CPAP Failure is Common. 60% of Patients Abandon CPAP and Users Average Only 4-5 Hours A Night

The following blog entry is reprint of a JANUARY 2010 press release. I am frequently asked what is the best sleep apnea treatment or what is the best CPAP machine. The best treatment for sleep apnea is not a simple question as it will vary between patients. One thin we no for certain, the best treatment is a treatment that is used. CPAP machines sitting in your closet do not constitute the best treatment. The press release below discusses the fact that the majority of patients do not use their CPAP. CPAP is not the best treatment for those patient. Dr Ira L SHAPIRA (PRESS RELEASE FOLLOWS BELOW)

CPAP is still considered the Gold Standard of treatment even though the majority of patients discontinue use. CPAP failure occurs do to lack of patient compliance not because CPAP is not effective. CPAP is very effective when used all night.

CPAP failures are common and everyone is left frustrated. Patients feel like failures because they are frequently unaware of the fact that up to 60% of patients fail CPAP. Spouses are upset and worried, their loved ones are not only disturbing their sleep with loud snoring but they are also worried about heart attacks and stokes. Patients with untreated sleep apnea have a 36% decrease in 8 year survival compared to treated patients.

Patients with untreated apnea are more likely to die in their sleep than while exercising . They have slower reaction times than someone who is legally drunk and have a sis-fold increase in motor vehicle accidents. The number one reason for CPAP failures is that patients "Hate CPAP!"

Dr Ira Shapira is a pioneer in the field of Dental Sleep Medicine who did research as a visiting assistant professor at Rush Medical School in Chicago in the 1980's. After treating patients with oral appliances for over 25 years he was very excited when the American Academy of Sleep Medicine changed their parameters of care and determined that oral appliances along with CPAP were a first line standard of care for snoring and mild to moderate apnea treatment. The AASM also said that oral appliances were an alternative to CPAP for severe apnea when patients do not tolerate CPAP.

The National Sleep Foundation the declared that "oral Appliances are a Therapy Whose Time has Come!" in SleepMatters their regular magazine.

Dr Shapira who is a Diplomate of The American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and a member of the AASM, DOSA and the ADSM realized that even though the appliances were extremely effective many patients were still unaware of oral appliances. While more knowledgable sleep physicians were referring patients for oral appliances most patients were unaware of this option. Studies have shown that patients prefer comfortable oral appliances to CPAP when offered a choice. Dr Shapira created the website http://www.ihatecpap.com because "i HATE CPAP!" was the number one statement he heard from patients over the years when he asked why they wanted an oral appliance.

The website is extremely popular with over 10,000 individual visits a month. Thousands of patients have found out about oral appliances at the area of the site (http://www.ihatecpap.com/oral_appliance.html) on oral appliances which has photos of many appliances.

The I HATE CPAP! website has been so successful that Dr Shapira has now created a new site http://www.ihateheadaches.org that helps patients with migraines, chronic daily headaches, sinus headaches and tension headaches find help thru Neuromuscular Dentistry.

The NHLBI considers Sleep Apnea to be a TMJ disorder and published a report "CARDIOVASCULAR AND SLEEP-RELATED CONSEQUENCES OF TEMPOROMANDIBULAR DISORDERS" In their report they state " About 60-90% of cases appear to experience satisfactory resolution of symptoms with a range of interventions" This is actually better results than almost any drug regiment for treating migraines or chronic daily headaches.

Dr Barry Cooper published a paper in Cranio that describes "overwhelming relief" of TMJ symptoms and headaches after treatment with a neuromuscular dental orthotic. The I HATE Headaches! website offers help to patients tired of living in pain. TMJ disorders are often called "The Great Imposter" because there are so many symptoms such as headaches and migraines that patients do not associate with bite problems or their jaws.

An excellent resource for patients with TMJ disorders or headaches is a story in Sleep and Health Journal "SUFFER NO MORE: DEALING WITH THE GREAT IMPOSTOR" which can be found at http://www.sleepandhealth.com/story/suffer-no-more-dealing-great-impostor.
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Dr Ira L Shapira is an author and section editor of Sleep and Health Journal, President of I HATE CPAP LLC, President Dato-TECH. He was a founding and certified member of the Sleep Disorder Dental Society which became the American Academy of Dental Sleep Medicine, A founding member of DOSA, the Dental Organization for Sleep Apnea. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine, A Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management. He is a former assistant professor at Rush Medical School's Sleep Service where he did research. Dr Shapira is a consultant to sleep centers and teaches courses in Dental Sleep Medicine in his office to doctors from around the U.S. He is the Founder of I HATE CPAP LLC and http://www.ihatecpap.com Dr Shapira also holds several patents on methods and devices for the prophylactic minimally invasive early removal of wisdom teeth and collection of bone marrow and stem cells. Dr Shapira is a licensed general dentist in Illinois and Wisconsin.