British Snoring & Sleep Apnoea Association

Hi Fi,
Glad your operation went smoothly and great to hear some positive things instead of all these negative remarks about surgery from some users of this forum.

I was in Hospital waiting for my procedure when it was cancelled at the last minute. I have now had a chance to think about wether i was making the right decision, and yes as of today decided that i had! After reading your post i feel a lot happier!...Thank you

Scott

Hi Fi

I'm really glad your surgery has worked for you and that you were home the next day to recover in your own home Unfortunitly for me things didnt go quite so smoothly I had my op and was very sick afterwards was on a drip for 5 days no food and morphine for the pain i had the back of my nose broken some bone taken away and recet some scar tissue taken away from previos surgery and a skin graft in the roof of my mouth they finally aloud me home after 12 days and when id been home for 3 days I woke up in the morning to find the stitches in the roof of my mouth and graft breaking down so i ended back at the hospital was told yes it is breaking down and was put on antibiotics and got to go back to see if i need more surgery to take the graft away or replaced like you said this is a great way to loose some weight I've now been on liguidized food for 3 weeks and will be for another 2 but i really havent got the weight to loose anymore and am feeling very tired and week all the time

Anyway I'm glad things went very well for you

All the best Tas

Hi all,
Well it has now been 8 days since my op, (uppp, see last posting!) and hey it's worked!!!!!!!! I don't snore any more, Hoooorrraaahhhh.
I was VERY nervouse on the day of the op :( and only really got to the theatre by thinking about anything but what I was about to do but I went through with it. I was sick when I first came around but that only lasted a few minutes so was not too bad, was then wheeled back to the ward and was really suprised by how good I felt.I have a friend who works in the hospital who popped up to see me a couple of hours after I got back to the ward and his first comment was "so when are they taking you down then!!!!" so I guess I can't have looked too bad. I even ate tea that evening. Pain wise, it was uncompfortable but nothing more.
the next morning I had some pain killers but it was still not a 'bad' pain on a scale of one to ten I'd put it at a two to three. Went home at 9.30 am and apart from feeling a bit dodgy from the tablets and sleepy still from the GA it was ok. Most pain is felt when you swallow so while you are not swallowing it really isn't too bad. over the weekend was probably the worst pain wise, taking the pain killers was quite hard as it really did hurt to swallow them. pain on swallowing at its worst on the one to ten scale probably reached an 8-9 but at least it wasn't a constant pain. The pain when I was not swallowing was not too bad really,the NON swallowing pain was at it's worst just after eating or taking pain killers but only for 20 ish minutes. I have been woken up at night with pain when I swallowed in my sleep but that is better now. I haven't eaten an awfull lot this last week nor have I drunk as much as I should (so yes, the diet is going brilliantly) Today though, a week and a day after the op I had fish and rice for lunch and chicken and boiled potatoes for tea, (the most I've had for over a week!!) so I really am feeling a lot better. The pain now is like a normal sore throat when swallowing and bearly noticable when not swallowing. I'm not saying surgery is the best option by far but I guess If you are a normalish weight and don't smoke or drink too much it is definaltly worth considering. I am now just hoping that that is the end of my days of waking up alone in my bed because poor Lee has walked home again in the middle of the night to get away from the noise!!!!! :wink:

Take care

Fi :D

Try a MAD first, seriously. But don't buy a boil in the bag jobby. Have a custom made one from a dentist or hospital.
I have a number of years as a Lab Technician within various hospital labs, and many of the CPAP/Surgery patients were going onto having a dental device made.
Try your dentist first, or look at one of the websites listed on the forums.
I have seen good comments about the http://www.solutions4snoring.com people.

Surgery has very poor short lived outcomes usually, be warned.
Best wishes
The Techy

HI everyone - my first time on here, but at my wits end with this bloody snoring. My wife has told me that she can't and won't spend a night away with me ever again, as she just can't sleep when I'm there :oops: this is not a good state of play really.
I have tried plasters, strips and having read some of your replies - I am NOT having surgery.
I am sure many of you are in/have been in the same boat. I really need some gudiance/advice here - I don;t want to be one of these couples that has their own bedrooms and everything that goes with that :!:
Would love to hear from fellow desperate people.

Dear Tas et all,
well, I go in for my uvulopharyngopalatoplaty (as It seems it is acually called) TOMORROW!!!!!!!!! :shock: ( removing my uvula and taking off a small strip around my soft palate and lasering the area) I have to say I am quite scared about this but am hoping that it will work. So, if you read this before tues 8th nov, lunch time spare me a thought as I go in mid afternoon. So till wednesday night when I get home then .......

Wish me luck******

Fi x :( :shock: :? :cry: :wink:

Hi Jo,
firstly how did you accertain you are a mouth breather? I'm not sure thats of great relevance, when having a device made. Anyway, as I said there are lots of different devices, and you are quite right, some clinicians will be willing to offer you something that they have managed to get hold of cheap, so they have a greater profit margin.
But there are lots of very good Dentists too and will offer you something based on Clinical Evidence. To date the best paper I have read is by Maree Barnes et al, using the MDSA device, it is a very strong paper published in Australia. They tend to be a few years in front of us over here in the UK when it comes to sleep problems.
I was told by a colleague that there are dentists who make it in the UK and its called Sleepwell. Have a look at some other postings on this forum I think they have listed a website solutions4snoring.com where you can find a dentist in your area.

