are there any honest-to-God valid treatments, medical or not, for snoring?

[Bertha Venation]

I snore. Badly. I've had two sleep studies and both show no apnea. I have tried sprays, dissolving tablets, the nose strips, the chin-strap thingy :eyes:, the nose-clip thingy :eyes: -- there is no real remedy, is there?

Mrs. V. can't use ear plugs. I'm so tired of sleeping apart from my beloved. We both hate it. :cry:

Is there any true solution? Is there surgery? Something? Someone give me some hope.

[Faygo Kid]

1. Euthanasia.

Hope that helps.

[Bertha Venation]

5. Yeah. Actually, that helps a lot.

:eyes: If that was meant to be funny, you missed.

[brainshrub]

22. I thought it was funny.

But I'm kinda weird that way.

[Another Bill C.]

2. I think there is.

If you don't have apnea, though, your insurance may not cover it. When I was in the hospital, I shared a room with a guy who'd just had surgery for snoring for exactly the same reason as yours. I don't know how successful it was.

[Bertha Venation]

10. hmm...

Thanks. Guess I'll be asking the ENT doc again.

Hope you're better, Bill.

[alwynsw]

3. Suffocation

Actually, there's a machine that a buddy of mine has that works. Your doc has to prescribe it and you look like a wannabe Darth Vader wearing the mask, but his wife swears it works.

[Bertha Venation]

6. I know; it's called a CPAP machine, and

because I don't have sleep apnea, I can't get one. Can't get one w/out a prescription, even if you pay cash.

[southerngirlwriter]

26. I asked my friend the nurse......

....and she said to go to your Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist and let it be known that you're willing to try just about anything. He/She should have ideas. :shrug:

[Bertha Venation]

41. Thanks, J. :-) eom

[southerngirlwriter]

50. I wish you lived down here....

....back when I had insurance, I got my many ear problems treated by a local guy who is a PHENOMENAL doctor -- truly awesome. He's an ENT specialist who's goofy as hell but very, very, very, very good. I bet he could fix it. Wish you were here.

[MikeG]

4. Sleep on your stomach.

[Bertha Venation]

7. it's a good suggestion, Mike, but

it doesn't work for me. I snore no matter what position I sleep in.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. have you tried elevating your head?

I hate to say it but weight loss is the one likely possibility. Even though sleep studies were negative, extra weight does make a difference in the ability of the airways to remain open at night...not in ALL cases...also...white noise on the TV could mask your snoring at night or sleep together on days off and apart on nights off until she gets desensitized to it.

She can also try some homeopathic remedies fir deeper sleep so that your snoring doesn't upset her REMS

[Bertha Venation]

13. you're exactly right

I know that weight loss is the one thing I can do by myself that will almost surely help. I'm working on it.

She takes tylenol PM and melatonin every night to help her sleep -- in the guest room. She's an insomniac and a terribly light sleeper.

thanks, nsma.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

33. If she's anywhere near perimenopuasal age

insomnia is a symptom of that and there is treatment. If the insomnia is a lifelong thing then no but if it is of recent onset, she should get that checked.

Oh and I meant no ill will with the weight thing.

[Bertha Venation]

45. Mrs. V.

she's post-menopause, and has battled insomnia all her life. It's sad.

And I do know you meant no offense. I usually have a thick skin -- when it comes to that, anyway. But thanks for the comment. :)

[GOPisEvil]

34. I'm with NSMA here. I noticed a decrease in my snoring with my weight loss

It's tough, but you'd have lots of support here.

[Bertha Venation]

46. Thanks, Evil.

I try some, but not nearly enough. I need serious help. I need my therapist is what I need. I'll never understand why she wouldn't move to the east coast with me . . . . ;)

Honestly, I'd be embarrassed to look for weight-loss support here.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. You're not out of options

I was a sleep studies technologist for about 6 years, so I've heard this story a lot.

It's possible to have disordered breathing during sleep with no evidence of OSA (obstructive sleep apnea). Airway Resistance Syndrome is one such disorder; situational allergies can also cause OSA out of the lab, while labs tend to be allergen-free. Nighttime pet allergies can be greatly reduced by getting a medically rated HEPA air filtering unit.

You can ask your physician if s/he'll support prescribing you a home CPAP unit for "empirical" (non-sleep-study-supported) treatment. It may work.

Other things to pursue: sinusitis/antihistamine treatment (try this first); laser surgery; even sewing a tennis ball into your jammies to keep you from sleeping on your back.

Good luck!

