Will I be able to get rid of my CPAP machine?

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi there, I know no one really has the answer to this question as we are all so different. I may have had sleep apnea for my whole life for all I know; certainly I was never a good sleeper, even as a child. But I'm feeling like now at nearly 50 pounds down it is behaving differently. I have experimented with a couple of power naps without the thing and I don't seem to be waking up bolt upright like I used to if I tried to sleep machine-less.

Any one out there who has given up their CPAP care to share what the signals are that the body may be ready to sleep on its own? What a thing that would be! And do I really need to go back for another sleep study -- I didn't mind it but I'm not sure if the data obtained is really as useful as monitoring over time. Maybe thirty more pounds and I can ditch it? Feedback welcome!

[inittothinit 145]

I ditched mine about 30 lbs in! Do you snore? My wife was able to tell that my snoring was just about gone. So I went a few nights without it and felt great. Presurgery, if I went a few days, I would be tired in the afternoon and feel like napping. Once I stopped wearing it I was fine so I figured I am cured! The stats show that almost 80 percent of apnea is resolved even with moderate post surgery loss.

[kelmat 13]

Hi there, I know no one really has the answer to this question as we are all so different. I may have had sleep apnea for my whole life for all I know; certainly I was never a good sleeper, even as a child. But I'm feeling like now at nearly 50 pounds down it is behaving differently. I have experimented with a couple of power naps without the thing and I don't seem to be waking up bolt upright like I used to if I tried to sleep machine-less.

Any one out there who has given up their CPAP care to share what the signals are that the body may be ready to sleep on its own? What a thing that would be! And do I really need to go back for another sleep study -- I didn't mind it but I'm not sure if the data obtained is really as useful as monitoring over time. Maybe thirty more pounds and I can ditch it? Feedback welcome!

Id dbl check with your doc, a friend of mine had lost weight so she quit using her's then later had a stroke ,cause of not using her cpap..guess everyone is different.

[terrydumont46 1,954]

my surgeon said that at every 30 lbs lost that the fit of the mask and the volume needed has changed. I just went by my husband who says I don't snore anymore and I sleep through the night . but when I stopped using the cpap I am now getting acid reflux. I am wearing the cpap tonight to see if it will make a difference. I don't mind wearing it. I just don't like to anymore because the mask doesn't fit right and it drives me nuts hearing the air escape. my apnea doctor has retired so I would have to go to a brand new doctor and go over my massive medical history. oh brother.

[pink dahlia 2,513]

I stopped using my cpap when I had lost about 50 lbs, because I wanted to see if I could sleep well without it and not snore. Hubby says I slept fine and didnt snore so its been about 1.5 years since I used it , and I still sleep very well. The machine is now gathering dust in my closet. It is SO nice not to have to drag that thing everywhere we camped/traveled ! What a pain !

[Debbie3sons 1,936]

Make sure when you go to your surgeon , you tell Him/ Her about the acid reflux I don't have gerd or acid reflux since I was banded , just for e I used to get it so bad that I would have to run to the bathroom cause the acid would burn so bad that I would t sick, also again this is just my surgeon for me , but he told me if I feel any burning or have acid reflux to come in right away because it may be something with the band , oh yeah just asking but when you were banded did they also repair the hiatal hernia , that's what they did when I was banded so that's why I don't have the reflux or gerd more , hope everything goes ok, I know for me I would mention it to my band surgeon if it was happening to me.

my surgeon said that at every 30 lbs lost that the fit of the mask and the volume needed has changed. I just went by my husband who says I don't snore anymore and I sleep through the night . but when I stopped using the cpap I am now getting acid reflux. I am wearing the cpap tonight to see if it will make a difference. I don't mind wearing it. I just don't like to anymore because the mask doesn't fit right and it drives me nuts hearing the air escape. my apnea doctor has retired so I would have to go to a brand new doctor and go over my massive medical history. oh brother.

[Debbie3sons 1,936]

I knew when I didn't feel tired all the time and didn't wake my self up with my snoring , and I felt like I was refreshed in the morning and was noticing that I felt I had a good nights sleep, I don't know how many yrs. before being banded I did not get enough sleep because of my Apnea, it has been almost a yr. since I have had to use mine and yes if I am real tired after working all week , I will still take a hr. nap but I was watching a movie in my recliner and fell asleep , when I woe after a hr. I asked my Mother if I was snoring and she said no I keeping peacefully , so after a while and losing some weight my air way and heart don't have to work as much to keep me alive and breathing, so I think you will be able to ditch it sooner or later , hopefully sooner.

[Chelly 364]

I didn't get rid of my CPAP until just recently.

I did go for a sleep study to make sure that I could go off of it.

I was told that I do better sleeping on my side then when I sleep on my back.

So good getting off the machine.

My suggestion is have another sleep,study to make sure.

Good luck!

[chasingadream 1,311]

I stopped using mine a few months back. I tried it but it kept falling off…I think like @@terrydumont46 said I think I needed it adjusted…so after many nights of it actually waking me up I just stopped and feel ok….my hubby says I'm much quieter….

I don't feel tired like I used to before using it.

I am going to go see the pulmonogist for a follow up and to ask about having the sleep apnea test again just to be sure…..its on my to do list.

Good luck @@Bandista

Edited May 17, 2014 by chasingadream

[Bandista 7,466]

Thanks every one! The thing does feel like such a bother, especially traveling. And I think it's just not fitting properly now so I will look into that. Maybe this is just the incentive I need -- new sleep study at 180 or something like that. My husband calls me Aqua Girl. I have grown used to the white noise but I hate that hose.

[Debbie3sons 1,936]

They have different types and advanced ones now I a not sure but I think they all have the h, but I am pretty sure that they have where you don't have to wear the full face mask any more, but people as and check in to the different types for the face for easy breathing.

[par1959 470]

According to my sleep Doc, sleep Apnea is a mental disease that is hereditary and affects 25% of us all. In essence, your brain misfires and doesn’t tell you throat muscles to open and contract. Being heavy just makes it worse. That being said, I read about those that no longer require a CPAP after losing much of their excess weight. Eliminating sleep apnea is also used as a selling point for weight loss surgery. I tend to believe my sleep Doc over my surgeon on this one, meaning that once you have sleep apnea it will not completely go away. I plan on getting a new sleep study when I get to that point. My CPAP is also comfort blanket for me. I am totally comfortable wearing it.

[w1008 10]

With your cpap are you using O2 with it. If I don't wear mine I drop down into the 70's 02 sat.

[shmily 424]

I went to my pulmonologist April 28 and she was going to order a "smart setting" from Apria which is great as it enables a new pressure number without a new study. It hasn't happened yet. I am going to call her office tomorrow and raise heck. I have been sleeping w/o it for a few nights, NO snoring and I feel great but I will pursue her opinion

[joatsaint 2,814]

I was able to ditch my CPAP 9 months post-op. It's been 8 months since I stopped using it and I get enough sleep to feel rested.

I started experimenting with sleeping without the machine when I started having problems sleeping because my machine was pumping so much air into my stomach that I'd wake up. I was passing so much gas that it was literally waking me up. :-P

I wasn't able to go off the machine when I tried sleeping without it at 8 months post-op, but I tried again a month later and noticed an improved sleep and I wasn't waking up every few hours. I am pretty sure I still have some light apnea, but it's no where near the severity it was. I occasionally wake up because I wasn't breathing, but I still wake feeling like I've gotten enough sleep. Before the CPAP machine, I could barley function at work and I spent all my time at home trying to catch up on sleep because I was so sleep deprived.