Hi all. I'm Elizabeth and I wanted to start this group because I know that when having any surgery involving general anesthesia, the existence of sleep apnea in a patient is important and relevant information. For those who don't know what sleep apnea is... Sleep apnea (AP-ne-ah) is a common disorder in which you have one or more pauses in breathing or shallow breaths while you sleep. Breathing pauses can last from a few seconds to minutes. Sleep apnea usually is a chronic (ongoing) condition that disrupts your sleep. You often move out of deep sleep and into light sleep when your breathing pauses or becomes shallow. This results in poor sleep quality that makes you tired during the day. I was recently diagnosed with severe obstructive sleep apnea and want to hear advice or experiences from others who have been plagued with this particular sleeping disorder...how has it affected or been affected by your wls? Thanks for all replies!

I just had my surgery, 12 days ago so I have not noticed any changes as of yet but have heard from others that they no longer need a machine. In fact they found they could no longer sleep with the CPAP. I am looking forward to that day as it is a damper in the snuggling with my hubby department.

so this is what worries me.. although the thought of not having to wear my cpap is wonderful and kodakmom I am with u on the snuggling with my hubby, that will be so nice, but.. I have gotten so used to sleeping with my cpap that I CANNOT be without it. for obvious reasons but it has become a form of comfort for lack of a better term. The mask, the sound ect. I worry that when I dont need it anymore that I wont be able to sleep without it anyway.

I feel the same way mimi, it is kind of my security. Dont know if I could sleep without it! Havent lost enough yet to see if I could sleep without it!

Hey fellow cpap users, I had my sleeve on sept. 30, 2013. I am trying to find out from my dr. if my apnea is any better. I have lost 54 lbs. I too would love to get off, I have had so much trouble getting a mask to fit properly, I have tried about 8 different kinds since I started having to wear one almost 3 yrs. ago. I pray we all can get off of them.

I actually love my cpcap & have nicknamed it Darth. As in Darth Vader lol! I have tried to sleep w/ out it & I was miserable by morning! at 6 months out I'll do another sleep study to see if I still need it. So that gives me 3 more months w/ darth.

It is a security. but it's a love hate relationship. Both my hubby and I have a cpap. I tease him my hose is longer. lol All kidding aside I'd love to get off it and not worry about stopping breathing. The day of surgery they wouldn't let me sleep with my cpap and I felt so aweful the next day, couldn't wait to get back on.

How does one know when to stop using cpap? A new sleep study I'm guessing. But is it after a certain amount of weight loss or a time frame?

In the hospital, I fell asleep without my Cpapmask on, in no time I was woken up by the nurse. My saturation dropped very fast. I am pretty sure, that the Cpap is for life for me. My sleeppattern has been the same for me during my life. Through thickand thin :-).