sleep Apnea

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  • yensidtoon
    yensidtoon Posts: 82 Member
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    I can't use a CPAP anymore for health reasons (it caused TMJ so severe I had a 6 month migraine). I had severe sleep apnea and was waking up every 3 minutes, essentially getting no sleep without help. Now that I have lost weight (I lost 20 pounds before I joined MFP) I only wake up about 20 times a night. That is not nearly as bad so I don't even treat it anymore. My only other choice is to have surgery, and I don't want that.
  • BrienJD
    BrienJD Posts: 541 Member
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    I've got it, but I don't think I 've lost enough weight for it to leave yet only 40 +. I still have to use a CPAP.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I can't use a CPAP anymore for health reasons (it caused TMJ so severe I had a 6 month migraine). I had severe sleep apnea and was waking up every 3 minutes, essentially getting no sleep without help. Now that I have lost weight (I lost 20 pounds before I joined MFP) I only wake up about 20 times a night. That is not nearly as bad so I don't even treat it anymore. My only other choice is to have surgery, and I don't want that.

    My doc told me that the surgery is not even very successful in a lot of cases. He feels that the mouth appliances are probably the best thing if your apnea isn't too bad. I wear one, but I would love to be free of even that.
  • mrsmarit
    mrsmarit Posts: 229 Member
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    Has anyone who has sleep Apnea lost alot of weight if so does the condition go away ? My doctor has said that if I lose the weight it will go ! !


    That is also what I was told by my doctor as well. However the thing with sleep apnea was that I was so tired ALL the time I had no energy to work out and I was too exhausted to make the effort to eat better.


    I tried the CPAP and it just did not work for me, I would knock the mask off constantly and was seeing no change so I elected to get the sleep apnea surgery.

    Since then I have seen an increase in energy and since I started working out and eating better (and having lost almost 50 lbs) I have seen a HUGE decrease in my sleep apnea. I no longer fall asleep @ 6pm at night and am not nodding off at work.


    If your sleep apnea is weight related then losing the weight will help.
  • vermilion354
    vermilion354 Posts: 1
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    yes, it did for me
  • mrsmarit
    mrsmarit Posts: 229 Member
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    I can't use a CPAP anymore for health reasons (it caused TMJ so severe I had a 6 month migraine). I had severe sleep apnea and was waking up every 3 minutes, essentially getting no sleep without help. Now that I have lost weight (I lost 20 pounds before I joined MFP) I only wake up about 20 times a night. That is not nearly as bad so I don't even treat it anymore. My only other choice is to have surgery, and I don't want that.

    My doc told me that the surgery is not even very successful in a lot of cases. He feels that the mouth appliances are probably the best thing if your apnea isn't too bad. I wear one, but I would love to be free of even that.


    As someone who had the surgery I would disagree. It worked very well for me and has made a HUGE difference in my life. Yes it doesn't work for some people but it does work for others.
  • dakitten2
    dakitten2 Posts: 888 Member
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    When I started I had sleep apnea and slept via a cpap machine. I started at 290 pounds. I think around the time I was 190-200, my doctor sent me for a new sleep study. Happily, I no longer had sleep apnea!. I put the machine in the closet and havent used it since.

    I used to snore so bad I would wake myself up if I wasnt using the machine, like a nap or something. Now the only thing that snores in our bed is the dog!
  • yensidtoon
    yensidtoon Posts: 82 Member
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    I can't use a CPAP anymore for health reasons (it caused TMJ so severe I had a 6 month migraine). I had severe sleep apnea and was waking up every 3 minutes, essentially getting no sleep without help. Now that I have lost weight (I lost 20 pounds before I joined MFP) I only wake up about 20 times a night. That is not nearly as bad so I don't even treat it anymore. My only other choice is to have surgery, and I don't want that.

    My doc told me that the surgery is not even very successful in a lot of cases. He feels that the mouth appliances are probably the best thing if your apnea isn't too bad. I wear one, but I would love to be free of even that.

    Thanks for that info. Definitely won't have the surgery now!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I can't use a CPAP anymore for health reasons (it caused TMJ so severe I had a 6 month migraine). I had severe sleep apnea and was waking up every 3 minutes, essentially getting no sleep without help. Now that I have lost weight (I lost 20 pounds before I joined MFP) I only wake up about 20 times a night. That is not nearly as bad so I don't even treat it anymore. My only other choice is to have surgery, and I don't want that.

