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Permalink Reply by RockRpsgt on April 20, 2010 at 8:06am

If I could answer those two questions I would be a rich man. Did you get a report from your studies? Have you talked to your physician about other options?

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Permalink Reply by Mary Z on April 20, 2010 at 11:06am

Proably for life.
There are other treatments, dental appliances, surgery to name the two I know of. If you can adjust to CPAP, and I would try very hard to do that, it's the least invasive and we know it works for most people. You might see a dentist who specializes in dental appliances for sleep apnea patients and try an oral appliance. The is also a device in testng that stimulates the tongue with an electrode planted in that area and battery powered, but it's probably not going on the market anytime soon
How long have you been on CPAP? Rock is right, talk to your doctor about exploring other options.

I understand a good dental appliance can cost as much as a CPAP machine.

Mary Zimlich

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Permalink Reply by Amy on April 20, 2010 at 1:27pm

You really need to talk to your doctor. There are other treatments such as oral applainces and surgery but it depends on how bad your apnea is and other circumstances that should not be left to online help but to a medical doctor.

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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on April 20, 2010 at 5:34pm

CPAP is the least invasive of most of the other types of treatment.

It takes some getting used to, but many find that after an adjustment period we actually miss our machine when we are unable to use it.

There are dental devices, but they can cost as much or more than a good cpap. They are not always effective and another sleep study should be done to see if the device has corrected the sleep apnea.

Surgery options are out there. Depending upon where you live and what type of medical professionals are in your area. Many of the surgerical procedures have their own risk factors that should be taken into account, plus the expense, pain, etc. Surgerical options don't always correct sleep apnea either. Another follow up sleep study should be done to make sure the apneas are under control.

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Permalink Reply by Walt Service on April 20, 2010 at 11:28pm

I've seen folks use their cpap correctly (ie: everynight) and lose as little as 20lbs and not need cpap anymore. I've also seen adult who are 90lbs soaking wet and still have impressive apnea. Consult with your MD more Razmik. There are other treatments that might be more effective for you if you're not thrilled with cpap. Good luck

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