Anybody cancelled Bariatric Surgery after starting CPAP?

jilkurtz · Post by **jilkurtz** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:20 pm

For the last 3 months I've been getting ready for lap-band surgery. I finished the final hoop I had to jump through on May 29th when I received my CPAP machine.

Rather than wait until after the surgery I started dieting and exericising at the end of March. I work out every day - well intend to anyway, every couple of weeks something happens so I can't - aerobics one day, weights the next for at least 30 minutes and usually 45 to 60 minutes.

Throughout this time I was losing only 1.25 pounds per week. I dropped from 318 to 300 in 12 weeks.

Then I got my CPAP machine.

First week I didn't sleep all that great, but it was better than without. But then....

At the start of the second week (last Tuesday, June 5th) I started feeling extremely full every time I ate anything. And I wasn't hungry all day long. And in the last 6 days I've lost 6!!!! Pounds!!!! And my diet and exercise program has not changed from the weeks preceeding the CPAP.

So now I'm wondering if this isn't the underlying problem for my weight and if I'm losing this much weight, do I really need to go through with the surgery?

Had anybody else experienced a weight loss like this after getting CPAP or has cancelled surgery after getting CPAP??

Thanks in advance, for any comments or advice.

Jill

AHI 108
mean oxygen 89%
lowest oxygen <60%
longest event 66 seconds
Central & Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Stage 3 sleep 7.6%
Stage 4 sleep 0%
Sleep efficiency 55%
Machine Setting - 15

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 6:46 pm

my opinion (I'm not overweight, but brother in law is like 350 and on cpap, considering the same thing):

CPAP is not any magic cure for being a bit overweight.

Yes cpap can help restore more energy which helps speed up metabolism, but if you are scheduled for lab-band, surgery you have thought long and hard about it (I'm no expert there either).

But I would go ahead with that surgery, being overweight simply just takes too big a toll on your overall health. The SOONER you lose that weight the better.

My understanding is lab-band is somewhat reversable if needed (vs. permanent procedure).

Shari · Post by **Shari** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:13 pm

I am now in the process of pursuing Lap-Band.
I have been on CPAP for 2 years. The first 6-months on CPAP I lost a little weight (20-30 pounds). I have gained it all back in the last year.

My suggestion, maybe postpone your surgery a couple of months. See if this is a sustained loss, or if your weight will rebound when you adjust to CPAP. My understanding is insurance approval does not mean you have to have the surgery right a way.

jilkurtz · Post by **jilkurtz** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 7:23 pm

Thanks Shari & Snoredog.

I was afraid this was too good to be true. I may consider postponing if this weight loss keeps up at this rate. I know I've got everything in place and could re-schedule without too much delay if I wanted.

Jill

Elle · Post by **Elle** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:34 pm

I would hold off on the surgery for a while. It seems like you are doing ok on your own so I would test that out. I was 309 when I made the appointment with the sleep doc last Feb and although I started eating healthier I didn't start with cpap until August. I now weigh 202 and am still eating healthy without effort.

Although I cannot say it was because of cpap I do believe that having energy helps and just feeling better in general puts you in a better frame of mind.....feel like a normal person so to speak.

I think the intention is what makes it happen and it sounds like you are there. Good luck with it.

jennmary · Post by **jennmary** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:41 pm

I agree with putting off surgery. When you are tired all the time it can cause your body to compensate by eating things that help you put on weight. If you are not getting the energy you need to function from sleep...your body will get it from somewhere else (food). Also when you stop breathing at night your body enters fight or flight mode and releases a ton of hormones...this happens many times per hour depending on your AHI. These hormones in themselves can help you pack on pounds, especially in the dangerous midsection.
Once you get your sleep issue under control you wont need to rely so much on food and your body will stop producing those late night stress hormones. Plus if you are less depressed (which can also be caused by SA) then you are less likely to be an emotional eater.
I agree that CPAP is not a magic weight loss tool, but it can be a great help if you are willing to put effort in a as well.
Lap band surgery is almost never reversible from everything I have read. The band "could" be removed....however it can be quite dangerous and is a very risky surgery. Patients are advised to just leave the band in, and have it deflated.
I wish you well in your weight loss endeavor. If you need support I am here, as I am sure others are. Good luck to you.

jilkurtz · Post by **jilkurtz** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:46 pm

Elle, thanks for your post. This is what I'm talking about. I have maintained a healthy diet for 3 months now and exercise everyday. I started at 312 and am down to 285.

I felt I could not lose it all if I was only losing a pound per week. It wasn't going to happen, hence I started the process for lap-band.

But if, finally, I am losing weight at the rate I *should* given the amount of exercise I do and the 1500 cal/day I eat, then I can stick with it. It is, however, just too hard to maintain that level by myself if I'm only losing 1 pound/week.

Well, I'm giving myself two more weeks to make a decision. I'll be seeing my regular MD on the 21st and have another weigh-in at the surgeons on the 29th. That should give me plenty of time to see how this is going and then make a decision whether to push things back or not.

You all have given me lots to think about, and if anybody else has a weight/cpap story to tell, I'd like to hear it.

