TAP Titanium

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

I picked up my TAP Titanium today! ooooooh! Titanium....snaaaaazy!
Its their just released new model.

Let the games begin!......

Sure LOOKS a lot like a certain $169 device, but for 10x the price, and it comes with a dentist. Smile

I will start with a tiny bit of adjustment and monitor results by recording pulse ox and how I feel and crank out my jaw as needed, while monitoring for TMJ issues.( followups with sleep dentist and my normal dentist)

The device comes with some "exercise tabs" which would probably be good for any device of this type and could be easily fabricated out of any chunk of kitchen silicone. Basically a couple of thin short strips that you clench in your teeth after you remove the device and work your jaw backwards and forwards holding it for a few seconds at the extremes, and repeat for a few minutes after your jaw been held in stasis pulled forward all night. They emphasize this as being VERY important.

I had a lousy night on CPAP last night, so I am definitely inspired!

Here's hoping....

I will keep you posted. Anyone else using the TAP Titanium yet?

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

First night on TAP T looks VERY promising for me! Even with minimal turns.

O2 saturation never dropped below 92%, averaged approx 94% and got up to 96-97% for parts of the night. Basically the SAME as on CPAP for me.

Lots of dreams, which is a good sign. Some only dimly remembered, which means its likely I passed through that stage smoothly.

I am not going to pass judgement based on how I feel today since I was sleeping with a new chunk of stuff in my mouth which will always take some time to get used to.

I did the jaw exercises this morning and will continue to do them religiously, based on how those are stressed to be important. Although my jaw felt pretty good this morning.

The Tap T has a feature which allows the top and bottom piece to unhook while still in your mouth. I assume for convienence. Dentist said this is brand new feature and is not even mentioned in the literature. I have mixed feelings about this feature, since I have worn many mouth devices over the decades for various things (retainers etc) and I tend to unconsciously fiddle with them. So I found I kept unhooking the device, without trying, which is not good. I seemed to pretty well break that habit by morning though.

Caveats:
I got my nose/sinuses fixed by an ENT previous to this and believe a working breathing nose is CRITICAL to ANY apnea treatment.
I do a saline flush and a single shot of flonase every night.
My weight is "reasonable". I am 5'11" , 198 pounds, with burly cyclists legs, broad shoulders, thick neck, and a bit of paunch.
I was originally 38AHI before the nose surgery.
APAP pressure was 10-14cm pre nose surgery, 5-10cm apre surgery.

I am more than a little excited that it looks like I will be able to put my CPAP into storage, only to be used when the dental device needs to be replaced for an reason, which takes about a month or so each time.

Gipper · Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 58 Location: Kansas

Snork,
Great to hear the news on your new TAP Smile

. What is different between the TAP 2 and the TAP T? I wish you continued great results.

Gip

PS It sure is nice to not have to wear that mask all night!

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

Rachel E · Joined: 19 Mar 2003 Posts: 504

I am so glad for you Snork. i would be interested to see that with the good oxygen numbers you are getting, iyou feel well after the adjustment period. I have a sneaking suspicion that for me, i am having awakenings due to biting down. Sometimes i wake up doing that.

When I told my sleep doc at my yearly appt that I was not feeling as rested with the TAP II as with the apap, although I prefer the dental appliance greatly, he gave me some provigil to try. He told me that if I still didn't feel rested with that pill, he would do another sleep study with the TAP. I canceled my followup because I just don't' like to take medication unless I absolutely have to and have not tried it yet. I may, just so I can say I did and get a new sleep study.

Gipper, it is good to hear from you again! I hope that you are doing well with your mouth appliance and wedge!

Sleep Well,
Rae

Jpnasty95 · Joined: 08 May 2005 Posts: 72 Location: NJ

snork,

did the new tap provide an illustration or directions for the excercise to be done in the morning? Is there somewhere i can view it online? maybe?

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

Gipper · Joined: 03 Jan 2005 Posts: 58 Location: Kansas

Snork,
Thanks for the info on the new TAP. I am still using my TAP 2 with good results. I will continue to follow this topic and wish you the best. Rae, so good to see you back around also. Hope that you are doing well also?

