Is it too soon to stop using CPAP

[kevin.johnson]

hey all,
I am a 47-year-old male and I have always had the loudest snorer. However, other than snoring, I was a very atypical looking obstructive sleep apnea patient–I wasn’t a middle-aged man with a big belly. About two years ago, I started falling asleep quickly and inappropriately. Watching TV after work one night I awoke when a glass of milk I was holding spilled in my lap. Another night, sitting on the floor eating, I awoke four hours later asleep on the floor. I could barely stay awake driving. I developed constant headaches. I told my primary care physician that I had headaches and was passing out. He gave medications for sleep apnea. Besides the medication, I didn't wanna use the sleeping pills, so I started using CPAP masks at night. It took a long time to get it all in control. I don't snore anymore at night. Now the doctor had already told me to stop medicine if I felt okay with my sleep. Is it too soon?

[Stom]

hey all,
I am a 47-year-old male and I have always had the loudest snorer. However, other than snoring, I was a very atypical looking obstructive sleep apnea patient–I wasn’t a middle-aged man with a big belly. About two years ago, I started falling asleep quickly and inappropriately. Watching TV after work one night I awoke when a glass of milk I was holding spilled in my lap. Another night, sitting on the floor eating, I awoke four hours later asleep on the floor. I could barely stay awake driving. I developed constant headaches. I told my primary care physician that I had headaches and was passing out. He gave medications for sleep apnea. Besides the medication, I didn't wanna use the sleeping pills, so I started using CPAP masks at night. It took a long time to get it all in control. I don't snore anymore at night. Now the doctor had already told me to stop medicine if I felt okay with my sleep. Is it too soon?

Skinny people can get sleep apnea, too. Extra weight, specifically weight around the neck, is an increased risk factor, but not a requirement for obstructive sleep apnea.

Your case is way outside of my experience. Did you have a sleep test? What were the results? What CPAP machine are you using, and what are your scores on the machine?

Also, it seemed that you were using CPAP so you wouldn't need medication, but then you added that your doctor told you you could discontinue your meds, so I'm unclear on what you are currently doing.

Depending on what CPAP machine you are using, you may be able to import date from your machine that will give you and people here a better idea of what is going on with your treatment. So knowing what kind of machine you are using will tell us whether you have a model that records useful data or not.

[mesenteria]

... He gave medications for sleep apnea. Besides the medication, I didn't wanna use the sleeping pills, so I started using CPAP masks at night. It took a long time to get it all in control. I don't snore anymore at night. Now the doctor had already told me to stop medicine if I felt okay with my sleep. Is it too soon?

I think you have the right orientation to this.  For one, you are questioning everything, including the physician's recommendation and prescription. Responsible people do that just 'cuz.  Secondly, you are hoping to stop parts of the regimen that perhaps are no longer necessary and which you would be better off dropping altogether.  The sleeping pills would definitely be one with high priority in my books, but I can only speak for myself here.

Is it too soon?  There's only one way to find out, and it's not likely to be deadly or catastrophic.  If unwanted signs and symptoms creep in once again, you'll have your answer.  If you wean yourself off the 'crutches' one at a time, and slowly, you may find that the CPAP therapy works and is the worst you'll have to contend with for the foreseeable future.  In this respect, I think your physician ALSO has the right orientation to your circumstances and your apparent progress.  In this case, I'd be strongly inclined to see if he's right.

[mesenteria]

... He gave medications for sleep apnea. Besides the medication, I didn't wanna use the sleeping pills, so I started using CPAP masks at night. It took a long time to get it all in control. I don't snore anymore at night. Now the doctor had already told me to stop medicine if I felt okay with my sleep. Is it too soon?

I think you have the right orientation to this.  For one, you are questioning everything, including the physician's recommendation and prescription. Responsible people do that just 'cuz.  Secondly, you are hoping to stop parts of the regimen that perhaps are no longer necessary and which you would be better of dropping altogether.  The sleeping pills would definitely be one with high priority in my books, but I can only speak for myself here.

Is it too soon?  There's only one way to find out, and it's not likely to be deadly or catastrophic.  If unwanted signs and symptoms creep in once again, you'll have your answer.  If you wean yourself off the 'crutches' one at a time, and slowly, you may find that the CPAP therapy works and is the worst you'll have to contend with for the foreseeable future.  In this respect, I think your physician ALSO has the right orientation to your circumstances and your apparent progress.  In this case, I'd be strongly inclined to see if he's right.

[MyronH]

Sleep apnea just doesn't go away. Maybe for some people that lose a lot of weight. But a lot of times, weight doesn't matter. I'm 6'1" and when i started having sleeping problems years ago, I started exercising and losing weight. I think I was down to 190lbs and very fit. But I still had issues in my sleep. Last year it got very bad, and finally I got an APAP machine which then was returned for a BI-LEVEL/BIPAP machine. You may have sleep apnea for the rest of your life. There are nasal and throat surgeries that can help, and all kinds of other things, like oral dental appliances, if you just cant tolerate using a machine with a mask.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

How to tell if it is the right time to quit using CPAP -

If you are in a small box and underneath two meters of dirt, then it is probably OK to give up on CPAP therapy.

Otherwise, then no, it is not time.

[Sleep2Snore]

I was a very atypical looking obstructive sleep apnea patient–I wasn’t a middle-aged man with a big belly.

Are you a journalist?  That is what they see as a typical Sleep Apnea patient!
I know quite a few people with bad Sleep Apnea and they carry no weight at all, in fact I have seen more fat on potato fries!
It is not all down to carrying extra weight, a lot might be, but by no means all.
If I were you I would ask your doctor if the CPAP is working for you if you can ease yourself off the drugs he gave you (I don;t know what he gave you, as I have yet to see a CPAP drug?) for sleep problems, maybe they were to try to keep you awake and stimulate you.  I would talk to the doctor first, it my be the CPAP that is fully keeping you going now, but if you have not had a sleep study done you maybe should get it done to find out.
In any case I would ease off the drugs and see if tiredness creeps back, if not then the CPAP is doing a good job for you.

[Kadenz]

hey all,
I am a 47-year-old male and I have always had the loudest snorer. However, other than snoring, I was a very atypical looking obstructive sleep apnea patient–I wasn’t a middle-aged man with a big belly. About two years ago, I started falling asleep quickly and inappropriately. Watching TV after work one night I awoke when a glass of milk I was holding spilled in my lap. Another night, sitting on the floor eating, I awoke four hours later asleep on the floor. I could barely stay awake driving. I developed constant headaches. I told my primary care physician that I had headaches and was passing out. He gave medications for sleep apnea. Besides the medication, I didn't wanna use the sleeping pills, so I started using CPAP masks at night. It took a long time to get it all in control. I don't snore anymore at night. Now the doctor had already told me to stop medicine if I felt okay with my sleep. Is it too soon?

I am skinny too and have had OSA since at least my early thirties. 

Unless your OSA is due to being overweight but you've now lost weight, the chances are you'll need to use a cpap machine for the rest of your life. 

But I'm not a doctor and you should speak to a sleep specialist about this.

[SarcasticDave94]

It is possible you may be able to begin reducing medication usage, but you're not going to be able to stop usage of CPAP as well. Remember CPAP is a therapy or an aid to reduce apnea not a cure.

If it were me in your situation, I'd consult with the Doctor about what action is most appropriate for the circumstance.