Elastic Mandibular Appliance EMA

I'm a father of 3 very active sons. I've been using a CPAP for about 12 years. As you all know, the CPAP is a must but it is also a chain. I cannot go on wilderness hunting or camping trips with my sons which I very much want to do unless I lug a generator or battery along. When you hoof it in carrying it all on your back... generators and batteries are a no go.

Yesterday I saw an advertisement for an Elastic Mandibular Appliance, EMA. I would love to be able to "unhook" myself even if for only a few days. Have any of you used one of these? Successfully?

This is the particular device I saw http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... EgQMygkMCQ


Thanks
Christian

Your link goes to a company and normally spam notes (esp. from someone new to the site) are deleted... spam is not allowed, but if you're not connected to that company and plan to remain a member who wants help with Cpap, let us know.

Julie wrote:Your link goes to a company and normally spam notes (esp. from someone new to the site) are deleted... spam is not allowed, but if you're not connected to that company and plan to remain a member who wants help with Cpap, let us know.

Julie,

I am completely perplexed by your post as there are no rules on this forum as to what links someone can post as long as someone's intention is not to spam other members and it is clear that headofrock doesn't have that goal as he was just providing the link as an example of what he was talking about. He also asked as a long term cpap user if using a dental device was a good idea for a camping trip which is certainly a reasonable question.

49er

headofrock wrote:I'm a father of 3 very active sons. I've been using a CPAP for about 12 years. As you all know, the CPAP is a must but it is also a chain. I cannot go on wilderness hunting or camping trips with my sons which I very much want to do unless I lug a generator or battery along. When you hoof it in carrying it all on your back... generators and batteries are a no go.

Yesterday I saw an advertisement for an Elastic Mandibular Appliance, EMA. I would love to be able to "unhook" myself even if for only a few days. Have any of you used one of these? Successfully?

This is the particular device I saw http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... EgQMygkMCQ


Thanks
Christian

Hi Christian,

I have not used a dental device but you might want to do a search of the forum to see how people have handled camping trips with a cpap. I am guessing for only a few days, using a dental device would be a reasonable alternative, particularly if your AHI is mild to moderate since they have a greater chance of working with that apnea severity. You also might want to make sure the EMA is your best option and if you decide to go that route, ask the dentist for supporting data that shows what type of effectiveness it has.

Finally, keep in mind I am not a medical professional so take that into account and check with your medical team to make sure they think what you are proposing is reasonable based on your medical history.

49er

I didn't delete it... though considered the possibility, for the reasons I mentioned, but also felt it would be a good idea to say what I did because of the reasons I gave. I'm sorry you didn't agree, and it's your right to do that too of course. It bothered me when I clicked on the link and it went directly to the company site, rather than e.g. a research article backing up the method used.

Julie wrote:I didn't delete it... though considered the possibility, for the reasons I mentioned, but also felt it would be a good idea to say what I did because of the reasons I gave. I'm sorry you didn't agree, and it's your right to do that too of course. It bothered me when I clicked on the link and it went directly to the company site, rather than e.g. a research article backing up the method used.

Julie,

Christian gave the link of the site of a sleep medicine dentist who provided the EMA device as an example of what he was talking about. There was no reason for him to provide a link to research since he was only asking about using it for a few days on his camping trip instead of the cpap which he has used for many years. If you had deleted the link, I would have told him to complain to Carolyn Goodman to have it reinstated because deleting it would have been totally unjustifiable.

49er

You're sounding like the forum police... I didn't delete it, but actually have no reason to continue defending myself against you and in fact am getting quite fed up with the local 'cops' lately. This forum used to be fun and interesting, but recently has gone somewhere else entirely... and it's not terribly nice, however 'correct' it may be.

Christian,

I forgot to add that if you click on the link in my signature profile for dental devices, you can access a PDF document that shows 2011 research for various apnea severities for the effectiveness of fixed vs. adjustable appliances. Adjustable appliances did alot better in mostly keeping the AHI below 5 for mild to moderate apnea although it wasn't always guaranteed. But they seemed to do better than fixed appliances.

As far as I know, the EMA device is fixed although please double check on that. And again, check with your medical team to make sure what you are proposing is viable.

49er

Julie wrote:You're sounding like the forum police... I didn't delete it,

do you think that 49er has a hat like this when she starts her policing actions?

Anything's possible.

Julie wrote:Your link goes to a company and normally spam notes (esp. from someone new to the site) are deleted... spam is not allowed, but if you're not connected to that company and plan to remain a member who wants help with Cpap, let us know.

I did read the rules which is why I didn't use the url for the company that makes it. The link I posted should go to picture only. I simply googled EMA images and picked one then used that url. I tried to insert just the image but couldn't figure that out. If you actually follow the link, you'll see it is not spamming, nor going to a business site,just a picture.

Sorry if I broke the rules with my very first request for help.

Where can I get one of those hats?!?!

Sorry Headofrock, I didn't go to the link, only clicked on it... probably 'jumped' too fast, being too vigilante myself!

headofrock wrote:Where can I get one of those hats?!?!

I don't know, but I want one!!! *lol*

Sometimes we all jump the gun or shoot from the hip (sorry for all the weighty gun metaphors). I've done it and so has just about everyone else who been on the forum for awhile... Julie walked back her original critical reply and that's good enough for me.

IMO, some folks get relief from a mandibular device and others don't. I suggest trying it at home first before trekking into the wilderness for a first test