Patient Reviews: CPAP Alternative for Obstructive Sleep Apnea

This time of the year reminds us to reflect on what we are grateful for. At Ohio Sleep Treatment, we are incredibly grateful for every single patient that walks through our door. While research indicates oral appliance therapy (OAT) is an appropriate treatment for managing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), patient success stories shine a light on the true impact of OAT. In addition to published research, reviews from oral appliance users themselves tell the personal stories research may not bring to light! That is why we are grateful for our brave patients who have shared their stories in the hopes to reach potential patients still suffering from undiagnosed and/or untreated OSA. The following patient reviews will give insight into their experience before and after achieving quality sleep!

Patient Reviews

Before OAT Treatment:

Lydia shares her experience before treating her OSA. “Before treating my sleep apnea, I was pretty much sleeping all day. Waking up in the morning wasn’t something that normally happened.”

Whether it is excessive daytime sleepiness, or a noise-complaining bed partner, our patients have been through a lot! Heather says “My husband told me that he was sleeping with a chainsaw because that’s what it sounded like when I was sleeping at night. So that was a big problem for us. My life just was not good at the moment because I was exhausted all the time. I mean the OSA impacted my life in such a negative way.”

It is not uncommon for patients to experience some level of denial before accepting they may be suffering from a sleep disorder.  Who wants to admit that?  Ann explains in her patient review, “Prior to knowing that I had sleep apnea, I was becoming tired. I blamed that on menopause and my age and anything else that was going on. I was in denial about needing any kind of appliance. Once I was educated on the severity of the problems that you can have when you have sleep apnea, then I realized I needed to do something about it. And I knew wearing the CPAP machine was not an option for me, that’s just not sexy.”

Many of our patients have tried managing their sleep apnea with a CPAP machine.  Most have a less than desirable experience resulting in failure.  This is so unfortunate as temporary failure can often dissuade patients from pursuing a different form of therapy, like using an oral appliance. 

CPAP Failures into OAT Triumphs:

Garth left us an incredible patient review via Google chronicling his experience with CPAP. Garth says, “After excessive stop breathing episodes for the last 12 years on a CPAP, 15-30 times an hour, I was referred here”. Garth then reflects on his triumph with OAT, “They are knowledgeable and very nice to work with. My first night with the mouth piece was unexpected. I stopped breathing less than 1 time per hour. It’s been a month now and I average 0-3 times an hour. I haven’t been this rested for years. I’m a new person when I get my sleep. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’m no longer a walking zombie.”

Vicki also struggled in using CPAP to treat her sleep apnea before coming to our clinic. Vicki shares, “I would definitely recommend an oral appliance over a CPAP machine because it is so much simpler, so much easier, you don’t have to worry about distilled water and washing all the tubes and this is so quick and easy to travel with, I  would recommend it to everyone! And like I said I would recommend OST to everyone because I don’t think you will find a friendly, more caring office or organization.”

This patient review is why we do what we do, thank you Vicki! Speaking of patient reviews that make us eager to get to work every single morning, let’s share what patients experience after effectively treating their OSA!

Patient Reviews After OAT Treatment:

After device delivery day, our favorite day at the sleep clinic, sometimes it doesn’t take long for patients to experience positive results from their treatment. Lydia explains, “After I got my appliance, it was literally one day and I noticed a difference and it hadn’t even been adjusted fully yet. The more I worked with OST, the more it made a difference.”

Lydia also experienced improvements in her mental health after achieving quality sleep! Lydia bravely shares, “Since treating my sleep apnea, I am no longer having panic attacks, my depression has gone down, I wake up without an alarm, I sleep better than I have my entire life!”

Wow… this one definitely gave us the goosebumps! The difference a quality night’s sleep can make in someone’s life is truly remarkable. 

 This difference is made clear in Heather’s testimony.  She says, “Lo and behold after the very first night that I had it in my mouth, the next morning I did not wake up tired and I didn’t… Oh! I got goosebumps from it, wow! Since that point, I have had zero waking up exhausted and I have not been taking any naps. As far as our sleeping arrangements are concerned, I am not snoring like a chainsaw anymore which makes my husband happy and he’s not waking up to my snoring every night. And then again just the energy has completely changed in my life and I have the energy to live!”

It is thrilling to share such remarkable patient reviews like these, let’s keep going!

After learning she suffered from obstructive sleep apnea, Ann wasted no time to get the treatment she deserved! Ann shares, “It’s been great, I have adapted well to it. It was an adjustment for the first couple of weeks. But it’s no big deal since I’m used to wearing a retainer at night anyway. They adjusted it right every time I came in for an adjustment, they made it really easy to have that done. Lot’s of phone calls and check-ups to make sure I was doing well, and I would recommend them to anybody!” 

Patients’ Experience Working with Our Team:

Taking a look at our exceptional list of patient reviews via google, we can’t help but share a portion of Andy’s review. He shares, “I really can’t say enough positive things about the staff at Ohio Sleep Treatment! They are truly incredible people! Everyone is so amiable, helpful and the office has a really fun vibe. Each time I visited my questions kept rolling out. They’d answer enthusiastically because they love what they do. I even ended up getting into off-topic and interesting conversations with the staff that lasted way past my appointment time. The passion they have for this field is inspiring, invigorating and infectious! I’ve only seen them 4-5 times, but I feel like they’re people I could go hang out and get a drink with! Thank you so much! You gave me my life back!”

Back to Vicki as she shares a similar experience working with our team of sleep dentists and professionals! “When I saw the dentist he was so compassionate and caring and I truly felt I was in good hands. And after I had gone through the experience with the CPAP I thought this will be wonderful, and it has been!” OST patient, Lydia, also shared a similar experience, “My experience working with the team at OST has been out of this world, they treated me like family, like I was a friend for life, I don’t feel like a patient.” 

In Closing

It comes with a gracious heart as we share this selection of patient reviews. On behalf of the entire team at Ohio Sleep Treatment, we are infinitely grateful to every patient mentioned, and the many patients not mentioned, for their bravery in sharing their stories. If you have questions, give our clinic a call at 614-396-8286 or click here to contact us online! You can also check out our Sleep Apnea Treatment blog archives for more information on oral appliance therapy.