Article describes alternatives to xPAP for treatment of OSA

[vsheline]

Alternative treatments for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424...S=apnicure

Looks like xPAP will continue to be "gold standard" of treatment for OSA, for those who persevere and learn to tolerate it. And for central or mixed central-plus-obstructive sleep apnea there is no alternative to bi-level xPAP or ASV.

Regarding the very new Winx Therapy System (~US$1000, available only in USA, and not yet available in most States, and not yet covered by most insurance companies): in an early trial of 63 patients having Mild, Moderate or Severe OSA, about a third were successful BOTH in lowering their AHI by at least half AND in lowering their AHI to below 10. (Those who had only Mild OSA to start with had a fairly good chance of lowering their AHI to 5 or better.) The Winx system looks like it would be much easier to tolerate than xPAP (at least if one does not need to mouth-breath because of nasal constriction) but the clinical results are not really all that impressive yet. However, the article above does say Apnicure will be introducing an improved Winx system in 2014.

Link to Winx website:
http://apnicure.com/about-apnicure/newsroom

[big_dave]

I would be afraid of getting suffocated by the Winx system since it sucks the air out of your mouth. I have had chronic problems with nasal congestion that have been mostly but not entirely under control by using a neti pot.

[Paptillian]

One of the things I like about xPAP is that you can get efficacy data and flow graphs to see how the treatment is working and to spot problems during sleep. The only mention of data collected by the Winx is usage hours.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

Interesting concept. I like that it is less bulky. Will withold judgement until it is a bit more, um, mature.

(as far as data recording at this point in development, so what? early PAP appliances had NO data recording capability.)

OMM

[Paptillian]

(as far as data recording at this point in development, so what? early PAP appliances had NO data recording capability.)

I agree, though if the device will not be able to provide such information, I think it would be a deciding factor (at least for me). The alternative is paying for sleep studies to see if and how it's working.

I would not discourage the development of a new technology that's helpful!

[Sleepster]

Keep in mind that these alternative treatments are for people who can't or won't tolerate CPAP therapy. There's a reason for that! They just don't work as well.

The one option they didn't mention, or if they did I missed it, is the robotic surgery.

For some people positive airway pressure just isn't strong enough to keep the airway open. In those cases surgery is the only option, and afterwards CPAP therapy is still needed, at least for many people.

I realize that this board is populated by veterans who seem to promote CPAP therapy as the only reliable way to go, and that since we're all on CPAP therapy I can see that people might think we're somehow prejudiced against alternatives. But the fact is, and that article even stresses this, that CPAP therapy is really the best way to go for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea for those who can tolerate it. And since we have all managed to tolerate it, we of course believe in it.

What people need to understand, though, is that after a while the human body and mind adapt to it, and the job of tolerating it then becomes no job at all. It's just as natural as putting on pajamas.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

"It's just as natural as putting on pajamas." What if you normally sleep nekkid?

;-p

OMM