ESP was supposed to fix my sleep apnea but it made it worse

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 15, 2025 1:44 pm

Unkikonki wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 14, 2025 3:29 pm

I cannot even fall asleep at all without ASV is very concerning

This sounds like a strong fear of falling asleep without the machine. You might want to experiment with some relaxation techniques or even ask your doctor for a mild sedative for temporary use.

Your ASV is not designed to help you fall asleep. It's designed to keep you breathing when you do fall asleep.

No, it's definitely not that.

December 2025:

It's been 9 months since I had ESP (Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty) done, and not only have I not experienced the slightest improvement, but I now cannot even fall asleep without ASV.

November 2024:

Unkikonki wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 10, 2024 6:49 pm

A couple of months ago, I caught Covid for the first time, and since then, the efficacy of ASV therapy has sharply declined to the point where I’ve spent many nights unable to fall asleep at all. This had never happened before.

Something doesn't match up. You reported the "unable to fall asleep at all" problem before the surgery. ??

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Mon Dec 15, 2025 5:13 pm

December 2025:

It's been 9 months since I had ESP (Expansion Sphincter Pharyngoplasty) done, and not only have I not experienced the slightest improvement, but I now cannot even fall asleep without ASV.

November 2024:

Unkikonki wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 10, 2024 6:49 pm

A couple of months ago, I caught Covid for the first time, and since then, the efficacy of ASV therapy has sharply declined to the point where I’ve spent many nights unable to fall asleep at all. This had never happened before.

Something doesn't match up. You reported the "unable to fall asleep at all" problem before the surgery. ??

That was a similar issue that seemed to be caused by covid and resolved itself after a few weeks. I was using a nasal mask at the time. I'm now using a nasal pillow, which seems to be much more effective.

What I'm experiencing now began a couple of months after my surgery and has been ongoing. I haven't been able to fall asleep even once without ASV despite trying multiple times. I'm 100% sure there's no psychological factor at play here. My breathing drive seems to drop sharply due to resistance in my airway during inhalation, which forces a reactive breath that inevitably wakes me up.

I suspect both issues are related, though. Even before all of this, I was completely unable to fall asleep while supine so I had to sleep on my side (preferably the left). It seems that ESP may have unmasked the real obstruction. Either way, a DISE seems to be the only way to know for sure.