Again, I work at a NHS hospital and we don't have the luxury in providing that type of splint as we are very restricted from a budget aspect.

Best of luck, be sure to be well informed should you choose surgery, I have seen a hell of a lot of patients who have had splints after their unsuccesful surgical treatment.

Dear i'matechy,

Will you tell us which splint you think has alot of clinical evidence? Dont think of it as commercializing your comments, think of it as saving me a lit search. Im not really that keen on them, but reversible is definately good! I am also a mouth breather so if it obstructed my mouth it would be a no go! I think it is good to know these things as I'm sure the one you are offered in clinic is usually the one they have gotten the best deal on!

Thanks,
Jo

Dear All,
I have sadly seen all of your notes on how desperate your snoring makes you. I have worked with snorers and OSA sufferers for over 10 years. The stories are all too similar. Unfortunately, the surgery figures are really poor. Almost all of the surgery is unbearably painful, often works temperarily, then after often weeks or months the snoring starts again.

Sometimes side effects of UPPP, can mean you get nasal regurgitation, when you drink it comes through your nose. Its not good.

I know Mandibular Splints aren't particularly sexy, but they are painless, with little or no side effects, and most of all they are reversable. I mean they can be taken out. Where as if your surgery doesn't work, you can't have your Uvula put back in place!

There are a few very good splints available, there is one in particular thats mentioned on some of these boards, that has loads of clinical evidence, Try it seriously. I won't commercialize my comments as I work in a NHS hospital and don't sell my services.

I have made loads of MAS's and have had a great deal of success.

Good Luck, I do sympathise.
:cry:

Tas,

The surgeon gave me Nasonex, so I have 2 months of using it with my fingers crossed. He did look up my nose (but not with an endoscope) and said they didnt look too bad. I have talked to my boyfriend and he is a bit shocked about the extent of the 'treatment' available for snoring. He is not keen for me to have surgery - neither am I. I was given some info about various MAD's but they are just not very sexy are they? I dont snore all the time apparently so I dont see any point in wearing one all the time. If the nasal spray does not help then I will have to re-assess the situation and so will my boyfriend! Good luck with your surgery!

Jo

Hi Jo

Having been born with a cleft palate my situation is a bit different to most but I have had sleep apnea for about 15 years and been on a cpap machine for 11 what nasal spray did your consultant put you on personally I dont feel they do any good I have been using one for years but i have bad allergys as well as asthma did your consultant put a endoscope down your nose to see if your nasal pasages are small because it could be that your septum at the back of nose is bent as mine is in which case they straighten it out under local aneathesthic and your home on the same day it is called a septoplasty but for me things arent quite so simple I went in to hospital last week to have it done but because of various health problems couldnt have it done because i have to have a general aneasthetic it is more complicated because of my cleft palate and will have to stay about 5 days Im going back in on the 1st of November so hopefully i will have it done this time Let me no how it goes with the nasal inhaler .

Take care

Tas

Hi,

I have been an undiagnosed snorer for years until my boyfriend of nearly 3 years has decided enough is enough!
I have just returned from finally seeing a ENT surgeon who has given me a nasal spray to try for 2 months and if that does not work he says he can operate on my nasal passages to try to increase their size :shock: My Dad is also a snorer and years ago he had his uvula and soft palate removed in an attempt to stop him snoring. After a couple of days on ICU, a haemorrhage and alot of pain he did stop snoring for about a year and has been snoring at his usual ear shattering volume ever since that which was about 20 years ago! The surgeon said today that the laser equivalent of that op today has quite a chance of failing so Im not gonna go there!

I would be interested to hear if anyone has had any nasal operations to increase the size of their 'tubing'

Thanks,

Jo

Hi Fi

I cant really tell you what its like to have a palatoplasty because i have had so many with being born with a cleft palate I had my palate built over many years as a child but I do remember that it is very sore I can only imagine that they are going to operate on the back of your palate to make the soft palate work better so it doesant collapse when you sleep have you tried sleeping more or less up right with lots of pillows because this help prevent the back of the palate collapsing when you are asleep I spent many years sat up to sleep before I had my sleep machine Have you had an endoscope put down your nose to see what is going on. Did your consultant explain to you what a palatoplasty was and how he was going to do it You may find that your have to have a very soft slopy diet for a few days so that you can alow some of the soreness to subside .

Hope to hear from you soon

Take care

Tas

Hi Tas,
I'm just going by what my surgeon is telling me and I hope he knows what he is talking about!!!!!! Really hoping this works as it is becoming a real issue although I have to say I am not looking forward to it at all but would rather have the pain four a few weeks than the guilt trips I've been putting myself through. My partner is very good about it but I know he's had enough. Have you had the op done already, how much does it really hurt ( on a scale of 1 - 10) and did it work??? I have my pre op appointment next week so will find out exactly what they plan to do to me then, watch this space!!

Fi :wink:

Hi Fi

Can I ask you why your having a palatoplasty this is usually performed o n somone who has had a cleft palate like myself I'm going in the 1st of november for a septoplasty becuase the setum at the back of my nose is very bent so causing my breathing problems I was supposed to have it done on the 18th of october but had a high temperature so the surgeons cancelled it because it could be dangerous Ive used a cpap machine for the past 11 years it would be great to hear your reply

All the best

Tas