Resolution of Sleep Apnea

[Redo2017 247]

Have any sleevers out there had their sleep apnea resolve post-op? If so, how much weight did you drop before that happened? I've lost 50 pounds since my pre op diet. I still have 77 pounds until my (slightly unrealistic) goal, but I hoped that the apnea would have subsided magically by now. I'm done with this damn mask!

[XYZXYZXYZ1955 675]

Have you had another sleep study to see whether it's improved or gone? And I don't think your goal is unrealistic at all. You go!!

[Redo2017 247]

Have you had another sleep study to see whether it's improved or gone? And I don't think your goal is unrealistic at all. You go!!

I haven't had another sleep study but I did sleep with my mask off for a few hours recently. My husband said I was still snoring and I woke up with a headache. That was the telltale sign when I was first diagnosed. But you are right, I do need a follow-up soon enough to see where I'm at. Thank you for your encouragement!

[Dashofpixiedust8 1,469]

I had very severe sleep apnea with I was 540 pounds. I had another sleep study after losing about 260 pounds and my pulmonologist determined my sleep apnea was so mild I did not need to wear the sleep mask anymore. I definitely celebrated that victory!! But just to warn you, sleep apnea is not ONLY caused by weight. There are skinny people who have sleep apnea so there is no guarantee you will be able to go off the mask unfortunately :-\ I hope you are able to though!

Edited September 7, 2017 by Dashofpixiedust8

[greensleeves 20]

actually my mouth has been so dry with the cpap post-op that I can't use my machine anymore. now that I've lost 50 + pounds, I don't feel like I need it.

[Redo2017 247]

1 hour ago, Dashofpixiedust8 said:

I had very severe sleep apnea with I was 540 pounds. I had another sleep study after losing about 260 pounds and my pulmonologist determined my sleep apnea was so mild I did not need to wear the sleep mask anymore. I definitely celebrated that victory!! But just to warn you, sleep apnea is not ONLY caused by weight. There are skinny people who have sleep apnea so there is no guarantee you will be able to go off the mask unfortunately :-\ I hope you are able to though!

It is awesome that you don't need the cpap anymore! I am really hoping that I will be as fortunate. I didn't develop apnea until my weight really crept up, so hopefully it will resolve with more weight loss!

[Redo2017 247]

19 minutes ago, greensleeves said:

actually my mouth has been so dry with the cpap post-op that I can't use my machine anymore. now that I've lost 50 + pounds, I don't feel like I need it.

Oh my gosh, the dryness! I thought I was the only one! I have adjusted the humidity level on my machine and I still wake up with the driest mouth ever. It is miserable. I wonder what this is all about? I never had it happen until post-op. And I am getting in plenty of Water every day without fail.

[dandelion247 42]

I've been using the Biotene dry mouth gel to assist with the crazy post-surgery CPAP dry mouth problem. It's worked better than the mouthwash, which works better than the spray. Might be worth a try, my fellow sufferers!

[greensleeves 20]

i tried the biotene spray, still so dry my gums were stuck together with the inside of my cheek. maybe i should try the gel

[Redo2017 247]

18 hours ago, dandelion247 said:

I've been using the Biotene dry mouth gel to assist with the crazy post-surgery CPAP dry mouth problem. It's worked better than the mouthwash, which works better than the spray. Might be worth a try, my fellow sufferers!

I've never heard of these products. I will check them out. Thanks for the tip!

[Molly23 275]

I had very mild sleep apnea before surgery. The doctor said I had about 7-8 occurrences per hour and the norm is 5. He wasn't concerned other than the fact that I was having surgery. He didn't require that I get a CPAP abut did say it could help eliminate complications to use until after surgery. I stopped using it about a week after surgery because I couldn't sleep. I saw him 2 weeks post op and he said I could return the CPAP.

The doctor wanted to schedule another sleep study but insurance didn't approve the full amount, most likely because it was the second one this year. They said I would have a $400 co-pay so I declined doing it. I'm not waking up during the night so I'm assuming that the apnea has gotten better since losing 93lbs.

It it all depends on how severe the apnea is, how much excess weight you still have, how you carry your weight and any other medical conditions that might be related. I definitely think another sleep study will give you a better idea of where you stand. Just find out if you should wait until you're closer to goal because it might give you a better chance of the apnea being resolved. If you need multiple tests you may need to pay out of pocket depending on your insurance. Best of luck!

Edited September 9, 2017 by Molly23

[Rainbow_Warrior 996]

On 08/09/2017 at 3:38 AM, Dashofpixiedust8 said:

There are skinny people who have sleep apnea so there is no guarantee you will be able to go off the mask

Very true ... but the exception rather than the norm.

Not all fat/obese people have sleep apnoea either but the most common factor of those with sleep apnoea is being overweight.

Nearly all the morbidly obese folks have severe to very severe sleep apnoea conditions.

My wife is 30kg (66 pounds) lighter than a year ago and is having much less of a sleep apnoea problem but is almost always wearing her CPAP machine mask.

[gotime0810 71]

I've had my CPAP for so long I'm not sure if I could sleep without it.
I plan to have a sleep study done when I get to goal or close to it.
However, I think I'm one that has always had it. My mom said I snored like a bear as a child and when I had my septum corrected the doctor couldn't believe my nose had never been broken.

[dandelion247 42]

On 9/8/2017 at 9:10 AM, Redo2017 said:

I've never heard of these products. I will check them out. Thanks for the tip!

Further update since using the gel for 4 days -- It's helping me stay asleep longer (which is great) but I believe it's contributing to a new low-grade queasiness I've been feeling pretty much since the day after I started using it. I think the xylitol that sweetens it is causing my still-healing stomach to revolt. So now I'm faced with a bit of a Sophie's Choice -- sleep better with nausea during the day, or sleep worse with (hopefully!!) less/no nausea. I don't know if there are gels like this that are unsweetened. I'll be searching for them, because I find sweet tastes revolting these days, and besides, I hate fake sugars.

[Redo2017 247]

Further update since using the gel for 4 days -- It's helping me stay asleep longer (which is great) but I believe it's contributing to a new low-grade queasiness I've been feeling pretty much since the day after I started using it. I think the xylitol that sweetens it is causing my still-healing stomach to revolt. So now I'm faced with a bit of a Sophie's Choice -- sleep better with nausea during the day, or sleep worse with (hopefully!!) less/no nausea. I don't know if there are gels like this that are unsweetened. I'll be searching for them, because I find sweet tastes revolting these days, and besides, I hate fake sugars.

Go to know! Thanks for the update!