Can a wedge pillow make apnea worse?

[DiabolikalDeux]

I was disposed last year, but something about the whole setup, especially after two disasters of sleep studies where the masks and air made me hyper and my legs jumping and so on, long story I'm waiting for an appointment with a sleep physician late next month, and I'm trying to figure out anything that helps in the meantime. I bought a seven-inch tall edge pillow, to try and raise me up, but it is not helping. This O-ring alone, I woke up with my mouth drier and my eyes hurting. Is this normal for wedge pillows, to exacerbate it? (I also am not using the machine, since since the sleep studies, I start twitching involuntarily and getting the bulge eyes, etc.)

[jdougc]

Welcome to the forum,

Can you post a image/copy of your sleep report with your personal info redacted?

Your minimum pressure is too low for an adult, you need at least 7 cm of pressure. 
Raising the minimum may also help stop some obstructive events or your hypopneas.
is your ramp on? Make sure to raise the ramp pressure to 7cm also.

Please download Oscar and share screenshots here
Show these charts, press F12 for a screenshot or Fn F12 for a mac
Event Flags
Flow rate
Leak Rate
Pressure
Flow limits
 not Snore or AHI or time in AHI


Wedge pillows can make apnea worse if you are a side sleeper, which is the best position to deal with sleep apnea, it forces you to sleep on your back.

https://www.kimberlymd.com/blog/can-a-we...leep-apnea

[super7pilot]

I would ask you this.  How far down your torso does your wedge pillow go?  

A true wedge pillow like this MedCline   goes all the way to one's waist. If it doesn't go down that far. It will simply end up bending your neck and create positional apnea. An alternative to a rather expensive MedCline pillow is to put some wood blocks under the beds legs to create an incline.

In reality. The main benefit of a wedge pillow in apnea treatment is to promote side sleeping without putting pressure on one's shoulders. And the medcline pillow is used in such a way that rolling onto your back is next to impossible as your lower arm is captured between the pillow and mattress.

[SarcasticDave94]

OP has attempted therapy some but has some major issues with anxiety or similar.

On to the wedge question, it depends on how much the incline is. If your head can tilt forward easily, it's going to hinder you, possibly add Positional Apnea. A small incline is likely OK, but don't overdo it.

[super7pilot]

Dave, I couldn't tolerate the Medcline solely because of the bend it put on my lower back because of a pesky L-5 disk. But it sure made it more comfy on my shoulder, even though my shoulder doesn't bother me much.

I think part of the issue with wedge pillows is that the term 'wedge' is used inappropriately. A true wedge pillow will impart ZERO bend to the neck regardless of one's position on it.

[DiabolikalDeux]

re: Dave, it's not much of an incline, but I think my neck might keep going forward.

Re: super7pilot, I rechecked and it seems to only go to middle back, but I also keep sliding forward while using it.

[super7pilot]

Deux, That can be an issue if you move like you are dreaming about Saturday night fever.

The medcline has an arm hole that captures your bed side arm and you have to actually wake up to remove said arm to turn over and insert the other arm. So it can also be a tool to train you to only dance at the club and not while sleeping.

But of course we are all different in what works for us.