sleep apnea

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smacinnes40

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Does anyone know if you are taken off the cpap machine for sleep apnea and given a dental device instead, will you lose the 50% on VA benefits?

My pulminary DR thinks it would be better since my Sleep Apnea is not improving.
 
Your VA rating is only going to change if they order new C&P or a review of your case. Look into the VA regulations on re-evaluations.
 
ok thanks, as of now i am still in the PEB stages so i didnt want it to affect my ratings when they present them to me in another few months. I was told that VA monitors the percentage of usage of the cpap machine. But if they put you on a dental device then that be kind of hard to monitor.
 
The dental device is a waste of time/effort/money in my opinion (been there, done that..I had a TAP device). You will spend more time dealing with jaw/tooth pain and eventually stop wearing it and go back to CPAP. There were mornings that I would wake up with my jaw locked shut from the device (extremely painful, lasting 2-3 days). What part of the CPAP are you having trouble with? For me, I could handle the high pressure while I was awake, but when I would fall asleep and go apneaic, I would wake up ripping my mask off because I felt like I was suffocating. The problem for me is that I needed a titrated BIPAP, ask your doc about it or Google it and you can get the details...might be your fix.;) Just be advised, switching to a BIPAP might change a fitting condition to an unfitting, as BIPAP is not allowed in theatre.
 
thats what they recommended too was a tritrated BIPAP. I was just concerned about what would happen on my PEB if they find out they take me off the CPAP and use the dental device. I rather use the CPAP too but they said my AHI was still high even at high pressures and there was very little leaks.
 
6847 Sleep Apnea Syndromes (Obstructive, Central, Mixed): Chronic respiratory failure with carbon dioxide retention or cor pulmonale, or; requires tracheostomy 100 Requires use of breathing assistance device such as continuous airway pressure (CPAP) machine 50 Persistent day-time hypersomnolence 30 Asymptomatic but with documented sleep disorder breathing 0

From the VASRD, it appears that the only way to get the 50% is via CPAP/BIPAP, etc....I think the dental device would probably bring you down to the 30%, or 0% depending upon your symptoms. Additionally, if you do switch to the dental device, you should get another sleep study done asap using the device, because the PEB/VA will most certanly kick your package back and ask for another study because baseline study was done using CPAP. Also, if you are looking for a fit finding, switching to a dental device would probably help, where switching to BIPAP would probably hurt.
 
ok thanks, that makes sense, for me staying with the APAP is better. I do not want to have to do another sleep study.
 
pittpan2005 said:
Your VA rating is only going to change if they order new C&P or a review of your case. Look into the VA regulations on re-evaluations.
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I agree here. The main area I could see an issue is if you are placed on TRDL or the VA asks for the chip from your machine and it is notated that you have stopped using the machine (due to using solely the device). Obviously, this wouldn't affect your DoD ratings, but could cause the VA to lower their ratings. One thing to consider is using the device and the machine, that way you can try the device while still meeting the VA requirements with the CPAP. Who knows, it may work for you.
I can say, though, that your situation is pretty identical to mine and, after all the trials and tribulations, I'm using BIPAP and outpatient oxygen...and still have a high AHI...but at least I feel a bit beter than I used to.
 
i was going to chime in earlier .... i loved my mouth piece. i do remember some nights where i would have some terrible PTSD dreams and my mouth would be painful in the morning (but it was far and few between). But overall it was fantastic, it was easy if i was traveling. As for the CPAP it took approximately 4 years for me to get used to the CPAP, the mouth piece was much easier. i wish you all the best.
 
Just to clarify to those that might not know what we mean by mouthpiece, it is a custom fit, solid two piece system that adjusts to pull your lower jaw out, thus opening your airway at night...mine ran $4k (ridiculous). Not the version as seen on TV or sold at WalMart, etc. As for me, there were nights when the device worked as advertised, but most nights caused severe jaw pain in the morning. The only real way to know if it works it to have a sleep study done while wearing it. Apnea sucks, and it is good to hear from others that certain methods are working!
 
Did anyone have Central and Obstructive Sleep Apnea?
 
I was placed on a CPAP machine sounds about right VA using it against a veteran. I can't fall asleep. Between alegies and acid reflux and just can't fall asleep and feel just as tired when I get up in the morning the CPAP machine seems usless. I told the doctors at the VA this and they seem not to care. Won't reschedule another appointment.
I am also a mental health patient. The CPAP doctors is just down the hall from the mental health doctors.
Lord help a VET the VA sure as hell doesn't.
 
I have both central and OSA, green154 did you still maintain your va 50% ratings even though you use the dental device.
 
The main problem that I have with my BIPAP machine (besides the uncomfortable mask) is that I wake up quiet a bit throughout the night to hit the button that ramps the pressure back down again because it feels like I'm driving down the highway at 75 with my head out the window:eek:
 
I went to 2 appts one was for my back and the other one was for my mental health i am wondering if the are gonna give me anything
I have not been able to work cuz of my bipolar disorder i just got out of the physc ward because
I felt like i was loosing it the army never digones me with bipolar but while i was in the hospital
They confrimed that i am do u think that will help my claim any advice would be great
 
Mouth piece doesn't work I don't care if ppl say it works, it doesn't! I had several sleep studies and seen many specialists.
 
COLTONMD said:
Mouth piece doesn't work I don't care if ppl say it works, it doesn't! I had several sleep studies and seen many specialists.
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I noticed that the prescription mouthpiece made my snoring less intense (per my wife), but I couldn't handle how it irritated my jaw...often woke up with my jaw locked :eek: (funny, but that is exactly what my face looked like when I realized that I couldnt open or close my mouth) so I had to resign the mouthpiece as "wishful thinking". You would think that, with a $2-4k price tag (including the follow up appointments and adjustments), the mouthpiece would do a better job. CPAP/BIPAP is the golden standard for apnea mitigation. Surgery is an option for some, but I have heard that results are often mixed.
 
CPAP is still the gold standard treatment. One of the problems with oral appliances for sleep apnea (such as the ApneaRx) is that there is no great way to measure compliance. If you do get an oral appliance, you'll have to have another sleep apnea test with it in your mouth to show that it is effective.
 
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