ProVent sleep apnea feedback

October 17, 2010 1:52 PM

[ApneaFilter] Have you or someone you're close to tried this Provent nasal appliance for sufferers of sleep apnea? Your experiences and recommendations would be most welcome, as would any alternatives that do not require electrical current during the sleeping period...
posted by OneMonkeysUncle to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

Apnea sufferer here. Just from a casual glance at this, I would doubt it would be effective for anyone. It claims to increase pressure on exhalation, which may or may not be work as advertised. But it won't do anything for inhalation, which is (duh) the more important half of the problem. In fact, it may make inhalation more difficult.

That said, there's only one way to know -- try it out. But that's not something I would recommend for an overnight, unobserved test.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:02 PM on October 17, 2010

I have apnea and use a CPAP. The CPAP machine is calibrated to have a certain output pressure based on each individual users needs. It looks like this device doesn't have any way to adjust the pressure. I suppose it could be "just right" for a user but I agree with Cool Papa- I wouldn't try it without supervision. Personally, I think it's a great idea but I would have to see it to believe it.
posted by Ochre,Hugh at 2:20 PM on October 17, 2010

I, too, have OSA and use a CPAP machine. Looking through the info on that website, I can't see how such a thing would help someone with OSA. Most OSA folks have an issue with the throat closing or being blocked.

I have heard of a dental device that shifts the lower jaw forward, in theory pulling the throat tissues/tongue forward so that they don't block the airways. I have no experience with it but that device seems more logical than the Provent stickies.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 2:27 PM on October 17, 2010

Here's a good description of a couple of dental devices.
posted by LOLAttorney2009 at 2:29 PM on October 17, 2010

I have a mandibular advancement device that I use under the supervision of a dentist that specializes in sleep medicine.

I switched to the MAD after years of failed APAP therapy. I would take the mask off after a few hours every night and fling it across the room. It was uncomfortable and exacerbated my acne.

The MAD is also incredibly uncomfortable. I usually remove it (and set it on the nightstand, rather than throwing it) after four or five hours because my teeth hurt so badly. My dentist is still trying to adjust it so that there's a benefit from it without hurting me too badly, but I'm not optimistic.

I did have a sleep study six weeks ago to evaluate if I still had sleep apnea after losing 115 lbs (I do, although there's been an incredible improvement) as well as to see if the MAD worked. And it did. I can actually feel the difference in my airway when it's in.

Eventually I think I will probably have to have surgery. I still have my tonsils and those will need to be removed, as well as a possible turbinate reduction. If those don't work then he's discussed jaw surgery and braces (apparently my palate is too narrow) but I really don't see me going that far.

As for the ProVent, I think it would depend on WHEN your airway is collapsing in your sleep. If your airway is blocked when you inhale? It won't do a damn thing. If it's collapsing when you exhale? It might work, but I wouldn't mess around with it without your doctor's supervision.
posted by elsietheeel at 2:46 PM on October 17, 2010

CPAP never proved comfortable for me; I eventually just got a cheap rubber apnea-specific jawpiece from eBay, and lo and behold, it worked, and works, very well indeed.
posted by darth_tedious at 3:09 PM on October 17, 2010

Everybody's mileage will vary on this one, but I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and, at the suggestion of my Pulmonologist, raised the head of my bed by two inches. After I learned not to slide down to the foot of the bed my apnea went away. Worth a try. Just put the legs at the head of the bed up on blocks for a few nights.
posted by Old Geezer at 5:27 PM on October 17, 2010 [1 favorite]

I highly recommend that you learn to play didgeridoo, including circular breathing. After playing didgeridoo for a few months, I find that if I ever forget to sleep with my mandibular advancement advice, I'm not nearly as bad off the next day as I used to be.

Here's one study on use of didgeridoos to treat sleep apnea.

About MADs being uncomfortable - my most recent one was painfully tight when I first got it, but my dentist was able to get it adjusted. And it did work pretty well for me, so I'd suggest it.
posted by mistersix at 7:47 PM on October 17, 2010

Ok well the site does say that this is only available by prescription, so it must actually have some minimally researched and FDA sanctioned effect. I was skeptical until I saw that. I still don't see how the heck it could possibly work though.
posted by spicynuts at 9:59 AM on October 18, 2010