Any one using this treatment? I'd like to know more

New Treatment For Obstructive Sleep Apnea Now Available In Canada
Ventus Medical; Canada NewsWire
965 words
19 November 2012
09:21
Canada NewsWire
CNNW
English
Copyright © 2012 Canada NewsWire Ltd. All rights reserved.

-- Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy a new option for untreated Canadians --

SAN JOSE, Calif. and TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2012 /CNW/ - Ventus Medical is pleased to announce the introduction of its proprietary Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy into Canada. Provent Therapy is an innovative, non-invasive treatment for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Provent Therapy is now available in the province of Ontario and will be available throughout Canada by June 2013. ioSleep, Inc. is the strategic distribution partner of Provent Therapy in Canada.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20121119/SF15670)

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120712/LA37941LOGO)

There is growing demand for clinically proven sleep apnea treatments and the introduction of Provent represents a scientifically validated, innovative and user-friendly approach. Provent works across mild, moderate, and severe OSA and utilizes nasal expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to keep a patient's airway open during sleep.

"According to the Public Health Agency of Canada over 1 in 4 Canadian adults are at high risk of having OSA. OSA is suspected in patients who are loud snorers, excessively sleepy, obese and hypertensive," said Dr. John Fleetham, Professor of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. "OSA is increasingly being recognised in Canadian patients. CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) is the primary treatment for OSA, however not all patients can tolerate it as a long term treatment." Dr. Fleetham further comments, "I welcome new validated treatment alternatives for OSA such as Provent Sleep Apnea Therapy."

"We believe clinically-proven Provent Therapy offers a unique and convenient alternative to CPAP treatment for the large number of people in Canada currently affected by OSA," said Philip Westbrook, M.D., chief medical officer of Ventus Medical. "Provent has been used effectively in the United States since 2008 and in clinical studies, Provent Therapy improved quality of sleep while it reduced apnea (breathing disruptions), daytime sleepiness and snoring. Importantly, Provent is easy to use, portable and discreet for use at home or when travelling."

CPAP is the primary treatment of OSA and is extremely effective if worn as directed. However, up to half of all patients are not compliant with CPAP therapy due to the cumbersome nature of the treatment. Provent Therapy was developed to help patients who cannot tolerate CPAP therapy and will benefit from the small, non-invasive and effective technology, which Provent Therapy provides.

In patients with OSA the airway collapses during sleep when the muscles that hold it open relax. People with this disorder stop breathing during sleep---in some cases hundreds of times each night---usually for periods of ten seconds or longer. OSA can lead to fatigue, early morning headaches, irritability, lack of concentration, and contributes to depression, learning and memory difficulties, and sexual dysfunction. Importantly, recent studies have shown that OSA is associated with high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, heart attack, stroke and diabetes.

"As we look at global market opportunities for Provent Therapy, Canada fits directly into our corporate strategy, which is to target markets where three factors come together: high prevalence of OSA, acceptance of innovative therapies, and importantly, a need for new therapeutic options that address low patient compliance," stated Peter Wyles, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ventus Medical. "With ioSleep and their extensive experience in sleep disorder treatment and diagnosis, we are pleased to present Provent Therapy as a new treatment to manage this troubling condition."

About Provent® Sleep Apnea Therapy

Provent is a proprietary medical device used for the treatment of OSA. The device has been shown to be clinically effective in a series of peer reviewed studies. It is an easy to use, non-invasive and disposable treatment that works across mild, moderate, and severe OSA. Provent Therapy utilizes nasal expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) to keep a patient's airway open during sleep and has been clinically proven in numerous studies to reduce sleep apnea. It incorporates a novel MicroValve design that is placed over the nostrils and secured with hypoallergenic adhesive. During inhalation, the valve opens allowing nearly unobstructed airflow. During exhalation, the valve closes, limiting airflow through small openings, which increases expiratory pressure and keeps the airway open, preventing disruption in breathing. Provent Therapy is approved by Health Canada, is FDA cleared and has CE marking. For more information, please visit http://www.proventtherapy.ca
About Ventus Medical