--bkl

[Bertha Venation]

14. excellent suggestions

I've never heard of ARS -- I'll look it up -- but had heard of the allergies. Look out, dust bunnies.

Thanks, bkl.

[elperromagico]

11. Self-delete

[Bertha Venation]

15. christ, what is it with all the

smart asses tonight? :eyes:

[elperromagico]

17. Self-delete

[Bertha Venation]

18. All right. Give me some trustworthy information that will tell me that

the use of chloroform would stop my snoring without harming me. Then I'll retract my smart ass comment.

[elperromagico]

24. Self-delete

[alwynsw]

19. It's because we love you.

Why waste good smartass comments on people who expect it?

[Bertha Venation]

20. OTOH, why be a smart ass toward someone

who's obviously struggling with something sad?

Eh, my friend?

[elperromagico]

25. Jesus, excuse the hell out of me.

Didn't know it was the end of the world for you.

[Bertha Venation]

38. I considered a smart-ass retort, but I'm not here to make enemies.

If you've ever been in love, and have slept in the same bed with that loved one for a long time, maybe you know what it's like not to be able to continue to share that bed because of a problem you are causing and cannot quickly change.

So while it is not the end of the world, it is, in fact, a big fucking deal and a major sadness for me.

I appreciate your apology below. It's taken at face value -- thanks.

[alwynsw]

59. Please know

There was absolutely no intent on my part to minimize the problem. We have an identical issue ourselves. Perhaps my timing was a bit off.

My thoughts are simple: may as well laugh while looking for a solution because it feels better than crying.

If you were in any way offended by my trite header that preceded my feeble, yet honest attempt at offering a possible solution, you have my most sincere apology. Ditto for the attempt at lightening the blow in the folowing post.

In the immortal words of Andy Taylor,"See this great big ol' foot? How did I get the whole thing in this itty bitty mouth?"

[Bertha Venation]

60. thank you, dear one

:hug:

I have a grave shortcoming: I'm extremely sensitive. I don't do well, I'm afraid, with attempts at humor when I'm hurting. I'm certain that the resulting reaction sounded like the rantings of a psycho-bitch. What can I say? I am who I am.

Thanks, S. :hug: again

[alwynsw]

63. I GOT

:hug: I must be special!

Thanks, BV.:pals:

[elperromagico]

27. So sorry.

[donco6]

12. We've tried everything, too. No luck yet.

I wear earplugs - hearos brand. They work for me.

[Bertha Venation]

16. tell me about the ear plugs:

She can't wear ear plugs because they make her feel like she's underwater. She can't tolerate that. Do those hearos brand ear plugs make you feel like you're underwater?

[donco6]

56. I don't think so.

These are made of really light foam rubber, coated with a light latex (I think). So you can't have latex allergies.

You roll them between your fingers until they're really tight, then slip them in your ear canal. They slowly expand and fill up the space, cutting out virtually all noise. It's more like being deaf than being under water! So if you have to listen for a baby or alarm clock, may need to have other alternatives. But they really, really cut out the sound. I've used them on vacation (when a 2nd bedroom wasn't an option), and they've worked wonders.

They're worth a shot.

[Kamika]

21. wake him up when he snores

that fixed my Dad

[Bertha Venation]

23. wake WHO up? Him who?

No him in our bed, dear . . . follow along now. ;)

[Kamika]

29. well I hope you are capable of getting my point

wake whatever is snoring up repeatedly

[Bertha Venation]

37. I got your point, kid. No worries there. eom

[Lars39]

28. This sounds gimmicky,

but if you only snore when you're on your back, you can put a tennis ball in the cup of a bra and wear the bra backwards. Supposedly it is impossible to sleep on your back like this. I've only read this, I don't know anybody that's tried it, though.:shrug: My dad could snore so loud, you could hear him through a brick wall. Hope you find something that helps. :hug:

[Bertha Venation]

39. actually that's not a bad idea

Thanks, Lars. :)

[scottcsmith]

30. I had a sleep study done, no apnea

But I still was able to get the RX to get a CPAP.

Unfortunately, due to my insomnia, I cannot fall asleep wearing the CPAP mask. I've tried and tried but anything that distracts me from falling asleep ends up keeping me awake. To put it bluntly, it sucks (the snoring AND the insomnia).

I know what you mean about sleeping apart...my snoring is so loud my wife has had to take refuge in the spare bedroom. I use the nose strips and I think they help for some of the snoring. I've tried the sprays as well and have had the same result as you.

