Join Our Newsletter

New? Free Sign Up

Then check our Welcome Center to a Community Caring about Sleep Apnea diagnosis and Sleep Apnea treatment:

CPAP machines, Sleep Apnea surgery and dental appliances.

CPAP Supplies

Latest Activity

Steven B. Ronsen updated their profile
Mar 5
Dan Lyons updated their profile
Mar 7, 2022
99 replied to Mike's discussion SPO 7500 Users?
"please keep me updated about oximeters "
Dec 4, 2021
Stefan updated their profile
Sep 16, 2019
Profile IconBLev and bruce david joined SleepGuide
Aug 21, 2019

Many doctors will tell you that the key to disconnecting from CPAP for good is losing weight.  My question is whether anyone has actually been able to safely stop using CPAP because of weight loss?

Views: 12842

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

From their website: The Lip Trainer Patakara® is an effective treatment for not only snoring but also for Sleep Apnea / Sleep disorder.  From the NCCAM website: Acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health.

JAY,  no where do I see the word CURE !

After experiencing life on this earth for 74 years I have found that there is a lot of misinformation and false hope given to people for cures through devices or pills or tonics that were just money making schemes.

By the way, I am just an ordinary person suffering from sleep apnea and being treated successfully by air.

Charles,   

          Trust me, I feel your frustration!   I used to practice martial arts and run for miles during my military career.  Now, I can barely throw around a few weights and maybe get on a bike a little.

I'm never going to give up nor should you!    I do not see this as a 'money making scheme' because there is active research going on.   By that logic, CPAP is a 'money making scheme' because they're making a ton of it!   CPAP is research, so it's a sound intervention.   I just argue that it isn't the 'Gold Standard' as doctors loudly hail.  It might be silver with gold trim.

Regards,

Jay

Charles McDermott said:

From their website: The Lip Trainer Patakara® is an effective treatment for not only snoring but also for Sleep Apnea / Sleep disorder.  From the NCCAM website: Acupuncture aims to restore and maintain health.

JAY,  no where do I see the word CURE !

After experiencing life on this earth for 74 years I have found that there is a lot of misinformation and false hope given to people for cures through devices or pills or tonics that were just money making schemes.

By the way, I am just an ordinary person suffering from sleep apnea and being treated successfully by air.

I think it is something that one would need to talk to a doctor about. I've got a lot of weight to lose. I think my settings will go lower but I don't know if it will resolve the sleep apnea entirely.It would be nice but probably doubtful. And I like living more than I like not using the cpap.

Beverly Carter said:

I went off my machine about a month and had to go back on it because I had some really stressful sleep. I lost a lot of weight while using the machine this past year. Matter of fact, too much. But anyway, I went back on my machine last night because I think I had about four bad (and I mean BAD) episodes the night before last. I think I almost died in my sleep. I can said that stopping the machine when you lose weight may be dangerous. JMO 

In my case, I don't think it would matter.  When I go to sleep, my involuntary reflex which would keep my airway open basically is not functioning.  My muscles simply get so relaxed, they collapse and it blocks my airway, is what I was told.  So overweight or not, I believe I will always have to use my CPAP. 

bump

I have lost 60 pounds and the past month or so, I am awakened frequently by my tongue 'glued' to the roof of my mouth. I've always slept with my mouth closed, but now also am awakened by air escaping from my mouth. I could drink water to relieve the dryness, but that wouldn't stop the constant wakening. I've tightened the mask, but it doesn't seem to help. Does this mean I don't need the CPAP anymore?

I lost 75lbs using my cpap and since I stopped using it I have regained 30 and am now scheduled for an updated sleep study to go back on a cpap. 

 

I knew obesity could cause sleep apena, but I had no idea sleep apena could be so related to weight gain.

Gee....if I loose 100 pounds I would weigh 30!   :)    I wish there was something else besides CPAP!!!    The 1st two nights of resuming CPAP after my recent septoplasty my AHI was .7-.8.  Now my 3 day average is up to 1.2  .   Having trouble with tongue blocking airway again, even with chin strap.  Everything I read does not give me much hope for a solution for the tongue problem!!! It would seem to me, even with a full face mask (if I could find one to fit) that the tongue blocking or falling back would still be a problem.  Am I wrong?

Ginny, 1.2 is still very good considering a non CPAP user's AHI is between 0-5. Three days is not a very good guide as there may have been other things that influence it like weather etc.
I am that pt ... Wish I had been given your advice


Clare said:

Good Question, I get this one from my Cpap pts all the time. Recent studies show a direct link to Apnea and the metabilism. With typical apnea patients, apparently the hormones Leptin and Ghenlin are out of balance and create problems such as needing snacks to stay awake, and prevent folks from being able to have a normal sense of 'satiation' or fullness. So the guilt of the weight issue is probably being re-thought by many Sleep Apnea experts. So - I always try to encourage my patients to have a over all healthy as possibe life style. And many have just naturally lost 20 -30 lbs, once they are compliant and sleep 6 or more hours with the Cpap.  

So as mentioned by several others here, I think the sleep apnnea contributes to the weight gain rather than vice versa. No doubt about it- the excess weight will compound the sleep apnea issue  .

But being that everything is linked in the body- It only stands to reason if one does not get proper amounts of REM sleep- it would eventually effect the metabolism.

I have many patients that have loss weight, mistakeningly think they no longer needed the Cpap, and end up gaining weight back and being back at square one, and wishing that they had never stopped! So, I think eventually Dr's will get away from making their patients feel guilt over the weight, and educate them on over all heathly life style. In the last 30 yrs as a RT, I have spoken to numerous pts re: weight loss. Only 1 male pt- that was super skinney any -ways claimed that lossing 20 lbs had stopped the apnea. And I suspect - that if he is still with us today to talk about it, must of gone back on the therapy- wishing he had never stopped. Perhaps all he needed would have been a slight pressure adjustment? In order to keep compliant.

Thanks for the question Mike.

I never thought about the weather affecting the AHI.  But it makes sense.  Seeing my sleep doc Monday.  She is nice, knows her stuff but never has any solutions for the problems I have had (especially mask fitting).  Just wanted to see her after the septoplasty etc. and then hope it is just yearly.  

Terry Vella said:

Ginny, 1.2 is still very good considering a non CPAP user's AHI is between 0-5. Three days is not a very good guide as there may have been other things that influence it like weather etc.

Sleep docs never seem to know about mask fitting.  I was lucky with my last DME to have an RT who helped me a lot with mask fitting, but I found my present, favorite mask on my own and even that took some experimenting to make it work .You can call the sleep lab, or your DME and see if any techs there can help you with mask fitting.  There is also the CPAP mask library keeping in mind the questions raised by Mollete about sterilization.  CPAP.com has a section where you check different requirements you have for a mask and that may help.  Their advisors may be able to help.  The same with other online retailers.  You may also be able to come up with some mask fitting guides from them or the manufacturer.

 

Reply to Discussion

RSS

© 2024   Created by The SleepGuide Crew.   Powered by

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service