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Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 9:21 am
by JEBar
UPDATE :

for me Sleep Apnea has been a reality for longer than I care to remember ..... I've slept connected to a CPAP machine since 2008 and the reality is I should have been using one for ten or so years before that .... frankly, I'd come to believe that I'd be using one for the rest of my life .... when it comes to new medical developments, I'm prone to want them to have a strong positive track record before I'll try them .... Inspire Medical Systems, Inc. treats Sleep Apnea similar to the way a pacemaker does for some heart problems .... they implant a small device that was granted FDA approval in 2014 as a treatment for obstructive Sleep Apnea.... they insert a monitoring device in your chest during an outpatient procedure..... another incision is made under your chin to implant a nerve stimulator..... the two components work together to monitor your breathing and deliver gentle pulsations to the nerve that controls your tongue’s movement. This stimulation forces your tongue forward to the front of your mouth, clearing your airway so that you can breathe more effectively .... the device that is implanted in your body only functions when you turn it on before bed using the accompanying remote.... on Friday I have a virtual appointment scheduled with a doctor who implants the systems .... this is step one toward having the procedure when we get back from SD in early September

https://www.inspiresleep.com/

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 10:16 am
by Hatchdog
Good luck, hope you’re a viable candidate for the procedure and equipment. I’ve seen that or a similar product on TV and I can only imagine how wonderful getting off the machine would be.

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 2:46 pm
by dave77
Looking forward to seeing how it works out for you. My sleep doctor has mentioned it to me but I don't really want to go through the surgery, also from what I see they would want me to lose at least 50 to 75lbs before doing the procedure.
I have a phone visit with my sleep doctor in a couple of weeks and he's not going to be happy with me, I haven't used my cpap for months, I hate it, I'm lucky if I can get 4 or 5 hours of sleep while wearing it.

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 3:39 pm
by JEBar
dave77 wrote:
Wed May 01, 2024 2:46 pm
I see they would want me to lose at least 50 to 75lbs before doing the procedure.
understood .... if you go to this website you can find out if you qualify ===> https://www.inspiresleep.com/en-us/do-i-qualify/ .... for me the weight requirement required me to drop 35 pounds .... being able to have this surgery has been a major motivator for me and so far, I've dropped 45 and see no reason not to continue doing so for a while longer

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Wed May 01, 2024 11:06 pm
by dave77
Site says my BMI is 37.16. Says "Inspire therapy has been clinically tested for people with a BMI up to 40. Over 90%1 of U.S. adults are within this range". I will discuss it with my sleep doctor next week. Unfortunately no local doctors doing it so would have to travel out of town. Does it require a overnight stay? I would think so.

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Thu May 02, 2024 7:36 am
by JEBar
they say it only requires "Outpatient Surgery" .... looking forward to your report on your appointment with your sleep doctor

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Sat May 04, 2024 10:23 pm
by graywolf
Sleep doctor told me mine is too severe for Inspire. He did lower my pressure by 1 number last month to see if it would help with my mask sealing. I think it did some.

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Sat May 04, 2024 10:58 pm
by Travlin
My wife was able to quit the C-Pap when we went on the paleo diet and she lost weight. It's a good thing as she found out some the machines including the new one she never used, have caused cancer in the respiratory tract. No more sleep apnea.

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 7:06 am
by JEBar
my research continues and in some ways my uncertainty grows .... tomorrow morning I anticipate a call from a company that is going to send me a sleep study kit and that is all I've agreed to so far .... before I actually agree, they will have to assure me how much my health insurance will cover .... my major area of concern continues to be my Body Mass Index .... advertising says up to 40 is fine .... all of the medical folks I've spoken directly say they feel better with up to 35 .... for me to get there, I'll need to drop 38 more pounds .... right now, I'm leaning in that direction

Re: Sleep Apnea

Posted: Sun May 05, 2024 3:07 pm
by JEBar
I've never been comfortable enough to sleep while wearing a CPAP face mask, rather I've always used what they call nose pillows --- https://www.bing.com/shop/productpage?q ... ters=scena rio%3a%2217%22+gType%3a%2212%22+gId%3a%22833039701 02%22+gIdHash%3a%220%22+gGlobalOfferIds%3a%2283303 970102%22+AucContextGuid%3a%220%22+GroupEntityId%3 a%2283303970102%22+NonSponsoredOffer%3a%22True%22& productpage=true&FORM=SHPPDP&browse=true .... they do not work for folks who breathe through their mouth .... shortly after starting to lose weight a couple of months ago I found that I had a problem .... that motivated me to do some research where I discovered there are "CPAP Chin Straps" that are designed to correct air from escaping through the mouth .... I ended up ordering a Bistras Super Deluxe White Chin Strap for Cpap Users .... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CHK6BC1S?ps ... ct_details I used it for the first time last night and it works .... its going to take some getting used to but far less than a mask or nose pillows