Success for Positional Apnea

[MrIvanDrago]

Has anyone had success for positional apnea using a cervical collar? I’m curious if it has helped improve your symptoms, especially for reducing positional apnea or preventing chin-tucking during sleep. Any tips on what type of collar works best or potential downsides to consider?

Been a while since I have posted, but I have been consistently getting clusters of OA's and it has to be positional. I have a collar here, but never tries it as I wondered if it would really disrupt sleep. Looking for some success stories before and after a collar? 

   

[Deborah K.]

The chart you show only has one small cluster.  If that's all you usually get I would not worry about using a collar.  If you often have a lot more, then using a collar would be a good idea.  StaceyBurke has comparisons of some people before and after using a collar.

On another note, it would be good if you changed your Oscar chart.  We need to see the following, and only the following, on the first page:

Event Flags
Flow Rate
Pressure
Leak Rate
Flow Limits

Also, we need to be able to read to the very bottom of the Flow Limits.

[MrIvanDrago]

Thanks, that was just last night, some nights can be worse than others, although my AHI is typically never over 3, but when it is in the 2' and 3's, the events are all clustered together. after 2+ years on a bipod, I am going to attempt a collar to see if it helps.

[Deborah K.]

Good idea.

[NewlyDiagnosed]

I completely solved positional apnea using a collar. For a while, I didn't believe that my OA clusters were from positional apnea, because I sleep on my back and don't move at all. But I compared the Oscar data to Oura data and found that when I went into deep sleep, the clusters started. So apparently something is changing somewhere. The data aligned to the minute. Since I started wearing the collar, I have no OAs - absolutely zero.

I don't find that the collar interferes with sleep. It's actually cozy now, in the winter, maybe this will change when the hot weather arrives.

I have the Caldera Releaf Neck Rest in medium. There is information here on how to determine the height and circumference you need.

Good luck!

[mawaw1992]

I started having problems with positional oa's around 4 years ago in which my AHI was averaging around 6.0. Then some on this board suggested using a collar and when I did, the clusters stopped. After 1 year my AHI was averaging under 1. But then last year my AHI shot way up to where I was averaging over 5 and that was with the collar on. Nothing I did brought the numbers down. Then I saw a Nurse Practitioner who suggested using 6" bed risers. To my amazement my AHI dropped back down to where I am averaging barely over 1 and plus I no longer use a collar anymore thank goodness. I was using the Coreflex Ultra 4 1/2" collar. If a collar doesn't work to stop your oa's you might want to try the bed risers.

[NewlyDiagnosed]

I haven't heard of that! Do you mean that only the legs at the head end were elevated, so that your bed was on a slope?

[mawaw1992]

I purchased these on Amazon. "Slipstick CB672 Premium 3 Inch Bed Risers/Furniture Raisers with Steel Reinforced Holder Top, Lifts Height 3" (4 Pack)". I put 2 under each leg at the head of the bed. Took a couple of weeks to get use to the angle but well worth it. So well that I purchased an extra set to take with me when I travel. The first couple of months I was wearing my collar, but while on vacation I forgot where I had packed my neck collar and had to sleep without it the first night. The next morning when I looked at my machine, my AHI was still low. Found the collar the next day and but did not wear it that night to see what would happen, and again, another low AHI. Haven't worn the collar since which has been 4 months. It might not work for everyone this good, but worth the try.

[MrIvanDrago]

So I used a collar last night for the first time in 2+ years. Below is an example of a 'clustered' night and the other is last night with a collar. Will need to get used to it, but looks like it worked. My flow rate seems more stable as well.

BEFORE Collar:

   

AFTER Collar:

   

[NewlyDiagnosed]

That's great! I'm so glad it worked for you as well as it works for me.

Thank you for the information, mawaw1992.