Weight loss advice needed

[Painter42]

If someone would please help me , I have a question, I used to weigh 380 lbs, I had a sleep test and had at least 600 plus apneas( I think I'm remembering correctly ) during my short sleep period, since then I've lost 160 lbs, only sleep on my side.. I figured my sleep issues were over 4 yrs ago when I lost the weight... does anyone believe the weight loss did not solve the problems, my butt in dragging most of the time in the morn, I have a new CPAP machine with only 46 hrs on it... I lost the weight so I would not need the machine, Thank you , Mike

[jules]

You probably need to undergo a new sleep study. The pressure you need is probably lower.

As to whether you can trash the machine, only a new sleep study can tell.

[Painter42]

You probably need to undergo a new sleep study. The pressure you need is probably lower.

As to whether you can trash the machine, only a new sleep study can tell.

Thank you, My machine was set to start at 4 and then go to 6... Please tell me are these #'s low or high

[ifrimmel]

6 IS pretty low. 640 is pretty high ! You need to go get another sleep study done to figure out what's going on now that things have changed for you.

[Joe50]

At a weight of 220 your bodyfat level could still be high enough to cause problems when you sleep. I am coming down from a weight of 320 and I don't expect to start seeing it having a big effect on my Sleep Apnea until I am around 180 or below 20% bodyfat.

[Country4ever]

Congrats on losing all that weight. An autopap setting of 4 and 6 is very low. If you tried to use that when you weighed alot, I'm sure it didn't help at all.
Do you know how to change the settings yourself?

[Guest]

Congrats on losing all that weight. An autopap setting of 4 and 6 is very low. If you tried to use that when you weighed alot, I'm sure it didn't help at all.
Do you know how to change the settings yourself?

My machine is a REMstar PLUS, I believe it starts at 4 for maybe 20mins then goes to level 6, My ENT set it up when I weighed 275 lbs, I do have the instructions... Thank you SO much for your help, I know your not a Dr,but, will it hurt me to START my using my machine for a month to see how I feel...

[ozij]

The Remstar Plus is a very very basic machine - and can give absolutely no info about how effective it is at helping you sleep and breathe at the same time.
Many people have sleep apnea -- and pressure needs - that art not affected by weight loss at all.
For some, weight loss does solve the problem.

[quote="GuestMy machine is a REMstar PLUS, I believe it starts at 4 for maybe 20mins then goes to level 6, My ENT set it up when I weighed 275 lbs, I do have the instructions... Thank you SO much for your help, I know your not a Dr,but, will it hurt me to START my using my machine for a month to see how I feel...[/quote]

If you worried about harming yourself physically by using a machine set to give you a pressure of 6 all through the night (except fror a 20 minute ramp)-- my layperson's reply is no.
But -- and this is a big but:
If you don't feel better, you may harm yourself by wrongly concluding cpap doesn't help.

Get a repeat sleep study - you have to know your present condition, and if you do need cpap, get a machine that records and reports the breathing events you have. The Plus does not. Never ever in any version -- don't let anyone sell you a Plus. Check sleepapnea.respironics.com for what the Plus machines are capable of recording.

[Country4ever]

I agree with ozij...........and if the setting of 6 doesn't help after 2 weeks, I would go up to 7, and then to 8.....giving each setting a couple weeks.

[jules]

I would suspect a male with that high of weight needed more than 6. I would doubt 6 is the correct rx, perhaps it is 16. I would check that number however as I said before I new PSG is needed.

[Painter24]

I would suspect a male with that high of weight needed more than 6. I would doubt 6 is the correct rx, perhaps it is 16. I would check that number however as I said before I new PSG is needed.

Jules, I really appreciate the info, I'm calling my DR and have him set up a new PSG, something is keeping me tired, I weigh 220 right now, I've had the nose surgery where they remove the turbinates ( sp) I cant believe anyone enjoys the sleep test !!! I've had 2, the 2nd test used the cpap... Mike

[ozij]

I would suspect a male with that high of weight needed more than 6. I would doubt 6 is the correct rx, perhaps it is 16. I would check that number however as I said before I new PSG is needed.

Jules, I really appreciate the info, I'm calling my DR and have him set up a new PSG, something is keeping me tired, I weigh 220 right now, I've had the nose surgery where they remove the turbinates ( sp) I cant believe anyone enjoys the sleep test !!! I've had 2, the 2nd test used the cpap... Mike

I'm very glad to hear that -- keep us posted.

O.

[Sleeprider]

4 cm-H2O is a minimum pressure used in "ramp" and is not a very theraputic pressure for most of us. If you feel starved for air when you first go to bet, this is the reason why. I was not very successful at sleep studies, and got an Auto PAP for self-titration. With the data feedback, I was able to see patterns in snoring and apneas correlated with different pressures, and eventually ended up with a pressure range that works for me (9.5-14 with no ramp). I would encourage you to talk with your doctor, but suggest that an AutoPAP could avoid the cost of another sleep study. As evidenced by your own results, these one-night titrations don't get it right anyway.

Otherwise, I would say, start adjusting your pressure upward significantly. Given your history, a minimum pressure of 8 should start to give you some relief, and based on how you feel, you may want to go up from there. It would still be much better for you and your doctor if you could obtain a prescription for an Auto machine (they all have data), so you can work together to find a better solution.

[leebrown]

I'm relatively new to CPAP therapy myself, so I won't comment on the answers others have given. I would simply say, my wife started bugging me to ask my doctor about a sleep study when I weighed about 320 lbs. She was concerned because I "stopped breathing" at night. I addressed the weight issue first. I lost about 120 lbs or so and am now down to healthy weight for my size (6' 5", BMI < 25). My blood pressure is back down to normal without treatment. I no longer have to take Gastric Reflux medicine, but after 6 months or so I was still really tired all the time, so I finally mentioned it to my doctor and had a sleep study done this fall. Even after the weight loss and a year and a half of running, while my resting heart rate dropped from triple digits down to about 54 bpm, I was diagnosed with OSA and started CPAP just over a week ago. Weight loss may not have cured sleep apnea, but it sure makes my waking hours much more enjoyable! Keep up the good work with the weight control and as others have said, get another study done.

Blessings,
Lee

[john_dozer]

I lost about 30 lbs last spring/summer.

I don't know if that was the cause or it was in spite of the weight loss, but my therapy became less effective. I raised my pressure with some help, but something is still not right and I just had another sleep study.