    I got horrible headaches with CPAP too---never knew why. I also started getting severe nosebleeds so I had to stop it. Fortunately, I had lost enough weight by that time that I could safely go to a mouth appliance, which works more or less okay, but I would love to be done with it too.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    I lost 40lbs, am in a healthy weight range and I still have it, but I don't snore like I did. I think it depends on why you have it. If it's from an obstruction that you can shrink with weightloss, then maybe it can go away. If it's from a 'floppy' airway, you'll still have it. For me, I just randomly stop breathing over 200 times per night and breathe very shallow, so I'll be on it for life.
    I'd get re-tested after weight loss and see if it's gone. Hopefully for you, it will be!
  • chefsmash
    chefsmash Posts: 53 Member
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    The mouth appliance helped me A LOT... I was dx'ed with Mild OSA just this past summer, though I know I've had it for years. I've always been overweight, but after putting on a significant amount of weight very quickly and being the heaviest I've ever been, it got to the point where it made me too exhausted to function up to par. My options were CPAP or the appliance, so obviously I got the appliance since it was an option. I used to snore LOUD, all night long, and now nothing. Haven't snored since! Gradually (as the throat/palate muscles get more toned), my energy has increased as well and I never wake up gasping.

    OP, point is that yes, losing weight can help your sleep apnea if that's what is contributing to it, and I too hope that's the case with me. However, do what you can now to feel better because it will help you accomplish your weight loss goals (which will expedite getting the answer to your question. :) )

    Oh, and everyone's different. Don't dismiss CPAP or surgery if that's what is best for YOUR situation.

    Best of luck!
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I lost 40lbs, am in a healthy weight range and I still have it, but I don't snore like I did. I think it depends on why you have it. If it's from an obstruction that you can shrink with weightloss, then maybe it can go away. If it's from a 'floppy' airway, you'll still have it. For me, I just randomly stop breathing over 200 times per night and breathe very shallow, so I'll be on it for life.
    I'd get re-tested after weight loss and see if it's gone. Hopefully for you, it will be!

    I have a feeling that mine may be from a "floppy airway" too. It didn't show up until I had throat surgery (had a branchial cleft cyst removed from my carotid artery and jugular vein). It significantly weakened my throat muscles on the left side of my neck (they had to cut through them to get at the surgical field.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    The mouth appliance helped me A LOT... I was dx'ed with Mild OSA just this past summer, though I know I've had it for years. I've always been overweight, but after putting on a significant amount of weight very quickly and being the heaviest I've ever been, it got to the point where it made me too exhausted to function up to par. My options were CPAP or the appliance, so obviously I got the appliance since it was an option. I used to snore LOUD, all night long, and now nothing. Haven't snored since! Gradually (as the throat/palate muscles get more toned), my energy has increased as well and I never wake up gasping.

    OP, point is that yes, losing weight can help your sleep apnea if that's what is contributing to it, and I too hope that's the case with me. However, do what you can now to feel better because it will help you accomplish your weight loss goals (which will expedite getting the answer to your question. :) )

    Oh, and everyone's different. Don't dismiss CPAP or surgery if that's what is best for YOUR situation.

    Best of luck!

    ^^^Good advice^^^ I think that a lot of people have difficulty losing weight because of the apnea and then when they get it treated, it is easier to lose weight---that's what the sleep study technician told me.
  • Gerald_King
    Gerald_King Posts: 2,031 Member
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    Mine did I sleep like a baby
  • chefmomster2
    chefmomster2 Posts: 22 Member
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    There are no guarantees. But, it is recommended everywhere I look. I have sleep apnea myself and I am hoping that it does.( I know that surgery of several kinds didn't work for me. )

    More importantly, weight loss is good for all of us! Will it absolutely PREVENT heart disease, stroke, diabetes, et., etc., etc.? Again, there is no guarantee, but isn't it better to do healthy? We will have some substantial reduction in our risk factors for many diseases.

    Why not just try it and see? What have you got to lose?
  • flatblade
    flatblade Posts: 224 Member
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    I was diagnosed with sleep apnea more than 10 years ago. It was classed as moderate, but got worse as I aged and continued to gain weight. I used a CPAP until I lost more than 70 pounds. I had another sleep study, in which my apnea was diminished to the lowest level. My doc encouraged me to continue losing weight and try other means to deal with the now mild apnea. I only snored when on my back and when in REM sleep, so I settled on a "tennis ball t-shirt". The shirt has been effective and my wife has not noticed me snoring. I've now lost 85 pounds and don't use a CPAP. I'll have an oxymeter test to see if I am getting enough oxygen, and if so I will be considered cured. To summarize, it sure looks like weight loss was enough in my case to cure my apnea.
  • monteymole
    monteymole Posts: 47
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    Thankyou to all who responded to my question im so thankful for all your comments . It seems like alot of people have got the disorder something I didnt know alot about but im certainly going to try my best to lose the weight , I did not know it could be genetic ? Please fee free to add me so you can see how I go on my journey :)

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