Treatments Options For Sleep Apnea Other Than Cpap

[sdowens]

I would like to know if anyone could tell me what other sleep apnea treatments options can my doctor offer me if I keep pulling off my cpap mask? I have done it ever since I got treated in July. I am so frustrated about this. My sleep doctor and the cpap company told me I must have four hours and one minute to keep it or it gets sent back. Are there other options that they can try? I have tried three masks and I do that to all of them. I tried the nasal pillow, the one you put over your nose, and the full face mask. Even sleeping aids don't work. I have to cheat a lot and use it watching tv or surfing the internet. I have mild sleep apnea with severe Hypoxemia where my oxygen drops too low.

[Wulfman...]

I would like to know if anyone could tell me what other sleep apnea treatments options can my doctor offer me if I keep pulling off my cpap mask? I have done it ever since I got treated in July. I am so frustrated about this. My sleep doctor and the cpap company told me I must have four hours and one minute to keep it or it gets sent back. Are there other options that they can try? I have tried three masks and I do that to all of them. I tried the nasal pillow, the one you put over your nose, and the full face mask. Even sleeping aids don't work. I have to cheat a lot and use it watching tv or surfing the internet. I have mild sleep apnea with severe Hypoxemia where my oxygen drops too low.

We don't know what machine, mask or settings you're using. Sometimes, they're the obstacles that need to be overcome.
But, many of us went through that phase......briefly.......when we started this therapy. We (well, most of us) learned to overcome it, mostly by putting the mask back on and going back to sleep......especially if you can catch yourself doing it.
It's been a recommendation here on the forum to use the mask and machine while watching TV or other types of similar activities as you have been doing.
Some of the suggestions have been to put socks on the hands, use a band of some type around the headgear to make it more difficult to remove the mask.
But, you need to come up with some method on your own to prevent doing it.


Den

.

[Heart Jumping]

Some people can be helped by losing weight (but many people have apnea without even being overweight), some can be helped with surgery (but it's only appropriate for some people and even then may not work). And other than that the main thing you'll find is bogus snake oil treatments that do nothing. So...not really any other treatments.

1. Do you mean you are pulling your mask off in your sleep without realizing it? Or you can't stand it and purposely pull it off?

2. Any idea how long it usually is before you pull it off?

3. You mention wearing it while watching TV etc. So you do OK with it when awake?

[sickwithapnea17]

we should all exercise try to lose 20 pounds

[49er]

I would like to know if anyone could tell me what other sleep apnea treatments options can my doctor offer me if I keep pulling off my cpap mask? I have done it ever since I got treated in July. I am so frustrated about this. My sleep doctor and the cpap company told me I must have four hours and one minute to keep it or it gets sent back. Are there other options that they can try? I have tried three masks and I do that to all of them. I tried the nasal pillow, the one you put over your nose, and the full face mask. Even sleeping aids don't work. I have to cheat a lot and use it watching tv or surfing the internet. I have mild sleep apnea with severe Hypoxemia where my oxygen drops too low.

sdowens,

I had this problem with full face masks. Once I switched to the elan cloth nasal mask listed in my profile, it stopped. Not sure why but maybe I found it alot more comfortable? Perhaps this might be something worth trying? If you do decide to pursue this route, you might have to be persistent in finding a DME that will order it for you as most of them don't keep it in stock.

Do you have any nasal obstruction issues because the discomfort from that could be causing you to take off your mask in the night?