CPAPtalk.com

49er wrote:

allchokedup wrote:Hi folks..

Because of health problem, which very well may be from APNEA or UARS, I'm being forced to take another look in treatment.
My first try with a RESMED CPAP almost 2 years ago was horrible. I already sleep like crap, and it just kept waking me up. THe problem seemed to be that my throat would close up TIGHT, and the CPAP would start increasing pressure but it would just close my throat all the tighter until the mask would fart around my cheeks etc. (I have a very thin face...the rest of me, too). So I was thinking that maybe I'm not a candidate for CPAP because of the way my throat and tongue etc is structured (I have the narrow jaw with crowded teeth). Anyway, it just felt like no amount of pressure could open my throat.

I never tried a nasal device (pillow?) but my nasal passages are also narrow and often I can't breath through my nose very well.

Don't some people do ok with an oral appliance? Or surgery?

Thank-you for reading!
-m

All choked up, you might want to see if this article is applicable to your situation.

http://www.sleep-doctor.com/blog/the-ep ... eep-apnea/

"""I have noticed two things in patients where the epiglottis plays an important role. One is that these patients may get a sensation of choking with their continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which is not only dramatic and disturbing but which is very different from other reasons for being unable to tolerate CPAP. This may occur because CPAP could, at least theoretically, be pushing the epiglottis backwards to create a complete seal in the throat that cannot be relieved by higher CPAP pressures. """

49er

allchokedup wrote:

49er wrote:

allchokedup wrote:Hi folks..

Because of health problem, which very well may be from APNEA or UARS, I'm being forced to take another look in treatment.
My first try with a RESMED CPAP almost 2 years ago was horrible. I already sleep like crap, and it just kept waking me up. THe problem seemed to be that my throat would close up TIGHT, and the CPAP would start increasing pressure but it would just close my throat all the tighter until the mask would fart around my cheeks etc. (I have a very thin face...the rest of me, too). So I was thinking that maybe I'm not a candidate for CPAP because of the way my throat and tongue etc is structured (I have the narrow jaw with crowded teeth). Anyway, it just felt like no amount of pressure could open my throat.

I never tried a nasal device (pillow?) but my nasal passages are also narrow and often I can't breath through my nose very well.

Don't some people do ok with an oral appliance? Or surgery?

Thank-you for reading!
-m

All choked up, you might want to see if this article is applicable to your situation.

http://www.sleep-doctor.com/blog/the-ep ... eep-apnea/

"""I have noticed two things in patients where the epiglottis plays an important role. One is that these patients may get a sensation of choking with their continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, which is not only dramatic and disturbing but which is very different from other reasons for being unable to tolerate CPAP. This may occur because CPAP could, at least theoretically, be pushing the epiglottis backwards to create a complete seal in the throat that cannot be relieved by higher CPAP pressures. """

49er

Hi..

Yes, that could very well be my situation. Thanks so much for that info!

-m

So I was thinking that maybe I'm not a candidate for CPAP because of the way my throat and tongue etc is structured (I have the narrow jaw with crowded teeth).

tlohse wrote:That reminds me of a old Nike slogan "JUST DO IT." Anyhow just for your information the longer you go with out CPAP the worse its going to get.

chunkyfrog wrote:It is easy to say "try harder" if you have been there, done that, too long ago to remember it is HARD, damn hard.
Skinny people who actually kept the weight off, long time ex-smokers, and those of us who climbed over our cpap humps can be annoying. Cpap was easy, compared to other things.
(I never smoked; so dodged that bullet.)
Just remember that your strength is there, but it is buried under doubt and frustration.
You have to really WANT to reach down, shake it out and make it work for you, because it has no confidence.
Take your strength to boot camp; be ruthless; succeed.

Janknitz wrote:

So I was thinking that maybe I'm not a candidate for CPAP because of the way my throat and tongue etc is structured (I have the narrow jaw with crowded teeth).

Well, it sounds like you may be grappling with more than just a narrow airway, but it's important for you to know that this structural description can easily describe the majority of people here. CPAP is meant to treat narrow jaw, narrow airway, crowded teeth--that's the most common cause of OSA. So once your epiglottis issue gets ironed out, don't let these other things stop you from getting adequately treated. 84% oxygen at night for decades is not going to be a healthy way to live.

allchokedup wrote:[. . . .

They used to say (I thought) that OSA was often because of a fat neck, so you should loose weight. I guess that may be changing, at least for some, according to Dr. Park. He theorizes that many start out with some sort of restriction, and the weight gain comes from ANP resistance. I guess I'm stuck in the early phase, as I'm very thin and can't gain weight. Whatever's going on, I need to dig into it...

Thanks!
-m

D.H. wrote:Whatever they say the "profile" of a sleep apnea patient is or whatever else they say is an indicator, there always seem to be a number of patients who just don't fit the pattern. This puts those outside the pattern in great danger of not being diagnosed!

D.H. wrote:

allchokedup wrote:[. . . .

They used to say (I thought) that OSA was often because of a fat neck, so you should loose weight. I guess that may be changing, at least for some, according to Dr. Park. He theorizes that many start out with some sort of restriction, and the weight gain comes from ANP resistance. I guess I'm stuck in the early phase, as I'm very thin and can't gain weight. Whatever's going on, I need to dig into it...

Thanks!
-m

Whatever they say the "profile" of a sleep apnea patient is or whatever else they say is an indicator, there always seem to be a number of patients who just don't fit the pattern. This puts those outside the pattern in great danger of not being diagnosed!