Are there effective alternatives to cpap? i have sleep apnea. my level of energy is very low, i fall asleep any time i am sitting still for more than an hour, when i am driving distances, and when at the movie theater, i cannot make through a movie withou

Short : Short of a tracheostomy (hole placed in the throat to breath) CPAP is considered the gold standard for treating osa because of it's effectiveness. Not knowing your ahi it is difficult to determine the severity of your disability, though, from the symptoms your describe, it appears to be high. Depending upon the level/location of your obstruction there are other treatment modalities that may be considered, such as surgery or an oral appliance. All have their advantages and disadvantages. You should discuss your situation with your sleep management doctor. Rest assured your complaints are not uncommon with patients who use cpap.

Your : Your alternative is advancing the upper and lower jaw to open your airway. This option has shown to be very successful.

I : I can understand not wanting to sleep with a machine and a mask OM all the time, and as dr. Funari has expressed, quite correctly, this is the standard if you don't want to suffocate or have brain damage. The suggestion of tracheostomy was not a joke either. There are intraoral devices to draw the jaw forward to reduce the chance of an obstruction. You may have tried some of them. But a multipronged attack might be the answer. Get on a serious weight loss program and see your dentist who knows how to handle apnea problems. Dr neil mcleod dds dentistry that lasts - quality that counts.

Sleep apnea: It would depend on the severity of the apnea on your sleep study. If the apnea is not severe there is a dental device that you can use. There is the option of surgery but its not as effective if the apnea is severe. Losing weight is important if you are overweight.