Many users report successfully stopping CPAP after losing 30-125 pounds, with reduced snoring and better sleep, though most stress confirming this via a new sleep study rather than guessing. Some continue using the machine even after loss because other factors like airway shape can cause apnea, and a few saw blood pressure rise when they quit. Mask fit issues, data interpretation, and machine settings remain common frustrations throughout the thread.
What this discussion establishesWhether weight loss alone is enough to safely drop CPAP or if a sleep study is always required first
Still openHow much additional weight loss each person needs before apnea fully resolves and whether tirzepatide itself improves apnea beyond the pounds lost
Nothing here is advice.
Looking forward to ditching the CPAP once I get my body down to a healthier size. Has anyone here managed to stop using theirs?
Dropped close to 50 pounds over the last four months. I would want another sleep study before stopping the machine to be sure I no longer need it. Still, I have napped without it and felt fine, and one night I wore the mask but never turned the machine on and slept through anyway.
Stopped using mine roughly 30 pounds ago and it feels great.
Never used a CPAP but was probably heading that direction. After losing 60 pounds my wife says the snoring has stopped.
You got lucky. I had no idea how poor my sleep really was until I started the machine. The improvement in how I felt was huge and it really helped me.
Does your machine lack the auto-start feature? Mine turns on as soon as I put the mask on.
Guess mine does not. The sleep without it was not very restful but at least I was not waking every twenty minutes. It is actually an APAP not a CPAP and I never did an in-lab study. They gave me a take-home recorder instead. I see numbers like Total AI, Obs AI and Central AI on the display and wonder what they mean about how often it is helping my breathing.
I did stop using it and it felt fantastic. After dropping about 40 pounds the snoring ended and I have not gone back to the machine. It has been strong motivation to maintain the weight loss.
I would love to return my machine but I know I would need a fresh sleep study first. A doctor at the hospital where I work warned against rushing to quit just because of weight loss since many other things besides obesity can cause apnea. Everyone is built differently so factors like palate softness, bite, tongue size or narrow airway can play a role. I plan to lose the weight then do another study before deciding.
I have lost around 30 pounds so far and am still using the machine. I figure another 30 to 50 pounds might give me enough confidence to try sleeping without it or request a study. I do not mind the device itself since it is compact and does not need distilled water, and I felt much better once I began treatment.
You might want to check out OSCAR software for more detailed looks at your data. Spending time on CPAP forums can also help explain the details. With APAP now common I think the rules around getting a prescription are sometimes too strict, yet handing someone an APAP with default settings and an average mask without checking performance is not ideal either. I am fine with self-managing but there are still things worth tuning rather than hoping the algorithm handles everything.
Thanks, I will look into that. My insurance would not cover a lab study so I used the home recorder for two nights and they set the APAP from that data then fitted the mask. I see a doctor once a year who reviews the uploaded data. I am curious at the next visit whether the weight loss has changed anything or if the apnea is gone.
That sounds reasonably managed since someone is reviewing the numbers. I still like to understand my own data though. I have noticed that fixed CPAP pressure can sometimes work better than APAP because the pressure changes and relief settings in APAP can let the airway collapse briefly before reopening.
I started using one about a month ago and it is a real hassle. Sometimes it feels like too much air is being forced through. I am waiting on a doctor visit to see how things are going. If losing weight can help me get rid of it I need to push harder on that.
Does yours not have an automatic setting that adjusts on its own?
It is supposed to be set between 6 and 16 but I am not sure what that means exactly. They want me to do another sleep study to fine-tune it since right now it is on a fairly generic setting.
I run mine on the automatic setting and it works well for me.
I have a love-hate relationship with mine. I do not think I will bother traveling with it anymore but I do like how well it works. My throat dries out without it.
I ended up throwing the mask across the room around midnight after getting tangled in the hose. The only way it stops leaking is to tighten the straps hard, then my nose starts itching so I have to take it off and start over. It is stressing me out and my wife just gives me that look.
You might try different mask styles such as nasal pillows versus full face. Washing the face-contact part with soap and water can also reduce itching for a while. Getting the strap tension just right takes some trial and error while lying on the pillow to find a balance that does not leak yet is not too tight.
Which mask are you using? I prefer the nasal style because I do not like having my mouth covered.
I have been on mine since February and it is surprising how much I rely on it. I do not really want to stop but I would be glad if I no longer needed it. The doctor mentioned some people are just prone to apnea regardless of weight. My numbers have improved and checking out SleepHQ helped me understand the data better.
Down 125 pounds and I stopped the CPAP completely. The apnea is gone and I sleep soundly now. The machine was a pain because I kept waking up from fighting the hose as much as from the apnea itself.
It is the small one that covers nose and mouth. They said that was the one I needed. I packed the whole thing away yesterday because I am done fighting with it.
A friend had his pressure lowered after a heart attack following a study that suggested high airflow may not protect the heart as much as hoped and could even increase inflammation. He still uses it but at a lower setting. He snored even before gaining weight and at one point was snoring while awake on the couch.
I started at 328 pounds. Three weeks in, down only 12 pounds, my wife noticed I was no longer snoring or pausing breathing. Energy, mental clarity and mood all improved noticeably. Now at eight weeks and down 22 pounds a smart watch confirms no more apnea events. Everyone has a different threshold and mine happened just below my starting weight.
I really want to get rid of it. My mouth dries out at night and raising the humidity makes the hose fill with water and gurgle. I wake up more often now than before. I wish there was an easy way to track whether my events are improving but the app only shows the last three months.
I am very close to stopping. The machine has dialed itself all the way down to 4 cm and I am sleeping better than I have in a long time. I am still 25 pounds above the weight where the apnea first appeared, which makes me wonder if the medication is helping beyond just the weight loss.
I have been using mine for what feels like forever and it is now just part of my bedtime routine. I fall asleep within five minutes of turning it on. I am still curious what another sleep study would show about whether I can stop. I suspect mine might involve more than just obstructive apnea since I sometimes gasp during the day while awake.
I caught a head cold on Monday. The machine is most helpful when I am sick and congested because I can put it on and sleep through the night.
I was able to stop after about six months of treatment while losing weight. I noticed the machine was lowering the pressure over time and eventually just turned it off. A quick home sleep study confirmed it was fine. Snoring also ended after roughly 40 pounds lost and I am now down about 90.
I have used one since 2020. The last six months my mouth has been drying out and air is escaping through my lips making noise. A new machine did not fix it. Trying a full-face mask still left a lot of leakage. I am fed up and thinking about another sleep study so I can finally stop using it.
Everyone should be careful. I lost 16 kg without medication then gained some back and lost it again with the shot over two months. I stopped the CPAP and felt good until I checked my blood pressure, which rose from 120/80 to 130/90. Going back on the machine brought it down again. Always verify with measurements.
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