Ventus Medical is a privately-held medical device company dedicated to providing non-invasive medical solutions for people with sleep-disordered breathing. Based on its innovative MicroValve technology and patented designs, Ventus has developed a unique line of clinically-proven medical devices to address the continuum of sleep disorders from severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) to mild snoring. Ventus Medical devices work by creating expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP). The company markets Provent® Therapy, a discreet, easy-to-use nasal device, for the treatment of OSA in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, and also markets an over-the-counter device for snoring in the United States. http://www.ventusmedical.com.

About ioSleep Inc.

ioSleep is a Canadian distributor of innovative solutions for patients suffering from sleep disorders. Dedicated to supporting both the Canadian healthcare professional and patients with clinically effective treatment options to achieve healthy sleep. A partner that provides custom solutions that best meets the patient's needs. http://www.iosleep.com
SOURCE Ventus Medical

Ventus Medical Corporate Contact, Gitte Pope, +1-408-200-5293, gpope@ventusmedical.com; ioSleep Contact, Joe Santos, Director, Business Development, +1-647-970-1722, joe@iosleep.com http://www.ventusmedical.comhttp://phot ... A37941LOGO PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

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Plenty of posts about it - search.php?keywords=provent

Doesn't sound so promising.

OK, so I can't sleep and breathe at the same time;
and you suggest I put tape over my nostrils with teensy little holes to breathe out of.
What in the {bleep} is wrong with this picture?
Nothing gives me such a wonderful feeling as gobs of fresh air pushing into my lungs.

If I wasn't a mouth breather, I would try it in a heartbeat.

49er

I remember seeing a commercial for it, before I confessed and had my sleep study. As soon as I saw it required nasal breathing, I knew it wouldn't work for me. It sounds like it does work for some people, though they prefer it for traveling, and still use their machine at home, which is less expensive.

They talked about this when I was at Kaiser. They were explaining different options. This didn't sound very promising. It's not covered by their insurance either.

I tried Provent recently when I went on a four day trip out of the country and didn't want to deal with taking cpap through customs. All I can offer you is my anecdotal evidence and that is not considered strong evidence.

The pros are numerous. Its light and easy to carry. I was able to adjust to the sensation of restricted exhale in about 20 minutes. My partner tells me that I did not mouth breath. I felt as good in the morning as I do with cpap. Provent is US FDA approved. Efficacy has been investigated by a multisite randomized controlled trial.

The cons are big. I did not have a sleep study using Provent therefore I don't know how well it actually worked for me. Third party payers in the US do not cover Provent. It was about $80. for a 30 day supply. The multisite randomized controlled trial outcome measures used to establish efficacy are defined at controversial levels.

I have mild OSA and I am willing to take the risk of using Provent when I travel. I am not prepared to use Provent on a daily basis. This month I bought ZEO, next month I'll but a pulse oximeter. When I get the pulse ox I plan to do an unprofessional home sleep study while using Provent. While waiting for the pulse ox I am working on learning how to use sleepyhead.

I tried Provent the last 3 nights while traveling for the holidays. The first 4 days are at lower pressures so that you can get used to it. I used the "stage 1" the first night, but then I was like, screw it, I want this to actually work, so I went straight to the Stage 3 (usually day 5). Compared to non-CPAP or Stage 1, the Stage 3 did seem to help me sleep, but it was noticeably weaker than CPAP.

It wasn't very uncomfortable to wear, because you are allowed to breathe through your mouth, or nose-in-mouth-out until you fall asleep, at which point you supposedly auto switch to nasal breathing. It did feel weird breathing through it - not much extra resistance on the in, lots on the out, but I could feel the pressure on the outflow keeping things open. Usually when there is resistance when I breathe, I feel the resistance causing collapse, this was the opposite.

