[Treatment] Can't tolerate CPAP - trying oral splint

[Romster]

Hi everyone
I have been struggling to comply with CPAP for four months now, increasingly claustrophobic and my sleep specialist has advised to give up and get a mandibular splint.  I had one custom made by a dental technician and picked it up today.  My OSA was pretty bad at 68 AHI but I don't really snore.  The only thing I will miss with the machine is that I got a daily reading of how many events I had - but I struggled to use it for more than an hour a time.  With the splint I'll be flying blind, so to speak.
My specialist has suggested doing a further hospital sleep clinic in December to see how the splint is working.


I'd be interested in other people's stories of using a splint rather than CPAP.

[mrkdilkington]

You could do a home sleep study wearing the MAD to see if it works also. Another option is to find a sleep surgeon who can do a 'drug-induced sleep endoscopy', to observe your airway with and without the splint in a pseudo-sleep state.

[Romster]

I'm not aware that they do home studies in Australia.  But I will enquire.  Thanks.

[dwd1249]

I had one years ago. Check with your gp they should have someone they can refer you to.

[Gideon]

If you come back to CPAP please, PLEASE, come back here.  There is MUCH we can suggest to help you get used to CPAP.  When you do get an Auto CPAP that is fully data capable.  This that you can see what is happening down to a breath by breath level, if needed, for every breath you take with the machine on.  

We get a good number coming back after a splint has failed.  



Fred

[Sleeprider]

Romster, you can obtain a pulse oximeter that records data fairly inexpensively. Look into a wrist mounted unit if you go that route. This will record the number and severity of oxygen decreases during the night, and can be a good surrogate for CPAP data.

[Romster]

I'm interested in this, Sleeprider.  Do you mean like a Fitbit? 
By the way, first night with oral splint pretty good, kept it in for five hours 

[Sleeprider]

I'm talking about something like the CMS 50 F or 50FW (bluetooth) which is a dedicated pulse oximeter with the ability to record high resolution oxygen and pulse data.

[OpalRose]

If you are going to continue using the oral splint, search on Supplier #19 for overnight recording pulse oximeters.  This will at least give you some idea if your oxygen levels are dropping during sleep.  

Although a Fitbit may give you information on sleep stages (not sure), it can't record drops in oxygen levels.

[Romster]

Thanks for this advice everyone. 
Second night with splint good. Not aiming for full night at this stage but seems to be less difficult to tolerate than a mask or pillows. No jaw issues but it's the foreign body sensation in the mouth that's the main thing. 
 I'll look into the oximeter and what metrics it will give me. Bit of a data nerd so interested in this aspect 
Thanks again