Provent

[westozman]

This may be of interest, it was on TV last night. Unfortunately, you will have to watch a short car add first, but it's worth a look.
http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/846848...eakthrough

[PaulaO2]

Yes, another user here tried them last week and couldn't tolerate it. Said it was very hard to breathe out. Do a forum search for Provent. It comes up in discussions a lot.

[westozman]

Never heard of it before I saw it on TV last night. To be honest haqving watched it last night I thought it was another 'snake oil' product.

[PaulaO2]

Eh, it's gaining approval by the FDA. As far as I know, there's no insurance company that will pay for it due to cost. You can only use one for one night.

And if you breathe through your mouth at night, it is useless.

[Sleepster]

The idea is that you build up pressure in your airway by inhaling. This device keeps that pressure built up because it inhibits the flow of air out of your nose when you exhale.

It's not as effective as CPAP therapy. That is, it successfully treats OSA in a smaller fraction of the population than does CPAP therapy.

According to that video, it costs $100 per month in Australia. That's a 30-day supply of these disposable valves that you tape on to the bottom of your nose before you go to sleep, and then throw them away in the morning when you get up.

What do you do if you want to take a nap?

[JJJ]

I tried them recently. My doc sold me a pack of ten for US$25. One night was enough - I could not tolerate them due to claustrophobia. But if you don't mind feeling as though you are suffocating, go for them.

My doc also said they don't work for everyone, but neither does CPAP or any other therapy. She said they often work for mild or moderate sleep apnea, but sometimes even for severe cases like mine. I'm still trying to use the CPAP machine, but most nights I can't bring myself to put the alien thing on my face. I'm really waiting for an appointment that I have with a dentist on June 4 (recommended by my sleep doc). I also intend to consult a surgeon. Sleep apnea is not a "one size fits all" problem.

I should also add that you want to be sure that you wash your nose thoroughly to remove any oils or products that would prevent the adhesive from sticking. It's also a bit tricky to stick them on; you need a mirror, at least at first until you get the hang of it. But I need to add that you can quite possibly get more than one night's use out of a pair. The adhesive is very sticky, so if you take them off carefully in the morning and store them sticky side up you can just put them back on. I didn't try it myself, but the adhesive sure felt like it would last another night. It's not like the valve will wear out. If I could tolerate the suffocation I would even experiment with adding adhesive when the original won't stick any more. I have some glue that actors use to stick on mustaches and stuff, designed to be skin-friendly. I'll go a long way to save a buck.

If I was going to use the Provent I'd plan on getting an oximeter and/or a Zeo to give me at least some kind of data on their effectiveness.

[Sleepster]

My doc also said they don't work for everyone, but neither does CPAP or any other therapy.

That's true. The same is also true of the dental appliance. I hope yours works out for you.

The thing that makes CPAP therapy unique is that it's an effective treatment for a larger fraction of the population. In other words, it works in far more cases than does any other treatment. It doesn't mean that CPAP therapy is the best option for you, just that it's more likely to be the best option for anyone.

The things that make CPAP therapy intolerable tend to subside with time.