Thanks!

jill

lvwildcat · Post by **lvwildcat** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 12:36 am

I'm shooting for Sept for my surgery. I have actually gained some weight since using CPAP. I eat dinner every night these days and prior to CPAP I was to exhausted to eat after working a 12 hour shift. Hubby feels more appreciated as he is an awesome cook

BrensTiredMom · Post by **BrensTiredMom** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 4:27 am

My opinion having seen several friends through the surgery...

If you're losing weight then put off the surgery.

Chronic sleep deprivation CAN cause weight gain...so having effective CPAP therapy can create the circumstance where you can lose it.

Congrats to you for the efforts you made before CPAP and for the loss you've had so far with CPAP!! I wish you the best of luck!!!

darthlucy · Post by **darthlucy** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 6:02 am

Losing weight at the rate of 1 lb. per week is not slow. In fact, all of the major weight loss programs will tell you that the healthiest way to lose is 1-2 lbs per week. If you can lose at that rate, I absolutely would not go to surgery. CPAP may not be the magic bullet for OSA, but surgery is also not a magic bullet for weight loss. It is very hard on your body, not only from the surgery itself, but the rapid weight loss and nutritional issues are hard also. Surgery should be the absolute last resort if you can't lose weight on your own.

robbieh · Post by **robbieh** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 7:53 am

weight loss surgery is for those who fail to maintain weight loss on their own. It is a last resort type thing and hard on your body. Excess weight is also hard on your body so if you get to the point where the extra weight is worse than the surgery, that is when you go for surgery.

You are doing extremely well! The way you are losing weight is the ideal because it is coming from a lifestyle change and is not taxing your body with poor nutrition. Yes surgery can bring your weight down fast but can it tone your body and teach you about good nutrition? Can it give you the same deep down satisfaction and pride that comes from watching your body respond to the love and care you are providing it? Surgery can't give that to you. There are no negative side-effects to getting a new healthy life-style but I can think of many that can happen with surgery. Kudos to you!! I'd say you don't need no stinkin surgeons!

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:31 am

I recently read an article about how having fragmented sleep affects our feeling of satiety and hunger drive.

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/TIP02403

Found it. It is short and sweet but explains A LOT!

Jen

andyomega · Post by **andyomega** » Sun Jun 10, 2007 9:51 pm

It takes years to really put weight on, just have paitence and keep up with your routine. If your sleeping better, and eating better and doing some physical exersize it might work. I had a friend and it took him a couple of years to slowely loose the weight but he has kept it off.

I think fast loss only lead to gaining it all back, look at what happend to John Candy.

socknitster · Post by **socknitster** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 12:16 pm

My husband took about a year to take off 70 lbs on a diet called the GI diet which uses the Glycemic Index (he had the willpower to be very, very strict). He also exercised. It has been over a year and he kept it off by just eating sensibly and excercising when he was able. Of course he doesn't have any underlying illness. But it did stop his mild snoring once he lost it. Since he was overweight since I knew him (we have been married 12 years, dated 2 years before that) it is like being around a different person.

Now his eating habits are completely different. Instead of eating ice cream in the evening, he will eat a bowl full of fruit. He rarely eats any kind of sweet, but when he does, he savors it. We eat lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains with our meals. He only goes back to the "diet" when he has gained a couple of pounds. And then only for a week or two.

Men are so lucky that they have the muscle mass to be able to burn off calories so much faster than women.

I am hoping to emulate him once I have the energy to exercise more. Just today I took my son for a picnic on a trail in the woods locally. At least I was moving instead of watching tv like I would have been a few months ago.

Sorry to ramble. Jen

birdshell · Post by **birdshell** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 5:02 pm

Proper sleep allows the production of some important hormones that affect hunger, i.e. ghrelin and leptin. There are also important brain chemicals (such as serotonin) produced during sleep that can affect eating behavior.

I know that weight loss and lifestyle change that accompany it are difficult, as I have my own struggles with the problem. I was losing weight, but with over a year into the xPAP therapy now, have been fighting the eating gremlins again. In my case, however, I wouldn't blame xPAP because I have a number of complex medical issues that could be interacting to cause problems. I also have medication that is tweaked occasionally and there may be some effects created in that realm.

There are 3 friends/acquaintances that I know who have had bariatric surgery. In monitoring their experiences, it seems to me that ANY bariatric surgery is simply an enforcement for lifestyle change. They are still participating in a weight loss program, including increased exercise, but now cannot eat in any "normal" manner. How will that work out should they be in a nursing home and trying to get enough nutrition to survive? Maybe that will be fine, but it just doesn't seem to me that the benefits are truly benefits.

I also know that two of them are no longer compliant, and have defeated their procedures. Both are back to being morbidly obese. Another who had lap band surgery is losing VERRRRYYYYY SLOWWWWLLLLLYYYY despite her compliance. So, what is the real benefit of being able to eat chicken nuggets from McDonald's while being unable to eat lean chicken breast?

Wouldn't it make more sense to at least wait a while, since you are doing so well now? Besides which, those over 400 identified genetic influences are being studied and who KNOWS what may develop in the medical field? It is certainly an area of interest to researchers.

We all have to make our own decisions and find our own answers. I wish you all of the luck in the world, and hope that you will keep us posted on your progress.

Karen

Anybody cancelled Bariatric Surgery after starting CPAP?

Anybody cancelled Bariatric Surgery after starting CPAP?

Thanks for the info

Most helpful

I agree with advice to put off the surgery...

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