I'm not sure about the surgery option. It seems I've heard mixed results, where it helps some people, and others it helps initially but then the snoring eventually returns.

It helps a little bit not to eat anything at least three hours before you go to bed, and longer if you can do it.

I'm ready to have another sleep study done as I think my symptoms have gotten worse, especially with drowsiness in the afternoon.

I'm quite a bit overweight. Losing weight is supposed to help, too.

Good luck to you...I know exactly what you're going through. You may want to hit the bookstore and pick up a copy of "The Promise of Sleep" by Dr. Ralph Pascualy. It has some good information.

[Dogmudgeon]

35. Your Mask

Have you tried "nasal pillows"? Puritan-Bennett invented them, but there are at least three variations on the theme now.

They are much less intrusive than the standard over-the-nose masks, and work just as well. They need to be cleaned every day, but that's a small price to pay if the mask inhibits sleep.

Surf to The CPAP Man for an informative page.

Sleep well!

--bkl

[Bertha Venation]

40. Maybe I need a new doctor.

Every doctor I've discussed it with says they can't do an rx if I don't have apnea. Hmm.

Thanks for all the good tips. I'll check out Pascualy's book.

Good luck. I hope you sleep well tonight.

[scottcsmith]

Thanks...I hope I do sleep

It's close to midnight and I'm wide awake...

So, when I had the sleep study done, they said I didn't have Apnea but I had something else that was like Apnea. For the life of me I can't remember what they called it. I wake up like someone with Apnea, and my breathing stops, but my body still gets oxygen. I think that's why I was able to get the CPAP.

[populistmom]

43. CPap was going to be my suggestion for Bertha

I know a little bit about this stuff because populistdad is a respiratory therapist as well as a polysomnographic technition (the people who do and interpret sleep studies; he's not doing it now, but did for some time), so I have some knowledge about this stuff through osmosis from him. Beginning with a sleep study to determine if apnea is involved and often followed by CPap is your best solution.
And weight loss too helps as hard as Hell as it can be sometimes.

[Bertha Venation]

47. thanks, popmom -- and:

how was your birthday? I hope it was wonderful!

[populistmom]

49. It was pretty nice. Thanks for asking.

My husband and the boys got me a big set of Crabtree and Evelyn stuff (which was the only thing I really wanted) and he even made me an Atkin's friendly grasshoper cheesecake (I've been on it over a year with really good results physically and emotionally). My very cool daughter (she's 12) made a power point presentation for me that was incredible and played Happy Birthday for me on the sax.
I vent a lot here at times, but there are many, many ways in which I'm incredibly blessed as well.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

31. I don't have any suggestions...

but here's a :hug: to help you through it. I snore badly too...I don't think I have apnea...but I do tend to wake myself up it's so bad...and I won't even go into the cotton mouth. Hope you find something to help.
Duckie

[Bertha Venation]

42. Thanks, Duckie.

Quack quack :7

[Broadslidin]

32. All You Need is "Shake, Rattle, and Roll"

Just click onto:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/radio2_aod.shtml?shakerattle

Fifteen minutes before hitting the sack!!

Works every time.

If you would like to stay in the DU Lounge and listen to
this Wild programme at the same time,
just click on Democrat Underground blue bar!!

Sincerely, Dr. Karl Von Vollensteen

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

36. Weight loss definitely

is a biggie as mentioned above. I can attest from personal experience, my weight has fluctuated. I'm right at the borderline now where I snore. If I'm 10-15 pounds lighter, no snoring. I know this because I lost 30 pounds recently through diet/exercise-- no snoring. Gained half of it back and just starting to snore again. All this from my wife, have to take her word for it...

When people are severely obese, they frequently suffer from sleep apnea from airway obstruction at night. If the weight is lost through whatever means (conventional, gastric bypass surgery, etc.), the sleep apnea resolves the majority of the time.

[Bertha Venation]

44. thanks, Mayberry.

Dig your handle & sig. :)

[MidwestMomma]

52. I can second that

My sister lost a bunch of weight and her husband said she no longer snores. We were just having this conversation last night.

[donco6]

57. This is true.

When Dwaine loses weight, he stops snoring - or at least only snores occasionally. Now it's nightly (actually, it's any time he falls asleep - in chairs, on planes, etc.)

God, if he wasn't so darn CUTE! :)

[MidwestMomma]

48. Did your doctor say anything about your uvula?

You know, that hanging thing in back of your mouth? Sometimes they will laser off part of it and that will help with snoring. I pay health claims for a living and I've seen claims for it. You might have to pay for it yourself because insurance won't pay for it without the sleep apnea diagnosis but it sounds like it might be worth it to you.

