Anyone cured and not using the CPAP anymore?

[PaulaO2]

One member's wife did get "cured" for a few years. She had stomach surgery (stapling or whatever it is called) and lost a bunch of weight. Her AHI reduced to the point she could go without her CPAP. But after a few years, it "returned" and she had to start using the CPAP again. It was on a MUCH lower pressure which made it more manageable for her.

I don't think weight loss cures sleep apnea but, rather, puts it into a kind of remission for a while. There is more to the airway collapsing than just excess neck fat.

[Mosquitobait]

For the most part, chances of being 'cured' are zero. My sister was on a cpap until not long after having nose surgery. Her doctor told her ahead of time not to expect to get off the cpap. She was one of the few fortunates and no longer needs a cpap. Some people have lost weight and no longer needed a cpap, but this just isn't all that common for persons over 30. I lost weight and suddenly needed a cpap although I have other health complications. My Dad certainly had apnea before his heart attack based on his snoring level (not gasps for breath though). No symptoms at all afterwards.

[trish6hundred]

Hi joeatmanila,
WELCOME! to the forum.!
I wish you much success as you continue your CPAP therapy.
Hang in there for more responses to your post.

[WWu777]

Aren't some of you generalizing? Extremes are almost never true. There are always exceptions. On YouTube many people claim to have cured sleep apnea. They can't all be wrong or lying right? There are always exceptions to every general rule or pattern right? Why not be a little more optimistic?

Here's one example.

[WWu777]

Btw, is it true that if your tonsils are really big, and they get removed, that that may cure the sleep apnea? I looked in the mirror inside my throat and my tonsils do look really big. I heard that if you remove big tonsils that the apnea may be cured. Is that true? Has anyone ever been cured that way?

[WWu777]

I got a few quick questions.

If I take a break from CPAP and stop using it for a few days, and I wake up feeling refreshed and don't get drowsy throughout the day, does that mean my apnea or AHI was very low because my body got accustomed to CPAP? Does that mean sleep apnea was low or didn't happen? Or just that I was lucky?

Also, if I stay in a backpacker's hostel while traveling, will the CPAP prevent me from snoring so that I don't wake anyone in the dorm room up? 

Finally, can I just clean the plugs on the mask that touch my nose by scrubbing it with water and soap? I don't get why the hoses need to be cleaned. They constantly push air through them from the CPAP to my mouth, so why would they be dirty or infected? Doesn't the constant air flow keep it clean? 

Thanks.

[Sleepster]

Aren't some of you generalizing? Extremes are almost never true. There are always exceptions. On YouTube many people claim to have cured sleep apnea. They can't all be wrong or lying right? There are always exceptions to every general rule or pattern right? Why not be a little more optimistic?

Here's one example.

The guy in the video lost a lot of weight and that can certainly "cure" obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Note that he looked relatively young compared to someone in their mid-50's, which is the typical age when men get diagnosed with OSA. We lose muscle tone as we age, so it's quite possible that losing weight won't make the OSA go away.

Btw, is it true that if your tonsils are really big, and they get removed, that that may cure the sleep apnea? I looked in the mirror inside my throat and my tonsils do look really big. I heard that if you remove big tonsils that the apnea may be cured. Is that true? Has anyone ever been cured that way?

Yes, that's possible, but only a doctor can make that determination. They won't remove your tonsils, though, unless you're a candidate for that surgery.

I got a few quick questions.

If I take a break from CPAP and stop using it for a few days, and I wake up feeling refreshed and don't get drowsy throughout the day, does that mean my apnea or AHI was very low because my body got accustomed to CPAP?

Getting accustomed to CPAP therapy will lower your AHI, but if you stop using the CPAP machine the AHI will go right back up again. CPAP machines don't cure OSA, they treat it.

One of the things that happens to people with OSA is that they gain weight. They are so tired all the time that they eat to get the energy they need to function. So CPAP therapy can help you lose weight which in turn can, in some cases, cure OSA.

Also, if I stay in a backpacker's hostel while traveling, will the CPAP prevent me from snoring so that I don't wake anyone in the dorm room up? 

Quite possibly, yes.

Finally, can I just clean the plugs on the mask that touch my nose by scrubbing it with water and soap? I don't get why the hoses need to be cleaned. They constantly push air through them from the CPAP to my mouth, so why would they be dirty or infected? Doesn't the constant air flow keep it clean? 

Mold can grow in the hose. The constant air flow won't remove it. Also, an unclean hose can stink.

[drarora]

One can try an airway which is made of soft silicon.It keeps the tongue not falling back on the throat. And another cause is a small neck and micro jaw bone, enlarged uvula also contributes to mechanical obstruction of air way passage, also blocked nose, deviated nasal septum are all mechanical causes of sleep apnoea, primarily causing obstruction.But if apnoea is of brain centre origin  then devices are life long companions.

[WWu777]

Hi folks,
I got one more question I'm wondering about. If I sleep on my side, I notice the apnea is better and I don't wake up as much choking on air as if some pressure is on my chest, which is scary and can cause nightmares and maybe sleep paralysis too.

Can sleeping on your side reduce your apnea significantly or bring your apnea from severe down to mild? Is that possible? I find that when sleeping on my side I choke and gasp for air less than when sleeping on my back, which is the worst and gives me nightmares.

In theory, sleeping on your side should prevent the tongue from falling back into the throat, am I right?

[mt17191]

How I got cured from an AHI of 7.5 down to .9 AHI.
My pressure was 10.5 min to max 14.5.
I used to get headaches and disorientation almost every other day.
Now and finally I stopped using the cpap. No need!
I have been using cpap for the last 12 years. In October 2020 I decided to try the Buteyko method.
Here is what I did, I started taping my mouth every night to avoid mouth breathing.
I followed all instructions to reduce breathing per Buteyko methods, in addition I stopped
eating after 3pm. No food period. The whole process took me 10 months.
I had tried to find the solution for so many years till now I finally got there and just wanted to
let others know about it.
You see, what I found out was that I was breathing too much. I believe that back in 2003 I started
biking and picked up the bad habit of breathing through my mouth, in addition a started eating heavy at night and my breathing became habitually deep.
In simple terms I was breathing too much and my body is saying no more please, and I stopped breathing in my sleep many times during the night. My age now 63.
Jim
March 2021