Anyway, I think it's a fine option for emergencies (no power, hiking, machine breaks, whatever) - cheaper than a backup machine. But it's not a CPAP replacement, more like a super-powered breathe-rite strip. Better than nothing, small, cheap, but it's not CPAP. If that sounds useful to you, pick some up soon, I heard a rumour that the manufacturer may be going bankrupt soon.

Doesn't claim efficacy for Complex apnea.
Would provide zero remedy for Central apneas.
No use to me...

Hi,
I used it from mid April through July this year. I was heartbroken over Cpap, and could not face it. Provent sort of worked. My husband said I didn't snore, in fact he was a little worried that I died I was so quiet. But, as with everything else I have tried, I'd wake when I had to use the loo. Then, hard to get back to sleep. And for me, it became very itchy. Once the itchy started, and I could not scratch there or I'd have to take it off. Once you take it off, you have to get another set, which starts running into more money. I finally asked to have an oximeter where we tested it. the Dr. was pretty pleased because my ahi had gone from 85 to 20. While still not good, he felt that if I slept on my side, this would greatly improve. The only problem was that if I tried to sleep on my side, I couldn't get enough air to breathe.

Then in late July I went camping, tried to sleep on my side in our VW pop top van, which had never bothered me before. We love to camp. For some reason I slept wrong and have had extreme shoulder pain since then. I was getting less and less sleep at home, and was not losing any weight which had been my plan all along. I am a stubborn one, and decided to ask to trial the cpap with the humidifier. The first branch of my Hmo said no. So I called another branch. They said of course you may and said that they wouldn't dream of not offering it. My trial was ok. I was still super horrified of the machine and all the paraphanalia and I still cried because it felt so demeaning and undignified. I know what all you die hards are thinking, but I don't care, I am honest. This has been a tough pill to swallow, but I am swallowing it, always with a hope for something better. I am very grateful for all of your comments, both sweet and harsh. We all have out own way of expressing our opinions. I am very grateful for this forum, without it I am sure I never would have given the cpap a chance at all. Look what a fine job you have done to convince a super stubborn vain old woman.

Just an aside, I have now had 2 oximeter overnights in my own home and 2 sleep studies at two different labs. All told the results have been all over the place. The most recent to see if I could use the somnodent to treat my sleep apnea said they tested me without any adjustment on the mouth piece and my ahi was 35 which was 50 pts different from my first test w/ oximeter. So my point is, things are not always the same everywhere. All other things being equal, I had lost 12 lbs, and started taking 20000 iu of vitamin D3. One day at a time. Best of health to all of you. Happy New Year 2013

Reenee, bless you and thank you for sharing. I hope it works out well for you.

I'm lucky in that I had no emotional problem with the equipment, but I understand it's a real problem with many people. I think the emotional problems of the equipment will be less than the emotional problems of the damage of the health problems untreated apnea will cause.

Of course, it's an emotional problem so logic won't necessarily help.

I say, "no emotional problems," but I did have a good dose of "I don't want to deal with this crap," and "this is just another thing the darn medical mafia wants me to pay for for the rest of my life." In my case, when I set my CPAP wrong after a few years and got really sick, my feelings changed when I got "cured" the next day after setting my machine correctly. Now the mask is like my teddy bear I curl up with to get comfy.

archangle wrote: I'm lucky in that I had no emotional problem with the equipment, but I understand it's a real problem with many people.

I've had emotional problems with CPAP machine. Turns out I like it a lot since it feeds me more air than I would otherwise get due to chronic congested sinuses. That and the fact that it treats my OSA.

I tried to use the Provent to nap one day, couldn't stick with it. My nose were a little congested and it looks like you need them in 100% working conditions.

You need to mouth breath to fall asleep and hope they close once you're alseep. I've retrained myself to only breath out of my nose ever since I learned being a mouth breather was no good. Provent was a fail for me.