[Equipment] oral appliance instead of CPAP?

[singergal67]

I've been using CPAP for 2 months for mild apnea. Adjusting to CPAP treatment is not going well and I've only been able to achieve the minimum 4 hours per night usage 11 nights out of 53.  I'm considering asking my dentist about an oral appliance instead of CPAP to keep my airway open. Has anyone tried this? Did it work?

[FrankFuss]

I too had trouble with CPAP and ended up in the hospital for an anxiety disorder because of it.  I then tried an oral appliance.  It has been a while ago and I don't remember the exact numbers, but the oral appliance tended to cut my AHI in half from what it was without it.

However, central apnea was part of my problem, so I again tried the CPAP with the hope of treating my central apnea.  The secret to getting used to the CPAP was to use it during the day while I watched TV and for naps.  It took a while and I was eventually able to get a good night’s sleep with the CPAP.  I now use the CPAP successfully, but it did not start out that way.

[Lucid]

Hi, singergal67.  I consulted my medical and dental professionals about a mandibular advancement device.  They were concerned that it was less effective than CPAP and could irritate the temporal mandibular joint and cause chronic pain.  

If you download OSCAR and post charts here, experienced users can provide advice on how to adjust your settings to improve comfort and effectiveness of CPAP.

[singergal67]

Frankfuss,
      I'm sorry you had such a difficult journey. Hopefully you are getting good sleep now. A 50 percent reduction in events would put me just slightly over normal value so if I keep having problems with the CPAP it might be worth asking my dentist about it. Last night CPAP went great though so maybe I've got it figured out.  

Lucid,
     Good point about possible joint pain, I hadn't considered that aspect.

[Deborah K.]

It takes most people a good while to really adjust to using a pap machine.  I was able to sleep plenty long quickly, but it was a few months before I slept really well.  Everyone is different, but most people need significant time to feel really comfortable sleeping with a foreign object attached to their face.  Stay with it.  It's worth it!  

[singergal67]

Thanks for the encouragement. I guess I naively thought I would start sleeping better right away with the CPAP.

[FrankFuss]

I guess I naively thought I would start sleeping better right away with the CPAP.

That was the same expectations I had.   My wife did so well with CPAP therapy, I thought it would be as easy for me.  It was a rude awakening when it was not.  Again, my secret was to get use to breathing with the CPAP during the day while reading or watching TV, then sleeping with the CPAP became more natural.