Just wondering if you had looked into this.

[pagerbear]

51. This is just anecdotal

But an acquaintance said when she put her husband on the Atkins diet (or something similar) he stopped snoring within two weeks.

And while I would never, ever tell anyone to procure a such medical appliance without a prescription, I do know that CPAP machines can be found on E-bay.

Also, I have no reference to cite for this, but I recall reading that the surgery people sometimes have for snoring is not effective for everyone, and the results are not permanent for all of those who have good results.

Just my two cents.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

54. It's not the specific diet or method used, but the fact of weight loss

that "cures" the snoring. When one is overweight or obese, there is "redundant soft tissue" in the mouth and throat area that has a tendency to obstruct breathing when asleep. Even millimeters make a substantial difference. While plenty of thin people snore, snoring in the overweight is very often associated with the excess pounds. Looking at the face, neck, and chin of the overweight compared to after they lose weight, it doesn't take a Nobel laureate to figure out why this might be the case. With many people, including myself, the face and neck is one of the first places weight loss manifests.

[marigold20]

53. I have a double whammy - snoring and loud traffic

to deal with. Has Mrs. V tried "Quiet Down" earplugs? They are easy to insert - you don't have to roll them up. They are made of down (ha ha) in a very thin plastic covering. They work pretty well for me.

[gator_in_Ontario]

55. My wife has apnea

and sleeps with a machine. She is scared is is not "sexy", but I insist she sleeps with it, cause she feels better the next day. Another sleep study may be in order, my friend.

[SheWhoMustBeObeyed]

58. Maybe you need a new dentist

I was functioning (very poorly) on a 50% blood oxygen level before my apnea was diagnosed. The drs insisted on a cpap, which I detested for about a month, then got used to and since then (about five years ago) have slept with every night. Since then I have also slept with my honey, a sound sleeper who nonetheless could not sleep through the racket I made and used to spend every night in the guest room. So I empathize deeply with your situation and can't fathom the joker comments your query has garnered. Perhaps the jokers have no loved ones with whom to sleep.

Anyways. Before I got the cpap I was researching other solutions, and one that I found online was a doctor who touted a mouthpiece of the type dentists make for night grinding, or bruxism. The reasoning behind it is that one is asleep, the muscles relax and the jaw goes slack, allowing the tongue to slide back and obstruct breathing. A mouthpiece keeps the jaw thrust forward so the tongue has room to stay in the bottom of the mouth. It also encourages the mouth to stay shut, reducing the noise of snoring (and, may I add, the risk of cotton mouth, which is really destructive to teeth because saliva is crucial for dental health). This particular doctor offered mouthpieces made of soft plastic, which really appealed to me because I'd worn a hard plastic anti-bruxism appliance in the past and found it very uncomfortable. However I ended up following my dr's recommendation and got the cpap, so I never tried a mouthpiece for snoring.

If you google "bruxism" or "night grinding" you will find dentists in your area who make appliances to help prevent snoring - e.g., here's a NYC guy:
http://www.drbraverman.com/procedures/dental_appliances.html

If you have dental insurance you should be reimbursed for at least part of the cost, which I guesstimate in the $500-1000 range depending on the dentist. Were I in your situation I would explore this option versus surgery. Good luck, dear!

[snobird]

61. Buried in snow & "shattered" windows..

yes i do feel attractive whilst wearing the head cap & Sesame Street "snuffle opagus" looking hose attachment!! However, after burying my car & self down a deep snowy embankment & almost shattering the neighbors windows, I was ready for ANYTHING!! I was diagnosed in /95, prior to that no medical person offered me any suggestions or relief..I agree with gator, ask for a re-test in a sleep lab! Keep me posted!

[Rabrrrrrr]

62. One thing that helped me greatly was using a neti pot

to keep my sinuses clear and clean.

Can't guarantee that it will work for you, but my partner tells me my snoring (which is really good) went down maybe 90% once I started using the neti pot.

A neti pot is a small pot, like a watering can, in which one puts an approx. 98F 5% NaCl/H2O solution and pours it slowly through the nose. Sounds terrible, and I was scared the first time I tried it, but the water actually flows through quite easily and isn't messy and feels really, really good. I was amazed at all the crap that came out of my nose (NYC air has a fantastic amount of soot and crud, and it sticks up in the nose).

The neti pot has also helped a lot with allergies.