I have both of these and I have to sleep with a CPAP, which I hate. Has anyone on here through low-carbing successfully lost enough weight that they have eliminated either of these problems?

I'm hoping once I get to goal that I will be off CPAP and asthma meds too

My asthma improved, but didn't go away.

My sleep apnea improved, but didn't go away completely. I never got the CPAP, but I'm sure that I don't need it now. I snore a bit, but not much.

My husband uses the CPAP and has recently lost a lot of weight. His doctor told him that very few people will be able to stop using the CPAP, even after significant weight loss...rats, huh? But, I'd rather him use that and stay alive than the alternative!!

I didn't have apnea, but something called hypopnea and was on night time oxygen for about 8 mos. Once I lost the first 100 lbs, I didn't need it any more.

I can't tell if the weight loss by itself did much for my asthma, but getting off wheat and dairy have allowed me to cut my meds in half! And at half, I have better control than I've ever had in my LIFE.

I now sleep well, and I can breathe through my nose almost all the time. No more snoring, as reported by the husband. I even sleep flat on my back most of the time with no difficulty at all.

Dairy? Gosh, I love my cheese. I'm not eating wheat now, but I'm not sure I'm ready to give up dairy. I might be persuaded to try a test though, giving up dairy for a week or two. How quickly did you notice your asthma improving after giving up the dairy? Would a 2 week test likely be enough for me to tell?

My husbands apnea disappeared with his weight loss. And I slept better too, since the snoring was gone.

He put weight back on, and it is back. Sigh...

I used to be the Queen of All Dairy. Before LC I could drink a quart of milk a day. At the beginning of LC, cheese was my staple. I ate it alone, with pepperoni, melted on everything that would stand still, and sometimes just plain old melted onto the plate. And lets not even discuss ice cream, which is still one of my periodic downfalls even knowing what I do.

I read that it could make a difference, so I decided to go cheese free for a week. That's all it took. I think I've only had cheese once since then. At the end of that first week I spent all day outside in a grassy field at an event. It was 5pm before I needed a kleenex. And then only 1. After a day playing in grass surrounded by allergen trees. Me, who never went anywhere without them and has a box in every room in the house. Me, who thought breathing through the nostrils was a myth (like sweat evaporating and cooling.

Just giving up cheese made a HUGE difference. Since then I have, in easy stages, given up whey protein, most cream and I replace butter with olive oil or bacon fat whenever possible. I have control beyond my wildest dreams. If I have an ice cream incident, I feel a little wheezy and my nose stops up within hours and I feel the effects for about 2 days.

Now? Cheese has all the appeal of Elmer's Glue. If you'd told me that 2 years ago, I'd have rolled on the floor laughing!

Try it for a week. Maybe 10 days.

I have never been overweight and I use a CPAP which is a huge pain in the arse.

I am at the point where I am scared to death not using it while I sleep.

Apnea is more than just snoring. When I took my sleep test, I would stop breathing 10 times an hour. They showed me some of the video they took of me and it is quite alarming..

There are alernatives to the c-pap, but the c-pap works pretty darn well.

Surgery can be done. Of course there is no guarantee that it will work.

And you can get a dental mouth guard that holds your lower jaw forward while you sleep which works for some people. It can be tough to find a professinal who will fit you for such a device though.

PS Diva,
The problem with the surgery is that there is a potential for stroke..my uncle had one after his and now he is paralyzed on the left side of his body.

I know all surgeries have potential problems, but this one in general has a higher potential for strokes.

I want to use a Bipap machine which basically does the breathing for you,but my insurance sucks royally and won't pay for it.

Thanks for the info, Batspit. I can't make any promises, but I'm thinking about trying it.

PSDiva:

Unfortunately, my insurance will not cover a dental device and I don't have the $800 I've been quoted.

Also, the surgery doesn't always work. My husband's father had it and still needs CPAP. I also heard it's a very painful surgery and hard recovery. I'd hate to go through all that only to have to still use CPAP.

They said they wouldn't be able to tell if my apnea were weight related until I lost the weight and had a new sleep study.

Just hoping...

Gostrydr:

I also stop breathing up to 10 times an hour for up to 15 seconds. Along with that I have several involuntary leg jerks along with it.

My husband claims I no longer snore and I don't kick him quite as much as I used to. I just hate being a "hosehead" for the rest of my life. I guess it's better than damaging my heart further though.

You'd be surprised at the mischief dairy can wreak, grains too. I get a clogged nose like crazy, zits and muscle spasms. Gluten just makes me ill in so many ways it isn't funny.

Paleo diet, baby!

I have been off ALL asthma meds since July 2005. I have been on meds of some kind since I was 15. Changing my diet and eliminating what was making me sick helped. But I have underdeveloped lungs (a preemie). Even younger, stronger and in better shape, I never had the ability to run or climb more than 2 -3 flights of stairs at a time. My asthma is "under control" as long as I avoid all the allergens that could trigger it.

Unfortunately, DH won't consider the CPAP because he doesn't want to be hooked up for the rest of his life. He swears he would never be able to sleep with it on. I told him it could make the difference between a longer or shorter life. UNTIL something happens, he won't even consider it. I've asked him to be referred to the sleep center at the hospital. Loveable but stubborn man - he has to come to terms with it on his own.