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alaxo stent
#31
RE: alaxo stent
i haven't tried it yet.  A couple weeks my Mandibular advancement device will be done and i have to give that a good college try first. (like the CPAP I'm sure it will help... in SOME positions but not on my back)  Thinking-about

The ENT who did my sleep endoscopy thinks the Alaxostent would work and she would probably be willing to prescribe it but of course it's not going to be covered by insurance.

With my pain doc dealing with my neck arthritis issues it's been easier to sleep in a position my CPAP works in. I just had the turbinate reduction done, still recovering from that (no real improvement as a result, yet... some nights I can't breathe at all through my nose because of the drainage and swelling on the left side especially which makes for a horrid night).  They sometimes have to go in and redo, i guess.  I would like more taken out of the left side.  It is constantly pressurized and obstructed so after a while of lying down things get worse regardless of allergies.  I almost never have trouble in the right side nostril, so that tells me it's not likely to be allergies.

I do think some kind of palate surgery would work for me.  Sometimes when i get dried out, the palate isn't as flexible and I can manage to exhale without it flapping shut for a while anyway.  But as soon as I swallow and spread the moisture around it goes back to flapping shut.

To convince the insurance to cover anything for this is another matter entirely. I'm still miserable more nights than I care to be.  And I have enough other health stuff and family stuff stressing me out that I need to be able to sleep.
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#32
RE: alaxo stent
I've got the Alaxo stent now and I'm trying to get accustomed to it. It's definitely for people who have obstructive apnea - perhaps not severe cases.

CPAP is a barbaric solution, but sometimes I get the impression that this forum exists to promote CPAP. I'm not here to bash CPAP, as it's a lifesaver, but it has its drawbacks. In my case, it has created problems with my stomach.

Unfortunately, the Alaxo stent is not what we want either, but at least it's an alternative that may work for some. I just started to try to get used to it, and I'm learning to put it in. I've tried twice just to get it in and keep it there and it has been uncomfortable. My guess is that I'll be able to get used to it, but it's going to take some time.

I'll report back, good or bad. For now, I'm using CPAP.
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#33
RE: alaxo stent
I wouldn’t characterize the gold standard therapy (CPAP) as barbaric. I would reserve that term for shoving stents up my nose every night.

Whatever works for each individual is what matters.
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#34
RE: alaxo stent
Blowing the patient up with pressurized air to keep a short passageway open is barbaric. Inserting a long stent through the nose is also barbaric.

Whereas CPAP ensures an abnormally pressurized breathing environment, the stent promises to return breathing to normal by holding the passage open.

It may be that CPAP is our best solution so far, but I dislike it enough to try the stent.
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#35
RE: alaxo stent
Dream Machine, we have had discussions on the Alexo stent on the forum, and I recall one case in particular where a member was experience what appeared to be expiratory flow restriction or palatal prolapse, where we specifically suggested looking into the stent. As I recall she also had severe aerophagia at low pressures. It certainly has the potential to avoid an even more barbaric surgical solution to open airways and nasal passages. I think the stent may be viable for a certain cohort of individuals, especially those that cannot tolerate positive air pressure due to aerophagia or other factor.

I'm interested in hearing more about your adaptation to the stent, and it would be especially interesting if you can compare before and after sleep studies to evaluate the efficacy. The stent is specifically suitable for individuals that can overcome the gag reflex and with mild or moderate apnea. Even the Alexo Stent website cites an efficacy of less than 40% and considerably lower than CPAP. http://www.alaxo.com/alaxostent_eng.html
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#36
RE: alaxo stent
I have a similar issue on exhale (per the thread on "Palate still closing on exhale") and also am trying to get used to the Alaxostent. 

I have so far only been able to keep the Alaxostent in for a few minutes part of the way deployed. It is not that it causes a gag reflex; even when I have it slightly below the palate, and when I swallow, I don't gag. It is more that it "irritates" the top of my palate and/or back of my nasal passage, for lack of a better description.

My thought is that if I can work up to keeping it in longer and longer, perhaps that area will become desensitized. The physician's manual also says that lidocaine gel, applied to the tube and stent, may be used for sensitive people to adapt to it. I got some lidocaine gel from my PCP, but am still a little hesitant to use it.

I wonder if Dream Machine has any thoughts or can share their experience since their last post...?
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