Loose skin and Sleep Apnea

New to this site today. I'm almost through with my required weight monitoring and could have the VSG as early as late November. My goal is to lose about 70-80 lbs. Anything more than that is a bonus! My question is what should I expect regarding loose skin? What is the best way to minimize it (if that's even possible)? I'd like to avoid plastic surgery if I can. I'm not overly vain but I want to look my best after going through all this. Was just wondering what some successes or failures are out there when dealing with this issue.

Also, I have sleep apnea and have been told that I might potentially be able to do away with my cpap machine at some point. Has anyone on here actually been able to that or is it an empty promise? I just want to be realistic in my expectations.

Thanks all!!

There is really no way to minimize excess skin, and no one can predict how much you will have since it really depends on how stretched out the skin is, how long it has been that way, your age, and your genes.  With "only" 70-80 pounds to lose, though, you shouldn't have a significant problem with excess skin. not like someone who had 150 or 200 pounds to lose, anyway.

MANY people -- probably the vast majority, actually -- get rid of their CPAPs after losing the excess weight.  I had sleep apnea but did not wear a CPAP because it would have been too triggering because of some trauma history I have, and my apnea was gone completely by the time I was 6 months out and down 100 pounds (of the 190 I had to lose).

Lora

Thank you! Glad to hear the sleep apnea claim is a real one. Obviously it can be different for everyone but it's good to know it's definitely possible.

Welcome... loose skin... hard to say really... everyone is different, age, genes, how long you've been affected by obesity, skin damage/stretchmarks, ethnicity, and a little luck I think. Anytime you have a significant amount of weight to lose you will have some, the degree it affects you physically or emotionally or both is an unknown. Exercise can help but sometimes it's just too much and too much damage. Body shapers (some are designed for bariatric patients needs) or plastics are the only options if it is an issue. I didn't think I'd need or what plastics but I needed to for both physical and emotional health. Save some $$ just in case and if in a few years its not needed then you have a little next egg for something else.

I had severe sleep apnea and am happy to report I was completely free of episodes within the first 35 pounds lost. In fact, it was one of the major reasons I had WLS... my Dad died of obesity related heart failure and sleep apnea.

Best wishes!

~Michelle "Shelly"

I figured the loose skin question would be the most subjective, no way to know for each person. I'll plan on saving my money LOL

So sorry about your Dad :(

Sleep Apnea was one of the main reasons I had my VSG. I was soon able to turn the settings down. After I lost 110 lbs I had another sleep study which showed I still had a little sleep apnea, but not enough that needed medically treated, was not bad enough that my insurance company thought I needed to wear the CPAP any more. I tried to go without it and slept TERRIBLE.  Still waking up, bad headache in the am, sleepy during the day.  My sleep dr said since I still do have the some apnea he was fine with me still wearing, but ins co may stop paying for supplies.  I guess I am addicted to it!  I am still wearing it for now, I will try again at some point to wean off it.  But it really doesn't bother me, it is only inconvenient when I travel.

I am only 4 pounds above the top of normal BMI, so I think what sleep apnea I do have is caused by my anatomy and when I was heavy it made it worse.

Neither my weight loss center nor my sleep dr ever promised me that my sleep apnea would go away, just that it may improve.

Don't just stop wearing the CPAP without a repeat sleep study, skinny people get sleep apnea too!

Anne

Mine is one of the main reasons too, plus acid reflux/heartburn, and arthritis in my knee from an old sports injury. Supposedly all of these conditions could go away or significantly be reduced after WLS. Your anatomy issue is exactly what I was wondering about. I hate my cpap but I won't give it up until I know the sleep apnea is really gone. Keeping my fingers crossed.