The collar works for me!
I have been on APAP for about 20 years with AHI about 3 most of the time, sometimes higher or lower. Lately I had pretty bad flow limitations and RERA. The people on this site are the very best of us. I decided to try a soft foam collar and lucked out with one that worked for me perfectly - CORFLEX from Amazon. What a difference. My AHI is consistently under 1 and several nights near 0. RERA and flow limitations are dramatically reduced and, of course, I feel better. I cannot say enough good things about the collar. It just works for me. I am 6' 1" and about 250. I measured from chin to chest wall and ordered one. It feels like it is keeping my chin up, but it did not disturb my sleep. The velcro adjustment strap lets me keep it fairly lose on my neck. I highly recommend it for those who are guilty of chin tucking while sleeping.
RE: The collar works for me!
I use a similar Core Products foam cervical collar. Works amazingly well. Remember to replace it with some regularity, as they do seem to wear out. Found out the hard way, 8 months was too long of a replacement interval. Collar was comfy, but didn't work. Replaced it, and back to sweet dreams!
RE: The collar works for me!
thats great news! I just ordered one as well! sounds promising
RE: The collar works for me!
Thanks I'll take a look.
I'm using a Knightsbridge dual strap that solves my mouth-breathing problems (most nights!)
However, it does nothing to solve chin tucking the way I use it.
RE: The collar works for me!
The cervical collar is amazing, but I'm waking up with kinks in my neck. In the morning, I'm also finding I'm getting stiff necks. Have you guys had similar issues?
11-18-2020, 12:29 PM
(This post was last modified: 11-19-2020, 12:02 PM by Big Guy.)
RE: The collar works for me!
All this talk about neck collars is intriguing. It has sparked my interest as well.
But.....my AHI #'s are and have been consistently low since having started therapy on Sept. 11th of 2018. Only once from what I can recall, was over 5, and that was my very 1st night of therapy.
They tend to run under 3 for the most part. Can I assume that I don't need a collar?
RE: The collar works for me!
My AHIs are consistent under 3, but I can get them under 1 with the collar. It doesn't seem like much, but I feel SIGNIFICANTLY better when I wear the collar. Perhaps it's just in my head?
RE: The collar works for me!
I'm glad that you posted that! It's food for thought.
RE: The collar works for me!
We usually don't recommend a collar unless we see a clear tendency for clusters of OA or if we think leaks might benefit from the use of the soft cervical collar. It doesn't hurt to use it, but we are most concerned with cases where we cannot achieve good efficacy without it. Take a look at the soft cervical collar wiki in my signature links and you will see some examples of members with severe problems, that resolved with the collar.
RE: The collar works for me!
I started therapy with nasal pillows and worked well at first. The better I slept, the more it leaked. Got a chin strap and did better, but the better I slept the more it leaked. Got the collar and that worked best. It kept my jaw closed. But again, the better I slept, the more my lips started to leak. I have consistently gotten my AHI below 1 (median = .3) but while sleep has been good, I still wake up often (dry mouth).
Bottom line: Got a Airfit F30 and new collar. Only 2 nights in and the collar will not be for leaks as much as for positioning.
Yes, the collar has its uses for leaks and positioning.
CPAP is a journey like “The Wizard of Oz”. It’s a long slow journey. You will face many problems and pick up many friends along the way. Just because you reach the poppies, it doesn’t mean you are in Kansas.