Thanks to all who particpate in these boards also Smile

Gip

Sleepy Stoboy · Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 449

Very exciting report, snork, and so early on. That should be very promising if your first night went so well.

I'm kind of jealous hearing about the new model. It's good to hear that they remain developing new models. I'm looking forward to an even lighter, less intrusive model down the road.

I agree on the biting down part causing awakenings. I think I was doing this too and have slowly over time reduced that.

Anyone know where you can get a reasonably priced oximeter?

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

Well dang, I can see why there is so little "chatter" on the dental sleep med forum.

Basically you put the device in and it works or it doesn't.

We can't have whole topics on hoses, and traveling with the device, and constantly buying and trying new masks, and using duct tape and pantyhose to TRY to make it all work.

Just pretty darn boring. Cool

TAP T. It seems to be working for me. Sorry I can't make it more exciting.

I advanced a tiny bit more. Took my bedtime cocktail (melatonin, aspirin, calcium), stuck on the pulse ox sensor and woke up the next morning. Oxygen levels were 95-97% most of the night. One tiny dip to 93%. Results looked steadier than my APAP pulse ox results and MUCH steadier than the AVEO TSD. (that was a noble experiment)

Dreamed tons, slept like a rock, feeling good today. Did my jaw exercises. Tiny bit of tenderness on my teeth, which recovered quickly.

Not a whole lot to talk about....it just WORKS! Cool

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

I am about to pack up my CPAP and just keep it for emergency use after only a week of using a dental device, but then I have a recording pulse ox machine to track each night to watch for problems.

Last night was holding at its usual 95-97% then suddenly plummeted into a very erratic reading the rest of the night, after being rock steady all week with the dental device. I will keep a close eye on it, but I suspect it was a problem with the sensor or the bad connector my used pulse ox machine came with. Or maybe something to do with this heat wave and trying to sleep in a 90 degree bedroom without AC and allergies having my nose moderately plugged up even after a saline flush.

Sleepy Stoboy · Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 449

Very, very cool how well it is going for you snork. I hope it all keeps going.

Makes you wonder why you can count on daily mentions of "CPAP is still considered the gold standard" on the other board.

Give a patient a choice of either a CPAP to try or a dental device, offer to pay for either, and watch what would become the gold standard.

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

Drat, My wife said I was snoring a tiny bit last night. Much MUCH less than I ever did before, but a bit.

My oxygen numbers were looking pretty good and lots of dreams indicated I was doing pretty well. I would like to minimize pulling my jaw forward, but it looks like I am not quite there yet. I actually haven't moved it very far forward....maybe a bit too optimistic, so I have plenty of room for adjustment still.

Of course the fact that I am back in the bedroom for my wife to hear how I am doing is a MAJOR step forward and was NOT achieved with CPAP, due to the noise of the CPAP itself. She is a VERY light sleeper and was having a restless night last night to hear my snoring. Even the birds chirping in the morning put her over the edge, so saying a "bit of snoring" must mean it was pretty minor.

I am going to crank it out a bit more

snork1 · Joined: 16 Dec 2003 Posts: 1415 Location: Kirkland, WA

Drat, My wife said I was snoring a tiny bit last night. Much MUCH less than I ever did before, but a bit.

My oxygen numbers were looking pretty good and lots of dreams indicated I was doing pretty well. I would like to minimize pulling my jaw forward, but it looks like I am not quite there yet. I actually haven't moved it very far forward....maybe a bit too optimistic, so I have plenty of room for adjustment still.

Of course the fact that I am back in the bedroom for my wife to hear how I am doing is a MAJOR step forward and was NOT achieved with CPAP, due to the noise of the CPAP itself. She is a VERY light sleeper and was having a restless night last night to hear my snoring. Even the birds chirping in the morning put her over the edge, so saying a "bit of snoring" must mean it was pretty minor.

I am going to crank it out a bit more

Sleepy Stoboy · Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 449

Just a suggestion Snork, but it worked for me...

My wife snores and I'm a light sleeper (I know, the reverse situation). I found great success by using a white noise machine to produce a repetitive sound. I found a good machine at Sharper Image, which has 20 such choices, and I find that her light snoring doesn't wake me up anymore.

Some people seem to have success with this, and in my case I did.