out of the trees and stood upright

If your theory were true, ALL humans would have apnea?

cherylann wrote:The cure, for probably 99% of us (including me) is to LOSE WEIGHT!!! I have had this for two years. I just get worse and worse and worse. I cannot tolerate the mask but I put it on every single night and every single morning I wake up and it is off and I am gasping for breath, having chest pains, and a miserable headache. I can't even lie on my sofa and watch TV without going through the same thing. I put off going to bed as long as I can every night because one of these nights I simply will not wake up.

Wouldn't you think that would be enough motivation to lose the weight and subsequently lose the apnea?

49% is the actual stat according to studies done on people with weight loss surgery.

I am certainly not saying age is a cause but I do think as I have aged it is getting worse. Everything sags.

Stormynights wrote:I am certainly not saying age is a cause but I do think as I have aged it is getting worse. Everything sags.

Apnea incidence goes up in menopause.

SleepingUgly wrote:

Stormynights wrote:I am certainly not saying age is a cause but I do think as I have aged it is getting worse. Everything sags.

Apnea incidence goes up in menopause.

Did my cell phone cause menopause???

I like my cellphone; if it gave me a tumor on my hip, I'd just change pockets.

There are some really entertaining writers on this forum.

Regarding central apnea; Everything changes brain function/structure. Chronic pain has been documented to do it, so has gluten if you are sensitive to it. So has any food that causes inflammation. Mild concussions, drugs of any sort, pollution, alcohol and aging. You name it if it has an affect on you it affects your brain.

Pick your cause - but the cure is death.

Come to think of it, I only have problems with OSA when I am in bed.

Therefore I think that my bed is a possible cause of OSA.

SleepingUgly wrote:

49er wrote:Finally, switching gears, as someone who is thin, I don't understand why people are discouraged from thinking that losing weight might cure their apnea. Just because people like me have sleep apnea doesn't mean that folks who are overweight might not have a chance of curing their apnea if they lose weight.

Agreed. I've been fascinated by that phenomena since I got here. My theory is that it's an excuse not to lose weight by those that need it and possibly to avoid feeling blamed for acquiring it in the first place. (Note that I am not saying they SHOULD feel blamed.)

Losing weight to cure apnea is such a nice theory and I wish it were true for me, but it is not. It might work for some, but it is not a definitive cure all. I've now lost about 100 pounds since I started using xpap...at first my pressure needs went up, then they went down a teeny tiny bit...which is nice. But I still have OSA....although I am one of those with a doc that says my face/jaw/throat structure was made for apnea.

Having the weight gone is nice, but it really didn't do diddly for my OSA, and I did not expect it to. If one's OSA is truly caused by being overweight, then losing will help; however, if one's OSA is caused by physical structure, then losing weight will help the rest of the body but probably won't cure the OSA.

Weezy

cherylann wrote:The cure, for probably 99% of us (including me) is to LOSE WEIGHT!!! I have had this for two years. I just get worse and worse and worse. I cannot tolerate the mask but I put it on every single night and every single morning I wake up and it is off and I am gasping for breath, having chest pains, and a miserable headache. I can't even lie on my sofa and watch TV without going through the same thing. I put off going to bed as long as I can every night because one of these nights I simply will not wake up.

Wouldn't you think that would be enough motivation to lose the weight and subsequently lose the apnea?

Well, if it were as cut-and-dried as that. My doctor told me recently, looking at my chart, that if I could just lose maybe even 20 pounds that would alleviate my diabetes and reduce my meds requirements, maybe even to the point of not requiring medication...
"Doctor?"
"Yes?"
"I weigh 350 now. Losing 20 pounds would put me at 330."
"OK, so you can do math. Your point?"
"I was diagnosed diabetic when I weighed only 265. going to 330 isn't really going to do anything, is it?"
"Ummm...."

Losing weight, The 21st Century magic cure-all...

BTW, I've lost 15 pounds this month. ALL water... It feels great not having to lug an extra gallon in each leg when I walk.

The cure, for probably 99% of us (including me) is to LOSE WEIGHT!!

I've now lost about 100 pounds since I started using xpap...at first my pressure needs went up, then they went down a teeny tiny bit...which is nice. But I still have OSA.

This was me just before I had my youngest which triggered the very bad snoring. In fact after I had her I weighed quite a bit less - you could see my ribs and pelvic bones - of the 112 lbs, almost all the fatty tissue was in my bra. Only about 3 years before I tipped over into "severe" did I put on about 30 lbs - mostly by nibbling to stay awake and some emotional eating.


CostumeCon 87 Best in Show

Well I can say that using a combination of constantly watched CPAP therapy (look at data a couple of times a week – AHI under 2), pulse oximeter guided eucapnic breathing, EERS[1] when necessary, better diet (worked with professional dietitian for over two years – learning how to feed microbiome – away from GMOs and rBHTs), moving to a much less stress much better sun light city, moving toward an active lifestyle, and viewing less violent media my need for CPAP pressure is half of what it was two years ago.

I think the causes of OSA can be found in our food supply (e.g. [2,3]), our violent media, pollution, short and non-circadian sleep, high stress low compassion living, too little sunlight, and an inactive lifestyle.

[1]: Gilmartin G, McGeehan B, Vigneault K, Daly RW, Manento M, Weiss JW, Thomas RJ.
Treatment of positive airway pressure treatment-associated respiratory instability with enhanced expiratory rebreathing space (EERS).
Source: J Clin Sleep Med. 2010 Dec 15;6(6):529-38. Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
Link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21206741

[2]: http://action.responsibletechnology.org ... _KEY=11129

[3]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food,_Inc.

Must be some Canadian ritual costume.