would like to hear from severe OSA sufferers who cannot tolerate CPAP / and also any doctors who may be reading this

I'd like to hear from anyone who has severe OSA but cannot use CPAP. I am in that percentage of severe OSA sufferers who cannot sleep with the CPAP machine no matter what options/settings/masks are tried. In 2015, I was referred to a ENT group that specializes in sleep disorder surgeries, and a doctor here in Chicago performed palate surgery and a septoplasty which reduced my AHI from 58 to 44. I was also fitted for an oral appliance after the surgery, and that did not offer any additional relief. Now I am stuck with no other options and still suffering with woefully inadequate sleep every night. Is there anyone in a similar situation who has found a remedy that at least slightly improved their sleep? The same doctor who performed my surgeries in 2015 suggested Hyoid Suspension surgery as a final surgical alternative, but he said the success rate is only 50%. I'd like to see if there are any other alternatives out there or suggestions from any doctors who may be reading this before going through another painful surgery with a limited success rate. BTW, my claim to have the Inspire device implanted has already been turned down by my insurance company because I have extensive lateral wall collapse which makes me a less than ideal candidate for the device.

Hello, I am a dentist working in dental sleep medicine. First of all, which oral appliance did you try? The Tap 3 line(TAP3, DreamTap) has been acknowledged within the dental sleep medicine as significantly more effective for severe OSA than other alternatives. If you haven't tried a TAP, you haven't given it your best shot. Secondly, there would definitely be hope for you with a combination device called the Tap-Pap CS. It incorporates a Tap OSA appliance into a nasal pillow mask and has a patented intraoral mouth shield that eliminates leakage through the mouth from mouth breathing. It is highly effective(better than CPAP or an oral appliance alone) and studies of people who have been CPAP intolerant, but for whom the OAs were ineffective, that 70 percent of those patients COULD successfully manage with the Tap-Pap CS. Those odds are pretty good, don't you think? Arthur B. Luisi, Jr.,D.M.D.

The original poster mentioned he/she can't use CPAP but is that the same as can't tolerate CPAP? Are there other possible medical alternatives as to why a person could not use CPAP therapy?

Dr. Luisi, I tried a nasal mask and found it intolerable. I am prescribed a Bipap 25/21 and the mask didn't have sufficiently sized holes for exhaling and filled with condensation that quickly became a bit of a flood. Is the Tap-Pap CS therapy you describe have any limitations on pressure limits? Sounds interesting as I now have to use a mouthguard to keep my mouth shut at night anyway. It this therapy widely used? What type doctor or dentist specialist would prescribe this therapy? Please expand on your comments regarding this device... especially if it is more expensive than dental appliances or PAP therapy gizmos and might make insurance providers balk if cheaper treatment options are available.

I am in the same category as the OP as can't tolerate any kind of mask (think tarantulas on face). I tried about ten styles and all freaked me out.
About three weeks ago I had a custom made dental appliance made and am gradually getting used to sleeping with it. A bit of rubbing on gum on one side so will have to go for adjustment. No jaw pain or stiffness. I have severe OSA (68 AHI) so I need some sort of treatment. I did like the daily data with CPAP and have got a fitbit which tracks sleep quality which gives me a bit of a clue as to what's going on. I will have another sleep study with the dental splint in place closer to Christmas.