Introduce Yourself!

Hello,

My name is Ann and I am old and grey and a year ago I was diagnosed with moderate sleep apnea and cannot tolerate a CPAP machine so am currently using a dental appliance which works to some degree.

By chance, I just found out about Myofunctional Therapy which according to the US Natl. Library of Medicine - Myofunctional Therapy decreases arena-hypopnea index by 50% in adults and can be an adjunct to other therapy.

Anyone ever heard of this or found a therapist? Any good results out there? Thanks

Hi @FrankChartreuseMosquito9836. I am happy to hear your oral appliance is working to treat your sleep apnea. Medicare does cover oral appliances for sleep apnea and released some updated coverage information in October 2015. The criteria are very specific, so the guidelines must be followed closely for Medicare to pay for the treatment. The American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine has a physician finder on their Patient Resources web page (http://www.aadsm.org/PatientResources.aspx), and you may be able to locate a certified dentist in your area. A dentist who is board-certified in dental sleep medicine may be able to assist you with getting your device paid for. Best wishes, and please keep us posted!

Hello Ann (@ImaginativeScarletDolphin9830). I have heard of Myofunctional Therapy, and I read a literature review that showed the same statistics you mention. Here is a link to the article http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25348130. I do not have any personal experience with the therapy, but maybe we have some community members who can comment.

Hi my name is Dayle, I have been on a Cpap for nearly 2 yrs now for Sleep Apnea. I have just had Sinus Surgery 3 weeks ago and I am really struggling with being able to tolerate the Cpap while healing form the surgery. I thought at first it was drying out my sinus which is not good for healing but I am now thinking my pressure may be too hard for me in this situation. My machine runs at 18. Has anyone had sinus surgery while using a Cpap?

Hi Dayle (@BrightYankeesBlueLocust6465). I have not had sinus surgery as a CPAP patient, but I have worked with both physicians and patients related to this issue. While it will depend on your specific situation, CPAP users sometimes need to temporarily not use treatment while healing from some types of surgery. If they do not want you to stop using treatment temporarily, they may be able to lower the pressure so that you still get some benefit from your treatment. I encourage you to contact your surgeon and/or sleep physician and see if they can provide you with guidance. The pressure at 18 cm may be difficult to tolerate after surgery, depending on the type of surgery and your level of recovery. Best wishes, and please keep us posted.

Hi

Hi, I Left a comment with my introduction but I Don't see it here. My name is Bridget. I'm a senior of 74 years who was recently diagnosed in October, 2015. I Left a long intro earlier that I Don't see it on here and I Don't want to type more unless I See that it is reaching someone. Would appreciate an acknowledgement. Thank you..

Hi Bridget (@DynamicNavyBlueSpider3631). Thanks for posting on MyApnea.Org. Your Forum Name or handle is automatically generated, but you can change it by going to the "Settings" page. The settings page can be found by clicking on the small white arrow on the upper-right side of the page. Just change your name in the Forum Name field to a name you prefer. Also, please do post any questions or comments you have. We have a great member community and look forward to hearing from you!

Hi everyone. Wow, first of all... Extremely impressed with this forum and community.

I'm an anesthesiology resident. I'm training right now to be the doctor that puts you to sleep before surgery. I found out I had moderate sleep apnea AHI=18 and started using a CPAP seriously about 2 months ago after the titration study my optimal pressure was 6cmH20. I wear the CPAP nasal over the nose mask everynight, I am unable to wear it for a total of more than 3 hours/night. I continue to wake up even with the mask on at times, but most of the time I wake up with the mask off somewhere in the bed. I recently ordered an oral appliance but have not received it yet, ResMed Narval CC- luckily my insurance covered it ($2300). I have been seeing an ENT in league city who wants to do a terbinate reduction and septoplasty (I have inferior terbinate hypertrophy and moderate-severe right septal deviation). I'm okay with doing that surgery but I want to make sure its going to actually help the problem. I wanted to make an appointment and schedule a drug induced endoscopy to get to the bottom line and see which surgery has the highest likelihood of benefiting me (this endoscopy is when they put you under deep sedation and they put an endoscope in your nose and look for where the blockage is occurring at.) My ENT did a fiberoptic exam in the office and examined my tonsils, etc. Apparently he didnt think I have any source of obstruction in that area. As a training anesthesiologist, I know that the upper airway completely changes once youre paralyzed (in REM sleep). I have a feeling that the source of the obstructive is actually in this area for that reason.

Anyone have any experiences with upper airway surgery in this situation?

Hi @DoctorDozeZzZzz, and welcome to MyApnea.Org! Glad to see you are impressed with our Forum. How long have you being using your CPAP, and do you happen to know if your sleep apnea is REM-related? Many patients have a similar story to yours, including me. I used to wake up frequently to find my mask somewhere in the bed or on the floor. I started practicing wearing it before going to bed while reading or watching TV, and that helped quite a bit. I'm now able to wear the mask the entire night. As for the surgery, I do not have any personal experience with upper airway surgery. I'm hoping some of our members might reply if any of them have experience. In the meantime, best wishes with your CPAP and with getting answers to your questions. Feel free to post other questions and your own experiences. -Dan

Hi - I just joined this site and am conducting research into hypoglossal nerve stimulation for the treatment of severe OSA. This research will be used by a non-profit to evaluate whether to invest resources in this potentially exciting treatment for those who do not benefit from CPAP. I'd like to know your thoughts on hypoglossal nerve stimulation. What you like/dislike about it, what you've heard about it, concerns, etc.. If anyone out there has a device, would welcome your input as well! Thank you! Best, JC

I posted before, but I can't find it. I recently quit my job because they went to a seven day work schedule, at least nine hours a day. I am already exhausted when I wake up. I'm going to burn through my savings and hope some miracle happens. CPAP is not that miracle. It works, just not good enough. I've lost hope.

Hi @AffableIndigoFox8154. I'm sorry to hear you are experiencing such exhaustion. CPAP can be helpful in improving fatigue in some patients, and I have experienced improvement in my own levels of fatigue since starting treatment a number of years ago. However, not everyone has the same experience. Fatigue can be caused by other health conditions, medications and many other things. Have you explored other potential causes for your exhaustion?

How do u comment on the forum? Dosent seem to work on iPhone

Hi everyone my name is Mazen I am a PhD student at Seton Hall University, I am also an RRT-SDS. I am Interested in obstructive sleep apnea, and sleep in general.

Hi I'm joe I was diagnosed with severe apnea 15 yrs ago. I've been on a B-Pap and use it every night for 15 yrs. My condition is getting worse and I have been approved and scheduled to get the new "inspire" implant on 3/11/16. I read everything there is too read, discussed all issue's with the surgeon. I am now getting cold feet and becoming a little scared to get it. Only because it is so new. I would really like to talk with someone who has it to help in my decision. To let you know my 1st study I stopped breathing 51 times per hr. That was 15 yrs ago. I have been fine until a few months ago my pressure was raised to 16/13 and I'm having 23 episodes per hr. This is why they have recommended inspire. Just a little scared and nervous. Please let me know asap if someone is out there I can speak with. Thanks Joe

Hi Joe (@IntelligentDesertSandDolphin6662). Several Inspire patients have posted their success stories on the Forum. You can use the search feature to see the topics where posts about Inspire appear. There is also a good article posted on our Research page if you have not read it: https://myapnea.org/blog/new-frontiers-in-the-treatment-of-sleep-apnea-unilateral-hypoglossal-nerve-stimulation. Hopefully, some of our members can provide some feedback on their experiences. Best wishes!