Sleep apnea question

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  • TheGreatYaYa
    TheGreatYaYa Posts: 215 Member
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    I had sleep apnea and used a CPAP (hated it!) until I lost 80 lbs. To be honest, I haven't been retested, but I no longer wake myself up trying to catch my breath. I threw the machine away!!

    I understand now that there is an alternative to the CPAP...it's some kind of dental device that slips into your mouth (I think kinda like a retainer or something). They say it's much easier to deal with. Might be worth checking into.

    Good luck!
  • Ataraxia81
    Ataraxia81 Posts: 63 Member
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    I was diagnosed with OSA just this past fall. My doctor told me that being obese doesn't help the situation however, most of the time the apnea is caused by the stretching of the muscles in your throat creating a thinner windpipe. Perhaps losing weight may not completely solve the apnea, but it may help alleviate it.
  • tmauck4472
    tmauck4472 Posts: 1,783 Member
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    I no longer use my machine :) haven't used in for months now. Life is grand
  • DavidC1857
    DavidC1857 Posts: 149 Member
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    I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea in 1990, weighing in at probably less than 200 pounds (don't remember, that was a few years ago). My initial treatment pressure was 13 cm/H20. As I gained weight (I went over 300 pounds), my treatment pressure increased until I was at Bi-PAP 20/13. I lost weight back down to 200 and was just re-tested and put at a new pressure at 9.

    Not everyone will see their sleep apnea lessen or go away with weight loss, but I think many will. Since I had it just out of high school at such a light weight, I doubt I will ever be free of it. But 9 is a lot more comfortable treatment pressure than 20/13.
  • bamadwl
    bamadwl Posts: 111 Member
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    I started using a CPAP machine for my OSA when I was at 450 lbs. I very recently had another sleep study done and they were able to decrease the air pressure setting, but weight loss doesn't "cure" the obstructive issue, just helps improve it. Once you get used to wearing the mask, you'll rest so much better. I'm convinced that getting better rest has assisted me in being able to lose almost 200 lbs.
  • SanteMulberry
    SanteMulberry Posts: 3,202 Member
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    I started using a CPAP machine for my OSA when I was at 450 lbs. I very recently had another sleep study done and they were able to decrease the air pressure setting, but weight loss doesn't "cure" the obstructive issue, just helps improve it. Once you get used to wearing the mask, you'll rest so much better. I'm convinced that getting better rest has assisted me in being able to lose almost 200 lbs.

    One of the main problems with OSA is that the throat tissues become flaccid during deep sleep and a weight reduction alone isn't necessarily going to improve that situation much (or even at all). Some experiments suggest that singing or any exercise that firms and tones throat muscles will help with OSA. Amusingly, learning to play the didgeridoo, which is an Australian wind instrument, has been shown to eliminate or greatly improve OSA. Also, eliminating dairy or other potential allergans has also been shown to improve or eliminate OSA in non-obese individuals.
  • jfauci
    jfauci Posts: 531 Member
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    My husband has sleep apnea and uses a cpap. Every time he loses weight, the cpap goes away. When the weight goes back on, so does the cpap.
  • BigVeggieDream
    BigVeggieDream Posts: 1,101 Member
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    I've been using a C-PAP for 6 years. I just started losing weight and am also curious how it will affect my sleep apnea. I have to say, I can't sleep without my C-Pap. I'm so used to it, I feel naked without it.
  • angellmoore
    angellmoore Posts: 72 Member
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    I am a Respiratory Therapist and see patients with sleep apnea all the time. To my knowledge there is no known medication to take to prevent or treat sleep apnea. There are two (main) kinds of sleep apnea, obstructive and central. Central sleep apnea is caused from the way the brain functions and can't be fixed by simply losing weight. Obstructive sleep apnea or OSA is what is usually caused from being overweight. Believe it or not 10 pounds makes a difference. My husband had sleep apnea too. He had to wear a cpap, but hated it. Once he lost weight he no longer needed to wear it. It is important to stress though that you should never just quit wearing your cpap without first speaking to your doctor. There are many health risks that go along with sleep apnea.
  • Stripeness
    Stripeness Posts: 511 Member
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    As other commenters have noted, so much depends on the underlying cause of your apnea. Also, your doc can easily provide you with references to studies that have the numbers you're asking about.

    However, you can also simply look at peer-reviewed studies on your own:

    Here is a recent one - submitted 2014:
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140211083812.htm

    This is a nice easy read from late 2013 - based on guidelines from American College of Physicians, which issued new on treatment of sleep apnea. They were published online in Annals of Internal Medicine.
    http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/09/23/225429783/lose-weight-before-trying-cpap-sleep-apnea-treatments

    And here's those actual guidelines from the Ann of Int Med:
    http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1740756

    Bottom line: losing weight - even modest amounts is LIKELY to be helpful. But no guarantees. Ever. You knew that, though.

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