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Anyone Lose Weight and Stop Using CPAP?
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?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lynn on
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I think that he's saying that innervation (nerve impulses to muscles) is poor in a person with sleep apnea. (I'm a school based speech pathologist so have a small modicum of familiarity with the oral mechanism). Because innervation is poor, the muscles become lax during sleep and then block the airway, causing OSA. When someone has central apneas, their airway is open, no blockage but they stop breathing.
Jay Polatnick said:Dr. Jones, wouldn't you be assuming that all Apnea is 'Central Apnea' by your findings ? I maybe misinterpreting you and I'm certain that it is more often an anatomical deficiency at the root of the problem. This deficiency then leads to a whole host of bad breathing 'habits' and weight loss can help, but do only so much. I'm a layman, but a pretty well-read one.
Regards
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Permalink Reply by Debbie Newton on
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I had a gastric bypass six (seven?) years ago and lost 80 pounds. My sleep apnea is as bad as ever :o(
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More proof that a narrow airway really is the root of the cause of Sleep Apnea.
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Permalink Reply by ZolliStar on
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I suspect there is constant hope that there is a pill equivalent -- in this case, weight loss -- that will "cure" sleep apnea. I think from everything we have read on this thread is that while there may be some cases in which sleep apnea may be weight related, the overwhelming experience seems to be that there is no relationship between weight and SA.
I'm not overweight; my sleep apnea is borderline severe. There are plenty of people at my A.W.A.K.E. meetings who are normal weight, even skinny (a few).
Alas.
Jay Polatnick said:More proof that a narrow airway really is the root of the cause of Sleep Apnea.
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Right now I am not using my CPAP for about a month and sleeping well. I lost fifty pounds while using the CPAP. I modified my diet and also I still snore but not as bad. I weigh 130 pounds now. I weighed 180 a little over a year ago. When I started the CPAP, the pounds started to drop off me. I was amazed. Modified my diet and sleeping better and better. I could never diet before then because of my slow thyroid and lack of sleep. Now I have more pep and even need to put a couple pounds ON so I do not get too thin.
Now, I am due to see my doctor and see if not using the machine the past month has been ok for me. But as anyone can tell you, only YOU know if you are in stress while you sleep. Is it safe you ask? Well I heard on tv the goal is to come OFF the machine. For me, I will never give it up outright because I am afraid to. JMO
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Your experience is really interesting, Beverly. Thanks for letting us know. It's clear that many elements are involved in SA, including certain health issues (e.g., thyroid) and proper diet.
Also, please let us know what your doctor says after you see him.
As for me, I've completely accepted the fact that I'm a CPAP lifer. I accepted it from the moment of my diagnosis. The only thing that surprised me is that sleeping better with SA isn't s simple matter of slapping on a mask and turning on the CPAP!
I continue to be very grateful to this forum for so much wise help.
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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on
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Beverly, good luck with your doctor's visit. May I ask why you stopped using your CPAP? I understand you've had a significant weight loss and are sleeping well.
Is it safe you ask? Well I heard on tv the goal is to come OFF the machine. For me, I will never give it up outright because I am afraid to. JMO
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I am at a normal weight these days and thought I could stop using mine too. I spent the first night of a Mexican vacation in the same room as my BFF, without my CPAP!!!! YAY!!!! She told me I never made a peep. I thought I was "cured". Turns out I'm not, at all, and it's not ever going to go away....for ME, anyway.
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Are you at peace with the fact that this is going to be lifelong for you, Debbie?
For whatever the reason -- maybe because I suffered so much for so long from the sleep apnea and I'm sooooo grateful that I'm better able to sleep now -- for whatever reason, I'm completely at peace with the fact that I'll sleep wearing a mask attached to a CPAP machine for the rest of my life.
Fortunately, I'm profoundly grateful for the diagnosis and -- especially -- for the fact that there is treatment. Thus, I devote zero time trying to figure out a way to stop using my CPAP. On the other hand, I spend a lot of time trying to figure out how best to tweak everything so that everything works optimally for me.
Most say this is at least a six-month process. That has been my experience. I'm a tad over six months and while I now have things pretty well figured out, I realize that I'll probably always be tweaking as new masks, machines, etc. come out and also as I age and things change for me
Debbie Newton said:I am at a normal weight these days and thought I could stop using mine too. I spent the first night of a Mexican vacation in the same room as my BFF, without my CPAP!!!! YAY!!!! She told me I never made a peep. I thought I was "cured". Turns out I'm not, at all, and it's not ever going to go away....for ME, anyway.
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I've been attempting to use CPAP for over 1 year now and it has been largely a modest success at best. I have a Fully data capable Bi-Level Machine and if it's a 'cure' for you that's wonderful. I just don't see how one can claim 'cure' if your underlying condition still exists. Western Medicine continues with their symptomatic treatment of all disease and I find it to be incomplete at the least and troubling at the worst.
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I view my sleep apnea as an incurable condition that can -- fortunately -- be managed. I focus on the management; I accept that my condition is incurable.
I think SA is something like diabetes. The condition can be managed, and often managed very well, but I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that diabetes is incurable.
Jay Polatnick said:I've been attempting to use CPAP for over 1 year now and it has been largely a modest success at best. I have a Fully data capable Bi-Level Machine and if it's a 'cure' for you that's wonderful. I just don't see how one can claim 'cure' if your underlying condition still exists. Western Medicine continues with their symptomatic treatment of all disease and I find it to be incomplete at the least and troubling at the worst.
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